The 2009 Economic Stimulus Plan offers a higher reverse mortgage loan limits for senior homeowners.
The loan limits for FHA-insured reverse mortgages have been increased to $625,500 across the entire country - not just the higher cost areas. The previous limit was $417,000 across the country. This is especially important because the FHA program is virtually the only game in town as private and jumbo reverse mortgage programs have nearly all evaporated.
This coincides with another little-known change in the reverse mortgage arena: the availability of reverse mortgages on home purchase transactions. This is a fantastic opportunity for senior citizens to buy a new home and live mortgage payment-free without having to wait for their old home to sell. Seniors could also use this strategy to buy a new home and turn the old home into a rental or otherwise wait for market conditions to improve before trying to sell the old home.
