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Gray Power Mortgages: Seniors can increase energy-efficiency with a reverse mortgage
A big concern for seniors these days is the energy-efficiency of their homes. With home energy costs predicted to rise sharply in the coming years, their concerns are valid. Rising energy costs could have an escalating negative impact on those with a fixed income and limited prospects for increasing earnings. Many seniors are also concerned about how climate change threatens the inheritance of their children and grandchildren.
Turns out that those 62 years and older may have a secret weapon at their disposal for financing energy-efficient improvements to their home.
It's called a reverse mortgage.
Although misconceptions and myths abound, more than 300,000 Seniors have enjoyed the benefits of reverse mortgages since their inception in 1986. That number is predicted to grow exponentially with as many as 16,000,000 reverse mortgages executed by 2010.
Reverse mortgages are loans for seniors 62 and over that allow them to convert a portion of their home's equity into tax-free income. The senior is paid by the lender in a lump sum or monthly installments. No payment on the loan is owed as long as the senior lives or no longer uses the home for their primary residence.
Since the loan can be used for any purpose, these funds can be used to off-set energy expenses. Take solar hot water as an example. Solar hot water generation is the low-hanging fruit of solar power's potential for reducing our energy needs. The technology costs a fraction of photovoltaic with a much quicker return on investment. The technology is low-tech with very little moving parts and low-to-no maintenance to be expected for the typical life expectancy of the senior.
The installation of a solar hot water system for the average-sized home in Atlanta would run in the neighborhood of $6,500. $2,000 of that investment can be recaptured through federal energy tax credits [currently good through December, 2008]. So the system ends up costing about $4,500. The pay-off comes in a savings of energy required for hot water production in the 30 - 80 percent range for the homeowner [50% being the average]. The typical installation will pay for itself in as little as 2 years. This with funds that won't be paid back until the senior dies or sells the house. As energy issues grow, a solar hot water system is likely to increase the resale value and decrease time on market for the home, as well. All reasons why solar hot water systems frequently make the top ten lists of things you should do now to save energy. Also reasons why China saw the installation of 30,000,000 solar hot water systems in just the last year.
American Baby Boomers have good reason to be anything but lukewarm on solar hot water. They have been some of the most dramatic change agents the world has seen. Using solutions like reverse mortgages + solar hot water, they can continue to do so. With the leading edge of Boomers turning 62 this year, they are poised to capitalize on this benefit to themselves and the planet in record numbers .
Call it Gray Power Mortgages to the rescue.
Contact me at 404.421.9968 for more information on solar hot water sytems and/or referrals to a reverse mortgage specialist.
Burke Sisco
There's an interesting article in USAToday.com on ecologically minded boomers:
There are now 40 million so-called "green boomers" in the United States, according to a survey being released today by AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons. That's more than half of all boomers, which, at 79 million, make up the largest generation in U.S. history.
"Boomers think 'I want to change the world,' " says Tom Nelson, chief operating officer of AARP. "People want to be a part of something."
We shouldn't be surprised by this. Boomers started the green movement back in the 60's. Then it was flower power. Now it's Gray Power!
Source: USAToday.com, Boomers discover that it's easy being green
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