How can a reverse mortgage help parents and children?

While tapping into their home's value, your parents' home may appreciate, which could allow for some equity to remain at the end of the loan. It's also possible for your parents to use up their home's remaining equity. Keep in mind that they may be able to live more comfortably without having to depend on family members for support.

Your parents will continue to own and live in the home as long as they meet the loan guidelines. They must keep property taxes current, keep required homeowner's insurance in force, and maintain the home in good repair. Failure to do these things could result in the loan being called due and payable. Just as a borrower with a traditional mortgage retains ownership, your parents will continue to own their home and retain title as long as they abide by the loan guidelines and requirements. As with any mortgage, a lien is placed on the subject property.

Your parents will owe the total amount borrowed (up to the value of the home), accrued mortgage insurance premiums, accumulated interest, servicing fees, and any other costs and fees financed through the loan amount.

There are three practical options for your parents. They can sell their home to repay the lender and collect any leftover proceeds, choose to reimburse the lender directly from a personal account, or refinance the loan.

There are two options. Your parents or the heirs can keep the home and pay the balance due on the reverse mortgage, or they can decide to sell the home and use the proceeds to pay off the reverse mortgage. Either way, any remaining equity is retained by the owners or heirs.

A reverse mortgage becomes due and payable when the last borrower moves out of the home permanently. That includes moving into a senior care facility, selling the home, passing away, or moving in with the children.

The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) is a non-recourse loan, which means the loan is only secured by the home and the property. As HECM borrowers, your parents pay a mortgage insurance premium to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This insurance protects the borrower so they will not be responsible for more than the value of their home when the loan becomes due and payable. Heirs wishing to retain the home after the loan becomes due may choose to pay the lesser of (1) the loan balance or (2) 95% of the home's appraised value, less any closing costs and real estate commissions.

A reverse mortgage typically doesn't affect regular Social Security or Medicare benefits. To find out if it impacts other federal or state assistance or medical programs, contact your reverse mortgage lender, tax attorney, or counseling agency. A reverse mortgage loan is secured by a mortgage on the home, and failure to comply with loan terms could result in foreclosure. All risks should be identified and discussed with your own attorney and/or financial advisor.

Your parents can spend their money any way they choose. Borrowers have often used their reverse mortgage to pay off other debts, make home improvements, go on vacations, replace an aging vehicle, or eliminate an existing mortgage payment. The existing mortgage debt is refinanced into the reverse mortgage loan, and your parents must continue paying their property taxes, applicable HOA fees, and keep the home in good repair.

The lender is required to provide your parents with the Total Annual Loan Cost, or "TALC" disclosure, which is required by the Federal Reserve Board. The TALC displays the total transaction costs over the projected life of the loan, which allows your parents to see all costs related to the reverse mortgage.