Reverse Mortgage Tax-Deductible

One of the newest and more innovative financial tools for the Senior Citizen, today, is the reverse home mortgage.  Already very popular, as the info on the reverse home mortgage becomes widespread, and homeowners reach retirement age in large numbers, this may become the most popular home mortgage vehicle of all.  The reverse home mortgage solves a major financial problem for Seniors, how access the equity-savings they have built up on their homes without having to sell. Let me explain what is reverse mortgage?
A reversed mortgage is designed specifically for homeowners who are age 62 and older. Through this product, you can receive loan money from your home in the form of a lump sum, regular monthly checks or a line of credit. The money is typically repaid with interest when you sell your house, permanently move away, or pass away.
Reverse mortgage loan advances are not taxable, and generally don't affect your Social Security or Medicare benefits. You retain the title to your home, and you don't have to make monthly repayments. The loan must be repaid when the last surviving borrower dies, sells the home, or no longer lives in the home as a principal residence. Unlike a regular mortgage, the homeowner makes no payments and all interest is added to the lien on the property.
When it comes to the issue of tax deductibility, things get a little hairy. Unlike a conventional mortgage, the accrued interest associated with a reverse mortgage is not tax-deductible in the usual fashion; it is deductible at the time the reverse is paid off.
A reverse mortgage is a type of loan in which is allowed up to a certain percentage of the full equity in a home; also called reverse annuity mortgage or home equity conversion mortgage (HECM). Reverse mortgages are often used by for retired or elderly persons. Actually all lenders reverse programs that I have seen had a requirement like that you had to be at least 62 years old. The title of your home remains in your name and the home can be left to your heirs, this is always true. Obviously the lender will build up their equity in your home as you use yours. The reverse mortgage comes to an end when the borrowers have all passed away or the home is sold, or you move out permanently. Depending on the type of that you chose, a certain percentage of the home's value can be reverse mortgaged. Fortunately the target audience is often no longer full time employed anyway; lenders will not have any income or credit score requirements to qualify for a reverse mortgage.

Both the upfront expense of a reverse mortgage (loan origination fee) and the interest accrued over the life of the reverse mortgage are added to your reverse mortgage balance. So you don't actually pay these items. The IRS states that these expenses since they are not actually paid cannot be deducted until the reverse mortgage matures. This is the case when you sell your home or used up all equity.

Refinancing Your Mortgage Loan to Save Money

Most people refinance their mortgage loan when it is up for renewal from its term. Mortgage loans come in a variety of terms, anywhere from six months to 10 years at a time, amortized over 25 to 50 years. Each term of a mortgage loan is its own mortgage loan – meaning that you can change the mortgage loan type you have as well as the term when your mortgage loan renews. If your mortgage loan is up for renewal, it’s a good time to see if you can get a better interest rate on your new mortgage loan by shopping around. However, there are other times when refinancing your mortgage loan makes sense.

Renewal Time

Term renewal on mortgage loans is, obviously, the time when most mortgage loans are renewed. It is a time when you can search for a different lender for your mortgage loan or stay with the same lender. However, refinancing your mortgage loan is similar to taking out a new one to begin with, except that you’re not required to have a down payment.

Refinancing your mortgage loan means having a new mortgage loan – you can use this opportunity to change the type of mortgage loan you have, such as going from an adjustable rate mortgage loan to a fixed rate mortgage loan, or vice versa. You can also change the term of your mortgage loan, make it longer or shorter, depending upon your wants and needs.

If you’re term mortgage loan is up for renewal and the interest rates are low, it’s a good time to lock in the good interest rate for a longer period of time with a fixed rate, long term mortgage loan. However if your renewal comes up and the interest rates are high, it’s a good time to go with either a short term fixed rate or an adjustable rate mortgage loan. Adjustable rate mortgage loans’ interest rate changes at various points in the term, which means you could end up with a much lower interest rate, and therefore lower payments when the rate changes.

Need extra money?

Mortgage loan refinancing is also a good time to take out some of the equity you’ve been saving. You can refinance your mortgage loan for higher than is owed to the previous mortgage loan and get cash from your equity to spend as you see fit. The most common uses for equity cash is home improvements, consolidating high-interest debts (such as loans and credit cards), and paying for college tuition for children.

Other times it’s a good idea to refinance

There are other times throughout the term of your mortgage loan that you may want to consider refinancing. If the interest rates plummet, it’s a consideration to refinance your mortgage loan with a longer term, fixed rate mortgage loan. Locking in a low interest rate on your refinanced mortgage loan could mean that you save tens of thousands of dollars in interest payments to your lender.

A word of caution about refinancing mid- mortgage loan term – prepayment penalties come with some mortgage loans and if you have a prepayment penalty on your mortgage loan, talk with your loan officer before you begin the refinancing process.

There’s an easy way to figure out if it’s worth refinancing your mortgage loan mid term and paying the prepayment penalties – find out what your yearly interest payments will be with a new mortgage and compare them to what they are with your current mortgage. Subtract the new mortgage interest from the old mortgage interest – this is how much interest you’re saving in a year. Compare this number with the amount you’ll pay in prepayment penalties. If it is less than half (which means it would take two years to “pay” for the refinancing), then it’s not worth refinancing your mortgage loan. However if you can “pay” for the refinancing within two years on a five year term or more mortgage loan, then it may be worth paying the prepayment penalty.

You can ask your mortgage loan lender if they will waive the prepayment penalty if you refinance your mortgage loan with the same company. Prepayment penalties are in place from some lenders because they’re losing your business and thusly the thousands of dollars of interest payments you were to make to them for the remaining term on your mortgage loan. Most prepayment penalties are six months interest on 80 per cent of the total of your mortgage loan. However, some lenders may be willing to waive the prepayment penalty if you’re staying with them for the longer term mortgage you want to lock in with lower interest rates. While the interest they’re receiving is lower, it can add up to much more than the prepayment penalty amount they will receive if you refinance early.

In order to make paying a prepayment penalty worth it to refinance your mortgage loan, you shouldn’t take any longer than two years in saved money to make up the amount you pay out to the old mortgage loan company in penalties. Be sure that if you do make the payment that your new mortgage doesn’t have prepayment penalties attached to it.

Refinancing your mortgage loan is a good opportunity to seek out better interest rates and terms. Many people choose to use a mortgage broker to find a new lender to refinance their mortgage loan. The reason for this is because mortgage brokers work with several lenders and can submit the single application you fill out to many lenders at the same time. They then enter a ‘bartering stage’ with the lenders who are willing to refinance your mortgage loan. By using a mortgage broker, you can get great interest rates from lenders vying for your business.

Don’t underestimate some of the mortgage loan refinancing companies as well – because they are online and don’t have as much overhead as standard lenders, they can sometimes offer even better deals on interest rates and terms.

What is a second mortgage loan?

A second mortgage loan is based primarily upon these two conditions. A mortgage loan can be broadly understood as a kind of contract or a legal agreement, in which the borrower's property is pledged as a security or collateral guarantee, and the borrowed amount or credit is generally repaid in small packets of predefined amount, which are also referred to as installments. As per the contract or the agreement, the buyer promises to repay the principal amount or the actual loan amount, and its interest, over a fixed period, also known as loan tenure in a regular and orderly manner. A lien is understood as a legal right or a claim imposed by the creditor or lender upon the property, against which the credit is taken or borrowed. In a simple language a lien means the creditor has a legal right to dispose off the debtor’s property, in case of defaults or the debtor’s inability to pay the loan installments.

A second mortgage is an additional mortgage loan, which is added to your first or original mortgage loan. Since the new mortgage loan is attached in conjunction to the first or original mortgage, it’s generally referred to as a second mortgage loan – second because it falls at number two position in relation to the main mortgage loan. This second mortgage loan has all the characteristics of its original or main loan. In short, you’ve a condition in which two mortgage loans remain side-by-side, each loan with its unique set or terms and conditions.

Why avail a second mortgage loan?

Now, if two loans are to share the same mortgage, i.e. the same security or collateral guarantee, what’s the need of going in for a second mortgage? The answer’s quite simple. When people go in for a mortgage loan, they understand the significance and the importance of a lien. Debtors know for sure, if they default, or end up with unforeseen circumstances and are unable to pay off their dues, the creditor holds a legal right to sell of the house offered as security and recover the dues. So individuals are very cautious about secured loans, and generally avail just enough credit to satisfy their requirements. As a result, the full potential of the lien is not utilized. It means if the property is worth $1,00,000/- a mortgage facility of $40,000/- or $50,000/- is generally availed against the security. The remaining potential is left unused. That’s where a second mortgage comes in. If the borrower desires additional cash, or has a need to finance some requirement, the unused potential left over from the first mortgage activity can be used for the additional mortgage. Due to this, the second mortgage is also referred to as a home equity loan. The two terminologies can be used in lieu of each other.

Advantages of a second mortgage loan

•The homeowners have to pay a smaller down payment, and in some cases, the down payment is totally avoided, to avail the additional credit. During the transaction, the homeowner has the option to break up the total loan amount into two separate loans referred to as a combo loan. The encumbrance or the risk factor is distributed between the two loans, allowing higher combined loan-to-values and a much lower blended interest rates.

•The additional funds can provide a homeowner with much needed cash to improve the quality of their home or pay off high-interest loans. The biggest advantage is it’s possible to avoid a refinance of the existing first mortgage.

•Second mortgage helps homeowners to avoid paying PMI, or private mortgage insurance. The resultant savings can be substantial depending upon the loan break down, and often saves the homeowner hundreds of dollars a month, in terms of additional expenses. If the first loan is kept at or below 80% loan-to-value, the additional PMI is not required to be paid.

•The monthly payments on the second mortgages are ideally low as compared to its first mortgage. The homeowners end up with a substantial amount of liquidity, which can be used to pay of existing loans or even finance a commercial project.

•The second mortgage is offered for both adjustable and fixed-rate options, so many options are available to choose from and to find the exact credit facility to fulfill your needs

Refinancing Your Mortgage Loan to Save Money

Most people refinance their mortgage loan when it is up for renewal from its term. Mortgage loans come in a variety of terms, anywhere from six months to 10 years at a time, amortized over 25 to 50 years. Each term of a mortgage loan is its own mortgage loan – meaning that you can change the mortgage loan type you have as well as the term when your mortgage loan renews. If your mortgage loan is up for renewal, it’s a good time to see if you can get a better interest rate on your new mortgage loan by shopping around. However, there are other times when refinancing your mortgage loan makes sense.

Renewal Time

Term renewal on mortgage loans is, obviously, the time when most mortgage loans are renewed. It is a time when you can search for a different lender for your mortgage loan or stay with the same lender. However, refinancing your mortgage loan is similar to taking out a new one to begin with, except that you’re not required to have a down payment.

Refinancing your mortgage loan means having a new mortgage loan – you can use this opportunity to change the type of mortgage loan you have, such as going from an adjustable rate mortgage loan to a fixed rate mortgage loan, or vice versa. You can also change the term of your mortgage loan, make it longer or shorter, depending upon your wants and needs.

If you’re term mortgage loan is up for renewal and the interest rates are low, it’s a good time to lock in the good interest rate for a longer period of time with a fixed rate, long term mortgage loan. However if your renewal comes up and the interest rates are high, it’s a good time to go with either a short term fixed rate or an adjustable rate mortgage loan. Adjustable rate mortgage loans’ interest rate changes at various points in the term, which means you could end up with a much lower interest rate, and therefore lower payments when the rate changes.

Need extra money?

Mortgage loan refinancing is also a good time to take out some of the equity you’ve been saving. You can refinance your mortgage loan for higher than is owed to the previous mortgage loan and get cash from your equity to spend as you see fit. The most common uses for equity cash is home improvements, consolidating high-interest debts (such as loans and credit cards), and paying for college tuition for children.

Other times it’s a good idea to refinance

There are other times throughout the term of your mortgage loan that you may want to consider refinancing. If the interest rates plummet, it’s a consideration to refinance your mortgage loan with a longer term, fixed rate mortgage loan. Locking in a low interest rate on your refinanced mortgage loan could mean that you save tens of thousands of dollars in interest payments to your lender.

A word of caution about refinancing mid- mortgage loan term – prepayment penalties come with some mortgage loans and if you have a prepayment penalty on your mortgage loan, talk with your loan officer before you begin the refinancing process.

There’s an easy way to figure out if it’s worth refinancing your mortgage loan mid term and paying the prepayment penalties – find out what your yearly interest payments will be with a new mortgage and compare them to what they are with your current mortgage. Subtract the new mortgage interest from the old mortgage interest – this is how much interest you’re saving in a year. Compare this number with the amount you’ll pay in prepayment penalties. If it is less than half (which means it would take two years to “pay” for the refinancing), then it’s not worth refinancing your mortgage loan. However if you can “pay” for the refinancing within two years on a five year term or more mortgage loan, then it may be worth paying the prepayment penalty.

You can ask your mortgage loan lender if they will waive the prepayment penalty if you refinance your mortgage loan with the same company. Prepayment penalties are in place from some lenders because they’re losing your business and thusly the thousands of dollars of interest payments you were to make to them for the remaining term on your mortgage loan. Most prepayment penalties are six months interest on 80 per cent of the total of your mortgage loan. However, some lenders may be willing to waive the prepayment penalty if you’re staying with them for the longer term mortgage you want to lock in with lower interest rates. While the interest they’re receiving is lower, it can add up to much more than the prepayment penalty amount they will receive if you refinance early.

In order to make paying a prepayment penalty worth it to refinance your mortgage loan, you shouldn’t take any longer than two years in saved money to make up the amount you pay out to the old mortgage loan company in penalties. Be sure that if you do make the payment that your new mortgage doesn’t have prepayment penalties attached to it.

Refinancing your mortgage loan is a good opportunity to seek out better interest rates and terms. Many people choose to use a mortgage broker to find a new lender to refinance their mortgage loan. The reason for this is because mortgage brokers work with several lenders and can submit the single application you fill out to many lenders at the same time. They then enter a ‘bartering stage’ with the lenders who are willing to refinance your mortgage loan. By using a mortgage broker, you can get great interest rates from lenders vying for your business.

Don’t underestimate some of the mortgage loan refinancing companies as well – because they are online and don’t have as much overhead as standard lenders, they can sometimes offer even better deals on interest rates and terms.