• Bio

Manya Deva Natan

Manya Deva Natan is a California Bar Certified attorney with the law firm of SSS Legal & Consultancy Services located in Calabasas, CA. Her practice focuses on International Estates, Trusts and Estates, Asset Protection, Trust Administration, and more. Manya received her law degree from Stanford University, as well as a Master's in International Affairs from Columbia University. She has completed extensive course-work and training in the areas of mental, physical, and emotional health, including being a published author. She is the founder of two publishing-based companies related to health and wellness and has particular interest in the legal and financial components of health and their importance in integrated health. She has appeared multiple times on Good Morning America and is regularly contacted by national media outlets for commentary.

If you’re 62 or older, you may be able to convert the equity in your home into cash with a reverse mortgage. This loan lets you borrow against the equity in your home to get a fixed monthly payment or line of credit. Repayment is deferred until you move out, sell the home, become delinquent on property taxes and/or insurance, the home falls into disrepair, or you pass away.

A Investopedia article, titled “5 Top Alternatives To A Reverse Mortgage,” examines some of the top alternatives to reverse mortgages.

• Refinance Your Existing Mortgage. If you have an existing home loan, you may be able to refinance your mortgage at a lower interest rate and lower your monthly payments to free up some cash.
• A Home-Equity Loan. This is basically a second mortgage which allows you to borrow money against the equity in your home. The interest is typically tax deductible for loans up to $100,000.
• A Home Equity Line of Credit. A home equity line of credit (“HELOC”) lets you borrow up to an approved credit limit on an as-needed basis, and you pay interest only on the amount of money you actually withdraw. These are adjustable loans, so your monthly payment changes with the interest rates. Interest on a HELOC is usually tax deductible for loans up to $100,000.
• Sell Your Home and Downsize. The original article also suggests that you think about selling your home to give you access to your home equity. This can be a great option if your current home is too big for your current needs or too difficult or costly to maintain.
• Sell Your Home to Your Children. One way to do this is a sales-leaseback agreement, where you sell the house to your kids, then rent it back using the cash from the sale. Your children get rental income and will be able to take deductions for depreciation, real estate taxes and maintenance.

The original article says that reverse mortgages may be good for those who are “house-rich and cash-poor.” That is, people with home equity but too little retirement income. Before you decide on which option (if any) is right for you, you should definitely speak with an experienced estate planning attorney.