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Are You Prepared to Take Care of Your Parents?

Posted on May 18, 2016May 29, 2016 by janjordan

The cost of eldercare is staggering. And so is the toll it takes on an adult child. Are you prepared for either? Or both?

A recent MetLife study estimated that the total cost incurred by the caregiver alone (not including the costs directly related to care) is an average of $324,044. The financially impact can be similar to having children, but without the planning. So, how can one prepare for this? Here are a few suggestions:
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1.) Talk with other siblings and relatives. Have any of them considered this? Do they have plans or ideas they haven’t shared? Utilizing networks early on can help alleviate worry down the road.

2.) Talk with mom and dad. Not always the easiest or most comfortable conversation to have, but a very important one nonetheless. Find out what they want these upcoming years to look like, and what kind of long term care insurance, pensions, and home equity they may have. Do they have a retirement planner that as factored any of this?

3.) Look into long term care options and weigh out the costs along with the pros and cons. Although your parents are your parents, and you love them dearly, you may not be the best option as a caregiver among the many options available today.

4.) Consider a reverse mortgage. The once frowned upon reverse mortgage program is now being utilized to brighten long term retirement scenarios. This FHA insured loan not only eliminates mortgage payments but allows the borrower to access the equity in their home via monthly installments, a line of credit, or sometimes even a lump sum. This is a great option for those wishing to age at home, as the loan does not come due until the last borrower passes away or leaves the home permanently.

Jan Jordan Reverse Mortgage Info for Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and Front Range areas of Colorado.

What is a Reverse Mortgage Maturity Event?

Posted on April 27, 2016May 20, 2016 by janjordan

When a conventional mortgage is taken there is always a maturity date. This date designates, if the borrower never defaults, the last payment (including all interest and principal) bringing closure to the loan.

With a reverse mortgage there is a maturity event, that is, a designated event in the borrower’s life which makes the loan then due. Reverse mortgage loans do not require monthly payments which can be quite an advantage for a senior entering into a new phase of life – whether their looking to supplement their income, protect retirement assets and investments, or buy a new home. FHA insured reverse mortgages are offered to those 62 and older based on certain guidelines, such as the home the loan is on must be a primary residence and it must meet HUD’s required guidelines.

Maturity event will be a term the borrower will encounter several times during the application process and required third party counseling. It’s very important piece for both the borrower and loved ones to understand.

Here are some examples of maturity events:

• The borrower, (or last borrower if married) passes away.
• The property for which the reverse mortgage is taken is no longer in the borrower’s primary residence.
• The property is sold out of the borrower’s name
• The borrower moves out of the primary residence for more than twelve consecutive months, such as moving in with family or assisted living for care.
• The borrower defaults on property taxes, homeowners insurance, or other obligations to the home.

Jan Jordan Reverse Mortgage Info for Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and Front Range areas of Colorado.

Delay Social Security Benefits with a Reverse Mortgage

Posted on February 24, 2016April 19, 2016 by janjordan

When planning for retirement, there will no doubt be a discussion about when a retiree should start taking their Social Security benefits.

There are perks to delaying, for example Social Security benefits stand to increase as much as 7-8% per year if you don’t apply until age 70. But many seniors need this income. With the ability to apply for a reverse mortgage at the age of 62, and current low interest rates, retirees stand to actually make gains by using a reverse mortgage to supplement while delaying benefits.

When approved for a reverse mortgage, the borrower can choose from a variety of ways to access the funds. It could be a monthly installment, a lump sum, or even a line of credit that in itself stands to grow over time.

This is a creative way to use the hard earned equity in your home to your benefit. A well educated financial advisor would easily be able to help you decide if this is a good option. Reverse mortgages are available to seniors 62 and over, including married couples, with an approved type of home. The borrower will always retain the title to the home and reverse mortgages are insured by the FHA.

Jan Jordan Reverse Mortgage Info for Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and Front Range areas of Colorado.

Reflecting on the Holidays and Elderly Family

Posted on December 26, 2015April 19, 2016 by janjordan

With Christmas now behind us, many families are reflecting on the holiday. Adult children enjoyed spending time with their aging parents or relatives, grand children and great-grand children were squeezed and showered with adoration. For some spending time with family is an encouraging sign of many happy years to come…but for others, it can be a time that raises concern about health or finances, and questions about how aging parents will continue to cope. Will this person need additional care? Do they need a more adequate home closer to family or suitable for aging in place? How does long term retirement look?

Concerns such as this are very common around the holidays. To better guide you in the right direction and ultimately direct the family in the right direction, here are some questions to ask yourself:
• Are they able to get around by him or herself? Are there stairs in the home?

• Is this person able to take medications without assistance? Is there a health concern that would require more regular supervision, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s?
• Is your parent able to manage mortgage payments, home-owners insurance payments, and property taxes. Is the home outdated and in need of frequent repairs – such as a furnace, roofing, electricity?

• Where is this home located? Is it in close proximity to relatives, hospitals, etc? Or is it secluded and away from town?

• Is this person lonely? Has he or she suffered the loss of a spouse? Does he or she have a solid social group or close friends?
Based on your answers to these questions, aging at home may be an option for years to come – and reverse mortgage can be a solution to many problems even for married couples. Reverse mortgages allow homeowners age 62 and older to access equity in their home, without acquiring a loan or mortgage payment, and the funds can be accessed via a line of credit, monthly installments, a lump sum, and even as a new home purchase. The homeowner will always retain the title and remains in the home. All reverse mortgages are government insured with an FHA backed loan and no repayment is due until the last borrower passes away or permanently leaves the home. At that time there are several options that include keeping the home in the family. If selling the current residence and moving into a new home is a more reasonable route, Reverse Mortgage for Purchase may be an option.

Jan Jordan Reverse Mortgage Info for Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and Front Range areas of Colorado.

Six Ways to Use a Reverse Mortgage to Protect Retirement Income

Posted on November 20, 2015January 31, 2017 by janjordan

reverse mortgage loveland fort collins greeley longmont westminster colorado — Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA

Reverse mortgages have long been shunned by many financial professionals, often thought of as a lifeline for desperate and broke seniors. This thinking wasn’t misplaced. Reverse mortgages were often often only used for these type of scenarios. But as retirement planners are facing the harsh reality of slower than anticipated growth in investments and a stagnant economy, they are fast beginning to understand how under-utilized home equity and reverse mortgages have been – and how they can be the missing puzzle piece for so many of their clients.

In some latest research, Wade Pfau, a professor of retirement income at the American College of Financial Services, examined six ways to use a reverse mortgage as part of retirement-income plan.

Here are those six strategies:

Use home equity first: With this strategy, you’d open a line of credit at the start of retirement, and use this line to pay for all your retirement expenses until the line of credit was fully used up. This allows more time for the investment portfolio to grow before being used for withdrawals after the line of credit is depleted, wrote Pfau.
Use home equity last: Here, you’d open a line a credit at the start of retirement and only use it after your investment portfolio was depleted.
The Sacks and Sacks Coordination Strategy: With this strategy, you’d open a line of credit at the start of retirement, and use the line of credit, when available, following any years in which the investment portfolio experienced a negative market return, wrote Pfau. No efforts are made to repay the loan balance until the loan becomes due at the end of retirement, he wrote.
The Texas Tech Coordination Strategy: This method is a bit more complicated. With this one, you’d open a line of credit at the start of retirement and then each year you’d analyze whether you can keep withdrawing money from your investment portfolio at the desired rate over a 41-year time horizon. If the remaining portfolio balance is less than 80% of the required wealth you’d tap the line of credit, when possible. And if the portfolio balances is greater than 80%, you’d pay down provided your portfolio did not fall below the 80% threshold the balance on the reverse mortgage balance. This, Pfau wrote, would provide more growth potential for the line of credit.
Use tenure payment: Here you’d open a line of credit at the start of retirement and a receive a fixed monthly payment for as long as the borrower is alive and lives in the house. And spending needs over and above that reverse mortgage payment would be covered by the investment portfolio when possible, Pfau wrote.
• Ignore home equity: This strategy makes no use of home equity, and Pfau only examines it to show the probability of a retirement-income plan succeeding when home equity isn’t used.

So what did Pfau find?

Generally, strategies which spend the home equity more quickly increase the overall risk for the retirement plan, he wrote. More upside potential is generated by delaying the need to take distributions from investments, but more downside risk is created because the home equity is used quickly without necessarily being compensated by sufficiently high market returns.

Meanwhile, he wrote, opening the line of credit and that start of retirement and then delaying its use until the portfolio is depleted creates the most downside protection for the retirement-income plan.

Reverse mortgages are available to seniors 62 and over as long as the home the loan is being used against is the primary residence and there is some equity available.

Get Your Dream Home with Reverse Mortgage for Purchase

Posted on November 13, 2015June 26, 2017 by janjordan

When we’re working hard and raising a family, there are two things we often hope to achieve in our future – having no house payments and living in our dream home. Then as the years close in on retirement, these may still seem unachievable – but they’re not. With the Reverse Mortgage for Purchase program seniors 62 and over can live mortgage payment free in the home of their dreams.

Here’s how it works:

When a home buyer uses a reverse mortgage to purchase a home, they will be required to provide a down payment. The amount of the down payment will depend on the amount of the home they are purchasing – but unlike a conventional loan, not only will the lender provide the funds to make up the difference between the home price and the down payment, the new home owners will also be able to live mortgage payment free for as long as they remain in the home, freeing up income for other things – such as medical bills, in home care, or even vacations.

Commonly when someone has a large amount of cash they want to simply pay cash for a home. But in today’s housing market, even $200,000 doesn’t go very far. With a reverse mortgage for purchase that $200,000 can be used as a down payment on a much more expensive and desirable home – AND the buyer will still live mortgage payment free, just as if they’d paid for the home with cash. As with any reverse mortgage or conventional mortgage, the homeowner will always remain exactly that – the homeowner. And the loan will not reach maturity until the last borrower passes away or permanently leaves the home.

Click here for more detailed information about how the Reverse Mortgage for Purchase program works.

How to Use Home Equity for Retirement Security

Posted on November 4, 2015June 26, 2017 by janjordan

Did you know home equity can be used to reduce the overall risk of your retirement plan? Your house is a great asset that for many years has been overlooked in financial planning for seniors. This is making a sharp turn lately as retirement experts are beginning to understand how tapping into home equity via a reverse mortgage should never be underestimated.

Let’s take a look at where most seniors sit currently when it comes to retirement…

• Only 22 percent of workers are very confident they will have enough money in retirement.
• 45 percent of Americans have saved exactly nothing—zero.
• The expected lifespan of women is 20 years past the age of retirement, and two years longer than men.
• The average retiree can expect to spend $220,000 in out of pocket health care costs during retirement.
• Medicare pays for an average of 62% of a seniors health care costs, leaving 38% to come out of pocket.
• 36% of up and coming retirees will rely on Social Security as their sole income.

A reverse mortgage can help in many different ways – and the how the funds are spent is entirely up to the borrower. Whether it’s a monthly payout or a line of credit, when combined with other retirement planning tools, reverse mortgage can allow retirees financial security during the years they worked so hard to enjoy. Reverse mortgages are available to senior homeowners 62 and over – even married couples. They will live mortgage payment free, always retain the title to the home, and because these loans are non-recourse, no one – including heirs – will find themselves saddled with the debt after the owner passes. There are also various solutions for adult children or other family members who may want to keep the home in the family.

Jan Jordan is a Reverse Mortgage Specialist serving the Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Longmont, Boulder and other Front Range areas of Colorado, as well as the Cheyenne and Laramie communities of Wyoming. Contact Jan and learn if reverse mortgage is right for you.

What Happens to a Reverse Mortgage After Owners Pass?

Posted on October 19, 2015April 19, 2016 by janjordan

A common question and concern surrounding reverse mortgage is what will happen to the home after the homeowners pass away? Will the bank take possession? Will it be allowed as inheritance? Will it be possible to keep the home in the family?
These are very valid concerns – so I’d like to offer some clear and concise guidance.

When the last homeowner passes, whether we’re talking about you or a loved one, the home will transfer into the estate or a specific person according to the wishes expressed in the homeowner’s will. At this time there are three main options:

1. Pay off the remainder of the loan

Depending on the amount of equity that still exists in the home, the financial situation of the family, and just the overall ability of those involved, this may or may not be a feasible option. It’s not uncommon for a portion of life insurance to be used in this manner.

2. Obtain a conventional loan.

Many mortgage brokers are familiar with the reverse mortgage process and the right broker will be able to help those in need identify the best route in obtaining a conventional loan and keeping the home.

3. Sell the home

The final option is to sell the home. When there is not a desire to keep the home, the heirs can sell the home.

One last note, as long as the communication lines remain open, the bank will typically allow up to one year to help with the transition. This one year is allotted in three month increments.

Jan Jordan Reverse Mortgage Info for Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and Front Range areas of Colorado.

Reverse Mortgages Helping the Elderly Age at Home

Posted on October 8, 2015April 19, 2016 by janjordan

As traditional forms of elder care continue to be overshadowed by numerous other options, reverse mortgage is often helping senior individuals stay in their homes while they age. Since reverse mortgages can open up opportunity to turn home equity into liquid cash, without having to move or make a mortgage loan payment, seniors and their families are using this opportunity to pay for care that would otherwise not be covered by basic Medicare or Medicaid.

Traditionally, “long term” elder care takes place in a nursing home or assisted living facility. Medicare or Medicaid will often cover these expenses. but there is little public assistance for “in-home care”, although it varies from state to state. As economic woes lend to retirement fears, reverse mortgage is more commonly being utilized for what it can do best, provide security for those most in need and offer a longer-term lifeline without disrupting the lives of the recipients.

Studies have shown that the benefits of aging in place can be enormous for the right candidate. Not only can a move be both emotionally and physically challenging on a senior, especially one with medical concerns, it’s known that the quality of life tends to increase when seniors maintain their independence and their community ties. Benefits include:

Comfort. We all know the saying “There’s no place like home”, but this is often especially true when a senior has lived in a home for years or has lost a spouse. Uprooting from such familiarity can have drastic affects.
Community Ties. More often seniors are developing strong community ties well into their retirement years. Family and friends are wonderful for grounding an aging loved one.
Independence. Remaining independent keeps seniors healthier than ever realized before. It also allows them to continue doing many of the things they have always done and enjoyed.
Mentality. Our home life strongly impacts how we feel mentally. If a senior stays home to age they are likely to feel much better and happier than one that has been put into a nursing home or assisted care facility.

Jan Jordan Reverse Mortgage Info for Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and Front Range areas of Colorado.

Reverse Mortgage Funds In-Home Senior Care

Posted on August 28, 2015 by admin

Reverse mortgage has long been used to help seniors convert home equity into cash, and the funds can be used for anything the borrowers sees fit. The reason homeowners are looking to tap into these funds varies widely, but they’re commonly used to pay for extraordinary out of pocket medical expenses, including in-home senior care.

A common question is whether the amount of money received will be enough to cover the medical needs. Often it is – whether it is covering actual medical costs, live-in care, or drop-in care. The amount of money available to the borrower depends on the borrower’s age, the appraised value of the home, any outstanding mortgage balance, and current interest rates.

To best determine how much money will be needed for in-home care is to do some research. Find out what options are available from your local home care services. Talk to more than one. Get referrals from those you know and trust. Ask for an estimate of cost. Work with a reputable reverse mortgage specialist to ensure no one is being misled. They will be able to help break down the numbers long term to determine what is right for you.