Unlike the traditional HELOC’s fixed borrowing limit, the HECM credit line increases at the current compounding rate. This feature is particularly valuable the longer the client stays in their home.

A scenario: A 62 year-old couple has a home worth $200,000 with no mortgage. They get a HECM LOC and keep it in standby, not taking any money out of it yet – perhaps they are keeping it in reserve to help them if their health fails. Say their initial HECM borrowing limit is $100,000 (they could get more but opt not to), and their compounding rate happens to stay at 7.2% for the next 30 years. Using the Rule of 72 for doubling your money their credit line doubles every 10 years, as shown in the table below. Their $200,000 house appreciates 3% a year, so it is worth $360,000 on their 82th birthday. At their 92nd birthday, their home is worth $485,000 – a fraction of what they could withdraw from their $800,000 HECM.

Jan Jordan is a Reverse Mortgage Specialist serving the Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Greeley, and Front Range areas of Colorado as well as Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming.  Click here to contact Jan and learn if reverse mortgage is right for you.