Reverse Mortgage Radio

It's Halloween, and I'm telling three ghost stories: the three fears that keep people from even asking about a reverse mortgage. We look at where each fear came from, the grain of truth inside it, and what's actually true once you flip on the porch light. Who really uses reverse mortgages today, whether the bank can ever take your home, and what your kids actually inherit. No pressure, no pitch, j...

People sometimes ask how I ended up specializing in reverse mortgages. In this episode, I take you back to the choices that brought me to Colorado, my years in the Army, and the winding path through finance and traditional mortgage lending that led me to this work. I also share the moment I first looked into reverse mortgages. I was skeptical, too. I did my homework, learned how the program worked...

This week I'm joined in studio by a Denver-area realtor who's known around town as the Condo King, and we're not talking about reverse mortgages — we're talking about the market you're actually living in. Here's the headline: closed listings were down 18% year over year in September. That's 2,898 closings this September versus 3,523 a year ago. Pending listings were down 13%. Gross sales volume wa...

Today I'm doing something a little different. Instead of digging into one rule or feature, I'm going to take a step back and give you the big picture: the three biggest benefits of the FHA-insured reverse mortgage — the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage — and then the three objections I hear most often, along with what I think the honest answer is to each. Because here's the thing: most folks who co...

"Bond market bust."  "Global bond rout deepens."  "10-year Treasury yields rise to a 24-year high at 5.304." If you've had the news on this week at all, you've heard some version of this. And if you're retired or close to it, it probably made your stomach drop a little. So today I'm doing three things. First, I'll explain in plain English why this is happening. Second, what it means for reverse mo...

Last week I explained how interest rates work on a HECM. This week I want to take it a step further, because a HECM is not just a loan — in the right hands, it's a financial planning tool and a tax planning tool. So today I walk you through three strategies. The first two are financial planning strategies. The third is a tax planning strategy, and if you have a CPA or tax professional, I really wa...

Ninety-five percent of the time, I talk about the FHA-insured reverse mortgage — the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, or HECM. But this year, I've done more non-FHA, proprietary reverse mortgages than I have in the last five years combined. And I want to explain why. In this episode, I compare the HECM and proprietary reverse mortgages in plain language. I cover how they're the same — no required...

"Reverse mortgages are expensive." I've heard that more times than I can count over my 23-year career. Today, I take that claim apart piece by piece — and let you decide for yourself. To call anything expensive, you need something to compare it to. But a reverse mortgage is its own breed: it's the only mortgage that lets you live in your home for the rest of your life with never, ever a required m...

Should I stay in my home as I age, or should I move to something better suited for the years ahead? It's a question almost nobody answers on purpose. Most people let it answer itself — until a fall, a health scare, or the loss of a spouse makes the decision for them at the worst possible time. In this episode, I walk through three good reasons to stay in your home and three good reasons to conside...

Social Security's trust fund is now projected to run dry by 2032 — just six years away — which could mean benefits cut to 78% of what's scheduled. I'm not an alarmist, but that's exactly the kind of headline that keeps people up at night. The good news? There are things you can control, starting with the equity in your home. In this episode, I break down three ways a reverse mortgage can help buil...

Picture this: a couple retires in 2020 with $500,000 in savings. Five years later, they're 70 years old, and that half-million dollars doesn't stretch nearly as far as it used to. Colorado has been running at about 5% inflation, and the average household here has spent $60,000 more since 2020 just to maintain the same lifestyle. In this episode, I break down how inflation compounds against a fixed...

Today I'm joined by my friend and fellow Denver Metro Association of Realtors member Alex Kishinevsky, a Denver Metro realtor with 15 years in the business and 350-plus transactions under his belt. We sit down to break down what's actually happening in the Denver housing market right now. We dig into the real numbers — a flat single-family market around $614,000, condos that have softened 15 to 20...

Before you dive into researching a reverse mortgage, there are three fundamental questions every homeowner should ask themselves. In this episode, I break them down one by one to help you approach your home equity with complete clarity and zero pressure. First: What do you want the reverse mortgage to accomplish for your cash flow? Whether it's eliminating a monthly mortgage payment, paying off a...

Most homeowners don't start a reverse mortgage conversation worried about interest rates or payout options. They start worried about safety. Can I lose my home? Will my children inherit the debt? Am I signing something I don't fully understand? In this episode, I'm breaking down six consumer protections that are built directly into the FHA-insured HECM program — safeguards that make this one of th...

I've spent 23 years helping Colorado homeowners understand reverse mortgages, and in this episode I'm sharing the three most powerful ways I've seen this program strengthen a retirement plan. First, I talk about the standby line of credit — a strategy backed by Dr. Wade Pfau's research that can protect your portfolio from bad market timing in early retirement. Second, I explain how freeing up mont...

I’m Bruce Simmons, and in this episode, I’m exploring the three invisible "walls" that keep many Colorado seniors from ever even looking at a reverse mortgage, even when it could provide the exact financial peace of mind they’ve been searching for. From the stigma of the past to the fear of losing the home, I’ll show you how today’s FHA-insured HECM program is a completely different world. Join me...

In this episode of Reverse Mortgage Radio , I talk about how real retirement independence comes from peace of mind, not just having your home paid off. I share that many Colorado seniors still feel pressure from housing costs, mortgage debt, or the fear of outliving their savings, even after years of building equity. I also explain why I see home equity as an often-overlooked retirement tool, espe...

In this episode, I explain why making voluntary payments on a reverse mortgage can be a smart strategy for some homeowners. I talk about how those payments can help grow the available line of credit, preserve more equity for heirs, and build a stronger financial safety net over time for borrowers who want more flexibility and control in retirement.

What happens to your home, and your heirs, when a reverse mortgage comes due? Most people think the bank just "takes the house," but that couldn't be further from the truth. In this episode, Bruce Simmons (the "Reverse Mortgage Professor") breaks down the specific HUD rules that protect heirs, including the 95% Rule for keeping a home with no equity and the non-recourse protection that ensures no...

Are you "house rich but cash poor"? In this episode, Bruce Simmons explores the growing "cost burden" on Colorado seniors. We dive into the Harvard research showing why 1 in 3 retirees is struggling, the massive property tax hikes hitting the Front Range, and a brilliant "downsize and upgrade" strategy that can put $500,000 back in your pocket.

Learn how the "60% rule" and updated Non-Borrowing Spouse protections create a more stable and secure retirement for Colorado homeowners.

Discover two sophisticated ways to leverage a reverse mortgage for purchase. Learn how to buy multifamily properties for rental income and how "overfunding" a line of credit can create a massive, tax-free retirement safety net. Two Advanced Strategies to Boost Retirement Income with an HECM

This week on Reverse Mortgage Radio, we take you behind the scenes of a major industry summit in Knoxville. From the influx of younger, ethical lenders to the academic research that’s changing how financial advisors view home equity, we’re talking about why this business is more about "people work" than "paperwork." Tune in to learn how a reverse mortgage can be a strategic tool for your retiremen...

Many homeowners assume reverse mortgages work just like traditional loans, but the interest rate structure is actually quite different. This episode breaks down the "Interest Rate Puzzle," explaining the difference between the expected rate (which determines borrowing power) and the initial rate (what is actually charged). Listeners will learn why the 10-year Treasury index matters, how interest r...

What happens after signing a reverse mortgage application? This episode explores the process using the analogy of a long-distance flight. From the "security screening" of underwriting to navigating the "turbulence" of appraisals and title searches, learn what it takes to reach the destination: financial stability. This guide covers common hurdles like HOA verifications and property condition requi...