HomEquity Bank reaches record highs in May 2017

Seniors’ share of the reverse mortgage market is on the rise, bank says

HomEquity Bank reaches record highs in May 2017
The lone provider of the CHIP Reverse Mortgage product has just released its latest figures, which pointed at record-breaking performance over the first five months of 2017.

HomEquity Bank saw a new high of $60M in its reverse mortgage originations last month, representing a year-to-date increase of 35 per cent compared with the same period a year ago.

“Canadian seniors are releasing the equity they’ve built in their homes, transforming it from passive to active,” HomEquity Bank president and CEO Steven Ranson said.

“We’ve seen a shift in mindset: there’s a broader understanding that home equity – which is often the largest single asset for Canadians – can be easily unlocked,” Ranson noted, adding that this was a natural consequence of seniors (who are now living longer and more active lives) being able to take advantage of the steady appreciation of Canadian residential real estate.

“Historically, the average age of our clients is 72,” the bank exec explained. “Working together with financial planners and mortgage brokers, we’re finding that people incorporate equity release into their financial outlook at an earlier age.”

More and more Canadians aged over 55 are also contributing to the housing or educational dreams of their children (and even grandchildren) as the “bank of mum and dad,” Ranson added.