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Real Estate


Tom Kelly
Tom Kelly
The Real Estate Adviser
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August 28, 2008

The Real Estate Adviser: New housing bill reduces reverse mortgage fees

By Tom Kelly
Special to the Journal

“Some people will say reverse mortgages are absolutely too expensive while others will tell you they are the greatest deal on earth. What all the years of talking to seniors about reverse mortgages has taught me is that you can show somebody what something costs, but you cannot tell them what it's worth to them,'' said Ken Scholen, founder of the nonprofit National Center for Home Equity Conversion.

Seniors scrutinize costs. They preciously guard their pennies, even when they have quite a few to spend. According to a 2007 AARP survey, cost is the reason 63 percent of reverse-mortgage shoppers ultimately decided against applying for the loan. In fact, 69 percent of actual borrowers believed that reverse mortgage costs were high, the survey revealed.


 
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