If you are a senior citizen considering a reverse mortgage at this time, it is natural if you are a bit fearful about moving forward with your decision, given the current conditions in the mortgage and credit markets. The loss of confidence in the financial markets these days is unprecedented.

However, your fear is not justified. Reverse mortgages and the lenders that provide them are not part of the sub-prime credit crises. This segment of the market did not participate in originating the risky loans that have created the chaos on Wall Street and the unprecedented number of foreclosures on Main Street. Reverse mortgage lenders are not in danger of having to write down huge losses on their reverse mortgage loan portfolios. Therefore, if you are in need of a reverse mortgage at this time you should not be deterred by scary sound-bites on the nightly news.

The issue though, is that the general public, especially seniors, are not differentiating between these two market segments. Recently I have heard several senior homeowners say things like; "I would never think about getting a reverse mortgage now, with everything that is going on." Or "I can't get a reverse mortgage now and risk my home to foreclosure in todays' market."

Thinking this way is like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Reverse mortgages are completely different from traditional conventional "forward" mortgages. A reverse mortgage and a forward mortgage are not at all the same thing. You should not dismiss out of hand, the idea of getting a reverse mortgage at this time, just because the product name has the word "mortgage" in it.

Firstly, reverse mortgages require no monthly payments or repayment of any kind, as long as the senior lives in the home. Consequently, you could never lose your home to foreclosure for lack of payment. The reality is that many seniors have actually saved their homes from foreclosure by getting a reverse mortgage to replace a traditional forward mortgage that they had a hard time making payments on. As long as you maintain your property and pay your property taxes, your home is virtually foreclosure proof if you take out a government insured reverse mortgage loan.

Secondly, if you get a HECM (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage) it is insured by FHA (Federal Housing Administration.) What that means for you, in light of the recent bank losses and hedge fund failures, is that if your reverse mortgage lender were to go out of business for any reason, the FHA insurance fund steps in to make sure that you continue to receive the money and benefits from your reverse mortgage.

A third safety feature of reverse mortgages, is that anyone interested in applying for this type of loan must first complete HUD counseling. HUD counseling is provided by FHA/HUD approved non-profit credit counseling agencies that are not owned by or affiliated with reverse mortgage lenders. The counseling covers the pros and cons of reverse mortgages and points out possible alternatives that seniors should consider instead of a reverse mortgage. HUD counseling is free of charge to the senior and can be conducted in person or by telephone. Seniors are encouraged to have adult children, trusted advisers or anyone that may help with their decision, attend the counseling session as well. After the senior completes the counseling, a certificate is issued which must be presented to the lender before an application for a reverse mortgage can be processed.

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