Important Things to Know About a Reverse Mortgage Company Before Borrowing

Reverse mortgages generally charge a substantial amount of fees to obtain and close a loan. While you do not need to pay most fees up front before you leave your house, you may receive less cash overall than if you’d sold the house on your own. Closing costs: You’ll be required to pay for mortgage lender fees, appraisal fees, title insurance, escrow or maintenance, and more.

These fees can add up to as much as 20% of the amount of money you receive. Some companies also charge application fees, legal consultation fees, processing and filing fees, appraisal and insurance fees, and more. Equity: A reverse mortgage gives the homeowner the option to take out an additional amount of equity in the home by making regular monthly payments.

This extra money is un-taxed until you give it back to the lender. In return, the lender issues an additional amount equal to the equity you’ve borrowed. If you’ve held your home for a while and have built equity, this means the equity has increased and you can use this additional funds for any purpose that you see fit. Service charge: A mortgage insurance service charge is typically charged to homeowners who get additional money added to their monthly payments because of rising interest rates, consult Oregon coast reverse mortgage lender.

In addition to a higher interest rate, this type of service may also require that you forfeit some of your unused equity in case the interest rate drops further. Mortgage servicing fee is another fee that’s required, but it may not affect your monthly payments at all. If you have adjustable-rate mortgages, this type of fee applies to your interest only payment and not to your repayment on your principal loan. Monthly payment amount is usually only a few dollars, which makes them easier to deal with.