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HECM for Purchase

Buy your next home without a monthly mortgage payment.

If you're 62 or older, a HECM for Purchase lets you buy a new primary residence using a combination of your own funds and reverse mortgage proceeds, with no required monthly mortgage payment on the new home. You still pay property taxes, homeowner's insurance, and maintenance.

The Basics

What a HECM for Purchase is.

It's one transaction that combines buying a home and setting up a reverse mortgage. Instead of paying all cash or taking on a traditional loan with monthly payments, you put down a portion of your own funds and the FHA-insured HECM covers the rest.

The result is a home you own, in your name, with no required monthly principal and interest payment. As with any HECM, you remain responsible for property taxes, homeowner's insurance, and keeping the home maintained, and it must be your primary residence. This is not a commitment to lend.

Most people use it when they're already planning to move, so the sale of the current home and the purchase of the new one line up naturally.

Who Uses It

Three common reasons.

01
RightsizingA home that fits this stage of life

Moving to something single-level, lower-maintenance, or closer to the things that matter, without taking on a new monthly mortgage payment.

02
RelocatingCloser to family

Buying near children or grandchildren, often in a different town or state, while keeping more of the proceeds from the previous home.

03
Preserving savingsBuying without depleting savings

Purchasing the next home without draining retirement accounts or paying all cash, so more of your savings stays invested and available.

How It Works

Down payment plus proceeds.

You bring a down payment from your own funds, typically the proceeds from selling your current home, and the reverse mortgage covers the balance of the purchase price. The amount the HECM covers depends on the age of the youngest borrower, the home's value, and rates at the time.

The structure, plainly

Think of it as meeting in the middle. Instead of financing the whole purchase and making payments, or paying entirely in cash, you split it: your down payment plus the HECM proceeds together fund the home.

  • Buy with a larger down payment, smaller cash outlay, or both
  • No required monthly mortgage payment on the new home
  • Keep more cash in savings for retirement
  • Must become your primary residence
  • Available for single-family homes and FHA-approved condos
  • You still pay taxes, insurance, and maintenance
Example calculation
Purchase price$400,000
Borrower age72
Reverse mortgage covers$147,200
Required down payment$252,800
vs. paying all cashKeep $147,200
Monthly mortgage payment$0

Example uses a 72-year-old and a $400,000 home for illustration. Actual amounts vary by age, appraised value, rates, and program at the time of application. Not a commitment to lend.

Your Estimate

See how the split works.

Two ways to look at the same loan. Pick the one that matches the conversation you are having, then move the sliders.

HECM for Purchase

Purchase Worksheet

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Home you can buy
$0

Down payment, the buyer's cash Reverse mortgage, no monthly payment
No required monthly mortgage payment

One Thing To Know

The process has one key difference.

A standard HECM refinance comes with a three-day right of rescission after closing. That right does not apply to HECM for Purchase transactions, because it's a purchase, most fund at closing, the same as any home purchase.

Everything else follows the same consumer protections as any FHA-insured HECM, including mandatory independent HUD-approved counseling before you apply. I help you schedule that early so it never slows the file down.

For Agents

Your 62+ buyers have more purchasing power than you think.

If you work with buyers 62 and older, a HECM for Purchase can widen what they can comfortably afford, without adding a monthly mortgage payment to their retirement budget. That can turn a "we'll pay cash and stretch" conversation into a stronger offer with cash left over.

You don't need to know the product. Send me the scenario, the buyer's age, the target price range, and roughly what they're working with, and I'll tell you quickly whether it fits. I handle the education, counseling, application, and close, and I keep you informed without creating extra work for you.

Get in Touch

See what you could buy.

No cost, no obligation. You talk to me, not a call center, and I respond personally within one business day.

Call Micah See my estimate