Advantages and Disadvantages of a Reverse Mortgage
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007It is critical that you understand the advantages and disadvantages of a reverse mortgage in order to make the best decision for your situation.
I spoke with a couple just the other day who are facing a difficult dilemma. Apparently they had secured a reverse mortgage from another individual just a couple of years ago and now they are realizing that it may not have been the best strategy for them. It seems that they now realize that their home is no longer suitable for their needs. It’s a multi-story and, due to health problems, they really need everything on one level — a ranch configuration would be much better.
They took out the maximum loan at the time, and if they didn’t need to move out of their current home, there would not have been a problem. The challenge is the depressed real estate market in the Metro-Denver area. After some research, they discovered that their home value had declined significantly. So much so that they are in a zero equity position. To make matters worse, their cash flow situation is not very good. Because of their cash flow issues, the fact that their reverse mortgage is rather new, and their inability to sell their home — they are in a very difficult situation. (more…)

