Mortgage & Refinancing Information


Home Equity Loan - A Reverse Mortgage Could Provide a Comfortable Retirement!


While only comprising about 1% of all mortgages, the reverse mortgage has gained in popularity in recent years. Federally insured since the late 1980's, the reverse mortgage allows owners of paid-off homes to borrow against the equity in their homes in the form of a lump sum, a line of credit, or in the form of monthly payments. The loan is repaid when the owners die or when the home is sold or no longer occupied.

In the early years of its existence, the reverse mortgage was regarded as a "last resort" step to avoid foreclosure, pay medical expenses or keep the home from disrepair. More recently, however, retirees have been finding creative ways to use the equity in their homes to allow their retirement years to be more enjoyable.

The huge growth of the housing market during the last five years has left millions of homeowners with large amounts of equity in their homes. Californians who bought homes in the early 1960's at modest prices are now retiring; many of them have home equity in the mid-six figures. With that sort of equity, homeowners are using their equity to buy recreational vehicles, boats, luxury vacations, and even second homes. The structure of a reverse mortgage makes it possible for some homeowners to pay cash for a vacation home, while continuing to live in their primary residence for as long as they like, or are able. Once they die, the primary residence would be sold to pay pack the loan, while the second home would become part of their estate.

This has provided a rare opportunity for many couples, who struggled to raise families and pay mortgages during the working years, to enjoy a few luxuries in their retirement years. Couples who could never afford to travel can now dip into their home equity and see Europe or take that cruise that always eluded them.

While this may seem like a win-win situation for all involved, those in the lending industry express caution. For most people, the equity in their home is their single largest asset, and borrowing against it should done only after careful consideration. What if a lengthy hospital stay became necessary? Would the homeowner have sufficient funds to pay for that after buying a second home through a reverse mortgage? What if a husband or wife became incapacitated and required permanent housing in a nursing home? These are things that must be considered before using home equity for a houseboat or RV, and those considering such a move should consider discussing their plans with a financial advisor.

Despite the potential drawbacks, the use of the reverse mortgage to fund a fun and adventurous retirement seems to be growing. With interest rates still near all-time lows, the trend will almost certainly continue in the near future.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.End-Your-Debt.com/ and http://www.HomeEquityHelp.net/


MORE RESOURCES:

Neon Tommy

Obama pressures Congress on mortgage refinance program
Fox News
WASHINGTON – President Obama is rallying support for his plan to expand government assistance to homeowners, pressuring Congress to help lower lending rates for millions of strapped homeowners. Obama, in his radio and Internet address Saturday, ...
Mixed reviews for President Obama's housing planCBS Moneywatch
Obama Announces Mortgage Refinance PlanNeon Tommy
Cardoza applauds Obama's new housing initiative, says will help ValleyMerced Sun-Star
Speaking of Real Estate (blog)
all 545 news articles »


MonitorBankRates.com

Mortgage Refinance Rates: 15 Year Refinance Mortgage Rates at 3.29%
MonitorBankRates.com
Mortgage refinance rates on 30 year conforming home loans are averaging 3.98%, unchanged from yesterday's average 30 year mortgage refinance rate. Mortgage refinance rates today on 15 year home mortgage loans are averaging 3.29%, down from yesterday's ...

and more »


International Business Times

Obama Proposes Mortgage-Refinance Plan
Wall Street Journal
By NICK TIMIRAOS President Barack Obama called on Congress during Tuesday's State of the Union address to approve new legislation that would give all homeowners who are current on their mortgages the opportunity to refinance at record low mortgage ...
Will Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Be D.O.A.?U.S. News & World Report
Obama proposes mortgage refinance programPolitico (blog)
Obama State of the Union 2012: Mortgage Refinance Changes Face ObstaclesInternational Business Times
Housing Wire -Daily Caller -MyFox Los Angeles
all 12,768 news articles »


Housing Wire

President Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Just a Bid for Votes
Yahoo! Contributors Network
By Mark Wise By Mark Wise | Yahoo! Contributor Network – 12 hrs ago This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world's most popular websites.
New Obama mortgage refinance plan to near $10 billionHousing Wire
Obama to Announce New FHA Mortgage Refinance ProgramGo Banking Rates
Obama mortgage refi plan to be rolled outMarketWatch
MNI News
all 1,125 news articles »


Obama Unveils Mortgage Refinance Endeavors
Mortgageorb
by MortgageOrb.com on Wednesday 01 February 2012 The Obama administration has presented the mortgage refinancing plan that was first announced during the president's State of the Union speech on Jan. 24. According to a statement released by the White ...

and more »


Living large? Get the best rate on your jumbo mortgage refinance
Fox Business
If you buy apparel from "big and tall" clothing stores, you're used to paying more and having less to choose from. "Regular guys," on the other hand, benefit from a wider selection of products and more competition between retailers.

and more »


High Volume Stock Movers: Bank of America, Sprint, Cisco, Annaly, Sirius Feb. 8th
Wall St. Cheat Sheet
By Derek Hoffman Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC): The US's Home Affordable Refinance Program has increased mortgage refinance applications and strained capacity at Bank of America, leading the bank to ask some customers to wait 60 to 90 days, ...



New HARP Could Help Up to 6.7 Million
NASDAQ
Other changes to the program were designed to make it easier for homeowners with private mortgage insurance (PMI) to refinance or to obtain a HARP mortgage refinance with a lender other than their current mortgage servicer. In addition, new limits were ...

and more »


AgedLeadStore.com to Add 1100000 Aged Mortgage Refinance Leads
Middle East North Africa Financial Network
COM, January 26, 2012 ) Baltimore, MD AgedLeadStore.com is increasing its value for its customers by adding 1.1 million aged Mortgage Refinance Leads in February. This is important as many people depend upon their ability to refinance to make progress ...



GlobeSt.com

1 M-SF Marathon Oil Tower Management Assignment Goes to CBRE
GlobeSt.com
That same year, the owner obtained a $75 million mortgage refinance to help convert a series of subleases in the building at 5555 San Felipe to direct leases. The money has been used to help fund some capital improvements in the 1980s building as well.

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2007