 TITLE: Is a Reverse Mortgage Right for You? CONTENT: When It Might Not Be a Good Idea\n--------------------------------\nWhile there are some clear situations where it's worth thinking about a reverse mortgage, in some circumstances it won't make sense at all.\n*   **You're planning to move relatively soon.** If you're not planning to stay in your home for the long term, it may not make sense to get a reverse mortgage because the loan will come due as soon as you move out. Depending on how you've used the money you've received so far, it could be difficult to pay it back. As such, reverse mortgages are best for homeowners who plan to stay in the house for a long time.\n*   **You can't afford upfront and ongoing costs.** If you're struggling to get by financially, paying high closing costs and the ongoing expenses of maintaining the property and paying taxes and insurance may be too much. If the lender notices that you're falling behind, it could require you to pay back the loan immediately.\n*   **You want to leave the home to your children.** If you want your heirs to take over your home after you die, either to live there or to sell it and take the profit, a reverse mortgage will make that difficult to manage. That's especially the case if your estate doesn't have enough assets from other sources to pay back the loan and your children are forced to sell it to pay the debt. END