Property, Vehicles, and Utilities
What if there is a reverse mortgage on the home?
Short answer
A reverse mortgage becomes due when the borrower dies. The estate has options: pay off the loan and keep the home, sell the home and use proceeds to pay off the loan, or let the lender take the home. The estate is…
What this usually means
A reverse mortgage becomes due when the borrower dies. The estate has options: pay off the loan and keep the home, sell the home and use proceeds to pay off the loan, or let the lender take the home. The estate is never responsible for more than the home's value — reverse mortgages are non-recourse loans. Act quickly — lenders typically require a response within 30 days of death.
What to do next
- Start the PathAfter checklist for situation-aware first steps.
- Find California county help for coroner contacts, vital records, cost tools, and paperwork.
- Open the First 72 Hours Call Log before making calls.
- Open the Documents to Find Checklist when you are ready for paperwork.