How to refinance a reverse mortgage: Eligibility, counseling and costs
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, financial, or tax advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.

Refinancing a reverse mortgage means replacing your existing FHA-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) with a new HECM, and for calendar year 2026 FHA will insure that new loan against a maximum claim amount of up to $1,249,125.1 You still have to be at least 62 years old, still occupy the home as your principal residence, and still clear a financial assessment that reviews 12 months of credit history and 24 months of property charge payments.
Within three days of your application your lender must hand you an anti-churning disclosure showing what the new loan costs and how much your borrowing power actually rises. If that increase doesn’t come to more than five times the cost, HUD won’t let you skip counseling, and that test usually answers whether refinancing is worth doing.
Learn who qualifies, how the counseling and anti-churning rules work, what the transaction costs, and when a HECM-to-HECM refinance actually pays. Weighing it against other equity moves? Start with our Refinancing and Home Equity guide.
Key takeaways:
- The bar is the one you cleared the first time: Every borrower must be at least 62 at closing, occupy the home as a principal residence, and show taxes current with no property charge delinquencies in the previous 24 months.
- No federal seasoning clock, but a five-year one: HUD sets no minimum wait between HECM refinances, though lenders in Align’s network generally want at least 18 months; the counseling waiver runs out 5 years after your original HECM closing.
- Counseling is the default and the waiver is narrow: You can skip HUD-approved counseling only when your principal limit increase exceeds 5 times the total cost of the refinance and you have received the anti-churning disclosure.
What does it mean to refinance a reverse mortgage?
A HECM-to-HECM refinance is a new reverse mortgage whose proceeds pay off your current reverse mortgage and any other eligible lien on the property. HUD’s handbook calls it a “HECM Refinance,” and underwrites it like any other HECM except for carve-outs covering counseling, condominium approval and mortgage insurance. Start with the CFPB’s explanation of how reverse mortgages work.
Your borrowing power on any HECM is the principal limit: the maximum proceeds available to you, found by multiplying the maximum claim amount by a principal limit factor FHA publishes. That factor turns on the age of the youngest borrower or eligible non-borrowing spouse and the expected average mortgage interest rate at closing. Older borrower, higher factor. Higher expected rate, lower factor.
So a refinance is a bet that one of three numbers has moved your way since you closed: your home’s value, your age, or the expected rate. If none has, the new loan mostly buys fresh closing costs. See how reverse mortgages work for the loan you already have.
How much can you borrow on a 2026 HECM refinance?
For FHA case numbers assigned January 1 through December 31, 2026, HUD set the HECM maximum claim amount at $1,249,125 nationwide, up from $1,209,750 in 2025.2 Your maximum claim amount is the lesser of that limit or your home’s appraised value, so for most Michigan homeowners the appraisal is the binding number.
The limit is more predictable than it looks: HUD sets it at 150% of the FHFA conforming loan limit each January 1, and the 2026 baseline for a one-unit property is $832,750, exactly where $1,249,125 comes from. If you’re waiting on a rising appraisal, January is the date to watch.
How many homeowners refinance a HECM today?
FHA insured 28,149 HECM loans in fiscal year 2025, carrying $14.96 billion in maximum claim amounts, a 6.2 percent increase from the 26,502 endorsements of fiscal year 2024, according to HUD’s FY 2025 annual report to Congress on the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. Refinances made up 12.26 percent of HECM endorsements in fiscal year 2025, up from 8.87 percent in fiscal year 2024, the report says, still well below the record shares of the low-rate years in fiscal 2021 and 2022.
HUD’s report also explains why refinances have not climbed back further: since refinance volume peaked in 2022, higher mortgage rates reduce the amounts borrowers can draw, and interest compounding at a higher rate uses up available equity faster. Home values pushed the other way. HUD reported that the average maximum claim amount per HECM endorsement rose to $531,350 in fiscal year 2025 from $504,016 a year earlier, and said the rise coincided with rising home prices and higher appraised values on homes occupied by HECM borrowers. It also noted that the calendar year 2025 maximum claim amount of $1,209,750 was 5.21 percent above the $1,149,825 limit of 2024. For the forward loan limits that ceiling is built on, see FHA loan limits or Align’s county loan limits lookup.
Who is eligible to refinance a reverse mortgage?
Every borrower must be at least 62 as of the closing date, occupy the property as a principal residence, and pass the same financial assessment FHA requires on a new HECM.
- Age and occupancy: Every borrower must be 62 or older at closing, there is no maximum age, and keep the home as their permanent place of abode. You may hold only one principal residence at a time.
- Credit history: Underwriters want all housing and installment debt paid on time for 12 months, no more than two 30-day lates in 24 months, and no major derogatory revolving credit in 12 months.
- Property charge history: Property taxes, HOA, condominium and PUD fees must be current at application on every property you own, with no delinquencies in 24 months. If hazard insurance lapsed in the last 12 months, prepay a year of coverage by closing.
- The fallback if you miss: Where credit or property charge history falls short and no extenuating circumstances are documented, FHA requires at minimum a fully funded Life Expectancy Set-Aside, a carve-out of your principal limit reserved for taxes and insurance. It protects the loan and shrinks your cash.
A past bankruptcy doesn’t automatically end the conversation, though the underwriter will want it documented. On a forward mortgage the clocks run differently, see refinancing after bankruptcy.
How to refinance a reverse mortgage in 5 steps
Plan on five stages in strict order: your lender legally cannot process the file or charge fees until one document is in hand.
1. Run the anti-churning math before anything else
Within three days of your initial application, your lender must give you form HUD-92901, the HECM Anti-Churning Disclosure, showing its best estimate of the total cost, the change in your principal limit, and how much additional money you’d actually receive. A decrease must be shown as a negative number. Read those boxes side by side before agreeing to anything else.
2. Complete HUD-approved counseling, or document the waiver
Counseling is the default, and the certificate is good for 180 days from the session date. You and any non-borrowing spouse may skip it only if all three HUD conditions are met: the original HECM was case-numbered on or after August 4, 2014 and you and any non-borrowing spouse were counseled on it, or the original HECM was case-numbered before that date and there is no applicable non-borrowing spouse; you’ve received form HUD-92901; and your principal limit increase exceeds five times the total cost of the refinancing. A fourth clock sits alongside them: no more than five years may have passed between your original HECM closing and this application. That window does not restart with each refinance.
3. Let the lender order the case number and appraisal
Your lender cannot charge fees or begin processing until it holds the signed, dated Certificate of HECM Counseling, so it follows step 2 rather than running alongside. FHA won’t issue a new case number if the existing case is terminated or already due and payable. The appraisal ordered here is valid 180 days from its effective date.
4. Clear the financial assessment
An underwriter measures credit, property charge history and residual income against the standards above and decides whether a set-aside is required. This is where a LESA gets attached, and where your quoted number most often changes.
5. Close, then let the rescission period run
At closing the new HECM pays off the old balance and any eligible liens, and the settlement statement must show every prior lien satisfied or subordinated. A federal rescission period follows, and annual mortgage insurance starts accruing the day after it expires. Other timelines govern other scenarios, see our refinance situations hub.
How does HUD measure the five-times counseling test?
The test compares two numbers from the anti-churning disclosure, and 24 CFR 206.53 defines both. The “total cost of the refinancing” is the sum of the charges and fees allowed under 24 CFR 206.31 plus the initial mortgage insurance premium on the new loan. The “increase in principal limit” is the estimated initial principal limit on the new HECM minus the current principal limit on the HECM being paid off. Neither number is the cash you walk away with, and neither is the change in your appraisal.
The multiple itself is not written into the statute. Section 1715z-20(k)(3) of Title 12 lets a borrower waive counseling only when the increase exceeds the total cost “by an amount to be determined by the Secretary,” along with the disclosure and five-year conditions. The regulation adds that HUD sets that amount by Federal Register notice and must publish any revised amount at least 30 days before it takes effect. HUD adopted five times the total cost in its March 25, 2004 interim rule. According to that rule’s preamble, two commenters argued the threshold would require a very large increase in the principal limit and asked HUD to lower it; HUD kept the five-times figure.
Two HUD documents word the test slightly differently. The 2004 preamble describes an increase that exceeds five times the total cost, while HUD’s checklist of HECM counseling waiver requirements describes an increase that exceeds the total cost by an amount equal to five times the cost. A file with room under both readings avoids the question.
Hypothetical example, not an offer. Suppose the anti-churning disclosure shows a total cost of $9,000. Five times that cost is $45,000, and the cost plus five times the cost is $54,000.
| Principal limit increase | Against $45,000 and $54,000 | What it means for counseling |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | Below both | Counseling required |
| $50,000 | Above $45,000, below $54,000 | Depends on which wording applies; plan on counseling |
| $70,000 | Above both | Waiver available if the disclosure, prior counseling and five-year conditions are also met |
Source: definitions and waiver conditions, 24 CFR 206.53; threshold wording, HUD, Requirements for HECM Housing Counseling Waiver and 69 FR 15586 (March 25, 2004). Dollar amounts are hypothetical.
When should you refinance a reverse mortgage?
Four triggers account for nearly every HECM refinance worth doing, each with a cost to price first.
| Trigger | What you gain | The cost trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Your home appreciated | A higher maximum claim amount, up to the 2026 ceiling of $1,249,125, lifting your principal limit | Year one caps disbursement at the greater of 60% of the new principal limit or your mandatory obligations plus 10% of that principal limit |
| The expected rate fell | A higher principal limit factor on the same maximum claim amount, and slower balance growth | Rates move both ways; you lock a new fee set chasing a number that can reverse |
| Adding a spouse to the loan | A younger spouse becomes a borrower instead of depending on deferral rules after you die or move out | The factor is set by the youngest borrower, so a younger spouse usually shrinks proceeds |
| Cutting the insurance premium | FHA credits the premium already paid, which can cut the new upfront premium to $0 | The credit is formula-driven and never refunded in cash |
Notice what’s missing: needing cash this month. Counseling, appraisal and underwriting all stand between you and the money. If the goal is repairs or accessibility work, compare this against a conventional refinance in refinancing for home improvements and read using home equity wisely.
What does a reverse mortgage refinance cost?
The origination fee is capped at $6,000, on a formula fixed by regulation: the greater of $2,500, or 2% of the first $200,000 of your maximum claim amount plus 1% of anything above that. On a home appraised at $400,000 in Waterford, that’s $4,000 plus $2,000, exactly the ceiling.3
Mortgage insurance is the bigger line, and it’s where refinancing earns money back. FHA charges an upfront premium of 2% of the maximum claim amount and an annual premium of 0.50% of the outstanding balance. On a HECM-to-HECM refinance, HUD caps the new upfront premium at 3% of the increase in maximum claim amount, minus the premium already paid on the loan you’re replacing.
Run that $400,000 example against an original HECM with a $300,000 maximum claim amount, which carried a $6,000 upfront premium. The cap is 3% of the $100,000 increase, or $3,000, minus that $6,000. A negative number, so the new upfront premium is $0 instead of the $8,000 a first-time HECM would owe. HUD is explicit that there is no refund when the old premium exceeds the new one.
The rest are ordinary. Appraisal, title, recording and the counseling fee, which your lender may not pay for you. One cost disappears entirely: HECM refinances require neither FHA condominium project approval nor single-unit approval.
Which charges can a lender add to a HECM refinance?
Beyond the origination fee, 24 CFR 206.31 allows a HECM lender to collect only reasonable and customary amounts, and never more than it actually paid, for a set list of items: recording fees and recording taxes, a credit report, a survey if the lender or borrower requires one, title examination, the lender’s title insurance, the fee for the initial appraisal, and flood certification. Our guides to why title insurance matters and the home appraisal process explain what those two larger items buy.
The same section, 24 CFR 206.31(a)(1), says the origination fee may be fully financed with the mortgage, and that HUD may raise the $6,000 ceiling by notice in line with the Consumer Price Index, but only in $500 steps and only when the index increase produces more than $500. If the home needs repairs after closing to meet FHA standards, the lender may also charge a repair administration fee for each occurrence of up to the greater of 1.5 percent of the amount advanced for repairs or $50, added to the loan balance. For how these items compare with a forward loan, see refinancing closing costs.
The upfront premium cap does not always reach $0. Hypothetical example, not an offer. Say the original HECM had a $200,000 maximum claim amount and an upfront premium of $1,000 was paid on it, and the new HECM’s maximum claim amount is $350,000. Three percent of the $150,000 increase is $4,500; minus the $1,000 already paid, the cap is $3,500. A first-time HECM at 2% of $350,000 would owe $7,000, so on this refinance the cap under 24 CFR 206.53(c) limits the new upfront premium to $3,500. Our mortgage insurance guide covers how FHA premiums work on forward loans.
When refinancing a reverse mortgage is the wrong move
If your principal limit increase can’t come to more than five times the transaction cost, HUD’s own waiver test says the deal is thin, a useful screen even when you plan to attend counseling anyway. Lenders in Align’s network decline most refinances inside 18 months of the prior closing for the same reason: the fees rarely earn themselves back that fast.
- The balance grows either way: Roll costs into the new loan and the origination fee, title work and premiums start accruing interest plus 0.50% annual insurance, shrinking what’s left for heirs.
- Selling may beat refinancing: If you plan to move within a few years, a refinance buys fees you’ll never amortize, see selling a home with a reverse mortgage.
- A forward loan may be the better exit: Some homeowners refinance out of a HECM entirely, swapping a growing balance for a required monthly payment, weigh that in home equity loans, pros and cons.
- Doing nothing is a real option: HECM principal limits, fixed and adjustable alike, grow monthly by one-twelfth of the note rate plus the annual insurance rate. Waiting is not losing ground.
What Michigan homeowners should know
Two Michigan property tax rules sit on top of HUD’s requirement that your taxes stay current and the home remain your principal residence.
- The principal residence exemption removes up to 18 mills: Under MCL 211.7cc, a home you own and occupy as your principal residence is exempt from the local school district’s operating levy. File Form 2368 with your assessor by June 1 for the summer levy or November 1 for the winter levy. Losing it raises the very bill your underwriter is measuring.
- Homeowners 62 and older can defer summer taxes to February 15: MCL 211.51 lets a taxpayer 62 or older, including an unremarried surviving spouse of someone 62 at death, with prior-year household income of $40,000 or less defer summer taxes on a principal residence until the following February 15, free of penalty and interest.
- File the deferment by September 15: Intent to defer goes to your local treasurer by September 15, or the date interest or a late penalty would start, whichever is later. A timely deferment is not a delinquency, which matters when your file must show 24 clean months.
What do heirs and a non-borrowing spouse face after a HECM refinance?
A refinance resets the loan, but the rules for when it ends stay the same. Under 24 CFR 206.125, once the loan becomes due the lender notifies HUD within 60 days (30 days for some triggers), then must notify the borrower, any eligible non-borrowing spouse, the estate or the heirs within 30 days. They then have 30 days from that notice to pay the balance, sell, give a deed in lieu of foreclosure or fix the condition that made the loan due. If they sell, closing costs may not exceed the greater of 11 percent of the sales price or a fixed amount HUD sets by notice, and the lender must order an FHA roster appraisal within 30 days of a request tied to a possible sale. Families handling the estate can read selling a home in probate.
A spouse who is not on the loan is the reason many refinances happen, and the counseling rules spell out what that spouse is agreeing to. When a HECM has an eligible non-borrowing spouse, 24 CFR 206.41 requires the counselor to explain that the spouse must obtain ownership of the home or another legal right to stay for life after the last borrower dies, or the loan becomes due and the spouse loses the deferral period. The home must be the spouse’s principal residence before and after the borrower’s death, and the spouse must keep paying property charges and upkeep.
Which Michigan tax credits and warnings matter for a HECM refinance?
Unpaid property charges are one of the two main causes of HECM defaults. GAO reported in September 2019 that the share of HECM terminations caused by borrower defaults rose from 2 percent in fiscal year 2014 to 18 percent in fiscal year 2018, and that most defaults come from unmet occupancy requirements or unpaid property charges. In Michigan, the state’s Homestead Property Tax Credit can return part of that tax bill.
For tax year 2025, Michigan Treasury’s credit information page lists a maximum taxable value of $165,400, a total household resources limit of $71,500, a phase-out that begins when household resources exceed $62,500, and a credit limit of $1,900. Treasury reported on March 6, 2026 that nearly 1.1 million claimants received the credit during the 2025 filing season, about $900 million in all, with an average credit of $820, and that a homeowner may file a credit claim without filing an income tax return. Because the limit is tied to taxable value, our guide to how property tax assessments work and the Michigan property tax calculator help you check where your home sits; the credit is separate from the exemption covered in our homestead exemption guide.
Recording is a small, fixed Michigan cost. A county register of deeds is entitled to $30.00 for entering and recording a document, regardless of the number of pages, under MCL 600.2567, so the new HECM mortgage recorded at closing carries that fee among the recording charges 24 CFR 206.31 allows.
Michigan’s Attorney General also re-issued a reverse mortgage consumer alert on April 29, 2024. Among the warning signs it lists: someone urging a reverse mortgage to pay for expensive repairs or to invest the money in a “sure thing,” and someone persuading a borrower to sign over power of attorney to gain access to the loan money. The Attorney General recommends confirming that the loan is federally insured and that repayment is limited to the value of the home once the loan comes due. If a move is on the table, see downsizing your home.
How Align handles a hard refinance
Low equity, a credit setback or an unusual property can make a refinance look impossible at one lender and workable at another. Lenders add their own rules on top of the program's.
Samantha takes your file to the wholesale lender whose rules fit it, and if waiting is the better move, she tells you that instead.
Already have an offer from your current servicer or one of the big national lenders you see advertised? Bring us the Loan Estimate. We will compare it line by line and show you what each line costs and which ones to ask the other lender about.
FAQ: Refinancing a reverse mortgage
Here are answers to common questions about refinancing a reverse mortgage.
How often can you refinance a reverse mortgage?
There is no HUD-published minimum wait, but in practice lenders in Align’s network look for at least 18 months. Each refinance carries an origination fee of up to $6,000 plus mortgage insurance and closing costs that come out of your equity, and the anti-churning disclosure exists to put that math in front of you within three days. If the increase doesn’t clear the cost by a wide margin, wait. Our refinancing and home equity guide covers how to price one.
Can you add a spouse to an existing reverse mortgage?
Yes, and it’s one of the strongest reasons to refinance. Adding a younger or previously non-borrowing spouse as a borrower protects their right to stay in the home without relying on deferral rules after the older borrower dies or moves out. The trade-off is arithmetic: FHA sets the principal limit factor by the age of the youngest borrower, so a younger spouse usually lowers proceeds. See how reverse mortgages work.
Does refinancing a reverse mortgage affect my heirs?
It changes the balance they inherit, not their options. Heirs still choose between paying off the loan, selling, or handing the home back. A HECM is non-recourse, and when the estate or heirs sell, federal rules cap the required sale price at no more than 95% of appraised value. Rolling costs into a refinance raises the balance accruing interest and 0.50% annual insurance, shrinking the equity left. See selling a home with a reverse mortgage.
What does HUD-approved counseling cover before a reverse mortgage refinance?
A certified counselor reviews your current terms, the proposed terms, all fees, the effect on your equity over time, and your alternatives, including doing nothing or selling. The certificate stays valid 180 days, your lender cannot process or charge a fee until it has the signed copy, and interested parties are barred from attending. HUD’s Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program page lists approved counselors, and using home equity wisely covers what to bring.
Can you refinance a reverse mortgage into a regular mortgage?
Yes. A forward mortgage, cash-out refinance or home equity line of credit can pay off a HECM, and 24 CFR 206.209 lets you repay a HECM in full or in part at any time without charge or penalty. The new lender underwrites you like any forward borrower, on income, credit and debt-to-income ratio, because a required monthly payment replaces the deferred balance. Our HELOC guide compares one of those exits.
Is money from a reverse mortgage refinance taxable income?
Generally no. IRS Publication 936 (2025) says reverse mortgages are considered loan advances and not income, so the amount you receive isn’t taxable. It adds that, generally, interest accrued on a reverse mortgage is considered interest on home equity debt and isn’t deductible. Our guide to mortgage interest deductions explains the general rules, and a tax professional can apply them to you.
How do I find a HUD-approved reverse mortgage counselor?
Call (800) 569-4287, the number the CFPB reverse mortgage discussion guide gives for finding a HUD-approved counselor. Under 24 CFR 206.41, the lender must also hand you a list of approved counselors and their agencies at your first contact, and any non-borrowing owner of the home must be counseled too. The counselor must ask whether you signed a contract with an estate planning service firm that charges fees above what HUD allows.
Can you cancel a reverse mortgage refinance after closing?
Usually, yes. HUD requires a HECM to be on your principal residence, so the federal right to rescind applies. A lump-sum fixed-rate HECM is closed-end credit under 12 CFR 1026.23; an adjustable HECM line of credit is open-end credit under 12 CFR 1026.15. Either way you have three business days, counted from the last of closing, the rescission notice and the required disclosures, to cancel in writing. The lender must refund what you paid within 20 calendar days.
The bottom line on refinancing a reverse mortgage
Refinancing a reverse mortgage replaces your existing HECM with a new one, and in 2026 FHA will insure that loan against a maximum claim amount of up to $1,249,125. You must be 62 or older at closing, occupy the home as your principal residence, and pass a financial assessment built on 12 months of clean credit and 24 months of current property charges. HUD sets no minimum seasoning period, but lenders in Align’s network generally want 18 months, and the counseling waiver applies only when your principal limit increase exceeds five times the transaction cost, within five years of your original closing. That five-times test is the honest screen.4
If you’re ready to find out whether refinancing beats what you already have, talk to Align Lending. We’ll shop your scenario across our lender network and put the numbers side by side before you spend a dollar on an appraisal. Call 248-506-5727 or start online. AARP’s reverse mortgage guide for older homeowners is a useful second opinion.
Footnotes:
1. Align Lending is not acting on behalf of or at the direction of FHA or HUD. The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage is an FHA-insured program administered by HUD, and program rules, limits and premiums are set by HUD and subject to change. Return to text.
2. The HECM maximum claim amount is reset by HUD each January 1 and applies to FHA case numbers assigned during that calendar year. The $1,249,125 figure applies to case numbers assigned January 1 through December 31, 2026, per HUD’s annual HECM limits Mortgagee Letter, which sets the maximum claim amount at 150% of Freddie Mac’s national conforming limit. Confirm the current-year figure on HUD’s FHA mortgage limits lookup before relying on it. Return to text.
3. Example figures in this article are hypothetical and for educational purposes only; they do not constitute an advertisement of credit terms or a rate quote under federal or state lending laws. Your maximum claim amount, principal limit, origination fee and mortgage insurance premium depend on your appraised value, your age, the expected average mortgage interest rate at closing, and your lender’s pricing. Return to text.
4. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Whether reverse mortgage interest is deductible, how a refinance interacts with your estate plan, and how property tax exemptions or deferments apply all depend on your individual circumstances. Consult a qualified tax professional and, where estate questions are involved, an attorney. Return to text.
Sources: HECM maximum claim amount set at 150% of Freddie Mac’s national conforming limit and published for each calendar year, HUD’s annual HECM limits Mortgagee Letter (the calendar year 2025 amount of $1,209,750 was set by Mortgagee Letter 2024-22) and HUD’s FHA mortgage limits lookup at entp.hud.gov; the corresponding calendar year 2026 amount is $1,249,125. 2026 baseline conforming loan limit of $832,750 for one-unit properties and the 150% ceiling of $1,249,125, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026. Minimum borrower age of 62 as of the closing date with no maximum age, principal residence definition, HECM Refinance definition and standard, counseling waiver conditions and the five-year window, anti-churning disclosure form HUD-92901 delivered within three days of initial application, 180-day validity of the Certificate of HECM Counseling, restriction on charging fees or processing before the certificate is received, prohibition on mortgagees paying counseling agencies, exclusion of interested parties from counseling sessions, principal limit and principal limit factor mechanics, monthly principal limit growth, initial disbursement limit of the greater of 60% of the principal limit or mandatory obligations plus 10% of the principal limit, satisfactory credit history and satisfactory property charge payment history standards, Life Expectancy Set-Aside requirements, exemption of HECM refinances from condominium project and single-unit approval, upfront mortgage insurance premium of 2% of the maximum claim amount, the HECM-to-HECM initial mortgage insurance premium limit of 3% of the increase in maximum claim amount less the premium previously paid, the no-refund rule, and the monthly mortgage insurance premium of one-twelfth of 0.50% of the outstanding balance, HUD Handbook 4000.1, FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook, Section II.B (Reverse Mortgages). Loan origination fee limit of the greater of $2,500 or 2% of the maximum claim amount of $200,000 plus 1% of the portion above $200,000, not to exceed $6,000, 24 CFR 206.31. Refinancing a HECM, the anti-churning disclosure, the initial mortgage insurance premium limit and the conditions for waiving counseling, 24 CFR 206.53; counseling requirement, 24 CFR 206.41. The waiver threshold itself is set by HUD rather than by regulation text: HUD adopted a threshold satisfied when the increase in the borrower’s principal limit exceeds five times the total cost of the refinancing, HUD interim rule, Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Program; Insurance for Mortgages To Refinance Existing HECMs, 69 FR 15586 (March 25, 2004). Statutory age definition and the refinancing counseling waiver conditions, 12 U.S.C. 1715z-20. Sale by the estate or heirs at not more than 95% of appraised value, 24 CFR 206.125. Michigan principal residence exemption from the local school district operating levy, filing deadlines of June 1 and November 1, and Form 2368, MCL 211.7cc and Michigan Department of Treasury, Principal Residence Exemption. Deferment of summer property taxes until February 15 for taxpayers 62 and older with prior-year total household income of $40,000 or less, and the September 15 filing deadline, MCL 211.51.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, financial, or tax advice. HECM program rules, lending limits, mortgage insurance premiums and Michigan property tax deadlines change and vary by borrower, property and county; confirm your figures with your lender, your HUD-approved counselor and your local assessor, and consult a qualified professional about your situation. Figures shown are illustrative, are not a rate quote or an offer of credit, and are subject to change. Align Lending is an independent Michigan mortgage broker, NMLS #2041154.
Sources
Every outside source this guide links to, in the order it appears. How we choose and check sources
- The CFPB’s explanation of how reverse mortgages workConsumer Financial Protection Bureau
- HUD’s FY 2025 annual report to Congress on the Mutual Mortgage Insurance FundU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- 24 CFR 206.53Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- Section 1715z-20(k)(3) of Title 12law.cornell.edu
- March 25, 2004 interim rulegovinfo.gov
- HUD’s checklist of HECM counseling waiver requirementsU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- 24 CFR 206.31Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- Under MCL 211.7ccMichigan Legislature
- MCL 211.51 letsMichigan Legislature
- 24 CFR 206.125Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- 24 CFR 206.41Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- GAO reported in September 2019gao.gov
- Michigan Treasury’s credit information pageState of Michigan
- March 6, 2026State of Michigan
- MCL 600.2567Michigan Legislature
- April 29, 2024State of Michigan
- HUD’s Home Equity Conversion Mortgage programU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- 24 CFR 206.209Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- IRS Publication 936 (2025)Internal Revenue Service
- CFPB reverse mortgage discussion guideConsumer Financial Protection Bureau
- 12 CFR 1026.23Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- 12 CFR 1026.15Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- AARP’s reverse mortgage guide for older homeownersAARP
- Per HUD’s annual HECM limits Mortgagee Letter, which setsU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026Federal Housing Finance Agency
- HUD Handbook 4000.1U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Michigan Department of Treasury, Principal Residence ExemptionState of Michigan


