To Reverse Mortgage or Not To Reverse Mortgage

[Kim Handelman]

Hi Everyone,

So this is a real estate question - not for my business but for my family. My mom needs to retire and she can only retire without a mortgage but doesn't have the money to buy outright. She's been told she can get a reverse mortgage. My sister has the money to buy and carry a mortgage. Does it make sense for my sis to buy the property so that when my mom can no longer live alone, she will have a property worth something or better to get the reverse mortgage and let the bank have it when mom no longer needs it? I know it's not great to bet on appreciation. Can someone at least tell me how I would calculate which is the smartest move from a money standpoint?