Contact:
Darryl Hicks, 202-557-3556, dhicks@nrmla.com
National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association
For immediate release
WASHINGTON (March 31, 2025)–Homeowners 62 and older saw their housing wealth decrease by one percent in Q4 2024 to $13.95 trillion, according to the latest quarterly release of the NRMLA/RiskSpan Reverse Mortgage Market Index.
Senior home equity peaked at a record $14.09 trillion in Q2 2024.
The decline in senior home equity was largely attributable to an estimated 0.7 percent (or $118 billion) decrease in home values offset by a 0.9 percent (or $21.1 billion) increase in senior-held mortgage debt.
Riskspan noted that the decline in home equity corresponds to the seasonal downturn in home sales, which typically occurs during the winter months.
“A new study from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College estimates that 30 percent of Americans would consider using their home equity to pay for future long-turn care needs,” said NRMLA President Steve Irwin. “This is encouraging news. The cost of getting in-home care can be significant, even for those who have planned retirement as best as they could.”
About Reverse Mortgages
Reverse mortgages are available to homeowners who are 62 and older with significant home equity. They are a versatile financial tool that seniors can use to borrow against the equity in their home without having to make monthly principal or interest payments as with a traditional “forward” mortgage or a home equity loan. Under a reverse mortgage, funds are advanced to the borrower, and interest accrues, but the outstanding balance is not due until the last borrower leaves the home, sells, or passes away.
To date, more than 1.3 million households have utilized an FHA-insured reverse mortgage to help meet their financial needs. For more information, please visit www.ReverseMortgage.org
About the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association
The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) is the national voice for the industry and represents the lenders, loan servicers, and housing counseling agencies responsible for more than 90 percent of reverse mortgage transactions in the United States. All NRMLA member companies commit themselves to a Code of Ethics & Professional Responsibility. Learn more at www.nrmlaonline.org.
About RiskSpan, Inc.
RiskSpan offers end-to-end solutions for data management, risk management analytics, and visualization on a highly secure, fast, and fully scalable platform that has earned the trust of the industry’s largest firms. Combining the strength of subject matter experts, quantitative analysts, and technologists, the RiskSpan platform integrates a range of data-sets–including both structured and unstructured–and off-the-shelf analytical tools to provide you with powerful insights and a competitive advantage. Learn more at www.riskspan.com.
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