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HECM - Home Equity Conversion Mortgage

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The HECM - home equity conversion mortgage - is the most popular type of reverse mortgage. HECM’s account for more than 90% of all reverse mortgages ever issued (through 2004). HECM’s are popular for several reasons: 1) they generally provide more cash and have more payment flexibility than other reverse mortgage programs; 2) they are the only reverse mortgage insured by the federal government through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA); and, 3) they generally have the lowest fees and costs among the reverse mortgage programs.

HECM loans are available in all 50 states, the Distrct of Columbia and Puerto Rico. To be eligible for a HECM:

    -you and other owners of your home must be at least 62 and live in the home as your principal residence;
    -you must go through a counseling session with a HUD-approved counselor to ensure you fully understand the HECM program;
    -your home must be in satisfactory condition to meet HUD’s minimum property standards; and,
    -your home must meet certain other requirements - e.g. it must be a single-family residence in a 1-4 unit dwelling, part of a planned unit development (PUD), or a HUD-approved condominium.

Here is a further definition from the official HUD website:

The HECM FHA insured reverse mortgage can be used by senior homeowners age 62 and older to convert the equity in their home into monthly streams of income and/or a line of credit to be repaid when they no longer occupy the home. The loan, commonly known as HECM, is funded by a lending institution such as a mortgage lender, bank, credit union or savings and loan association.

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9 Responses to “HECM - Home Equity Conversion Mortgage”

  1. Ben Holton Says:

    I am interested in Reverse ioans

  2. blogora.com » Blog Archive » Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Says:

    […] HECM - Home Equity Conversion Mortgage : Reverse Mortgage InformationThe HECM - home equity conversion mortgage - is the most popular type of reverse mortgage. Goal: Dispel Myths, Challenge the Hype and Provide Objective Reverse Mortgage Information […]

  3. Reverse Mortgages vs Delayed Social Security - Reverse Mortgage Information Says:

    […] These programs allow you to allocate funds between a creditline (cash account) and monthly income. HECM is the federally-insured "Home Equity Conversion Mortgage". The "HomeKeeper Mortgage" is from Fannie Mae.  […]

  4. MIP - Mortgage Insurance Premium - Reverse Mortgage Information Says:

    […] After loan closing, every HECM borrower is required to pay an upfront (initial) MIP premium of 2 percent of the maximum claim amount (adjusted property value) and a monthly MIP according to the annual rate of 0.5 percent (one-half of 1%) of the loan�s outstanding balance. These two together generate a mortgage insurance reserve that can be used to compensate the FHA insurance fund for future claims as well as the ones that have already been filed. […]

  5. H.R. 2895 and HECM Insurance Costs | Reverse Mortgage and Loan News Says:

    […] of the lesser known facts about HECM reverse mortgages is that the insurance premiums the FHA charges more than offset the costs/risk […]

  6. Special Offer for Reverse Mortgage Professionals: Free HECM Loan Data | Reverse Mortgage and Loan News Says:

    […] you’re a reverse mortgage professional, you are probably interested in the HECM MIC reports published each month by HUD. You may also be aware of a popular tool we provide on this […]

  7. Top HECM Lenders in 2007 Update at Reverse Mortgage Daily Says:

    […] was the second best month for HECM endorsements. July saw 10,462 Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) endorsed by HUD making it the second best month on record for HECM endorsements. (10,888 HECMs […]

  8. My Blog » Blog Archive » reverse mortgage Says:

    […] on whether she could get herself a reverse mortgage or not. Now that she has been approved for an HECM she is going to just take the payments for her house and travel all over the world for a while. […]

  9. Sonia Roig Says:

    interesada en reverse mortgage en Puerto Rico

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