Aging in Place: Analyzing the Use of Reverse Mortgages to Preserve Independent Living Summary Report of Survey Results

90 Pages Posted: 19 Mar 2016 Last revised: 6 May 2016

See all articles by Stephanie Moulton

Stephanie Moulton

Ohio State University- John Glenn College of Public Affairs

Cäzilia Loibl

The Ohio State University - Department of Human Sciences

Donald R. Haurin

Ohio State University (OSU) - Economics

J. Michael Collins

Follette School of Public Affairs

Stephen Roll

Washington University in St. Louis

Olga Kondratjeva

John Glenn College of Public Affairs

Wei Shi

Ohio State University (OSU) - Economics

Date Written: March 15, 2016

Abstract

Equity in a home can serve as an important source of supplemental income in retirement. Reverse mortgages allow seniors to draw down equity without selling their home, and without a monthly mortgage payment. The most widely used reverse mortgage product is offered by Federal Housing Administration’s Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program.The Aging in Place study is a multi-phase research project being conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University, in partnership with the certified reverse mortgage counseling agency, ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions, with funding from The MacArthur Foundation and The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Before obtaining a HECM loan, prospective borrowers are required to complete counseling with a certified counseling agency. The study combines administrative data from households who have been counseled for reverse mortgages, HUD loan data for households who borrowed HECM loans, and survey data collected on households three to nine years after receiving counseling for a reverse mortgage. The goal of the study is to provide a better understanding of the relationships between borrowing through a reverse mortgage and financial security, well-being and independence in older age. This report summarizes the results of the Aging in Place study’s survey of counseled households, administered in phases from January, 2014 through July, 2015. The sample population includes seniors who had been counseled for a reverse mortgage by ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions from 2006 to 2011, including (1) those who decided not to take out a reverse mortgage; (2) those who took out a reverse mortgage and retained it as of the survey date; (3) and those who took out and then terminated their reverse mortgage as of the survey date. The survey asks people about their experiences with reverse mortgages, as well as general questions on household financial well-being, living conditions and personal health.

Keywords: reverse mortgage, home equity, retirement

JEL Classification: D1, I31, J14

Suggested Citation

Moulton, Stephanie and Loibl, Cäzilia and Haurin, Donald R. and Collins, J. Michael and Roll, Stephen and Kondratjeva, Olga and Shi, Wei, Aging in Place: Analyzing the Use of Reverse Mortgages to Preserve Independent Living Summary Report of Survey Results (March 15, 2016). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2749368 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2749368

Stephanie Moulton (Contact Author)

Ohio State University- John Glenn College of Public Affairs ( email )

110 Page Hall
1810 College Road
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

Cäzilia Loibl

The Ohio State University - Department of Human Sciences ( email )

1787 Neil Avenue
265K Campbell Hall
Columbus, OH 43210
United States
614-292-4226 (Phone)

Donald R. Haurin

Ohio State University (OSU) - Economics ( email )

154 N. Oval Mall
1010G Derby Hall
Columbus, OH 43210-1172
United States
614-292-0482 (Phone)
614-292-9530 (Fax)

J. Michael Collins

Follette School of Public Affairs ( email )

1180 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1393
United States

Stephen Roll

Washington University in St. Louis ( email )

One Brookings Drive
Campus Box 1208
Saint Louis, MO MO 63130-4899
United States

Olga Kondratjeva

John Glenn College of Public Affairs ( email )

110 Page Hall
1810 College Road
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

Wei Shi

Ohio State University (OSU) - Economics ( email )

410 Arps Hall
1945 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

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