Get A Reverse Mortgage Now, Especially If You Don’t Need It (part 1)

Back in 1987, when I first entered the finance business, it very quickly became evident to me that it is a whole lot easier to borrow money when you do NOT need the money than when you do.
Get A Reverse Mortgage Now

PAYMENT FLEXIBILITY

Back in 1987, when I first entered the finance business, it very quickly became evident to me that it is a whole lot easier to borrow money when you
do NOT need the money than when you do.

If this concept is new to you, think of it this way.  If you are unemployed and just need a few thousand dollars from a credit card to make it through
until the new job kicks in, it’s much easier to get if you already have a credit card with the funds available.  If you apply for a credit card
while unemployed, odds are, you’ll be turned down.

This analogy isn’t an exact parallel to reverse mortgage, but it’s close enough that I think you’ll get the point.  There are a lot of advantages
to setting up a reverse mortgage as close to age 62 as you can, even if you’re still working, even if you don’t “need” it now.  I only have space
in this article for one, but before we get into why you’d want to do this, I want to take a moment to explain what a reverse mortgage is and how it
works.

Most reverse mortgages originated are insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and are called Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM). A HECM
reverse mortgage allows homeowners, age 62 and above, to convert a portion of the value of the home into tax-free* money without having to sell the
home, give up title or obligate them to a monthly mortgage payment.

FHA has a formula to determine the amount of money available to the homeowner from a reverse mortgage.  It’s based on the age of the youngest spouse,
the value of the home, and the interest rate.  While this formula determines the amount of money available, the homeowner is not required to take
all of the funds at once.

Homeowners can choose to receive funds from a reverse mortgage in a variety of ways:

  1. All in one lump sum (to pay off an existing mortgage for example)
  2. As a line of credit to be used at the homeowner’s leisure
  3. As a monthly payment to the homeowner
  4. Or any combination of the above

Reverse mortgages are for primary residences only. The homeowner must live in the home.
The lender does not take title to the home, they simply have a lien against it, just like any other mortgage. Since the property stays in the homeowner’s
name, it is still their obligation to keep current on their homeowner’s insurance and property taxes, as well as maintaining the home.

The homeowner is not required to make a mortgage payment, but they are still charged interest and mortgage insurance on the loan balance. These
charges are added to the loan balance, so it increases over time. But these charges are only on the amount owed on the loan balance.  There are
no charges on any unused funds in the line of credit or monies set aside to pay monthly payments.

However, one of the benefits of the reverse mortgage is “payment flexibility”.  You can make payments on the loan, but you don’t have to. 

If you’re only 62 and you have an existing mortgage against your home, you can get a reverse mortgage to pay off this loan, but continue to make payments,
only now these payments are being applied to the reverse mortgage loan.  If you retire at age 65, you might decide to discontinue the payment.
Or if money is tight one month and you can’t make a payment, no bill collector is going to call you.  The choice is yours to make a payment or
not.

Making payments on your reverse mortgage loan has three major benefits:

  1. It lowers the loan balance.
  2. It builds a higher LOC (more on this in part 2)
  3. It reduces ongoing interest and MIP charges.

Making payments may also maintain equity for a time when the borrower decides to sell or passes away and leaves the home to their heirs.

This is just one of the benefits of getting the reverse mortgage at an early age when you don’t need the money.  In future posts, I’ll be discussing
additional benefits of this strategy.  Please stay tuned.

*Consult your tax advisor

Bruce Simmons

Bruce Simmons

I absolutely love what I do - working with senior homeowners to help them live a more comfortable, flexible and secure retirement. I have the absolute best customers in the world, and even though I worked in the forward mortgage business for a number of years, I could never go back to doing conventional loans. I'm a 100% reverse mortgage specialist.

5.0

My wife and I are retired and had a mortgage that was quite high. We contacted Bruce regarding a Reverse Mortgage and were pleased with his knowledge and experience. He made the whole process very easy and explained everything along the way. Since then, I have had a couple of questions and contacted him regarding the RM. Bruce has always been very responsive and returned our calls within minutes. We couldn't be happier having used Bruce for the Reverse Mortgage and highly recommend him.

Bruce has been serving my interest over and above what one might expect during the whole process of handling my reverse mortgage dating back to 2010 and continues to be available at present whenever a question may arise. He is one of the most reliable, trustworthy and knowledgeable experts regarding reverse mortgages that I have had the privilege to do business with! I would highly recommend Bruce to anyone who is considering a reverse mortgage. Thank you Bruce!

I met Bruce from a referral who just love what he did for them on their Reverse Mortgage, So I contacted Bruce and told him my story and he came up with a great Reverse Mortgage for me and my needs and now I am living good and not worrying about Finances anymore. He had it done in a timely manner. If you are looking for the MAN to help you get the best Reverse Mortgage you need to call him and hope you let him help you.

Bruce is one of the most professional, knowledgeable and efficient experts I have worked ŵith ever in any field. He is fast to answer and always ready to help...and he's a great guy!

Gerald Cook
Gerald Cook
5.0

Bruce did our original reverse mortgage and has also refinanced it twice. He works hard to get the best deal possible while making it as easy for us as possible. When our first refinance received a low initial appraisal, Bruce helped the appraiser find better information and increase the appraised value. He's the best.

I was hesitate about getting a reverse mortgage until Bruce Simons put my mind at rest. He is easy to work with, extremely knowledgeable and efficient. Things get done and he will make sure that you understand every part of the process. I interviewed several other people and he was hands down.....The only choice.

Doing a Reverse Mortgage is a major decision, when working with Bruce he came out personally to go over every thing in detail, there was no pressure to finalize the transaction, I had even put the loan on hold for awhile even though I had locked in my rate, I had called Bruce off and on for a few weeks to ask questions that I had concerns about and he was always available to talk to me. In the end it gave me time to feel comfortable about my decision to move forward with the Reverse. Bruce was very pleasant to work with and would certainly recommend Bruce if you are going to consider a Reverse Mortgage.

Bruce Simmons at American Liberty is one of the best in the reverse mortgage industry. I have known and worked with him for years and he always does a great job. You are in good hands with Bruce and know that he will take good care of you or your loved ones every step of the way.

Best thing I ever did! Bruce Simmons at American Liberty Mortgage is the best. He is always there to answer your questions, and can easily explain the whole idea of a Reverse Mortgage. He takes the time and goes through the entire process with you. It worked out so well for me. Thank You Bruce!

We had researched Reverse Mortgages for 5 years and after hearing about Bruce Simmons and meeting with him, we finally decided to move forward with the Reverse Morgage. It has been over a year now and we are still very pleased with our decision. We think Bruce is very professional, knowledgeable and honest. Thank you, Bruce, for all your help.

I first met Bruce Simmons 2017. I found him on the internet. I was looking for someone local. I called him and explained I was only looking into doing a reverse mortgage, so I did not want him to think this was something I was ready to do. Bruce was friendly, very open about the basics of a reverse mortgage. Bruce came to my home and presented the figures and other details that he could offer. The first thing that impressed me was this was not a hard sell, more of a informational meeting. He was very open about all of the details, and answered my questions without hesitation. What really was evident was he was establishing a relationship with me, and I realized he knew I would not take the loan at that time. There was not enough equity in my home, and I would have to bring money to the table. Although I was not ready to do a loan, Bruce assured me he is always available for questions. Four years later, I finally did do a reverse mortgage, and I couldn't be happier with having done it. I have done away with a mortgage payment which allows me to fund my retirement account with that mortgage payment. We did some much needed landscaping with our cash out transaction, and will move on to improvements inside of the house. My reverse mortgage has a line of credit, and I feel sense security knowing it is there if I need it. Bruce explained that a reverse mortgage is not for everyone, but I feel certain that he paved the way for a strategy that worked for me. I will definitely do a refinance when the time is right. I will check in with Bruce to be sure what the benefits are when I do it again.

I have worked with Bruce Simmons for 15 years. Bruce is one of the best in the industry. He is extremely knowledgeable, kinds and detailed in what he does. His clients love working with him and trust him to help them with their Reverse Mortgage loans. I would recommend Bruce to anyone I know that is thinking about or wanting to do a Reverse Mortgage. He will always take very good care of the customers and make sure their needs are met! Class act and one of the best in the industry by far!

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John Addante
John Addante

Left us a 5 star review

My wife and I are retired and had a mortgage that was quite high. We contacted Bruce regarding a Reverse Mortgage and were pleased with his knowledge and experience. He made the whole process very easy and explained everything along the way. Since then, I have had a couple of questions and contacted him regarding the RM. Bruce has always been very responsive and returned our calls within minutes. We couldn't be happier having used Bruce for the Reverse Mortgage and highly recommend him.

Bruce has been serving my interest over and above what one might expect during the whole process of handling my reverse mortgage dating back to 2010 and continues to be available at present whenever a question may arise. He is one of the most reliable, trustworthy and knowledgeable experts regarding reverse mortgages that I have had the privilege to do business with! I would highly recommend Bruce to anyone who is considering a reverse mortgage. Thank you Bruce!

I met Bruce from a referral who just love what he did for them on their Reverse Mortgage, So I contacted Bruce and told him my story and he came up with a great Reverse Mortgage for me and my needs and now I am living good and not worrying about Finances anymore. He had it done in a timely manner. If you are looking for the MAN to help you get the best Reverse Mortgage you need to call him and hope you let him help you.

Bruce is one of the most professional, knowledgeable and efficient experts I have worked ŵith ever in any field. He is fast to answer and always ready to help...and he's a great guy!

I was hesitate about getting a reverse mortgage until Bruce Simons put my mind at rest. He is easy to work with, extremely knowledgeable and efficient. Things get done and he will make sure that you understand every part of the process. I interviewed several other people and he was hands down.....The only choice.

Doing a Reverse Mortgage is a major decision, when working with Bruce he came out personally to go over every thing in detail, there was no pressure to finalize the transaction, I had even put the loan on hold for awhile even though I had locked in my rate, I had called Bruce off and on for a few weeks to ask questions that I had concerns about and he was always available to talk to me. In the end it gave me time to feel comfortable about my decision to move forward with the Reverse. Bruce was very pleasant to work with and would certainly recommend Bruce if you are going to consider a Reverse Mortgage.

Bruce Simmons at American Liberty is one of the best in the reverse mortgage industry. I have known and worked with him for years and he always does a great job. You are in good hands with Bruce and know that he will take good care of you or your loved ones every step of the way.

Best thing I ever did! Bruce Simmons at American Liberty Mortgage is the best. He is always there to answer your questions, and can easily explain the whole idea of a Reverse Mortgage. He takes the time and goes through the entire process with you. It worked out so well for me. Thank You Bruce!

We had researched Reverse Mortgages for 5 years and after hearing about Bruce Simmons and meeting with him, we finally decided to move forward with the Reverse Morgage. It has been over a year now and we are still very pleased with our decision. We think Bruce is very professional, knowledgeable and honest. Thank you, Bruce, for all your help.

I first met Bruce Simmons 2017. I found him on the internet. I was looking for someone local. I called him and explained I was only looking into doing a reverse mortgage, so I did not want him to think this was something I was ready to do. Bruce was friendly, very open about the basics of a reverse mortgage. Bruce came to my home and presented the figures and other details that he could offer. The first thing that impressed me was this was not a hard sell, more of a informational meeting. He was very open about all of the details, and answered my questions without hesitation. What really was evident was he was establishing a relationship with me, and I realized he knew I would not take the loan at that time. There was not enough equity in my home, and I would have to bring money to the table. Although I was not ready to do a loan, Bruce assured me he is always available for questions. Four years later, I finally did do a reverse mortgage, and I couldn't be happier with having done it. I have done away with a mortgage payment which allows me to fund my retirement account with that mortgage payment. We did some much needed landscaping with our cash out transaction, and will move on to improvements inside of the house. My reverse mortgage has a line of credit, and I feel sense security knowing it is there if I need it. Bruce explained that a reverse mortgage is not for everyone, but I feel certain that he paved the way for a strategy that worked for me. I will definitely do a refinance when the time is right. I will check in with Bruce to be sure what the benefits are when I do it again.

I have worked with Bruce Simmons for 15 years. Bruce is one of the best in the industry. He is extremely knowledgeable, kinds and detailed in what he does. His clients love working with him and trust him to help them with their Reverse Mortgage loans. I would recommend Bruce to anyone I know that is thinking about or wanting to do a Reverse Mortgage. He will always take very good care of the customers and make sure their needs are met! Class act and one of the best in the industry by far!