HR 3221 FHA Modernization Law - The Modernization of the Reverse Mortgage Profession

I am cautiously optimistic as I pore through the text of the new FHA Housing Modernization Law (HR 3221). The Reverse Mortgage industry is about to become a main stream financial services industry. HUD, Congress, President Bush and I say so. Regulation can be a good thing for a nascent industry, the public will see it as our comeuppance, state regulators will know that we are here to stay and because of the relative complexity of the regulation the mainstream mortgage industry should finally see us as highly trained, ethical and committed professionals. This new found regulation comes with an opportunity to take the lead from here to become a self-regulating industry. It is time to bring professional certification, reverse mortgage originator licensing and public relations outreach like we have never seen before. Now is the time. Seniors need to have hope for financial stability in a time of increasing inflation and abysmal real estate values. A reverse mortgage should be considered by seniors just as they consider selling real estate, taking out home equity line forward mortgages, moving in with adult children, sinking into retirement account principal, etc. This "varsity" consideration will come so long as we as an industry stay focused on our ultimate goal of legitimacy. HR 3221 is the beginning of our future. Let's work together now. No reason to be competitors - the market is bigger than the service providers currently in place to provide services. Join hands. Hang on tight. The ride just started! Law for Life is committed to serving our reverse mortgage industry clients in compliance matters, sales strategy, management consulting and title services on a national basis.

Reverse Mortgage Alphabet Soup - FHA; HECM; MIP; NRMLA; H.R. 1852

Reverse mortgages are statutory creatures. Reverse mortgages exist because the Congress says that they exist, and so, they are creatures of government standard abbreviations. Just like being at OCS to get your O-1 and then a rack in BOQ for USN-SWOS. For land-lubbering taxpayers, that's Officer Candidate School for Officer Grade 1 (Ensign) and housing in the Bachelor Officer Quarters at Surface Warfare Officer School in the US Navy.

Go HERE for an exhaustive listing of all the terms and features of FHA's (Federal Housing Administration) products and services.

But today's blog is about something far more exciting than abbreviations, although without them the short press release below from NRMLA on the FHA H.R. 1852 HECM modernization plan would be nearly incomprehensible. *********

NRMLA Anticipates Movement on FHA Modernization Bill

NRMLA is hopeful that the FHA modernization bill (H.R. 1852) will start moving in the next couple weeks and be voted on by the full House of Representatives after the July 4th recess.

Sponsored by Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), the bill would: 1) Permanently eliminate the HECM loan cap; 2) Permit HECM for home purchase; 3) Allow HECMs on housing cooperatives; and 4) Require HUD to study the impact of reducing mortgage insurance premiums, and exempting borrowers from paying any MIP if all, or a portion, of the loan proceeds are used to purchase long-term care insurance.

In addition, H.R. 1852 would increase lending limits for all FHA programs, especially in high-cost areas, like California, New York and Massachusetts by raising FHA's maximum mortgage limits to 100 percent of an area's median home price.

Over the past couple weeks; NRMLA has been negotiating with other stakeholder groups to remove a provision that would lower origination fees on HECMs to no more than 2% of the "original principal limit of the mortgage." Stay tuned for further updates.

******** I like to say that we are at the beginning of the beginning for reverse mortgages. As much as reverse mortgages have been around for 40 years in a formal sense (and over 2,500 years in other forms - a short history of the world of reverses is coming soon), reverse mortgages are metaphorically hitting their next threshold in Moore's Law. Which is a nice way of saying that the market for reverse mortgages is growing at an exponential rate - and with all good growing businesses; it's ripe for more government regulation.

H.R. 1852 as set out above, starts to address the initial framework of reverse mortgages - a framework that served us well until now. Reading some of the dicta and side notes of the committees behind this legislation reveals that the government did not expect reverse mortgages to be so successful a product so fast. It makes you almost wonder whether there will be a rush to "irrational exuberance" over reverse mortgages. I don't believe that the market will ever become large enough to impact the overall economy too much, but it will be interesting to watch seniors taking responsibility for their own expenses from their own wealth and not relying on government programs or family members for their living expenses. A reverse mortgage is the ultimate libertarian gesture - I will take care of myself, thank you very much. This should be really popular in New Hampshire.

Looking in the crystal ball I think that you will see MIP (mortgage insurance premium) get rolled into the interest rate of the reverse mortgage loans and all but disappear. Despite NRMLA's obvious incentives in maintaining high loan origination fee caps, you will see a study and drastic reduction in the overall cost of originating reverse mortgages. I think that price competition, which has essentially destroyed the conventional forward mortgage business, will come into the reverse mortgage market. This price competition will at first cause the early entrants to lose market share and gross revenue and for new entrants to take business. Over time it is my opinion that the reverse mortgage lenders that embrace seniors, understand the good karma of reverse mortgages and only sell to those that truly need reverse mortgages will be rewarded with lasting market share. When banks take reverse mortgages as a product focus, especially Bank of America, we will see a transformation of the marketplace that will further and permanently reduce the costs (and therefore origination revenue) of reverse mortgages across the board.

Just so you all know I will be on vacation for the next couple of weeks, so please expect pretty light blogging. Happy 4th of July.

Reverse Mortgage - Forward Thinking

Reverse mortgage lenders, the elder law bar and the public did not get off on the right foot when reverse mortgages became generally available. There were many confusing features to the initial loans and the government and banks did little to help borrowers understand their transactions. Reverse mortgages became known as the estate planning tool of last resort for truly financially needy elders. The elder law bar was hesitant to recommend reverse mortgages, estate planning lawyers put their heads in the sand and real estate lawyers, at least many of the real estate lawyers in Massachusetts that my law firm deals with, were completely in the dark on the workings and benefits of reverse mortgages. So what has changed? In a word, education.

The reverse mortgage industry made it their mission to educate the market place, not only consumers but also lenders about the powerful benefits of reverse mortgages. As with any schooling it takes time. Sometimes you take the wrong class or get a bad professor, but if you stick to it great things can happen. That is the case with reverse mortgages. Lawyers, geriatric care managers, lenders, borrowers and other interested parties are now coming to see the place for reverse mortgages in elder law planning. To me the key benefit of reverse mortgages is their ability to create peace of mind through financial independence. So there has been education; why else have reverse mortgages suddenly emerged as a viable planning tool for older estate planning clients? Life is expensive, particularly in states like Massachusetts where we seldom see a purchase and sale agreement for less than $400,000. As the population ages and the housing market remains strong (yes, it is still very strong by historical measures - in the Boston area real estate is still considerably overpriced when taking all other aspects of the cost of living into account,) elders have more month than they have monthly income.

Most reverse mortgages are used to convert home equity into a replacement for insufficient income. When you look deeper the net effect of reverse mortgages is that more elders can stay in their own homes longer, more elders are able to afford home care services and more elders have the sense of financial freedom that only comes from knowing that there is money in the bank. What's not to love about reverse mortgages? Well, real estate brokers in Massachusetts don't like reverse mortgages - they slow down the transaction pace and change the traditional marketing cycle of listing elders' homes when they can no longer afford them. The assisted living industry doesn't like reverse mortgages. How could they? They depend on elders giving up their old homes in return for 3 squares and a cot at their local "Happy Garden Loving Home for Golden Years on Smiling Hill Assisted Living and Schmaltz Factory." I found this primer on reverse mortgages useful, not only for my elder law colleagues that follow the blog, but also for the general public that wants to more about the basic mechanics of reverse mortgages. Just remember that reverse mortgage laws can vary by state and also it is a good idea to consult an elder law lawyer in Massachusetts or your state before proceeding with a reverse mortgage or any estate plan or real estate transaction.

Reverse Mortgage Loans For many seniors the equity in their home is their largest single asset, yet it is unavailable to use unless they use a conventional home-equity loan. But a conventional loan really doesn't free up the equity because the money has to be paid back with interest. A reverse mortgage is a risk-free way of tapping into home equity without creating monthly payments and without requiring the money to be paid back during a person's lifetime. Instead of making payments the cash flow is reversed and the senior receives payments from the bank. Thus the title "reverse mortgage". Many seniors are finding they can use a reverse mortgage to pay off an existing conventional mortgage, to create money for a down payment for a second home or to pay off debt. Popularity is skyrocketing. Over the last five years the number of reverse mortgages nationwide has tripled. The uses of this untapped wealth are only limited by a person's imagination. For those seniors who earn low incomes but own a home, a reverse mortgage can allow them to remain in the home by creating extra income. It can also allow for remodeling or repairs and when the time comes to sell, the investment in the home can make it more valuable. False Beliefs about Reverse Mortgages "The lender could take my house." The homeowner retains full ownership. The Reverse Mortgage is just like any other mortgage; you own the title and the bank holds a lien. You can pay it off anytime you like. "I can be thrown out of my own home." Homeowners can stay in the home as long as they live, with no payment requirement. "I could end up owing more than my house is worth." The homeowner can never owe more than the value of the home at the time the loan is due. "My heirs will be against it." Experience demonstrates heirs are in favor of Reverse Mortgages.

Virtually anyone can qualify. You must be at least 62, own and live in, as a primary residence, a home [1-4 family residence, condominium, co-op, permanent mobile home, or manufactured home] in order to qualify for a reverse mortgage. There are no income, asset or credit requirements. It is the easiest loan to qualify for. A reverse mortgage is similar to a conventional mortgage. As an example: The bank does not own the home but owns a lien on the property just as with any other mortgage You continue to hold title to the property as with any other mortgage The bank has no recourse to demand payment from any family member if there is not enough equity to cover paying off the loan There is no penalty to pay off the mortgage early When the loan becomes due, you can refinance and keep the house. The proceeds from a reverse mortgage are tax-free and can be used for any legal purpose you wish: daily living expenses home repairs and improvements medical bills and prescription drugs pay-off of existing debts education, travel long-term care and/or long-term care insurance financial and estate tax plans gifts and trusts to purchase life insurance or any other needs you may have. The amount of reverse mortgage benefit for which you may qualify, will depend on your age at the time you apply for the loan, the reverse mortgage program you choose, the value of your home, current interest rates, and for some products, where you live. As a general rule, the older you are and the greater your equity, the larger the reverse mortgage benefit will be (up to certain limits, in some cases). The reverse mortgage must pay off any outstanding liens against your property before you can withdraw additional funds. The loan is not due and payable until the borrower no longer occupies the home as a principal residence (i.e. the borrower sells, moves out permanently or passes away). At that time, the balance of borrowed funds is due and payable, all additional equity in the property belongs to the owners or their beneficiaries. If the heirs want to keep the home with the additional equity, they can refinance with a conventional loan. There are three reverse mortgage loan products available, the FHA - HECM (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage), Fannie Mae - HomeKeeper®, and the Cash Account programs. Over 90% of all reverse mortgages are HECM contracts. The costs associated with getting a reverse mortgage are similar to those with a conventional mortgage, such as the origination fee, appraisal and inspection fees, title policy, mortgage insurance and other normal closing costs. With a reverse mortgage, all of these costs will be financed as part of the mortgage prior to your withdrawal of additional funds. You must participate in an independent Credit Counseling session with an FHA-approved counselor early in the application process for a reverse mortgage. The counselor's job is to educate you about all of your mortgage options. This counseling session is at no cost to the borrower and can be done in person or, more typically, over the telephone. After completing this counseling, you will receive a Counseling Certificate in the mail which must be included as part of the reverse mortgage application. You can choose 3 options to receive the money from a reverse mortgage: 1) all at once (lump sum); 2) fixed monthly payments (for up to life); 3) a line of credit; or a combination of a line of credit and monthly payments. The most popular option, chosen by more than 60 percent of borrowers, is the line of credit, which allows you to draw on the loan proceeds at any time. The line of credit also earns interest which in essence is allowing the equity in the home to grow.

For example $120,000 in a line of credit earning 5% would be worth almost 200,$000 10 years from now. Keeping money in a reverse mortgage line of credit in most states will not count as an asset for Medicaid eligibility as this would be considered a loan and not a resource for Medicaid spend down. In other words, keeping the money in the line of credit will not disqualify you from becoming Medicaid eligible. However, transferring the money to an investment or to a bank account would represent an asset and would trigger a spend down requirement and delay eligibility. Please note however that distinguishing between what portion of reverse mortgage proceeds might be counted as a loan and what portion as an asset is not a simple black and white decision. It is best to get an opinion from an elder attorney in your state.

If a senior homeowner chooses to repay any portion of the interest accruing against his borrowed funds, the payment of this interest may be deductible (just as any mortgage interest may be). A reverse mortgage loan will be available to a senior homeowner to draw upon for as long as that person lives in the home. And, in some cases, the lender increases the total amount of the line of credit over time (unlike a traditional Home Equity Line where the credit limit is established at origination). If a senior homeowner stays in the property until he or she dies, his or her estate valuation will be reduced by the amount of the debt. At the death of the last borrower or the sale of the home, the loan is repaid from equity in the home. Any remaining equity (which is often the case) goes to the heirs. Almost all reverse mortgages are the HECM loan which is guaranteed by FHA mortgage insurance. If there is not enough equity to cover the loan, the insurance satisfies the loan by paying the deficit. With a HECM loan, the bank will never come after the heirs to satisfy the mortgage obligation. Good resources for reverse mortgage information are AARP, the Ed Barrett at Your Home for Life mortgage company (781-329-6644) and the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association.

All Hail Reverse Mortgages! Alia Acta Est!

Who invented the Reverse Mortgage? Of course most lenders in the reverse mortgage space like Financial Freedom, Seattle Mortgage, Bank of New York, Wells Fargo, Countrywide, et al. would contend that they in fact have innovated the reverse mortgage. Nope. Go back a little further in time. Keep going. Still more. Stop right there, about 500BC, yes BC as in Fred Flintstone. You see reverse mortgages have effecitvely been around since Roman times in the form of usufruct. There is nothing new under the sun.

From Wikipedia:

Usufruct is the legal right to use and derive profit or benefit from property that belongs to another person, as long as the property is not damaged. In many legal systems of property, buyers of property may only purchase the usufruct of the property. Usufruct originates from civil law, where it is a real right of limited duration on the property of another. The holder of a usufruct, known as the usufructuary, has the right to use and enjoy the property, as well as the right to receive profits from the fruits of the property. The Latin words usus and fructus refer to the rights of use and fruit, respectively, and the English word usufruct derives from these Latin roots.

In Roman Law, usufruct was a type of servitude or ius in re aliena, a right in another's property. The usufructuary never had possession of this property (on the basis that if he possessed at all, he did so through the owner), but he did have an in rem right to the property itself. Unlike the owner, he did not have the right of alienation (abusus), but he could sell or let his enjoyment of the usufruct. Despite the usufructuary's lack of possession a modified form of the possessory interdicts was available to him. The term fruits should be understood to mean any replenishable commodity on the property, including (among others) actual fruits, livestock and even rental payments derived from the property. These may be divided into civil and natural fruits, the latter of which, in Roman law, included slaves and livestock.

As we know reverse mortgages today, their form has only taken shape over the past couple of decades. Here is an article that I have been working on as part of my new book on reverse mortgage issues:

Reverse Mortgages: Helping Seniors Improve Their Quality of Life or the Road to Financial Ruin?

I. INTRODUCTION

The phrase "demographic demand" refers to the idea that a person's goals in obtaining credit may be influenced by age[1]. The borrowing patterns of young people provide the most familiar example of this phenomenon. In general, young people have not had the opportunity to accumulate savings, but they have a high potential to earn income on an increasing scale. They most often seek out credit to enable them to purchase major items of property, such as cars, furniture, appliances, and houses. Lenders extend them credit on the strength of their ability to earn income. It is widely known that the fastest growing demographic group is not young people, it is senior citizens.[2] When senior citizens apply for loans their goals are often the mirror image of those of younger people. Many senior citizens own major assets. They often own real estate outright, unencumbered by a mortgage. And they have often seen the value of their real estate rise considerably since it was purchased. Due to retirement, though, senior citizens' incomes are diminished.[3] Lenders have noticed these differing needs of borrowers based on age. They have begun to develop loan products to cater to the needs of older people. One of the product lenders have developed to meet this need is known as the "reverse mortgage."[4] It is not difficult to trace the source of bad impressions and mistrust that predominate conversations about reverse mortgages. The practice of "Equity Sharing," the predecessor of reverse mortgages is the source of much of the confusion about how reverse mortgages really work. In the stereotypical equity sharing arrangement, individuals would approach cash-strapped seniors and offer to make lump-sum or over time payments to them in exchange for having the senior sign a deed, naming the "benefactor" as joint owner.[5] In scam awareness materials, senior advocates refer to this practice as "deed theft."[6] Early in the reverse mortgage chronology, lending institutions perpetuated this reputation by inserting provisions into their reverse mortgage documentation that allowed them to claim all of the appreciation of the home on which they had issued a reverse mortgage. One such story occurred in Brigantine, N.J. "In 1988, Katherine and Harold Stephens, signed up for a reverse mortgage that guaranteed to pay them $312 a month for as long as they resided in their house near Atlantic City. At the time Katharine was 76 and Harold was 78. Harold later died, leaving Katharine living alone in the property. Like other reverse mortgages, the money sent by the lender each month represented a gradually growing debt that would have to be repaid when the owners sold the home or moved to a different residence or health care facility. The loan carried an annual interest rate of 11.5 percent, but it also had another problem. Buried in the contract block print was an equity provision. Besides the regular interest rate on outstanding balances, the lender received the right to 100 percent of all equity appreciation on the house from the day of settlement to the date of final sale or move out."[7] Stories like this have prompted states and the Federal Government to step in and regulate the reverse mortgage industry.[8]

II. Chronological History of Reverse Mortgages[9]

The first Reverse Mortgage was issued in 1961, by Nelson Haynes of Deering Savings and Loan in Portland, Maine to Nellie Young, the widow of his high school football coach. In the 1970's various educational institutions were writing technical documents on this new breed of lending product. In 1975, Jack Guttentag of University of Pennsylvania's graduate school, The Wharton School drafted "Creating New Financial Instruments for the Aged." Ohio took the lead on reverse mortgages in 1977, creating the first Reverse Mortgage Loan Program, "Equi-Pay." The following year, Wisconsin's Bureau on Aging funded the "Reverse Mortgage Study Project" and the Wisconsin Department of Local Affairs and Development offered the first statewide deferred loan payment program. The first national "Reverse Mortgage Development Conference" was held in Madison, Wisconsin in 1979. Reverse mortgage education and development began to move across the country shortly after that, with San Francisco creating a Reverse Annuity Mortgage program and studies being completed in Cambridge, Massachusetts on "Unlocking Home Equity for the Elderly." National attention began to focus on this movement with a two-year "Home Equity Conversion Project" funded by the U. S. Administration on Aging and the endorsement of an FHA reverse mortgage insurance proposal in 1981 by the White House Conference on Aging. Throughout the 1980's, reverse mortgage, or Home Equity Conversion (HEC) programs gained national exposure via multiple publications, conferences, and media coverage in Newsweek, Time, U.S. News, and Good Morning America. The U.S. Administration on Aging funded research on federal issues around HEC programs and the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging staged the first hearings on reverse mortgages and subsequently issued a report citing the need for reverse mortgages in 1982. This national exposure continued with an FHA reverse mortgage insurance demonstration program being proposed by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In 1984, the first open-ended risk-pooling reverse mortgage was offered and in 1985, HUD sponsored its first national conference on home equity conversion. In 1986, AARP established the "Home Equity Information Center" to provide retired seniors with information on this rapidly expanding home mortgage option. In 1987 studies on home equity financing of long-term care were completed in Minnesota and Connecticut and the U. S. House Ways and Means Committee heard testimony on HEC and long-term care. In 1988, President Reagan signed FHA reverse mortgage insurance legislation and HUD created an HEC development team. 1989 saw the first line-of-credit reverse mortgage developed by the VA Housing Development Authority, followed by an announcement by Fannie Mae that it intended to purchase reverse mortgages insured by the FHA. That year, HUD selected fifty lenders by lottery to make the first FHA-insured reverse mortgages and released its "Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program handbook (#4235.1). Recognizing the need to educate counselors to assist the ever-growing senior population, multiple training sessions were conducted by both the AARP and HUD. Congress increased the FHA insurance authority to twenty-five thousand reverse mortgage loans by September 31, 1995 and the AARP published a "Model State Law on Reverse Mortgages. "Retirement Income on the House: Cashing In On Your Home with a Reverse Mortgage" was named the best book of 1992 on financial services for the elderly. By the end of 1993, the HECM program was in all states except AK, SD, and TX. In 1993, Congress enacted and the Federal Reserve published "Total Loan Cost Rate (TALC)" disclosure regulations for all reverse mortgages. Throughout the 1990's, AARP and HUD sponsored and funded education for consumers, financial planners, elder law attorneys and community counselors, creating a reverse mortgage counselor exam by 1999 which was co-sponsored by Fannie Mae and National Reverse Mortgage Loan Association (NRMLA). Ever on the watch for abuses, Fannie Mae announced new consumer protections in 1999 and AARP and NRMLA supported absolute limits on origination fees. In 2000, the first national, reverse mortgage counseling exam was taken by four hundred twenty-five counselors in forty-three states. [10] The new millennium has seen publications by HUD, HECM, and AARP as well as a multitude of on-line resources for senior consumers and their families.[11]

III. How a Reverse Mortgage Works[12]

Under a reverse mortgage, the real estate to be mortgaged has already been purchased and any financial charges on title to it have been discharged. The borrower is not expected to make periodic payments, or any payments, until the loan comes due. For the lender, the value of the mortgaged property is paramount; for the borrower, the loan is obtained to supplement income or to enable purchases of assets other than the mortgaged property. Eligibility limits on reverse mortgages are much less stringent that traditional forward mortgages. Outside of homeownership, the borrower must be at least sixty-two years of age. Given the importance of the value of the reverse mortgage borrower's property, reverse mortgage lenders require that potential borrowers obtain an appraisal of their property. The potential borrower must pay for this appraisal. The cost of the appraisal should be borne in mind by borrowers; it will form a non-interest charge that should be factored into determining the overall cost of borrowing under a reverse mortgage. Some reverse mortgage lenders require borrowers to retain independent legal representation for the reverse mortgage transaction. Others require borrowers to provide a certificate of independent legal advice as one of the closing documents for the loan. Reverse mortgage lenders insist on having the first mortgage on title to the borrower's property. If the borrower's title is encumbered by other financial charges, then the borrower will be obliged to use part of the reverse mortgage proceeds, or other funds, to pay out and discharge these other charges.

Amount of the Loan

Lenders determine the principal amount of the loan by reference to the value of the house and the age of the borrower or borrowers. Older borrowers are usually entitled to a larger loan. Reverse mortgages have a lower initial loan-to-value ratio than conventional mortgages. The principal advanced tends to fall in a range between 10 percent to 40 percent of the value of the mortgaged property. Of course, as interest accrues over time, this ratio will become higher. Interest The interest component of reverse mortgages is usually pegged to an external rate. For example, one lender charges interest at a rate of 4.75 percent above the Libor Index, as it is set by the index from time to time. The lender "resets" its interest rate each year to account for variations in the underlying Libor rate. This method of calculating variable interest is not unique to reverse mortgages. A key feature of reverse mortgages that may escape some borrowers is that reverse mortgages are rising debt loans. Since borrowers are not making periodic payments they are not reducing the amount of interest accruing on the loan. As that interest is regularly compounded (usually semi-annually), the amount outstanding under the loan can grow to be quite large, as the borrower ends up paying interest on the accumulating interest.

Term of Loan and Repayment

Most reverse mortgage loans are not made for a set term of years. Instead, the reverse mortgage becomes fully due and payable on the occurrence of a specified event. That event is typically the earliest to occur of: (1) A certain amount of days (for example, 120 days) after the date of the borrower's death. (If there is more than one borrower, then this period begins to run after the date the last borrower dies.) (2) The date on which ownership of the mortgaged property is transferred to another person. (A transfer can be a sale of the property, or another transaction, such as a gift, that vests ownership in someone other than the borrower.) (3) The date on which the mortgaged property ceases to be the borrower's principal residence. (Since it is often not a simple task to determine when a person's principal residence changes, the reverse mortgage usually sets out a formula--such as three months continuous absence from the property--in order to determine when this event has occurred.)

Default

Reverse mortgage lenders tend to look only to the mortgaged property for repayment. Many reverse mortgages limit the recourse that lenders have against borrowers personally. If the agreement provides for this, even if the amount of principal and interest outstanding at the time the reverse mortgage comes due exceeds the value of the mortgaged property, the reverse mortgage lender is not permitted to sue the borrowers personally for the balance. This nonrecourse feature of reverse mortgages effectively caps the amount that borrowers will be required to repay at the value of the mortgaged property. Reverse mortgages, like mortgages generally, operate to secure repayment of a loan and performance of obligations by giving the lender enhanced rights if the borrower defaults. As is the case under a conventional mortgage, a default under a reverse mortgage leaves a borrower open to having his or her interest in the mortgaged property foreclosed. Reverse mortgages differ from conventional mortgages with respect to defaults in two main ways. First, the most common mortgage default is failure to make a periodic payment. Since reverse mortgage borrowers are not required to make periodic payments, as a practical matter they are less likely to default. This does not mean that defaults under a reverse mortgage are impossible. A borrower could fail to repay the loan when it comes due. In addition, a borrower who fails to make a property tax payment or a payment under a subordinate financial charge will, in all likelihood, find that such a failure constitutes a default under the reverse mortgage. Second, as noted above, reverse mortgages tend to be nonrecourse loans. In a true nonrecourse loan, the borrower has no personal liability to repay the loan or interest on it, and the lender's remedies are confined to foreclosure or sale of the mortgaged property. Some reverse mortgage lenders operate on a true nonrecourse basis, and the mortgage limits their remedies for default to foreclosure. Other lenders provide that, while the original loan and interest on it are nonrecourse, the borrower will be personally liable for other types of charges. In addition, some reverse mortgages attempt to allow for changes in the value of real estate over time within a cap on the personal liability of a borrower. These lenders limit the borrower's personal liability to the value of the mortgaged property at the time the reverse mortgage comes due, at the time it is sold, or at the time the reverse mortgage is actually paid, whichever is greatest. Since this conception of "value" could exceed the amount received from a sale of the mortgaged property, there is a possibility that a defaulting borrower could have to make up the difference personally.[13]

IV. Statutory and Federal Regulations

The increasing popularity of reverse mortgages has state and federal agencies working diligently to keep reverse mortgages regulated. As is normally the case in lending, predators and abuses are plentiful, and seniors are among the nation's most vulnerable population.[14] State and Federal agencies offer consumer education and advocacy programs to help seniors protect themselves against reverse mortgage abuses.[15] Most reverse mortgage literature explains that they are complex transactions requiring the assistance of a lawyer. All reverse mortgages require that the senior participate in counseling to assess whether an HECM is the right vehicle for the senior. One such piece of protective legislation is the Consumer Credit Protection Act, which mandates that lenders disclose credit terms so that consumers can fairly and accurately assess whether a particular credit situation is right for them.[16] The Truth in Lending Act was created in 1968 to provide consumers with an avenue to cancel a transaction without penalty upon determination that terms and costs were not adequately disclosed by the lending institution.[17] In 1975, The Federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act was created in response to lending institutions contributing to the decline of certain geographic areas by their failure to provide adequate home financing to qualified applicants on reasonable terms and conditions. The Act was designed to provide the citizens and public officials of the United States with sufficient information to enable them to determine whether lending institutions were meeting their communities' needs and to help public officials in their determination of the distribution of public sector investments in a manner designed to improve the private investment environment.[18] The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act was originally created in 2003, and was amended in 2004 to add identity theft prevention, improve resolution of consumer disputes, improve the accuracy of consumer records, and to make improvements in the use of, and consumer access to, credit information.[19] Advances in state and federal oversight and regulation of reverse mortgages are ongoing, with the House passing (415-7) the Expanding American Homeownership Act (H.R. 5121) that made substantial improvements to the FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), the nation's most popular reverse mortgage program on July 25, 2006. A Senate version, S.3535, is also under consideration.[20] On a state-by-state basis, reverse mortgage legislation has been enacted throughout the U.S. Massachusetts passed its legislation in 1998 to define reverse mortgages and provide protections for the Commonwealth's senior population.[21] Consumer Protections for Reverse Mortgagors There are many protections in place for people who decide to take out a reverse mortgage. Federal Truth-in-Lending law requires that reverse mortgage lenders disclose the projected average annual cost of the loan. Borrowers can cancel the loan for any reason within three business days after closing. They must notify the lender in writing to terminate the reverse mortgage. Most lenders charge interest for a reverse mortgage at an adjustable rate on the loan balance. To protect borrowers, all reverse mortgage have limits on the rate at which interest costs for the loan can change within a year, as well as over the life of the loan. Changing interest rates do not affect the monthly payments that a borrower receives. The costs that reverse mortgage borrowers pay are similar to those of a traditional home loan or to refinance an existing mortgage. These include an origination fee, appraisal fee, and third party closing costs (fees for services such as an appraisal, title search and insurance, surveys, inspections, recording fees, etc.). Most of these up front costs are regulated, and there are limits on the total fees that can be charged for a reverse mortgage. Since most of these costs can be financed as part of the loan, borrowers typically face few out-of-pocket costs for a reverse mortgage (typically the appraisal fee and credit check to make sure that the borrower is not delinquent on any other federally insured loans). All reverse mortgages are non-recourse loans, which mean that the borrower or heirs never owe more that the value of the home at the time of sale or repayment of the loan. This important feature is especially critical to surviving spouses who might otherwise be impoverished due to the cost of the loan. To receive this protection, HECM borrowers pay a mortgage insurance premium. Mortgage insurance offers additional security to both borrowers and lenders. Borrowers are protected against default by lenders. Lenders avoid losses that arise when the HECM loan balance exceeds the value of the home at the time of sale ("crossover risk".) FHA insures reverse mortgages issued under the HECM program. Borrowers who apply for any reverse mortgage must first receive independent counseling before they complete the loan application. This helps ensure that borrowers understand the advantages and limitations of this type of loan, and are aware of possible alternatives to reverse mortgages. Counselors must work for a HUD-approved agency and receive special training on reverse mortgages. Currently, there are about 800 approved HECM counseling agencies who offer information and assistance to seniors over the phone or in person. The AARP Foundation has developed a national certification program for reverse mortgage counselors.[22]

V. REVERSE MORTGAGE MYTHS & SCAMS

Despite increased popularity, even some of the most basic facts about reverse mortgages are often misunderstood. According to Peter Bell, the president of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association, a relatively short industry history and rapid product evolution have deluged consumers with information that at times is confusing or inaccurate.[23] "The most common misconception we hear is, 'A reverse mortgage is where the bank gives you some money and then takes your house,'" says Bell. "That couldn't be further from the truth. Our mission," Bell explains, "is to inform seniors about the benefits of reverse mortgages so that they can make empowered decisions about whether this product makes sense for their own particular situation. A reverse mortgage helps people to address their retirement needs." The organizations website lists the most common questions asked by consumers about reverse mortgages, with the answers.[24] The questions are broken into three groups: those appropriate to ask before getting a reverse mortgage; those applicable during a reverse mortgage; and those applicable at the end of a reverse mortgage. This is the third guide published by NRMLA. The previous two are The NRMLA Consumer Guide to Reverse Mortgages, and Using Reverse Mortgages for Health Care: A NRMLA Guide for Consumers.[25] The organization produces a detailed list of reverse mortgage products now available and a state-by-state list of reverse mortgage lenders who are members of NRMLA.[26]

The Mortgage Calculator Scam[27]

Using an online calculator to get a cash-out estimate for a Reverse Mortgage is actually a very simple process. Most Reverse Mortgage calculators only require that you input the current value of your home, the balance of your existing mortgage, and the ages of the borrowers. You will then be provided with a reasonably accurate estimate of the money you can receive. Many unscrupulous lenders are plugging in inaccurate interest rates in their online calculators causing inflated cash-out figures. Remember that the interest rate is the same no matter which lender a senior chooses. The advice is that seniors not shop for a lender based on the results of their online calculator. The Department of Urban Development actually dictates what interest rate all properly licensed Reverse Mortgage lenders must use, so the results should be virtually identical from all lenders.[28]

Lenders MUST be Approved by the Government

All Reverse Mortgage lenders must be approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Reports have been filed about companies claiming to have HUD approvals originating Reverse Mortgages and attempting to charge rates and fees in excess of those mandated by HUD. The HUD website contains a detailed list of approved lenders, to verify that a Reverse Mortgage lender is truly authorized to originate Reverse Mortgages.[29]

The "Shared Appreciation" Scam[30]

The federally insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) does not have an equity sharing or shared-appreciation feature. Any increase in equity belongs to the homeowner and/or their heirs. Current advice is for seniors to stay away from anyone offering the senior the "opportunity" to obtain more money in exchange for giving up a percentage of the future value of the home.[31]

V. Public Policy

The dramatically increasing numbers of seniors who may need financial support in excess of social security and other government programs require consideration of programs like reverse mortgages to support seniors. Indeed, data from HUD show that reverse mortgage use has increased substantially. Omitted* Statistics are through June 2006.[32] High levels of housing wealth among today's seniors are a direct consequence of government policy to offer guaranteed home loans through the GI Bill and tax laws that allow mortgage interest deductions. Widespread availability of the thirty-year mortgage has also altered consumer attitudes toward debt. Even older Americans are now willing to refinance their homes and assume such lengthy mortgages. Having encouraged older Americans to accumulate over $2 trillion in housing wealth, is there now a need to create public policy that will encourage older homeowners to voluntarily tap home equity to pay for long-term care?[33] Promoting greater use of reverse mortgages for long-term care can be done incrementally, or as part of a larger effort to encourage seniors with resources to share more of the cost of Medicaid services. States could begin to encourage the use of reverse mortgages by addressing government regulations, along with program requirements and restrictions, that may present obstacles for impaired elders to "use their home to stay at home." Eliminating such regulatory and eligibility barriers could unlock additional housing wealth by making the use of home equity more attractive to impaired, older homeowners.[34] Using a Reverse Mortgage to Stay at Home and Pay forLong-Term Care Surveys have found that many Americans are inadequately prepared for long-term care needs. One of the most prevalent perceptions among Americans is that they will never need long-term care. Although, a recent survey found that sixty-one percent of people ages forty to seventy believe that their chances of needing long-term care are greater than being in an auto accident, most people remain unaware of the challenges of meeting this need.[35] Over half of senior respondents (fifty-nine percent) to a recent National Council on Aging survey, believe that they are likely to extremely likely to stay in their own home once they need help with everyday activities. Despite this optimism, many senior respondents (forty-three percent) had not made any financial plans to cover the cost of help they would need to stay at home. Responses offered as "financial planning" ranged from insurance to government assistance to help from family members. About one-quarter (twenty-seven percent) of adult children did not know if their parents had made financial plans for long-term care.[36] Reverse mortgages can provide a substantial amount of additional funds for a broad range of older homeowners. However, most elders are likely to be reluctant to tap home equity until they need assistance. In a recent National Council of Aging study, of the 13.2 million candidate households, about 9.8 million (74 percent) are dealing with some level of impairment that affects their ability to live at home (Table 3.3). Of these, 1.75 million (13 percent) contain one or more elders who have an immediate need for long-term care. These elders need assistance to perform one or more ADLs or IADLs. Among these households, almost one million are on Medicaid or at financial risk for needing government assistance to pay for long-term care. An additional 1.96 million households (15 percent) would likely require assistance in the near future because they only have difficulty with ADLs or IADLs. Nearly half of candidate households (6.1 million) are coping with functional limitations. These homeowners are an important target population for reverse mortgages because they are not well served by traditional sources of long-term care financing that target elders with a high level of impairment. Only the sickest seniors may be eligible to receive services through the Medicaid program.[37] For example, beneficiaries receiving services under a Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Waiver (1915c) must be so severely impaired that they would otherwise require nursing home care before they can qualify for help at home. Similarly, long-term care insurance policyholders typically must need help with two or more ADLs to trigger their home care benefits. This makes it difficult for elders with limited financial resources and moderate levels of impairment to get timely help before they face a debilitating and costly crisis. By liquidating their housing wealth through a reverse mortgage, the 9.8 million candidate households dealing with some level of impairment would be able to access $695 billion in total through HECM loans. The 1.75 million candidate homeowners with an immediate need for help with ADLs or IADLs could access about $121 billion in total from these loans. These financial resources could have a significant impact on the well-being of impaired elders and their families. By having money of their own to pay for long-term care, elders can maintain their dignity, as well as retain some independence and control over their lives. For spouses and other family caregivers, these supports can help reduce the financial, emotional, and physical strain that often comes with caring for an impaired elder (Family Caregiver Alliance 2003).[38] Reverse Mortgages and Public Assistance Programs Many seniors appropriately question the impact of a reverse mortgage on their government entitlement programs: Social Security, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid benefits. Reverse mortgages do not affect Social Security or Medicare benefits because they are not based on the assets of the recipient. Federal SSI payments, however, require that beneficiaries keep their liquid resources under certain limits. Reverse mortgages offer the option of suspending payments if a senior is approaching the limit imposed by SSI guidelines.[39] Many states are creating legislation to assist seniors paying for home-care via reverse mortgages. These vary for state-administered programs such as Medicaid, Aid for Dependent Children (AFDC), and food stamps. The recommendation is that seniors consult local Council on Aging offices to determine how a reverse mortgage can impact local entitlements.

VII. CONCLUSION

Reverse mortgages may be an appropriate tool for improved quality of life and as a replacement for dwindling government assistance programs for senior care. Multiple state and federal organizations and agencies have spent considerable time and resources exploring and regulating this income-generating tool.[40] Demand for long-term care is growing in our rapidly aging society, placing an increasing burden on state Medicaid programs. As the second largest item in state budgets, Medicaid is already being targeted for cost control efforts.[41] In this tight fiscal environment, home equity could play an important role in reducing government expenditures for long-term care. As with all services tailored to the senior population, continuing oversight and guidance is necessary to prevent abuses.[42] [1]http://www.hud.gov/buying/rvrsmort.cfm [2] http://www.census.gov [3]http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/revralrt.htm [4]http://www.aarp.org/revmort/ [5] http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/ny_real_estate.html [6] Id. [7] http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20060515_toxicreversewidow.htm [8]12 U.S.C. '' 1715z-20(g) et seq.(1887)(Supp.V 1987), as amended by 12 U.S.C. '' 1735f-17(1990), 24 C.F.R. Parts 200 and 206 [9] http://www.reverse.org/History.HTM [10] http://www.reverse.org/History.HTM [11] www.aarp.org/revmort [12] http://www.yourhomeforlife.com [13] http://www.yourhomeforlife.com [14] http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/pred/predlend.cfm [15] http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/lending/index.cfm [16]15 U.S.C.A. §1644 [17] 15 U.S.C.A. § 1601 [18] 12 U.S.C. A. § 2801 [19] 15 U.S.C.A. § 1681 [20] Assessing a Reverse Mortgage, by Nena Groskind/BostonHerald.com; August 21, 2006 [21] http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw98/sl980283.htm [22] http://www.aarp.org/money/revmort/ [23] http://www.nrmla.org [24] http://www.reversemortgage.org [25] Id. [26] http://www.reversemortgagetimes.org/pages/scamalert_01.htm [27] http://www.reversemortgagetimes.org/scamalert_01.htm [28] Id. [29] http://www.hud.gov [30] http://www.reversemortgagetimes.org/scamalert_01.htm [31] http://www.reversemortgagetimes.org/scamalert_01.htm [32] http://www.hud.gov [33]Use Your Home to Stay at Home, Expanding the Use of Reverse Mortgages for Long-Term Care: A Blueprint for Action, Barbara R. Stucki, Ph.D, 2005, The National Council on Aging, [34] Id. [35] MetLife Mature Market Institute, 2004b. [36]Use Your Home to Stay at Home, Expanding the Use of Reverse Mortgages for Long-Term Care: A Blueprint for Action, Barbara R. Stucki, Ph.D, 2005, The National Council on Aging [37]Use Your Home to Stay at Home, Expanding the Use of Reverse Mortgages for Long-Term Care: A Blueprint for Action, Barbara R. Stucki, Ph.D, 2005, The National Council on Aging [38]Use Your Home to Stay at Home, Expanding the Use of Reverse Mortgages for Long-Term Care: A Blueprint for Action, Barbara R. Stucki, Ph.D, 2005, The National Council on Aging. [39] http://www.reversemortgage.org [40] http://www.ncoa.org; http://www.hud.org; http://www.aarp.org [41]Use Your Home to Stay at Home, Expanding the Use of Reverse Mortgages for Long-Term Care: A Blueprint for Action, Barbara R. Stucki, Ph.D, 2005, The National Council on Aging [42] http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/pred/predlend.cfm

 

Elder Law - A Reverse Mortgage Lawyer at Home

Over the years I have learned that elder clients are not so much disturbed about their eventual deaths as they are about changes in their lives as they age. I think it's true about houses too.Just yesterday I sat with two elderly sisters who have lived together in the same house for their entire lives (a combined 187 years!!). One of the sisters is seriously ill with a prognosis of about 6 months to live while her older sister has mid-stage dementia and no longer recognizes her sister.

It is time for them to move to a nursing home, but how do they leave their home of so many years? Who will tend the roses? How will the birds (and squirrels) make it through the Winter without their help? Will the new owners be able to make that quirky furnace run properly? Does The Globe deliver to nursing homes? These are the real questions I was asked. I couldn't bring myself to tell them that the house will likely be bulldozered in favor of a couple of townhouses.

I believe that there is a karma to a house, good and bad. When I am working on probating an estate I am often called to go in and evaluate properties. You can almost hear the children singing happy birthday, the puppy chewing the corner of the good oriental rug, the smell of grandmother's garlicky tomato "gravy" for Sunday dinner. Sometimes I hear the raised voices of a bad marriage fueled by alcohol and crushing debt, or the long suffering of a COPD patient dying slowly before their loved ones, and all too often the nightly crying of a lonely widow pining for her long lost bedfellow. Are there ghosts? Is it spirits?

In this modern age so many people think of their houses as mere way stations as they are transferred up the corporate ladder. Or perhaps they never find the family's home as they feel compelled to upgrade their house and furnishings in each new wave of fashion, like shoes or hairstyles. I feel sorry for people who do not have the patience to impart their personal signature on a place; stay a while, you'll like it - and it will like you back.

From a financial perspective, those clients that have stayed in their homes for many years and have been able to pay off their mortgages one payment at a time enjoy much more financial stability than those clients that have progressively taken on more and more mortgage and other debt to acquire real estate they think will make them 'happy'. My Massachusetts legal advice to first time home buyers? Find a happy house. Spend a couple of hours enjoying tea in its living room with the lonely widow before your closing. Ask to keep a photo or chatchke of the seller as a piece of goodwill. Leave a little corner of that awful wallpaper. Stay in the house as long as you can, feel the good karma. And when you sell that happy little house, shed a tear as you drive away.

Elder homeowners' advice from a Massachusetts lawyer? Stand your ground. Don't sell your house until you cannot make up the stairs or you can't get a neighborhood boy to shovel the snow. If the money runs out, use a reverse mortgage to tap that hard fought equity. Take care of yourself, first. Don't let a real estate broker convince you that leaving the house is the right thing to do. Make sure you believe that it is the right thing to do. Ask your kids to move home with you with their families. This was always the way in the old days, and it wasn't such a bad idea.

Reverse Mortgages - It's Prime Time for Reverse Mortgages

Variable interest rates that leave enough on the table for the lender to make a profit. Front loaded transaction costs including good yields to originators. No rate lock issues. No credit issues. No income verification. No asset verification. The hottest product from Fleece'Em Mortgage? Some new sub-prime wunderkind. Nope. Just a plain old reverse mortgage. The sexiest mortgage this side of Wall Street (and the other side of Wall Street too).

Let me get this straight. Those boring old lady loans are sexy? The darlings of mortgage lenders across America? Yup. What often goes unspoken in the reverse mortgage dialog is that reverse mortgages are mathematically safe loans for lenders. They are tied to conservative actuarial data and conservative projections of appreciation and inflation. There are real field appraisals completed for every deal, including the "FHA Appraisal" component where there is a rough review of the overall condition of the collateral as well as the presence of pests. Simple recommendations for repairs go a long way to making sure the collateral is in good condition at the time of closing - again a tool to minimize the risk of loss. Add to all of these modest loan to value equations and collection of transaction costs up front in most loan categories and you have a plain old common sense loan - sort of Jimmy Stewart "Wonderful Life" -style. In fact, most reverse mortgages are originated and closed in the home, so literally there are handshakes all around.

Of course, there is a need for capital to originate reverse mortgages, but based on the conservative underwriting guidelines are actuarially sound foundation, Wall Street should continue to provide ready cash to the reverse mortgage lending community.

Reverse Mortgage - Beer, Donuts & Golf?

Massachusetts lawyers act as title companies in virtually all real estate transactions in Massachusetts. This has been the case for several hundred years. Not to bore you with history, but I need to set the scene, it all goes back to the China Trade when wealthy merchant marine captains would set out for years long voyages in search of fortune. While they were away they entrusted their Boston lawyers to conduct their business for them with the banks and protect their families generally. This led to lawyers in Massachusetts taking on the role of trustee for wealthy families, but also put them firmly in control of the transfer of real estate and bank relations. Until recently the Massachusetts Real Estate Bar called it "conveyancing", I guess to make it sound more British.
Whatever the case, lawyers as title companies and corporate title companies in most other states developed rapidly after World War II due to the large number of returning veterans seeking the American Dream. As mortgage lending became more commonplace and title insurance more lucrative for title insurance agents, lawyers embraced conveyancing as a money making practice area. For the first several hundred years of real estate closings in Massachusetts conveyancers were highly skilled technicians who were able to interpret the often cryptic records of land ownership left to us by our ancestors. It was tedious and persnickety work. The fees were based on the work performed by the lawyer and a lawyer could make a good day's wage for drafting mortgages and recording deeds. In the early 1970's title insurance became a required element for most mortgages. Title insurance for the most part is an assurance to a mortgage lender that it is in first lien position on a particular parcel of land on which it has placed a mortgage lien. In its simplest form title insurance is what enables the American financial community to provide ready capital and reasonable rates to the market place as it helps to commoditize mortgages so they can be converted into financial vehicles on Wall Street.

The basic protection of title insurance is vital and beneficial to both mortgage lenders and their customers. In Massachusetts, virtually all title insurance is sold by lawyers as agents for the major title insurance underwriters, companies include: Ticor Title Insurance - Fidelity Financial; Stewart Title; Old Republic; LandAmerica (Lawyers & Commonwealth brands); and Talon Group - First American. Each of these companies offers a similar product developed in cooperation with the American Land Title Association which serves as the trade association for the title insurance industry.

Boy, this blog is really boring. Where's the beer, donuts & golf? Title insurance is sold in Massachusetts based on a formula of coverage per thousand dollars of loan amount or purchase price. There are essentially two core products, lender title insurance to protect the lender's interest and owner title insurance to protect the home owner's equity in the real estate. There are a few other bells and whistles, but it is essentially a vanilla product to consumers. Title insurance in Massachusetts is underwritten by lawyers by virtue of completing a title examination and reviewing the summary or title abstract to assess risk. Title insurance is paid for by the consumer as part of the closing costs. The other major closing cost paid by the consumer for title services is ordinarily paid in the form of an attorney fee. In my 17 years of working in the mortgage and real estate industries in Massachusetts not only has this fee decreased in nominal terms, but taking inflation into account it has actually decreased by more than 50%. Did he say attorney fees have decreased by 50% in real terms over the past two decades? Yup. What gives? Title insurance agents are paid a commission for underwriting and selling title insurance. A big, big commission. In Massachusetts, lawyers are paid an average of 70% of the title insurance premium in addition to their attorney fee. Lenders direct which lawyer will conduct which real estate closing. Lawyers who do closings have become specialized in handling large volumes of real estate transactions thanks to the Internet (for searching records) and transaction management systems (like the company I co-founded, E-Closing) to e-recording (like the other company I co-founded, SimpliFile). It can be a very financially rewarding business in Massachusetts, just like in the rest of the states where most closings are conducted either directly by the title insurance companies or by corporate style title companies (not lawyers). Closing lawyers want to close loans quickly, efficiently and profitably.

You said there would be beer, where's the beer? Due to a number of factors, such as the large number of law schools in Boston, the overall high profit in closing mortgage loans and the relative ease of entry into the closing business; conveyancing is a highly competitive business in Massachusetts. The most successful closing lawyers are expert marketers who can swing a golf club with bankers and tell great stories at the 19th hole (NOTE: for those that don't know, the 19th is where the beer can be found). They have attractive and persuasive staff calling on their customers with donuts and smiles, not unlike those Pfizer or Merck representatives with the trays of sandwiches and freebies for doctors. There is nothing wrong with any of this, it's how the forward mortgage and closing business is done. In addition, the lawyers will send potential borrowers to the lenders that they work with as a way to keep the skids greased and to show good faith in the relationship. The lenders rely on referrals from their closing lawyers and in many cases make it a declared ab initio to any new business.

My law practice includes, as you would expect, a significant number of mortgage lenders and banks that hire me to develop strategies for reverse mortgages, automate closing processes and conduct training programs for loan and branch staff. A few weeks back I was asked to meet with one of the leading mortgage companies in the Northeast (by dollar volume) to discuss making them a market leader in reverse mortgages. We discussed my role in marketing, training, product selection, etc. As compensation we discussed my role conducting reverse mortgage closings in the states where we are licensed for the title business (MA, NH, ME, RI, NY). I explained how my law firm has special expertise in this business. We treat reverse mortgage closings very differently than conventional mortgage closings. This is due, more than anything else, to the fact that we consider ourselves elder law lawyers first and not only lawyers engaged in the business of closing mortgage loans. We add significant value to every mortgage loan that we close through compassion, experience and patience. A reverse mortgage closing should be unlike any other closing.

First, we assist the borrower with understanding their estate planning and asset protection planning issues. Then, we evaluate their government benefits to determine the appropriate lending program and to counsel them on potential traps in the reverse mortgage lending process that may lead to adverse consequences. We call borrowers in the morning when they are most awake and can understand what we need from them. We plan two hours for each closing. We show up on time. W e s p e a k s l o w l y. AND LOUDLY. We bring felt tip pens to make signing easier for arthritic hands. We enlarge the document copies so tired eyes can actually read them. We speak English. We welcome them to have their children or best friend at the closing. We stop to drink the tea and stale cookies that we are offered. We ask about that Army medal proudly hung above the mantel. We touch their hands when they tell their life stories. We tell them about our kids and where our parents grew up. We tell them to call us if they have any questions (and we mean it). We bring their first disbursement checks to their bank for them and call so they don't worry about it getting in the bank. We thank them for their time.

The big mortgage company said that my thoughts on the subject were quaint but that "business is business" and they didn't have the time to coddle every borrower. "We need to fill the pipeline and get these numbers up, we want to be number one!!" "Ever read the Lorax by Dr. Seuss?", I thought to myself. They decided that they would continue to use the golf buddies of the company founder for closings, because, I quote "they will be able to refer us the reverse mortgage business to help us grow, our closing lawyers get business because they give us business and close deals no matter what." Ouch. Where are they going to find impoverished elders? The golf course.

When elders consider borrowing on a reverse mortgage many emotions become part of the equation. A good friend in the reverse mortgage business (he is actually "number one" in my book) always says "reverse mortgages are not sold to people, they are presented and it either makes sense or it doesn't." If mortgage lenders treat reverse mortgages as just another product in their arsenal and not as the special estate planning tool that it is, we will be seeing abuses of the elderly of epic proportion in the coming years.

NOTE TO MORTGAGE LENDERS (in Massachusetts and elsewhere): Make the connection between a compassionate elder law lawyer that cares about the protection and well being of the elder community and the closing of a reverse mortgage (invite them to go out with the title company or loan originator to check on the borrower's well being.) Be like those far away ship captains knowing that their loved ones are in the safe hands of a Boston lawyer focused on nothing more than their well being. Don't be swayed by what makes you happy in the forward world (beer, donuts, golf?), what will make you a happy lender in the reverse mortgage industry is tea, stale cookies and bingo.