Mortgage Insurance
Mortgage Insurance Premium (M.I.P.)
What is it and
why do I have to pay it??
If you obtain a HUF/FHA Insured Reverse Mortgage (H.E.C.M.) you will
pay a Mortgage Insurance Premium to H.U.D. equal to the lesser
of 2.00% of the appraised value of your property or the maximum
HUD/FHA Loan amount in your County, whichever is less.
In addition at the up-front premium you also pay a 1/2% annual premium
to HUD/FHA on the outstanding Principal Balance of your Reverse Mortgage.
What do you get for the money you are spending??
- HUD/FHA insures your Reverse Mortgage Benefit. No matter what happens
to the value of your home and no matter how long you live your Benefit
is guaranteed to be paid by an agency of the US Government.
- You also get better loan terms than would be available without the
HUD/FHA guarantee. The current interest rate is 1 Year Treasury plus
1.50%.
That is substantially below the rate offered on the "Conventional" Reverse
Mortgages.
- The "non-recourse" provision of your Reverse Mortgage
is important. This provision insures you that your heirs will never
be liable for any amount owing on your reverse mortgage once you
have passed on. No matter how long you live, no matter how much you
owe, whether your home value goes up or goes down, HUD/FHA agree
to accept title to your property in full satisfaction of your Reverse
Mortgage. The remainder of your estate will pass to your heirs without
regard for the Reverse Mortgage.
- Without the HUD/FHA Insurance there probably would be no Reverse
Mortgage Program available. If there was it would likely be so restrictive
in its terms that few seniors would qualify. I know it is irksome to
fork over that much money to the Government but the HUD/FHA Mortgage
Insurance is what makes the program viable to the Institutions that
offer Reverse Mortgages.
- There are alternative Reverse Mortgages that do not have the HUD/FHA
Insurance. We suggest that you compare the potential benefit available
from these programs before settling on the HUD/FHA version. If the
available Benefits from one of these programs is adequate you could
save a substantial amount in closing costs.