Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Up and Down Side of the Reverse Mortgage

By Matt Vanrock

Many older home owners are beginning to use the reverse mortgage to get rid of some financial problem. To do so you need to be at least sixty two and have a pretty good equity position in the home.

Many people don't have much of a choice. They have to go forward with the reverse mortgage. For others it takes some evaluating.

Those refinancing with the reverse mortgage can use funds in any manner they deem necessary. I find most are getting themselves out of their current mortgage to free up money. Others want to pay off debt or to supplement income.

It's pretty easy to see why the reverse is becoming so popular. Using this mortgage a borrower can solve their problem, not be forced to make payments to the bank, and never lose title to the home.

Additionally, interest rates are very competitive. Traditional mortgages have interest rates just barely better than the reverse.

As long as the program is explained properly the reverse mortgage is a very strong financial option. However, it is not without fault.

Quite simply closing costs are high. And they are high relative to traditional forward mortgages.

You gotta wonder why this is the case.

Well, the biggest reason are the origination fees, mortgage insurance and title insurance are based upon the appraised value rather than the mortgage amount. The other main point is HUD insurance is two percent.

Do some basic math and you can see how quickly the costs can add up.

All things being equal a reverse mortgage is very strong. The costs are not equal and must be factored when considering a reverse mortgage.

Fortunately, when taking a loan application the lender will give you TALC disclosure which covers the annualized cost of getting this mortgage.

The document will show annualized costs over various years in the future.

You will notice the further you get away from closing the cheaper the loan actually becomes.

Because the upfront costs are high this document should help you determine if the reverse mortgage is truly a viable option for you. - 14915

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