Startup Guides > Standard Lenders - A Reverse Mortgage Company
Owners of homes at least 62 years old with a sizable amount of equity can apply for a reverse mortgage. Seniors can access funds to pay for cost-of-living costs in their later years, frequently after they have exhausted all of their other savings or income sources, by borrowing against their equity. Homeowners can obtain the money they require through a reverse mortgage at rates starting at less than 3.5% annually.
Consider a reverse mortgage loan as a regular mortgage with the roles reversed. In a typical mortgage, the buyer borrows money to pay for the home and repays the lender over time. In a reverse mortgage loan, the borrower borrows money against their existing home, potentially never having to pay back the lender.

The majority of reverse mortgage loans are ultimately not paid back by the borrower. Instead, the property is sold by the borrower's heirs to settle the loan after they move or pass away. Any surplus funds from the sale belong to the borrower (or their estate). Government-backed programs provide most reverse mortgages with stringent guidelines and criteria for lending.

There are also private reverse mortgages, often known as proprietary reverse mortgages, provided by private non-bank lenders; however, these are less regulated and more likely to be frauds.