For the first time in Canadian history, reverse mortgages are now widely available under 4%, further reducing the gap with standard mortgage rates and HELOCs.
Equitable Bank, one of two reverse mortgage banks in the country, slashed rates by 0.50 percentage points on Friday. Its move follows the collapse in market rates, triggered by the topic dominating headlines these days: COVID-19.
Equitable’s 1-year lump-sum reverse mortgage is now available for 3.94%, while its 5-year fixed is 4.24%. Unlike its standard equity release product, this one requires you to borrow a single sum all at once.
The bank’s regular 1-year and 5-year fixed rates, which let you spread out your borrowing over time, are 4.24% and 4.84%. Competitor HomeEquity Bank is at 4.99% and 5.29%, respectively.
Reverse mortgage rates are noticeably higher than regular mortgage rates and that’s always been their knock. But consider this. As recently as one year ago, EQ Bank’s 5-year rate was 6.74%. That’s a 200+ basis point drop.
“We are debunking the view that reverse mortgage rates are too high,” Osman Aziz, Manager of Residential Lending Strategy and Analytics at EQ Bank, told Rates.ca. “This may have been the case in years past, but our latest rate drop continues to keep our pricing comparable to HELOC offerings, and considerably lower than many private financing options,” he said.
Indeed, the lowest reverse mortgage rates are now below most HELOC rates, which average 3.95%. HELOCs, which differ in that they require monthly payments and allow borrowing as needed, are routinely cited as the best credit alternative to a reverse mortgage. The problem is, many seniors who don’t already have a HELOC have difficulty qualifying for one in retirement.
HomeEquity Bank, the other provider of reverse mortgages in Canada, also announced rate reductions last week of up to 0.30 percentage points.
These rate reductions come at a time of record reverse-mortgage growth. Canadian reverse mortgage debt is now at a record $4 billion, up 14% from a year earlier. This growth clip is almost certain to continue, or accelerate, as aging Canadians seek ways to tap the equity they’ve accumulated.
These products might even get a boost from the market sell-off. Using an equity release product can potentially be wiser than selling investments in a bear market. (Speak to your financial advisor to confirm.)
Either way, for people who need liquidity and don’t want to sell their homes, reverse mortgages under 4% present an increasingly persuasive option.