Click on a state to see the variance between growth in home prices compared to the interest rates paid on HECM (monthly-adjusting) reverse mortgage loans. Some metropolitan areas straddle state boundaries. In these cases, we placed the area in the state having the largest city include in the area (e.g. Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN is found under Kentucky).

In general, higher positive variances indicate that home values rose at a faster rate than the HECM monthly-adjusting loan rate for the same period of time. Conversely, low or negative variances should be reason for concern since this could mean your net home equity is being diminished not only by a growing reverse mortgage balance, but by stagnant or declining home values. Five-year data likely provides a more reliable indication of the "reverse mortgage friendliness" of any given area since year-to-year data abberations are smoothed.

As with any such tool, use only as a guidepost. Individual neighborhoods (even indiviual homes) can appreciate or depreciate at rates much different than the overall community. Also, there are many complex aspects to reverse mortgages not accounted for here.