Bills Logo

Using a Reverse Mortgage to Pay Off Debt

Mark Cappel
UpdatedDec 12, 2008

Should my mom get a reverse mortgage, and pay off her credit cards?

My mom has approximately 60000.00 in credit card debt. She is 80 years old and has no mortgage on a 80-90 thousand dollar house. She has approx. 15 thousand in the bank. These credit cards are maxed out and are beginning to eat into her savings. Question? Should my mom get a reverse mortgage , which would be about 55 thousand, and pay off her credit cards

Thanks for your question.

Yes, a reverse mortgage might be the right solution for your mother. If she uses the entire $55K loan amount to pay off the credit cards, you'll wipe away that entire debt and she'll be free off those payments. However, keep in mind that she'll be using a large amount of the equity in her home and will not likely be able to use any additional equity should something come up in the future.

She won't need to make any payments on the reverse mortgage, but when she moves or passes or away, the reverse mortgage lenders will own use the proceeds from the sale of the home to pay off the reverse mortgage and collect their interest. This means that as an heir, there will likely be little value left in your Mom's home. Let us know if this is helpful and start your search for a reputable reverse mortgage lender here: Get a Reverse Mortgage

She could also simply pursue a traditional refinance and try to use the proceeds to pay off the loan, but if she has no cash flow that might be difficult for her to deal with.

She could apply for both and then decide after speaking to a few qualified Reverse Mortgage Loan Officers what is right for her:

Mortgage Refinance Quote

Reverse Mortgage Quote

I hope this helps to answer your reverse mortgage question, and I wish you the best of luck.

Thanks!

- Bills.com