Now Free HECM Reverse Mortgage Counseling For All Seniors

Have you known, that a senior customer will never be turned away, if he or she cannot pay the reverse mortgage counseling? HUD, which is a Government agency, has got the rules, that they can charge for the reverse mortgage counseling, but only a fair price. Now there is even better news!

The HECM reverse mortgage counseling rules say, that the agency cannot charge the fee during the counseling session, if the incomes of the applicant is 200 % below the poverty limit. However, in these cases they charge the fee when the loan will be closed. The low income customers must bring the income documents, like the social security payment receipts or other income documents to the reverse mortgage counseling session.

1. Why The Reverse Mortgage Counseling Is Important?

This session is obligatory for all seniors, who will apply for HECM. This tries to guarantee, that the seniors get enough independent information about how to solve the financial future problems. The counselors are experts, who help seniors and they do not try to sell anything.

A senior, who is going to meet the counselor must do the homework. He has to plan, how he will arrange his or her future financial questions. The job of the counselor is to find the answers. The answer can be something else, than to take the reverse loan. But if the solution is the reverse loan, the counselor can advice, which lenders are reliable, what are the costs of the loan and how the loan works.

2. Who Can Qualify?

The qualification has been made easy. The key thing is, that an applicant is 62 year old or older and owns his permanent home, where he has equity left. Almost all home types are accepted, only some motor home types have been left outside. Altogether three seniors can become borrowers, but all must be owners and fulfil the requirements.

3. Kill The Rumours By Meeting An Expert!

When a human nature does not understand something, it starts to create its own truths. This has happened to the reverse loan images. People, and the press, have invented a lot of rumours about the unhappy seniors, who suffer because they have taken the reverse loan. On the top of this there are quite many scam artists, who have sold too big programs to the seniors. To avoid all the difficulties from these things, a senior makes it wise to get the expert guidance from the counselor.

4. Get The Correct Information Already In The Beginning Of The Planning Process.

It is important to make your homework. The Internet includes all the needed information, so just use the search engines. Actually you can get the full information about how the reverse loans work before you will meet the counselor. In the counselor meeting you can get information for your own situation, i.e. which solutions fit to you.

5. The Free Reverse Mortgage Counseling.

HECM reverse mortgage counseling has always been free for seniors with annual incomes less than $ 20.000 or for couples with annual incomes less than $ 30.000. For others the customary fee has been $ 125, which has been included in the loan sum, i.e. collected after the running time has ended.

And then the good news. HECM reverse mortgage counselors will waive the counseling fees from all borrowers to improve the information sharing and to help elder people to keep their homes. They see the free information sharing as one important way to make the program more interesting among the seniors.

The service is offered by NCOA or The National Council on Aging via its Reverse Mortgage Counseling Services Network. If you are interested, they offer a free telephone number to set the date for the meeting, which you can find from the Internet.

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Reverse Mortgages For Seniors, How To Finance The Retirement

When you have pondered the reverse mortgages for seniors, have you thought how you would finance your retirement? Have you noticed that the reverse mortgage loans release cash for you along the schedule you have decided!

The retirement years are full of surprises. Unfortunately most of them concern the living costs, the income side staying unchanged. Towards this background it is useful to know, that the reverse mortgages for seniors are a possible source of an extra cash.

I think this is the smart thinking. The reverse mortgage loans should be an opportunity, which you can use if needed. The retirement years should be financed with the usual pensions, as most retired do.

1. If You Have Normal Reverse Loan Left.

A borrower can have only one mortgage loan type at a time. This means, that if you have a usual mortgage still left, you will pay it away with the reverse loan. This releases more cash for the monthly usage. And because the reverse loan has no monthly back payments, you will get a double benefit, both tax free.

2. The Peace Of The Mind.

The reverse mortgages for seniors offer a secure source of the money in case a senior will need it. It is like a financial insurance for the future. It is wise to get the facts about the reverse mortgages in a good time in advance and when the sudden need comes, a senior is ready. This is important, because most seniors have a situation, when the incomes do not grow, but they are afraid about the possible living cost increases in the future and how are they able to manage them.

3. You Can Use The Money From The Reverse Mortgages As You Will.

The lender, most often a bank, will follow your instructions when paying to you. There is no credit nor income information needed, because the loan is always taken against the equity of your permanent home. You do not have to report to anybody about the usage of the money.

Many seniors use it as a supplement to the normal pension, to pay the sudden medical bills, to buy a flat to a child, to travel or to pay the home repair, for instance. It is good to remember, that the money comes from the home equity, i.e. it is the money, which a senior has paid once plus the home price increases.

4. The Reverse Loan Payments Are Tax Free.

This is not a crystal clear rule, because some states in US follow the rule, that if the money is used during the same month, then it is tax free. But a senior has to talk with a counselor, if he plans to take a lump sum, it may be taxable money.

5. The Future Is Unknown, Think To Take A Credit Line.

A borrower can select, how he or she wants the lender to pay to him. The alternatives are the monthly payments, the lump sum, a credit line or a combination of all these. If a senior does not know, what are his needs he can always pick a credit line, because that is honestly flexible.

The reverse mortgages for seniors offer benefits, which are taylor made for the senior Americans. The seniors can continue to live in their old homes and to maintain the home ownerships. This is important, because the home price increases add value to the equity.

The reverse mortgages are blamed for their costs, that the upfront costs are quite high. Here I can only say, that it depends on the situation. If the home equity is the only source of the money and if the need of the money is serious, is the cost still reasonable?

Juhani Tontti, B.Sc., Is Focused To Share Information About The Reverse Mortgages For Seniors To Paint Clear Pros And Cons Of The Reverse Mortgages. Visit: Senior Reverse Mortgage

How Reverse Mortgage Counseling Association Helps Seniors

Have you always hoped, that some reverse mortgage counseling group would help seniors by arranging contacts between the reverse mortgage borrowers? Have you a need to discuss with other reverse mortgage borrowers?

The Reverse Mortgage Counseling Association made this plan to become true in June 2011. This program is called RMCA Senior Membership Program and the target is to share the research data, allow the seniors to use the tools and get the industry feedback. This program is open for new and present borrowers and it encourages members to form a community, which is useful for all members.

1. The Street Level Communication.

Today the seniors can use the reverse mortgage counseling, the official guidance, but this new program deepens that information, because the seniors can get a real life experiences from other members and to make questions to the reverse loan industry.

This program has an ambitious task to collect all the relevant information and the user experiences into one place. The data will be objective and the program works as a bridge builder between the industry and the senior members.

2. What The Members Will Get?

The efficiency of these kind of programs depends partly on their activities. The annual fee is $ 25 and with that the members will get newsletters, aging in place information, United Networks Of America discount card, the usage of the national non-profit referral service and they can use the counseling from other members concerning the tax and insurance issues.

3. The Target Is To Help Seniors To Age At Their Homes.

This is a very nobel target and the seniors require a lot of guidance and information to be able to solve all the obstacles. The program, which the Reverse Mortgage Counseling Association has set helps a lot. It works as a supporting program, which has a big mental influence on the seniors, who have the reverse loan.

The reverse loan lenders have taken the program as a very useful venture and some have even donated an one year membership fee to the borrowers. It is wise, that both the borrowers and the lenders meet in this program, because they actually have mutual benefits.

4. A Survey Will Be Made Twice An Year.

This is useful for all parties, because it is important to research, what is honestly happening in the industry. The survey will monitor, how the senior borrower needs are developing, which again will help also the lenders to adjust the contents of their products.

5. Contacts Between Members With SandBox Senior Service.

This service offers an unofficial channel between the members and allows to make questions from the different reverse mortgage issues. Because the program works like a club, only the members can see the communications.

The target of the Reverse Mortgage Counseling Association to establish this program is to strengthen the industry by building the active contacts between the members. It will also strengthen the community by sharing the correct information and to kill the false rumours.

Juhani Tontti, B.Sc., Marketing, Is Happy That The Reverse Mortgage Counseling Association Started The Senior Membership Program. The Reverse Mortgage Counselors Want Really To Help Seniors. Visit: Reverse Mortgage Information

Can A Senior Lower Reverse Mortgage Cost, Are Better Terms Ahead

Have you also thought, that some other economic time is better and you could lower the reverse mortgage cost? Have you thought, that the accrued costs, like interest rate, will be decreased in the future?

The basic difficulty is, that the future forecasting is difficult or even impossible. This makes the forecasts concerning the reverse mortgage cost also difficult. However, a senior borrower has to make important choices, before he will sign the reverse loan agreement.

The key thing is to understand, what is the bigger market, which will influence on the terms of the reverse loan. We speak about the financial products, which follow the economic circumstances. To put this simply, the selling prices are bigger, when the economy is running well and another way round.

1. What Are The Drivers In The Reverse Loan Market?

Do the important drivers come from the general market or from the demand of the senior citizens? If we think, the needs of the seniors, they hardly follow the economic circumstances. These people are mostly retired and the need for an extra monthly money is big.

So it seems, that the bigger impact comes from the financial market, i.e. from the competition between the different reverse mortgage lenders. This forces the sales managers to make special offers by reducing the price of a certain reverse mortgage cost element.

2. The Impact Of The Offers.

The basic feature of the reverse loan is, that a senior will not pay back anything during the running time. This means, that all the costs will be added on the top of the previous ones. By utilizing the special offers a senior can lower the closing costs. This requires, that a senior must follow the market offers during a long time, but it is time well spent.

3. The Elements Of The Reverse Mortgage Cost.

The counselor fee is the only out of the pocket fee, others will be included into the debt. So the interest will be calculated for the whole debt capital, which means that it will be the biggest element in the closing cost. The loan shopping is the only way, on the top of some special offers, with which a senior can find the best deal. The Internet is a great tool to handle the process.

4. The Interest Rate Choice.

When the interest rate is the biggest element in the reverse mortgage cost, it is important to think it a little bit more. A borrower must select between two types, the fixed or variable rate loans. The fixed rate will be the same for the whole running time, which makes it risk free and easy to forecast.

If a borrower manages to sign a deal during a recession with an exceptional low fixed rate, that is good. The variable rate follows the market prices and can bring good results, if the present rate level is high and the forecasts are that it will be lower in the future. If the running time is a long one, it is hard to forecast the rate development.

5. What Is Essential?

In the reverse mortgage cost there are bigger and smaller elements. What will determine the closing costs is the development of the whole package. If the fixed interest rate, which a senior could get, is historically on a very low level, it is not realistic to hope to get even a lower one. The need of an extra money dictates the timing and if a senior has shopped around and located the best lender, there it is.

Juhani Tontti, B.Sc., Is An Expert Author, Who Has Followed The Market Including The Reverse Mortgage Cost Discussion, Recommends To Shop Between Different Reverse Mortgage Lenders To Get The Best Deal. Visit: Reverse Mortgage Cost

5 Facts Why Reverse Mortgage Cost Will Always Be Covered

Have you also heard rumours, that the reverse mortgage cost can grow bigger than the value of your home? And that a senior or his heir must pay a part of the reverse loan from his own wallet? These are myths, so read the facts!

These myths or rumours grow easily, because the reverse mortgage cost stay hidden during the running time and because a senior has not to pay back anything on a monthly basis. One thing may be, that the reverse mortgages are complicated products and some seniors have honestly difficulties to understand all the details, including the list of the reverse mortgage costs.

1. The Basic Target Of The Reverse Mortgage Loan.

When the Reagan administration decided to allow the launch of the reverse loans in America, the target was to help seniors, who are cash poor, but equity rich, i.e. seniors, who had low fixed monthly incomes, but who had a need for an extra income owing to the increased living costs, like the medical bills or home repair.

In a way, the system was similar to the social security, but now the seniors had to pay the bills, the reverse mortgage cost, by themselves. Because these seniors had assets, which were in the equities of their homes, the administration created a system, a loan, which could release this equity and turn it into cash money.

2. The Reverse Home Loan Is Not A Personal Loan.

This is the most important thing, when you think the reverse mortgage cost. The reverse loan is a loan, which is guaranteed by the home equity and the obligatory mortgage insurance. This means, that a senior, you, has no personal risk, when you think about the reverse mortgage cost. Of course you are interested about how much you, or your heirs, will get after the closing costs.

3. The Heirs Are Protected.

A senior borrower can never borrow 100 % of the home equity. How much he or she will get depends on the age of the borrower, the interest rate and the appraised value of the home. The ceiling is always $ 625.500. The home ownership remains at the borrower, which means, that the home price increases benefit the borrower and thus will be added to the home equity.

4. What Happens, If The Home Prices Drop Dramatically?

During this financial crises the home prices have fallen by tens of percentage points, which is very exceptional. However, it happened and many seniors think, how this influenced on the positions of the senior borrowers. Actually the impact is close to zero. The only element in the formula may have been the interest rate in a case, if a senior has chosen a variable rate. Otherwise, what is agreed is agreed.

5. The Summary.

As you can see from this article, it is important to understand the basic system of the reverse mortgage cost. This loan is not a personal loan, which simply means, that no human being will be forced to pay a part of it. That is just impossible. Even in the case, when a borrower has not paid the property insurances and taxes. The home equity and the reverse mortgage insurance are the sources of the money, which will cover the costs.

When you next time hear about the rumours, how a senior had to pay a part of the reverse loan, make your comment immediately and say, that it just cannot be possible, because a reverse loan is not a personal loan.

Juhani Tontti, B.Sc., Is An Expert Author, Who Has Shared Information About The Reverse Mortgage Cost And Teached The Tricks, How To Get The Best Quote From A Reverse Mortgage Lender. Visit: Reverse Mortgage Cost

5 Facts How FHA Reverse Mortgage Is An Option For The Long Term Care

Have you thought about the alternatives you have in use for the long term care? Have you realized, that the sources are from the insurance, form your own wallet, from the social security or from the FHA reverse mortgage? FHA reverse mortgage, also marketed under HECM reverse mortgage name, is an alternative, which a senior can use to finance a part of the long term care, for instance the wheel chair ramp to his or her home.  

1. Who Can Apply For The FHA Reverse Mortgage Program?

Because the FHA reverse mortgage program is one way to finance your senior years, the Federal Government has made the qualification easy. Almost everybody can qualify, if he or she is at least 62 and owns a home, where he lives permanently.

Some mobile homes have difficulties with the qualification. There is no need to present any income nor credit statements, because the loan is always taken against the home equity. If a senior has a usual mortgage left, he must pay it away with the reverse loan. There is no payments during the loan running time, but the borrower must pay the property taxes and insurances. The ownership will stay at the original owner. Totally three owners can be borrowers, but all must fulfil the qualifications.

2. A Senior Can Pay The Long Term Care Insurance With The FHA Reverse Mortgage.

The insurance is a handy way to cover the long term care costs. If a senior has difficulties to pay the insurance, he can think to take the FHA reverse mortgage and to pay the needed insurance with that. A good plan is to pick the monthly payments, which cover the insurance bills. A senior has to remember that if he plans to trust in Medicaid program, the maximum amount of own assets is only $ 2.000, before he can qualify.  

3. What If You Do Not Know, How Much Are The Care Costs?

This is a good question. In most cases, how a retired person could forecast, what are his or her long term care costs per year, for instance, and how long he will need the care? This program is very natural. But the FHA reverse mortgage payment alternatives has one option, a credit line, which fits to this need.  

4. A Senior Can Include Other Costs Into The Same Package.

The long term care costs cannot be the only cost which a senior will pay with the reverse loan. Actually the lender is not interested about how a senior will use the money. The more important thing is, that a reverse loan program fulfils the financial needs of a senior.  

5. A Senior Can Keep The FHA Reverse Mortgage Program As A Reserve Plan For The Future Sudden Needs.

This can be very clever especially, if a senior knows, that he will not have any other source of an extra money. The home equity is usually a good investment and the home prices will increase over a long period of time. This adds equity and makes it possible to tap even more money from the equity for the long term care, for instance.

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How Do Reverse Mortgages Work, 5 First Steps For A Senior Newbie

If you do not have a clear picture about how reverse mortgages work, you better start to study. Does it sound odd, when the lender will pay to the borrower and not vice versa? Get the basic picture about the system.

When you try to understand, how do reverse mortgages work, it is important to understand the basic system. The reverse mortgage is a loan, which will be taken against the equity of the home. This means, that the lender will not check the income nor the credit information. The loan will simply eat a part of the equity step by step.

1. How Much You Can Borrow?

The absolute maximum is $ 625.500, says the law. But a more typical system is to use three elements, which influence on the amount. The age of the youngest borrower, the appraised value of the home and the interest rate. Roughly speaking, the older the borrower, the lower the interest rate and the higher the home value, the more a borrower will get. If there are the maximum a mount of borrowers, three, then the age of the youngest is used.

The borrower will select, how he wants the lender to pay. The alternatives are one lump sum, the monthly payments, a credit line or the combination of all these. Concerning the taxes, it is wise to make sure, that the borrower will not have to pay taxes, especially if he will choose the lump sum alternative.

2. Will You Qualify?

If you are at least 62 and own your home, where you live permanently and where you have equity left you will qualify automatically. Some mobile homes are not accepted. If there are more than one borrower, three is a maximum amount, all must qualify, i.e. to be the owners of the home and live there permanently.

3. When Is The Time To Pay Back?

The target of reverse mortgage is to arrange cash money for the seniors. This means, that a senior has not to pay back anything during the loan running time. When a borrower, or the last borrower, will sell the home, move away or pass away, the home will be sold and the selling price is used to pay away the loan capital, accrued interests and all the costs. The obligatory mortgage insurance guarantees, that the other assets of the borrower, nor the heirs, will never be used to pay the reverse loan.

4. The Secret Is In The Facts You Know.

A senior must research, what are his financial needs and what products there is in the market, which would fit to him. Because he is not usually an expert, his role is to define his needs at the moment and in the future. Because we do not know the future, it is important to keep some reserves for it. After he has the need list, he must use experts, like the bank manager, other seniors, reverse mortgage counselor and to study by himself, how the reverse loan could serve him.

5. Are The Reverse Mortgages More Expensive?

They are, because the upfront fees are quite high. However, it depends on the needs. If the need is urgent and the home equity is the only source of the extra money, is there any other choice? And because the senior will stay as a home owner, the future home price increases will help quite a lot.

Juhani Tontti, B.Sc., Marketing, Helps The Seniors To Get A Picture About How Reverse Mortgages Work. And Do Reverse Mortgages Work Best In His Situation. Visit: How Do Reverse Mortgages Work

5 Effective Tips To Locate The Reverse Mortgage Broker From Your Area

Did you know, that a reverse mortgage broker has to be licenced to originate reverse loans in a state, where he is located? Did you also know, that all reverse mortgage brokers are members in the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association?

The association membership is a sort of a guarantee for the reverse mortgage broker, because then a senior knows to whom to contact, if she or he doubts something. The property location will determine the location of the reverse mortgage broker.

1. Use The List Of The Brokers For The Shopping.

The reverse loan is a long term commitment, which means, that the broker and the lender must be reliable and well-known long term ventures. One sign is the brand image of the company, because only the good ones will reach the good fame. Step one in finding a company is to prepare a list of reverse mortgage brokers. Collect the names of the candidates from the different sources. The bank manager, the press, other seniors, ads and internet.

Step two is to cut the names down to twenty and to send the same quote request to all of them. Before you can do this, you must have collected enough information about your needs and the different financial products and met the counselor.

2. Compare The Quotes.

If you still think, that the reverse mortgage brokers are selling the same products with the same prices, it is a time to change your opinion. The reverse loans are like whatever products, which do not have any fixed selling terms. The economic situation will influence greatly on the prices and the only way to get the best deal is to follow the market long enough, to use special offers and to ask quotes regularly. You have to do your homework.

3. Select The Five Best Quotes.

You must show, that you are serious with your deal. When you get the first quotes from the brokers, pick the best five and ask each of them once again, what is their best offer. You can tell directly, that you have other quotes, which are as good as yours. Will you do it better?

4. Make The Best Two To Compete With Each Other.

Nobody wants to be a loser, especially not the reverse mortgage broker, who has been in contact with you several times and done a lot of work for your offer. When you let him know, that there are two offers, which are equal, I am sure each is willing to talk about the terms. Before you sign the aggreement, make sure that both are respected, reputable and long term operators in the reverse loan industry.

5. Show Your Quotes To The Counselor.

Your initial information, with which you asked the quotes, was partly built as a resulst of the counselor meeting. Maybe you also received recommendations about the brokers. Now you can turn to the counselor and ask, whether these brokers are high classic companies and whether you are safe, if you will make an aggreement with some of them.

As you can find from this article, the process to find a broker is very practical and the key is the fact, that each broker at each time has its own terms. When a borrower follows the market long enough, he will find out the best deal. This is important, because the reverse loan is a long term deal and the accrued costs will be paid away after the running time.

Juhani Tontti, B.Sc., Marketing, Has Recommended This System To Find A Reliable Reverse Mortgage Broker And A Reverse Mortgage Lender To His Readers. Visit: Reverse Mortgages

Apply For Reverse Mortgage, But Do It Correctly

Did you know, that to apply for reverse mortgage requires, that you have done your own homework plus met the HECM counselor? Have you understood, that the whole process is extremely useful to you?

If your need of the extra cash is urgent and you feel, that you have no time for the details, think once more. Yes, because to apply for reverse mortgage requires some basic knowledge. It can happen, that this financial product does not fulfil your needs or there is another one, which does it better.

The idea of the reverse mortgage is, that a senior 62 or over can tap a part of his or her home equity and use it how he will. The home must be his permanent home and there must be equity in the value. If there is still a usual mortgage, he must pay that away with the reverse loan. Practically all home types will qualify.

1. The Qualification Requirement.

The qualification requirements have been done easy. The key element is the home ownership and the fact that there is equity in the value. But if a senior, or maximum three seniors, own the home, where they live permanently, they will qualify automatically.

If there is more than one borrower, all must fulfil the qualification criteria. The maximum loan amount depends then about the age of the youngest borrower, about the appraised value of the home and about the market interest rate. The older the borrower, the lower the rate and the higher the home value, the more a borrower will get.

2. You Can Fill A Part Of Your Extra Cash With The Reverse Loan.

Typically those, who will take the reverse mortgage have no other source of money and they cannot get a new loan, because their ability to pay the monthly payments has decreased. Still, the idea of the reverse loan is to use the money for the serious purposes, maybe for the longterm ones.

3. How To Prepare To Apply For Reverse Mortgage?

The knowledge is the hard currency in this process. You have to know two things. What is your need and what financial product fits best for this particular need. Because you cannot know the future sudden needs of the extra cash, one solution is to save some equity for the future.

It is important to make question lists and to talk with other seniors to get enough useful tips. The meeting with the counselor is extremely important. But you can also meet your bank manager plus other experts, because they can see the situation independently.

4. There Is No Income Nor Credit Information Check.

The reverse loan is a sure choice, because you will not be forced to use your other assets to pay back the reverse loan. When the running time is over, the home will be sold and the selling price will be used to pay the loan capital, accrued interests and all the costs. If the selling price will not cover the whole amount owed, then the mortgage insurance will cover the missing part. You must take the insurance, when you sign the deal.

5. To Get The Best Reverse Mortgage You Have To Shop.

The reverse loans are the products of the lenders and their terms fluctuate following the market situations. There are special offers and there are lenders, which are in the trouble, because the sales managers do not have enough sales. These elements influence on the terms. This is an important notice, because the running times of the loans are usually long ones.

I recommend, that you really do your homework, meet the experts and talk with other seniors, before you make any decision. The reverse loan can be a solution for you, but there can be other solutions too. Do not be ashamed, but talk openly about your needs.

Juhani Tontti, B.Sc., Marketing, Has Helped Seniors To Apply For Reverse Mortgage And To Get The Needed Information To Get The Best Reverse Mortgage Or Some Other Product. Visit: How Does A Reverse Mortgage Work