Pros and Cons of Reverse Mortgages

Are you considering a reverse mortgage? Here are some of the pros and cons.

Quick Links

1. Pro: You Can Get the Money You Need Without Selling Your Beloved Home
2. Con: Interest Rates on Reverse Mortgages tend to be Higher
3. Pro: No Regular Payments to Make
4. Con: The Reverse Mortgage Lender Has to Be Paid in Full
5. Pro: Tax-Free Withdrawal of Funds
6. Con: Reducing the Equity in Your Home

Pro: You Can Get the Money You Need Without Selling Your Beloved Home

The challenge as a senior on a fixed income is that you can have a home that’s worth $2 million, but unless you have the income to qualify for a mortgage, you may qualify to borrow very little of it. That’s where a reverse mortgage can come in handy.

Unlike a traditional mortgage, a reverse mortgage doesn’t look at your household income. It instead looks at other factors, including your age and property’s value. You can borrow the money that you need regardless of household income.

This is helpful, as the only other way to withdraw sufficient equity from your home might be to sell it, which is probably the last thing you want to do.

Con: Interest Rates on Reverse Mortgages tend to be Higher

As there’s a higher level of risk for the lender, coupled with fewer lenders offering reverse mortgages, the interest rates on reverse mortgage are almost always higher than traditional mortgages and HELOCs. This means that when you pass away or go to sell your home, there may be very little equity left at that point. If you were hoping to gift funds to adult children, there may be very little to gift them then as well.

Pro: No Regular Payments to Make

Another downside of a traditional mortgage is that you must make regular payments. Not so with a reverse mortgage. With a reverse mortgage you don’t have to make any payments at all. This can be very helpful if you’re a cash strapped senior struggling with cash flow. The fact that you don’t have to make any payments while you live in the home can help make your financial situation that much easier.

Con: The Reverse Mortgage Lender Has to Be Paid in Full

The downside of a reverse mortgage is that the lender must be paid in full, regardless of your home’s value. When you pass away, it could be at a time when home values are down. If that’s the case, there may not be enough money to cover the debt owing. That means that your estate might have to pay the money owing to the lender. And there usually isn’t much wiggle room. Your estate can be expected to pay the amount owing soon after you pass away.

Pro: Tax-Free Withdrawal of Funds

Unlike withdrawing money from your RRSP, withdrawing money from your home is tax-free money. That’s right, you don’t have to pay any tax on the funds, as it’s equity from your primary residence and primary residences are tax-free in Canada. This can really help, as the money you receive is the money you’ll get. You won’t have to pay a withholding tax of 30% the amount before the money hits your bank account, helping your cash flow situation further.

Because of it, it doesn’t affect means tested government benefits like OAS and GIS either.

Con: Reducing the Equity in Your Home

The equity that you’ve worked so hard to accumulate over the years can go down a lot faster with a reverse mortgage. That’s because of the higher interest rates. That means that you can end up with a lot less equity than you would have imagined.

That’s why it’s worthwhile to investigate other options, such as traditional mortgages and HELOCs before taking out a reverse mortgage. Once you’ve exhausted all those options, only then should you consider a reverse mortgage.