When it comes to reverse mortgages, choosing the right lender is key. While a few bad apples here and there might have given these loans a bad name, plenty of reliable and honest lenders exist out there. Here are some of the best ways to find a good one.
Know What You Need
A little background always goes a long way, so doing the math and knowing what you need will help you determine what services matter to you, says Time. This will also help you determine what kind of lender and lending conditions suit your situation the most.
Ask Around
If you already know someone who went for a reverse mortgage, or HECM, then reach out to that contact as soon as you can. If that’s not the case, then ask everyone in your circle—friends, family, work colleagues, or neighbors—to ask their own network. If you’re lucky, you could snag a few company names this way.
Check the Basics
Are they licensed? Are you dealing with legitimate reverse mortgage companies? Make sure you confirm the dates of their license and accreditation. You wouldn’t want to miss this and find out later on that you’ve been dealing with an unlicensed company, so get the basics out of the way first.
Do the Consult
Call the lender and set up an appointment. There’s nothing like a little face to face interaction to give you a solid gauge on whether you and the lender are a professional fit or not. On the day of the consult, take note of the staff and how they treat guests. Are they polite or rude? When it’s time to talk to an HECM expert, is the person knowledgeable or does s/he have absolutely no clue about what they’re doing?
When you find a prospective lender, follow through with these steps to help you figure out if you’ve found a keeper or if you need to keep looking. Visit this website for more information.
