Wednesday, January 7, 2009

How Reverse Differs From Traditional Mortgage

By Borvonski Vanrock

Retirees obtain most of their income from various retirement accounts, pensions, and social security. However, they may find that these multiple income streams are not adequate. That is when these retired individuals find that they are struggling to make ends meet, even if they budget their money.

When this happens, a reverse mortgage line of credit is usually a viable option. What a reverse mortgage allows is the homeowner is able to take their homes equity and convert it into money. Basically, the equity that has been built up throughout the years in the form of mortgage payments is paid back as income to the homeowner.

This is not like the traditional mortgage, such as a home equity loan or second mortgage, because the borrowed amount does not have to be repaid until that home is no longer used as the primary residence. The loan amount can also be more because of the age of the borrower, which is due to the amount of equity that has been accumulated throughout their life.

To get a reverse mortgage, excellent credit is not required, nor does a steady income have to be coming in. The main factor is that the person doing the borrowing is actually the owner of the home.

And then there is the opposite of the reverse mortgage, which is the forward mortgage. This mortgage is what people acquire when they are purchasing the home. This is when good credit and a steady income are required. If they payments are made late or not at all, the bank can foreclose upon the home because it is the home that actually secures the mortgage.

As the forward mortgage payments are made, the homes equity grows. This is because the equity is the difference between what has been paid into the mortgage and the original amount of the mortgage. The homeowner will own the home once the final payment has been made.

Nevertheless, the reverse mortgage is the total opposite of a forward mortgage and results in the decrease of equity as the debt increases. No monthly payments have to be made on this loan, but the equity is being chewed away because of interest that is added to the borrowed money.

Finally, there is a time in which the reverse mortgage must be repaid and the amount could be large, which is dependent upon the length of the loan. If the homes value has decreased at any time, there may be no equity to borrow. If the value increases, then the amount of equity can increase, therefore increasing the amount of debt.

When it is time to repay the loan, it is usually the result of the homeowner selling the home because they wish to move into an apartment or an assisted living facility for easier living. They have no more use for the home, so it is no longer their primary residence.

So for those wondering what separates a reverse mortgage from a forward mortgage, this should explain that. This should also help to make the decision of whether or not to add to monthly income by using a reverse mortgage line of credit. - 14915

No comments: