Comparing Reverse and Forward Mortgages

Many individuals who retire acquire most of their income from social security, pensions, and retirement accounts they have built over the years. However, these income streams may not be enough. Many of these retired individuals find themselves struggling no matter how well they budget their money.

When this happens, a reverse mortgage line of credit is usually a viable option. What a reverse mortgage allows is the homeowner is able to take their homes equity and convert it into money. Basically, the equity that has been built up throughout the years in the form of mortgage payments is paid back as income to the homeowner.

This is unlike a traditional second mortgage or home equity loan for the fact that there is no required repayment until the borrower no longer uses that home as their primary residence. Also, the older the borrower, the higher the loan can be because of the amount of equity that has accumulated over time.

To get a reverse mortgage, excellent credit is not required, nor does a steady income have to be coming in. The main factor is that the person doing the borrowing is actually the owner of the home.

And then there is the opposite of the reverse mortgage, which is the forward mortgage. This mortgage is what people acquire when they are purchasing the home. This is when good credit and a steady income are required. If they payments are made late or not at all, the bank can foreclose upon the home because it is the home that actually secures the mortgage.

As payments are made on a forward mortgage, the equity within the home grows. This is because it is the difference between the amount of the mortgage and what has been paid into it. Once the last payment is made, the homeowner then owns the home.

Nevertheless, the reverse mortgage is the total opposite of a forward mortgage and results in the decrease of equity as the debt increases. No monthly payments have to be made on this loan, but the equity is being chewed away because of interest that is added to the borrowed money.

Finally, there is a time in which the reverse mortgage must be repaid and the amount could be large, which is dependent upon the length of the loan. If the homes value has decreased at any time, there may be no equity to borrow. If the value increases, then the amount of equity can increase, therefore increasing the amount of debt.

When it is time to repay the loan, it is usually the result of the homeowner selling the home because they wish to move into an apartment or an assisted living facility for easier living. They have no more use for the home, so it is no longer their primary residence.

For those individuals wondering what makes a reverse mortgage so different from a forward mortgage, the differences are evident. This should also help anyone needing additional monthly income decide whether or not a reverse mortgage line of credit is best.