Helpful Reverse Mortgage Information For Potential Borrowers

As people live in their homes for many years, the thought of utilizing the equity is often a consideration. This extra money is often used for major expenses, such as house renovations, education costs, or to pay off debt. A reverse home mortgage is an option for those who have owned a house for many years. There is quite a bit to know about the process, so the following is pertinent reverse mortgage information that may be helpful.

What Are Reverse Mortgages?

This payment arrangement is a specialized loan that allows homeowners to change a portion of their equity into a liquid asset. This equity that builds up over years of making payments on a loan can be paid out to the owner. Many people confuse this with a standard home equity loan. There is a significant difference, however. With this type of arrangement, borrowers are not required to repay the money until the borrowers are no longer living in the house as their primary residence.

What Is the Difference Between a Home Equity Loan

In addition to the above, there are some additional differences between these two arrangements. With a standard equity borrower, the homeowner must make regular monthly payments on both the principal and the interest. A reverse mortgage is different in that it pays the homeowner. There are no payments to be made. The owner, however, will be required to pay all utilities, insurance premiums, and real estate taxes.

What Type of Loans Are Eligible?

The house must be a single-family dwelling or a unit with at least one unit occupied by the borrower to be eligible for this type of equity loan. Condominiums and any manufactured dwellings that meet FHA standards are also eligible. All reverse mortgage information and requirements must be followed in order to qualify.

Will the House Be Inherited?

One primary piece of information people have questions about is whether or not the house can be inherited after taking out a reverse mortgage. Once the house is sold or is no longer being used as a primary residence, the money paid out, the finance charges, and the interest must be repaid. Any additional money will belong to the estate and can be transferred to heirs. There will be no debt passed into the estate.

Can the Arrangement Be Cancelled?

According to federal law, the owner has three calendar days to change their mind and cancel out the loan. This process, called a three-day right of rescission, will be included in the reverse mortgage information provided by the lender. Always reiterate the need for this information and have it thoroughly explained. Lenders will often differ on how they approach this process. Make sure to have all contact information for the person or people who will be handling the cancellation as well as a copy of the lender's policy.

This reverse mortgage information is just the tip of the iceberg. It is crucial to discuss the process with a reputable lender to ensure there are no questions before moving forward.



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How To Use Home Equity To Renovate Your Home

Watch this episode with Realtor Joe Terceira & mortgage broker Tracey Brock to find out more about how to use home equity to renovate your home.

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3 Summer Sangria Recipes

Today we're making 3 homemade sangria recipes including a cucumber sangria, a peach sangria and a pomegranate sangria!

What Is A Mortgage

What is a mortgage?

Mortgages exist to solve a problem. Most people want to buy their own home, but a house costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and you likely don’t have that kind of cash lying around in the crevices of your sofa. You’d have to work and save for decades to get that much money, and in the meantime you could easily end up paying out more in rent than the cost of the house you wanted to buy.

So to enable people to buy a house before they are too old to remember why they wanted it in the first place, we have the mortgage system. A mortgage is just a type of loan, pure and simple. If the house you want to buy costs $100,000, then you could pay $10,000 from your savings (that’s called the downpayment), and borrow the remaining $90,000 from the bank.

So if it’s that simple – just a housing loan that you pay back over time – why all the fuss and complexity around mortgages? Well, mortgages come in more flavors than Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and not all of them taste good. You’ve got ARMs and balloon mortgages, fixed-rate loans and interest-only loans, bridge loans and refis and reverse mortgages.

How To Save On Taxes When Selling Your Home

If you have resided in your home for at least two to five years as your primary residence and you sell it, you could gain as much as $250,000 if you are single and $500,000 if you are married and not owe the Internal Revenue Service.

If you live in the home as a primary residence for less than two years, you might still be able to avoid taxes through reduced gain exclusion.  The reduced exclusion is based upon an Internal Revenue Service equation that uses the amount of time you actually resided in the home as your primary residence as the numerator and the denominator is the two required years.  By using this formula you calculate the exact amount of the gain exclusion.  You qualify for the exclusion if you can prove that the premature sale took place because of health problems, a change in employment status, or extenuating circumstances beyond your control.

If you state health as the reason for the premature sale, you must be moving in order to procure treatment or a cure for a disease, or to seek other medical care.  The qualified individual must be someone who resides within the home as his or her primary residence.  If you have a doctor's validation of the health circumstances, the exclusion is usually granted immediately.

If employment is cited as the cause for the premature sale, you must have to move at least fifty miles away from the residence in question.  There are no exceptions to this rule.  You can try, but if you are not moving at least fifty miles away, chances are the exclusion will not be granted under these conditions.

If you claim unforeseen circumstances as the cause for the premature sale, your reasons could vary widely.  Death and divorce qualify as unforeseen circumstances.  A natural or man-made disaster would qualify under unforeseen circumstances.  If something intense happened that forced you to sell your home, the chances are good that you qualify under unforeseen circumstances.  The qualifying individual under unforeseen circumstances is anyone who resided in the home as their primary residence.

If you use your home as a business or rental property, the entire house qualifies for the exclusion gain.  Only if your gain was attributed to depreciation deductions before May, 1977 would you have to pay tax.  Remember, as well, that the rental property or business must have been within the primary residence in order to qualify.

If you are selling your home for a substantial profit, it is highly recommended that you consult with a real estate or tax expert in order to fully understand how the capital gains exclusions apply to your particular situation.  A home is usually a taxpayer's largest investment and you cannot afford to make any critical tax errors when it comes to capital gains from the sale of your primary residence.  The wrong decision could have you in a lot of trouble with the Internal Revenue Service or cost you thousands of dollars in income.

Home is the biggest asset for most of the people. When you sell it, you should do it with knowledge of tax implications; otherwise you may land up in huge tax liability. How IRS looks at the transaction? What are the exemptions and deductions you should not miss? Chintamani Abhyankar discusses useful tips.



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Ice Cream Donut Holes

Here is what you'll need!

Servings: 12 donut holes

Ingredients
1 6-count pack of biscuit dough
Vanilla ice cream
Canola oil, for frying
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Raspberries and mint, for garnish

Preparation
1. Open the pack of biscuit dough and cut each biscuit into halves.
2. Take one half and press it into a flat and circular shape.
3. Place a small spoonful of ice cream into the center of the dough.
4. Carefully wrap the edges of the dough over the ice cream, creating a very tight seal.
5. Repeat with the remaining biscuit dough and freeze them for 1 hour.
6. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
7. Fry the frozen dough balls until golden brown.
8. Drain them on a paper towel. Freeze for another 30 minutes.
9. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and milk, stirring until smooth.
10. Pour the glaze evenly over the donut holes.
11. Serve immediately!