If your retirement budget feels a little tight, a reverse mortgage might be a good way to increase your balance sheet’s cash flow. But are reverse mortgages available to everyone? Not necessarily. Your home’s equity is one of the most important factors in determining whether you qualify for a reverse mortgage. Do you have enough equity to borrow against?.
How a Reverse Mortgage Works
Using the equity in their primary residences as collateral, homeowners over the age of 62 can borrow money with a reverse mortgage. The lender pays you in monthly installments, a lump sum, or a line of credit rather than making payments to the bank to gradually acquire full ownership of the house. When you sell your house or when you pass away and your heirs sell it, the reverse mortgage is repaid.
There are three different types of reverse mortgages:
The most prevalent form of reverse mortgages, HECMs, have the most definite standards. Here, we’ll talk about how much equity you require for an HECM.
Your equity is determined by both the amount you paid for your current home and its current value. Your equity will be higher if you’re still making mortgage payments but your home has increased in value due to a healthy housing market.
Finding Your Equity
You need to know how much equity you have in your home because reverse mortgages borrow against that equity. An appraisal to determine your home’s current value is required as part of the application process for an HECM.
Finding the home’s market value makes it simpler to determine your equity. For homeowners who own their homes outright, this is an easy response: They have 100% equity. It will be less if you’re still making mortgage payments.
Variable Equity Standards
Unfortunately, there is some confusion regarding the amount of equity needed to be eligible for an HECM. A frequently cited general guideline states that you must have 50% equity in your home to be eligible. However, the U. S. The requirements set forth by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are less specific.
HUD states that homeowners must own their homes outright or have made “considerable down payments.” With that flexibility, the equity requirement is only one part of the requirements for approval; the borrower’s age and history of financial responsibility also play a role.
FHA-approved lenders take into account each of these factors when determining the amount of money you can access, even though there isn’t a readily available rubric for how they affect approval. HUD limits the amount of money anyone can borrow to $970,800 for 2022, regardless of equity.
How much can I borrow through a reverse mortgage?
Your age, interest rate, and the lower of the home’s appraised value or the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) limit will determine how much you can borrow. This will vary for each person. Older people can typically borrow more money.
More money can be borrowed the lower the interest rate is. This will prevent using up all of the equity in the home before you move or pass away because the interest will be paid when the house is sold to pay off the reverse mortgage.
How do I determine my equity?
Your home’s equity is calculated as its current appraised value less any outstanding debt. Since home values fluctuate according to market conditions, your equity may rise or fall depending on the home’s appraised value. Your equity will rise during a time when home values are high even though your payments remain the same. In contrast, if there is a real estate crash, your equity may decrease as your investment, your home, loses value.
What happens to leftover equity when my home is sold?
You or your heirs can keep the remaining equity after the home is sold if you have a reverse mortgage on your house but don’t use the entire amount before you pass away or leave. Mortgage insurance premiums cover the difference if you spend more than the equity allows. With an HECM, you cannot owe more than the house is worth.
The Bottom Line
In your retirement years, having equity in your home is a valuable asset, especially if you’re considering a reverse mortgage. Reverse mortgages are only available to senior citizens, so substantial equity must have accrued. Other tools, like a home equity line of credit (HELOC), may be preferable if you recently bought your home and don’t have enough equity built up. Article Sources Investopedia mandates that authors cite original sources to back up their arguments. White papers, official data, original reporting, and interviews with industry professionals are some of these. When necessary, we also cite original research from other respected publishers. On our website, you can read more about the guidelines we adhere to when creating truthful, unbiased content.
By selecting “Accept All Cookies,” you consent to having cookies stored on your device to improve site navigation, track visitor behavior, and support our marketing initiatives.
FAQ
Can you get a reverse mortgage with less than 50 equity?
Borrowers must be the sole owners of their homes or have a sizable amount of equity to be eligible for a reverse mortgage. The precise amount of equity required for a reverse mortgage varies depending on the lender and the type, but as a general guideline, you should have at least 50% equity in your home.
Can you get a reverse mortgage with 40% equity?
To use a reverse mortgage, you should anticipate having at least a 50% equity stake in your home, though the precise percentage depends on your lender and the particular reverse mortgage program you’re using. You can typically access more money through a reverse mortgage product the more equity you have in your home.
What percentage of equity can I borrow on reverse mortgage?
Both of these loans let you use the equity in your home as collateral, though lenders will only let you borrow up to 80% to 85% of the home’s value and require monthly payments for a home equity loan.
Is it hard to qualify for a reverse mortgage?
Reverse mortgages don’t have income or credit score requirements. Reverse mortgages differ from home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) in this way, among others.