#reverse-mortgage

#reverse-mortgage

Shannon Hicks, co-founder of Reverse Focus and editor in chief of HECMWorld, said in video published Monday that even though the proposal sounds like an easy and attractive solution, it comes with major drawbacks. While the change could help buyers access the housing market, Hicks warns it could weaken long-term retirement security. Under current law, early withdrawals face a 10% penalty and income taxes. The proposal would remove the penalty but not the taxes.

Morningstar DBRS assigned provisional ratings to the notes, with the senior Class A notes rated AAA and subordinate tranches rated from AA (low) to BBB (high). The ratings reflect the deal's sequential structure, credit enhancement from subordinate bonds, and stress testing tied to home-price declines, borrower longevity and interest rates. About two-thirds of the collateral is concentrated in California, with borrowers averaging 76 years old. The loans are nonrecourse, meaning losses are capped at the value of the underlying homes.

But as the lawsuit continues to play out, Massachusetts is no longer listed among the states the company does business in. The suit in Massachusetts is similar in nature to a case filed in Washington state against fellow HEI provider Unison. An appellate court recently ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and determined that Unison's product was a reverse mortgage under state law. Unison initially sought to appeal that decision but settled with the plaintiffs shortly thereafter.

New View's Proprietary Reverse Mortgage Production Index for the third quarter of 2025 estimates that lenders originated $650 million in proprietary products from July through September. Additionally, through the first nine months of this year, there has been $1.8 billion in proprietary volume, compared to $3 billion in Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) volume. For September 2025 alone, New View estimated that proprietary loans totaled $210 million, compared to $310 million for HECMs.

Lunde's hypothesis suggests stability in reverse mortgage business is due to rising home values, despite recent interest rate shifts that restrict principal limits for borrowers.

Kathy's 22 years in the reverse mortgage industry were not just about a career; they were about forming lasting bonds and making a difference in the lives of the people she worked with.

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