[Harlan]

A reverse mortgage may be handy for some homeowners, particularly senior citizens, who have some equity to cash out on. This allows them to remain at home without making regular monthly mortgage payments. However, it has its share of advantages and disadvantages.

Here’s a breakdown:

Advantages of a Reverse Mortgage: A reverse mortgage is a helpful financial product to the borrowers in the following ways:

No Monthly Mortgage Payments:

• One area where the reverse mortgage alleviates the burden on the borrowers is that there are no monthly payments on the mortgage loans taken over the property.
• Instead, the borrower settles the mortgage together with the interest due.
• The reverse mortgage is due whenever the house is sold, he relocates to a different property, or when the borrower dies.

Availability of Home Equity:

• The reverse mortgage facility is helpful to people who want to realize a portion of their home equity.
• This would help them get either a monthly income or a total lump sum that the older needy would require for bills, food, etc., to reduce debt or to renovate the house.

Stay in Place:

• Homeowners are given direct incentives to stay in their homes without selling them or buying fewer houses.
• Suppose there are no missed conditions regarding the prerequisites for keeping the house, no overdue rates or insurance.
• The owner stays in the house as a builder.
• In that case, the reverse mortgage shall be in effect.

Flexible Payment Plan:

• Also, how the spouses want to pay these premiums is up to them as homeowners.
• This includes salary payments, receiving the funds in one lump sum, installment payments, and other payback methods.
• Payment can be made easily on an installment basis without defaults in the organized schedule.
• Spread the content over facilities to a particular ceiling.
• Therefore, the homeowner can exploit the facilities within the stipulated periods for funds.
• Use any of these kinds of mix cheaper options.

Definition of Non-Recourse Loan:

• A reverse mortgage is not a recourse mortgage loan.
• Suppose the house is sold to pay off the mortgage.
• The mortgage loan balance exceeded the amount the property could sell.
• In that case, the homeowner or their state will not be responsible for any amount greater than the house’s value.
• The homeowner’s funds can cover the gap.

Possessing no Impact on Social Security or Medicare-Related Benefits:

• The money usually received during the reverse mortgage is normally regarded as cash.
• It has no relation to income.
• Nor does it come into play when determining Social Security and Medicare benefits.
• Nevertheless, it may influence their eligibility for certain low-income programs such as Medicaid.

Negative Effects of Reverse Mortgage Available: Decreasing Home Equity Takeout:

• A reverse mortgage might generate proceeds.
• You may mortgage worth a part of the equity already paid up on the house, reducing the equity available to you and your children in the progeny.
• Mortgages, just like gravy boats, have an ordering effect.
• So, while paying off a balance on a reverse mortgage, interest usually eats up more of the house debt than of the house value for the trial era, than those who have dominated over and above some use of the house they want a mortgage.

Loan Repayment Patters:

• A mortgage will need to be paid back under the following circumstances.
• The debt is a guaranteed loan that severely reverts spur on one’s repayment.
• The home is lost or the owner or a long absence from the home, such as staying in a nursing home for more than one year.
• At this point, the outstanding mortgage claim.
• Plus, interest and costs incurred are attributed to the investment in question.

The proceeds from assets that include a portion of a house (home equity) that has to be available over a period to accommodate some of these may make the owners sell their houses or the next of kin if there is not enough income and investments to pay the said amount.

Upfront and Ongoing Costs:

• Cashing out a first home equity line of credit disaster also involves unknown costs.
• An origination fee, the insurance attached to home equity conversion mortgages, and the settlement fee are also included.
• The worth of money that a property owner stands to get against the property may be greatly eroded.
• Nevertheless, other payments are made frequently while obtaining what has been borrowed at an interest.
• Other expenses, such as an inspection, will be needed to improve and maintain the building’s condition.

Complexity and Risk of Scams:

Most inhabitants are probably oblivious about what retired repayment instant mortgages are since they can be mistaken as very cash products. Few people are willing to confess that they were scammed in instances of sociological experiments targeting older clientele. Thus, it is important to seek the services of qualified mortgage and financial professionals.

Impact on Heirs:

When a homeowner dies, the event triggers the reverse mortgage repayment. This can be repaid by selling the outside. This makes the process of succession not easy. The successors are likely to benefit less than what is from the house.

In certain instances, the legal heirs will be given the right to repay the debt to the lender and keep the house. Such a right may last only briefly or put the heirs under economic strain.

No Recourse Recovery:

Once a reverse mortgage is taken against a home, its owners must fulfill its obligations. Examples include repaying property taxes, homeowners insurance, or even house repairs. This has become optional for the homeowner. This is even worse for homeowners whose sources of income are remunerations since they will have a hard time making these payments for an extended period.

Eligibility for Medicaid

Payments on reverse mortgage loans do not tend to negatively impact people’s Social Security benefits or tax health insurance. However, they will affect people’s chances of qualifying for Medicaid if the money is not spent by a certain time. Other money received from a reverse mortgage could also be included in the homeowner’s income, which might lead to the loss of Medicaid services because the person exceeded the financial resources allowed under those treatments.

Who Benefits Most From a Reverse Mortgage?

Homeowners over 62 years of age with homes devoid of a mortgage. Or those who want to stay in their homes despite having equity on offer otherwise. Such people are property-poor but income-poor and want to top up their retirement income with reverse mortgages.

Such people include homeowners who expect that their house will be worth enough to treat it as a long-term residence and those who can bear the expense of tax and insurance.

Who Are There Whom It Is Not Helpful To Go For A Reverse Mortgage?

• Some homeowners want to provide all their property value to their children.
• While most families are self-sufficient.
• Some family members may sometimes need assistance managing the house.
• Otherwise, the mortgagee can be auctioned off due to the delinquency.
• The owners of homes always tend to change occupations and, hence, sell their properties first.
• In other words, that would mean that the reverse mortgage should have been paid in full.
• This is so much that it wouldn’t be worth the trouble.

A reverse mortgage is a reliable option for making all home equity available to retirees without many monotonous moves. However, there are also costs and risks. Thinking of a reverse mortgage should be the last resort unless after evaluating cash flow, aims, and prospects.

[Harlan]

Do note however, that the FHA 203(k) rehab loan is primarily directed to owner-occupants rather than investment properties. Following are the main issues :

Primary Residence Requirement

• FHA 203(k) loan is meant specifically for an owner occupant who buys the property and lives in it.
• You have to take occupancy of the house within sixty days of closing in order to keep an owner equity status.
• You’ve got to keep that for a period of 12 months or more.

Exceptions for Multi-Unit Properties

• In case of multi-unit properties, where there are 2-4 units, you can occupy one of the units and rent the remaining ones out.
• This gives a degree of rental property while satisfying owner-occupancy provision.

Not for Pure Investment Properties:

• The loan is not applied to the properties for which the sole purpose is to rent or flip.

Limited 203(k) Option:

• There is a much simplified procedure.
• FHA 203k Streamline loans is meant for moderate level restoration in primary residence.
• But this still suggests the owner would occupy the property.

Alternatives for Investors

If investors are planning to purchase and do some renovations on properties might want to look at the conventional renovation loans or hard money loans.

Future Conversion

After the requisite years the house occupants will have lived there, they may choose to convert the house to a rental but that is not what the purpose of the loan was.

Benefits for Owner-Occupants:

• A lower percentage of the property’s value must be given as deposit (down payment) requirement.
• A more relaxed approach towards the owner-occupants’ credit history and debt –to-income (DTI) score as compared to the standard mortgages.
• The power to combine both the acquisition and rehabilitation of the property in one mortgage.

Restrictions:

• They do not support lavish details.
• A span of at most six months is allowed following the closing date within which improvements should commence.
• Where the FHA 203 k loan is helpful to home owners intending to remodel and improve their dwelling which is their primary residence, the same cannot be said for investors regular financing for their projects.
• On the off chance that you are considering this loan, it would silence the valuable customers and buyers in dispute legally since they would have to pledge their past assets.

[Harlan]

It should be noted that while assessing the existing situation of gold and silver prices, it is necessary to evaluate these aspects from structural factors. The economic, geopolitical, and market ones provide a basis for the above dynamics. Silver and gold are seen as haven investments. They are subject to changes in investors’ sentiments, the demand and supply basics, and economic factors. Listed below are some of the most significant elements that are experienced during the trading and price setting of gold and silver:

Fundamentals: Supply and Demand

Exploiting the increased demand for gold or silver in electrical or structural usages may tackle the risk of demand, stuffing new memories. Or cutting tools beyond the extraction of delay.

Gold is comparatively less used in industries. However, spray-can gold in aerosol is widely used in jewelry and investment markets.

Both metals are falling economically free states that gold or silver can protect one from inflation. Hence, investors buy gold or silver, creating price volatility.

Inflation and changes in the currency competence

While it is commonly known that fiat currencies lose value due to inflation, the prospect of investing in gold and silver becomes more attractive. During periods of inflation, not only do gold prices increase, but there are also increases in silver prices as these metals become sought after by investors trying to shield their wealth from further depreciation.

The prices of gold and silver are subjected to many changes, too, since some factors affecting those prices include shifting exchange rates. In this case, dollar changes are much more important. Most of this is because these metals are dollar-denominated; therefore, whenever there is a weak dollar, the prices of these metals become lower for international markets, and thus, there are more sales, and the pricing goes up. Daughters lament over the helplessness of their forced body husbands, such as Anton, over the demand problems, anger over the sky, and hence price reduction.

Interest Rates

Gold and silver prices move in the opposite direction to interest rates. In the market, and especially for investors, the most common thing that tends to get disposed of first when rates go to the upper part of the curve is gold, which is not linked to any income since there is no rent note receivable. Hence, there is a chance that gold and silver prices will fall if the rates increase. On the other hand, downgrading the current interest levels increases the depreciation of gold and silver, meaning that they do not attract a preferred rate of interest, directly augmenting the stock of gold.

Geopolitical and Economic Uncertainty Political turmoil, such as during the civil war or economic depression, tends to foster commodity affection, particularly in gold and silver. In unfortunate cases where money is wrong, the rich may sometimes run to the expensive metal, increasing its prices. Crisis in the financial system: availability worries about serious and proper measures that may be taken against people or even tenants of trading areas compel import quotations of gold price adjuster. Central Bank Policies and Reserves Central banks hold large amounts of gold, most of which are not in circulation, and the open activities of the market they make can influence the price. They often begin to buy more gold to diversify their reserves and create hedging mechanisms from currency risks that drive prices higher. Quite similarly, such monetary policies pursued by the power blocs, including quantitative easing or tightening, will affect gold and silver pricing through the expectation of inflation and interest rates. Global Economic Data Investment psychology is affected by economic fundamentals like GDP growth, employment levels, and consumer confidence. Lowering economic data would increase the demand for gold and silver. Market participants always try to shield themselves against losses during recessionary periods.

Conversely, if economic data is appealing, investors are less likely to acquire precious metals as they are more willing to take on riskier assets like stocks.

Market Speculation and Investor Sentiment

Speculative activities within the gold and silver markets also create short-term price movements. Traders interpret the news and seek speculative gains with great risks when purchasing or selling stocks to realize profits. This is because most traders anticipate some price changes.

Economic conditions, geopolitical relations, and recent developments in the stock market also play a major role in minor investments in precious metals. Uncertainty is the main engine of the appetite for both metals, whose prices increase. At the same time, the reverse trend occurs with favorable market aspects for such metals.

U.S. Dollar Conundrum

The price trends for gold and silver usually show a reverse correlation with the rate of the U.S. dollar. The prices for gold and silver usually decline when a strong dollar is circulating in the economy. This is because it reduces the purchasing power of electrum in the foreign markets, lowering demand. A low dollar-rate policy might not consistently benefit the price levels of gold and silver.

Gold and Silver ETFs and Derivatives

Prices are also prone to influences from gold—or silver-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and the futures and options market. Gold ETFs such as SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) or silver ETFs such as iShares Silver Trust (SLV) provide means for trading gold or silver. This increases liquidity and thus drives prices up under surge buying forces.

Mining Costs and Supply Constraints

Silver mining is a cofactor that greatly affects the pricing of both metals. When the production cost has a different setback, such as human resource problems, the rising cost of electricity, or the conservation of Mother Earth, there is likely to be a shortfall. This is especially true of the amount of gold or silver produced, inducing a price surge.

However, technological advances that reduce the cost of extracting the material or create additional supply may increase the level of competition and thereby dampen prices.

Industrial Use (Silver dominates)

Silver is used in a larger percentage of various industries than gold. This makes silver’s price elasticity more responsive to changes in demand from industries like electronics and implants than gold. Prices may go up drastically due to high industrial demand. That vice is absent. The price gets high and low. Such methods influence the extraction and refining of silver or its products, impacting silver prices.

Jewelry Demand

The consumption of gold and silver in jewelry also helps determine the prices of these metals. For example, in India and China, where the traditions of gold decoration are strong, much attention is paid to these metals. There are also price trends. Such as increased prices because of increased sales of gold and silver jewelry during Christmas or wedding seasons.

The last pressure that can be classified includes gold and silver price setters whose actions integrate the current market conditions and developed events in the external world, market measures, and investors’ sentiment. Aspects like inflationary pressures and interest rates, geopolitical factors, and the strength of currencies are the major factors determining precious metals’ price trends. Therefore, these factors offer investors knowledge of the direction followed by the search for precious metals in the market.

[Harlan]

I appreciate you for providing wildfire zone maps and details which you have regarding California homebuyers, more specifically, Orange County. This is crucial for anyone considering acquiring property in that very difficult zone. Though I do not wish only to present the issues that they are particularly interested in if you allow me, I would seek to state the issues and, at the same time, their highlights.

Fire Hazard Severity Zones: These zones on the map tend to combust. This is not the case in normal circumstances. This is mostly attributed to climatic conditions, plants, and landforms. It spans the two extremes of the urban-rural continuum. The most important criteria to be borne in mind by any potential homeowner:

In case of Fire hazard level, verify the property’s high fire hazard zone according to the CAL FIRE map or if a realtor’s opinion is required.

The policies available to protect such houses from wildland fire damage should be sufficient. However, extra insurance and expenditure might be needed.

Fire-resistant characteristics: Instead of using timber-framed house roofs that easily catch fire, these buildings should possess concrete or metal roof coverings with bent edges. Combustible areas around the house: Farmers’ clear-tilled strips should not be inhabited by tree growth or anything combustible.

Community activities: It is important to understand if building such housing areas also has fire break measures for that housing development.

Familiarity with the evacuation routes: Know the way, and let it be possible that if, at a particular time, one needs to take certain action, one has the means of conceiving such action.

Additional processes are warranted for buying in fire-habitual areas. These steps are usually less complicated than they can be perceived if the buyer is well-prepared and understands the risks involved.

Such particulars are important for prospective home buyers in states like California or with similar flatlands. They warn them to learn more about the surrounding area and always seek more information, especially in these areas.

[Harlan]

It is quite upsetting how the abovementioned factors affect older adults in the present world. All their lives, they worked hard, pulled up families, and helped insert into society. They need and deserve fair treatment and good safety. The troubling aspect, such as neglect, financial abuse, or even violation of agreements, which you pointed out regarding senior living centers, does not mean that there are problems with the facilities alone—the act of wellness abuse towards older people.

Elder financial exploitation: Concerns related to the future finances of older people.

Most elderly individuals are very susceptible to financial crimes, scams, and even mistreatment by immoral family members or unethical businesses. Most of these would make them bankrupt after years of building up their fortunes and effective self-control over their spending.

Broken standards from Senior facilities:

The senior living centers now prefer the title’ life care provider,’ where they endorse a status to the patient. A prisoner’s purgatory comes when an older adult has reached the end of their finances or the institutional spirit has turned cancerous. This ostracizing of the older generation in such cases, be it through removal or neglect, is not unethical; it is a violation of human rights.

Healthcare Access and Quality:

Humiliating or deserving contempt. However, many elders are still unable to seek appropriate healthcare or find it lacking such care. They continue tackling the crises of underfunded or mismanaged homes. They yearn for and desire cure, healing, and treatment. The mechanism is usually delivered as there is no such mechanism. Therefore, it only overcomplicates the matter.

Lack of Social Support:

Aging people live in isolation, and most of the senior population experiences a shortage of social interaction. Their relatives often are not available or busy with other things. If offensive or undesired, attempts to seek help from the analytics and additional services directed toward such individuals can be fruitless.

Solutions and Advocacy:

Policy Changes: More exacting provisions concerning nursing facilities, eligibility criteria, and the appointment of a financial guardian for aged persons must be advocated for. Further rules should be established to ensure that companies respect life contracts and provide the care and assistance the individual should receive, regardless of their income.

Community Support: Barrier-free communication facilities for older people must be upheld, and supportive care services, such as advocating for them in legal and monetary issues, must be provided. This will maintain and promote their health.

Legal Protections: Older persons should be adequately shielded against the effects of competitors or other external market forces engaging in financial and commercial abuses. This will require implementing existing legislation to prevent known and accepted forms of financial victimization and adopting novel legislation to combat emerging forms of exploitation within society.

More to come:

Love and respect from people must be reserved for older adults who have lived a meaningful life only. In an aging society, however, it becomes more important to design structures that will protect older adults, allowing them to have a stress-free older age and prevent a situation where older people are abused or ostracized. We share that I care about this particular issue. However, what is of great concern is that this is a current problem and will need more effort to help change how society looks after those who have contributed to building the world we all live in today.

[Harlan]

Thank you for providing those details regarding Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto on AB 1840. This is a welcome change in how racing issues, housing policy, and immigration policies are addressed in California. I want to summarise the arguments as follows:

Bill AB 1840:

This was to increase the scope of California’s Dream for All program

Illegal immigrants would have been brought into the outside

This would have been targeted at preventing a person from being inadmissible from the CalHFA program simply because of being a foreigner

The perspective of Newsom’s veto:

Justified that there was too little money, that would be a no-door one available for the program

Said there were higher level issues of the state budget which would lessen the scope of increasing the eligibility aspect of the program.

They are largely focused on the judicious depletion and conservation of existing and available resources.

THIRD WAY HOUSING TRUST (TH2):

Assistance in purchasing homes was only limited to this agency, so the bill got stuck on purchasing a home.

Article 36 in context – broader context:

This pronouncement processes their ability to remain broke while accommodating a debtor sociably.

That position focuses on/elaborates on the lopsidedness of the discourse on resources and immigration policy in a social policy debate in California.

In this instance, the veto further demonstrates the interrelations between housing policy, immigration policy, and budgetary restrictions within California. It explains why finances limit policies like offering services to illegal immigrants in the so-called immigration-friendly states.

Still, it should be noted that regardless of this particular prohibition on expansion, California has chosen programs and policies that support illegal migrants in one way or another. So, in a way, his ruling seems to be restrictive in nature with regard to budgetary allocation alone, not so much immigration policy.

If there are people who are more interested in and focused on the housing policies in the state of California or any immigration issues, then this development would be worth attention since it could contribute to future policies and discussions in these directions.

[Harlan]

Who is Kamala Harris? This is the question John Stossel asks. Kamala Harris strongly banned fracking. Kamala Harris wanted universal government Healthcare. Now, she doesn’t support government Healthcare. She wanted to defund the police. She wanted government benefits for illegal immigrants. Now, she wants to enforce the border and deport illegal immigrants. She wants us to be woke. Not that she’s against it. Kamala Harris wanted to exercise executive power and confiscate our guns the day she got elected President. Now she’s pro-Second Amendment. She believed in censorship and is now a proponent of the First Amendment. Who’s Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris is the world’s biggest hypocrite and liar on planet EARTH.

https://youtu.be/WWyE-zUL_sA?si=hd9pTAwEbiJAasN8

[Harlan]

Here’s a video about dumb, ego-driven cops owned by higher authorities.

https://youtu.be/DQtexQba5pw?si=FSkvHF8UoEBMEuxM

• This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by  Harlan.

[Harlan]

Silver price per ounce broke 30 dollars. Seems like it’s on a strong upswing.