Reverse Mortgage

Did you know that it is possible to leverage the equity in your home? When buying real estate, we are used to taking a mortgage which accrues interest monthly, and you are supposed to make monthly payments. A Countryside reverse mortgage is the complete opposite of that. You already have a Countryside home, a lender gives you money upfront, the money accrues monthly interest, but you will not pay the money back until you move out or pass away. Strange, right? You must be wondering why would anybody decide to borrow against a property they struggled so hard to pay for. Here is how the Countryside reverse mortgage program works.

What Is a Reverse Mortgage?

It is also known as a home equity conversion mortgage (HECM). This is a type of loan given to homeowners aged 62 years and above. The loan allows you to change a part of your Countryside home equity into cash. Unlike home loans or second mortgages, you do not need to pay your loan until such a time when the home is no longer your principal residence or if you do not satisfy the obligations of the mortgage.

How Reverse Mortgages Works

Regardless of the idea in practice, not all qualified homeowners can get the entire value of their home even when the mortgage is paid off. Homeowners get an amount called the principal limit, which changes from one borrower to another. The amount is determined by:

  • The current interest rates.
  • The current market value of your home.
  • The HECM mortgage limit.
  • The age of the youngest borrower.
  • The eligible non-borrowing spouse.
  • How you decide to receive the payments.
  • The type of reverse mortgage you choose to take.
  • Other financial obligations or liens tied to your home.

It is usually possible to get a higher principle limit when:

  • The homeowner is older.
  • The interest rate is lower.
  • The property has a higher value.
  • The borrower has a variable rate of HECM.

There are various ways which you can choose to get your Countryside reverse mortgage payments. They include:

  • Monthly payments.
  • A line of credit.
  • A lump sum.
  • A partial sum.

Types of Reverse Mortgages

Countryside Reverse mortgages are designed differently to take care of various financial needs.

  • Home equity conversion mortgage

This is the most common type, and the federal housing administration insures it. The money can be used to serve any purpose, although the mortgage has a higher upfront cost. FHA issues HECMs.

  • Proprietary reverse mortgage

It is a private loan not secured by the government. This mortgage type gives a larger principal amount for properties with higher values

  • Single-purpose reverse mortgage

This is given by state & local government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The loan amount is usually smaller, and it is typically given to take care of a single specific need.

Check Eligibility

Who Is Eligible for a Reverse Mortgage?

It is not everyone who qualifies to get a reverse mortgage. For you to receive one, the primary homeowner must be 62 years or more, even if the spouse is younger. Here is the criterion that you should meet:

  • You must be living in the property as your primary residence.
  • You must be the owner of the house or have a large amount of home equity, 40% and above.
  • You must be current on property taxes and homeowners insurance before applying.
  • You must attend the HUD-approved counselling.
  • Existing mortgages must be paid off before or settled by the proceedings you get from the Countryside reverse mortgage.
  • You must take care of your property and keep it in good condition.
  • Your home must be a single-family house, a multi-unit property with up to four units, a manufactured home built after June 1976, a condominium or a townhouse.

Advantages of a Countryside reverse mortgage

  • As a borrower, you are not obliged to make monthly payments towards your loan balance.
  • The funds can be used for healthcare & life expenses, debt settlement, and other days to day bills.
  • The funds are a supplemental income for your retirement earnings.
  • The proceeds are tax-free.
  • As long as you meet the eligibility requirements, the loan is easy to apply.
  • The non-borrowing spouse, even if they are under 62, can live in the property for the rest of their lives even if the borrower dies.
  • If a borrower is facing foreclosure for an existing mortgage, one can use the proceeds to pay off the mortgage and stop the foreclosure.

Disadvantages

  • The loan is exorbitantly expensive.
  • If you pass away your heirs must repay the loan to continue living in the house otherwise your lenders will have to sell it.
  • You must maintain the property and pay homeowners insurance and property taxes.
  • The closing costs and other fees are higher, lowering the amount that gets to you.

A reverse mortgage in Countryside is an excellent way for elderly homeowners to get additional income to supplement their retirement earnings. However, if the balance surpasses the value of your home, you might get into foreclosure or lose your home to the lender.

In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities.[1] The Health Resources and Services Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services defines the word rural as encompassing “…all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area. Whatever is not urban is considered rural.”[2] Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are described as rural. Different countries have varying definitions of rural for statistical and administrative purposes.

In rural areas, because of their unique economic and social dynamics, and relationship to land-based industry such as agriculture, forestry and resource extraction, the economics are very different from cities and can be subject to boom and bust cycles and vulnerability to extreme weather or natural disasters, such as droughts. These dynamics alongside larger economic forces encouraging to urbanization have led to significant demographic declines, called rural flight, where economic incentives encourage younger populations to go to cities for education and access to jobs, leaving older, less educated and less wealthy populations in the rural areas. Slower economic development results in poorer services like healthcare and education and rural infrastructure. This cycle of poverty in some rural areas, means that three quarters of the global population in poverty live in rural areas according to the Food and Agricultural Organization.

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