Using Home Equity in Retirement
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Factors to Consider when Using Home Equity as a Retirement Fund
Is home equity the mainstay of your retirement fund? Apparently it is for a number of people. Both anecdotal evidence and some consumer surveys indicate that a number of Baby Boomers plan to “retire on the house.” The plan is especially prevalent along the coasts and in resort areas. These are the areas in which […]
Should You Buy or Rent the Second Home
The real estate markets are changing, especially those in resort and vacation areas. Home prices streaked upward from 2000-2005, causing us to address the possible “housing bubble” several times in this newsletter. Those articles are on the web site Archive. Now, the forecasts we made the last few years are looking accurate. The hottest housing […]
Should Retirees Pay Off Their Mortgage?
Not long ago a key part of every retirement plan was paying off the mortgage. I’m told that a popular ritual was the mortgage-burning party, though I have never been to one. Now, it seems that fewer retirees consider paying down the mortgage to be important. To the contrary, maintaining a substantial mortgage frequently is […]
Reverse Mortgages: How to Withdraw Cash from Your Home
American seniors can take equity out of their homes without moving. They also don’t have to make payments during their lifetimes while they live in their homes. Reverse mortgages were almost unknown when I first wrote about them more than a decade ago. Now, they are much better known but are greatly misunderstood. Only 8,200 […]
Comparing Continuing Care Retirement Communities
Last month we introduced Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) and their different pricing options. Each community combines independent living, assisted living, and a nursing home. Residents are guaranteed lifetime care. Some require a modest deposit and monthly fees. Others require a large payment that might be partially refundable to your heirs, and they charge lower […]
Tapping Real Estate Equity, Part 2
The rapid real estate appreciation of recent years endowed many families with substantial real estate wealth but not enough cash. Real estate appreciation does not produce cash. But it does result in higher property taxes, and there are maintenance expenses to pay. Some families also are disappointed with having paper wealth that cannot be spent […]
Tapping that New Real Estate Wealth for Estate Planning
Managing the equity in appreciated homes and second homes has become a pleasant and unexpected challenge for many. Especially on the coasts, residential real estate values soared the last five years. Suddenly owners, especially long-time owners, have properties that are more valuable than they imagined. For many families, real estate wealth exceeds the value of […]
Cash Flow from Your Home – Reverse Mortgages
The use of reverse mortgages is climbing as more seniors learn how to use them to raise cash from their home equity. The loans are not for every senior American, but they can be a valuable source of cash for strapped homeowners. Fewer than 20,000 reverse mortgages were originated in 2003. That’s a tiny part […]
