Wednesday, January 7, 2009

How Forward Mortgage Differs From Reverse Mortgage

By Borvonski Vanrock

When many individuals retire, they may acquire much of their income from pensions, social security, and other retirement accounts. However, that is not always enough. Many retirees find themselves falling short no matter how they budget their income.

That is where the reverse mortgage line of credit comes in. A reverse mortgage allows the homeowner to convert part of their homes equity into cash. In other words, the equity that is built up throughout years of mortgage payments can be paid back to the homeowner.

This is not like the traditional mortgage, such as a home equity loan or second mortgage, because the borrowed amount does not have to be repaid until that home is no longer used as the primary residence. The loan amount can also be more because of the age of the borrower, which is due to the amount of equity that has been accumulated throughout their life.

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.

The opposite of the reverse mortgage is the forward mortgage. This is the type of mortgage that is used when the house is purchased. This is when the borrower should have good credit and a steady income source. If the payments are not made on time, the home can be foreclosed upon because it is the home, or asset, that secures the mortgage.

As payments are made on a forward mortgage, the equity within the home builds. This is because the difference between the amount of the mortgage and what has been paid is the equity. Once the final payment is made on the mortgage, the home is finally owned.

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.

Then there is a time when the reverse mortgage must be paid back and the amount could be large, which is determined by the length of the loan. Other factors include if the home had decreased at any time and there was no equity left to borrow or if the value increased and the amount to be borrowed increased. This could have an impact on the amount of debt because of the amount of money borrowed or not borrowed during these periods.

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.

So for those wondering what separates a reverse mortgage from a forward mortgage, this should explain that. This should also help to make the decision of whether or not to add to monthly income by using a reverse mortgage line of credit.