Reverse mortgage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A reverse mortgage (known as lifetime mortgage in the United Kingdom) is a loan available to seniors (62 and older in the United States), and is used to release the home equity in the property as one lump sum or multiple payments. The homeowner's obligation to repay the loan is deferred until the owner dies, the home is sold, or the owner leaves (e.g., into aged care).
In a typical mortgage the homeowner makes a monthly amortized payment to the lender; after each payment the equity increases within his or her property, and typically after the end of the term (e.g., 30 years) the mortgage has been paid in full and the property is released from the lender. In a reverse mortgage, the home owner makes no payments and all interest is added to the lien on the property. If the owner receives monthly payments, or a bulk payment of the available equity percentage for their age, then the debt on the property increases each month.
If a property has increased in value after a reverse mortgage is taken out, it is possible to acquire a second (or third) reverse mortgage over the increased equity in the home. But in certain countries (including the United States), a reverse mortgage must be the first and only mortgage on the property
Reverse mortgages in the United States
Requirements
To qualify for a reverse mortgage in the United States, the borrower must be at least 62 years of age. There are no minimum income or credit requirements, but there are other requirements and homeowners should make sure that they qualify for the loan before they invest significant time or money into the process. For most reverse mortgages, the money can be used for any purpose; however, the borrower must pay off any existing mortgage(s) with the proceeds from the reverse mortgage and, if needed, additional personal funds. A pending bankruptcy which has not been finalized may, however, slow the process. Some types of dwellings do not qualify, while others (like mobile homes) have special requirements (such as being on an approved permanent foundation and built after 1976) in order to be approved. Before borrowing, applicants must seek third party financial counseling from a source which is approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The counseling is a safeguard for the borrower and his/her family, to make sure the borrower completely understands what a reverse mortgage is and how one is obtained.
Reverse Mortgages do not have most of the requirements of a standard mortgages like FICO scores, earnings verification, or payment histories. The loan is based purely on the age of the youngest owner, the value of the home, and any existing liens or mortgages on the home.
Reverse mortgage proceeds
The amount of money available to the consumer is determined by five primary factors:
- The appraised value of the property, whether any health or safety repairs need to be made to the house, and whether there are any existing liens on the house.
- The interest rate, as determined by the U.S. Treasury 1 year T-Bill or the LIBOR index.
- The age of the senior (The older the senior is, the more money he/she will receive).
- Whether the payment is taken as line of credit, lump sum, or monthly payments. Line of credit will maximize the money available, while lump sum provides the cash immediately, but the interest fees are the highest. Monthly payments are set up as a "Tenure" payment. You receive them for the rest of your life no matter how long you live.
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- The location of the property, and whether the maximum loan amount is subject to the maximum loan limits. These limits change on a county by county basis. There are also efforts to create a national maximum, so you need to check periodically for those numbers. If those numbers go up in your area, you can refinance the reverse mortgage and increase the funds you receive.
All these factors contribute to the Total Annual Lending Cost (TALC) as defined by the US Federal Government Regulation Z, the single rate which includes all the loan costs. The specific formulas to calculate the impact of the factors listed above can be found in Appendix 22 of the HUD Handbook 4235.1.[1]
There is also a type of reverse mortgage for homes valued over the maximum Fannie Mae limit. These are called "cash" accounts, and are proprietary loan products. The money received (loan advances) are not taxable and do not directly affect Social Security or Medicare benefits. However, an American Bar Association guide[2] to reverse mortgages explains that if you receive Medicaid, SSI, or other public benefits, loan advances will be counted as "liquid assets" if the money is kept in an account (savings, checking, etc.) past the end of the calendar month in which it is received. The borrower could then lose eligibility for such public programs if his or her total liquid assets (cash, generally) is then greater than those programs allow.[3]
It is important to note that the homeowner must ensure that taxes and insurance are kept current at all times. If either taxes or insurance lapse, it could result in a default on the reverse mortgage.
Once the reverse mortgage is established, there are no restrictions on how the funds are used. In addition to the tenure monthly payments, the borrower has the option of moving the entire amount of money into investments, or they can simply take the money and spend it as they wish.
Among the options of interest bearing instruments, the borrower can keep them with the lender and (These accounts usually pay more than the interest rate of the loan), move the funds to a directed account with a financial specialist (This option is risky unless you direct the investment options of the financial specialist), or withdraw the funds and manage their investment themselves.
HUD counseling
To apply for an FHA/HUD reverse mortgage, a borrower is required to complete a 45-minute counseling session with a HUD-approved counselor. The counselor will explain the legal and financial obligations of a reverse mortgage. After the counseling session, the borrower receives a "certificate of counseling" that is required before the loan application can be processed.
Related taxes
The American Bar Association guide[2] advises that generally:
- The Internal Revenue Service does not consider loan advances to be income,
- Annuity advances may be partially taxable, and interest charged is not deductible until it is actually paid, that is, at the end of the loan.
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- The mortgage insurance premium is deductible on the 1040 long form.
Fixed Rate Reverse Mortgage vs. Adjustable Rate Reverse Mortgage
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