Lyon House Reverse partners with CPAs, CFPs, estate planning attorneys, and senior real estate agents in Southern California. We bring the technical expertise, you keep the relationship. If a reverse mortgage isn't right for your client, we tell you — and we tell them. The math has to make sense for the client first, every time.
Six client situations where a reverse mortgage genuinely improves the financial plan. Many of these run counter to the “loan of last resort” framing — that framing is decades out of date.
Client needs $40-60K/year of income from 62-70 to defer Social Security and capture the 8%/year delayed retirement credit. A HECM line of credit covers the bridge without forced portfolio sales in down markets. The increased Social Security benefit at 70 (often 75%+ higher than at 62) compounds over a 25-year retirement.
Sequence-of-returns risk is the #1 retirement portfolio killer. A reverse mortgage line of credit gives clients a non-market-correlated buffer to draw from in bear markets, letting equity positions recover. Research from Wade Pfau and others shows portfolio survival rates improve meaningfully when reverse mortgages are part of the plan.
Client retired with $15-25k/month of pension/Social Security but still owes $200-400K on the house with a $2-4K monthly P&I payment. A reverse refinance pays off the forward mortgage at closing, frees that cash flow for travel, healthcare, or grandchildren — without selling the home.
Empty-nesters with a $2M home want to downsize to a $1.2M coastal condo near family. H4P lets them buy with ~$650K cash down plus reverse proceeds, no monthly payment. Frees $1.1M+ in liquid assets, removes mortgage maintenance from retirement budget.
Clients with $1.5M+ of home equity who want to help adult children with down payments but don't need the equity themselves. Reverse mortgage extracts $300-500K as a lump sum gift, no monthly payment created. Mom/Dad keep the home, kid gets the gift, intergenerational wealth transfer happens earlier than waiting for inheritance.
Coastal Orange County clients with $2-5M homes get capped at the FHA HECM limit ($1.25M in 2026). HomeSafe Standard and HomeSafe Select are uncapped jumbo products with PLF curves that go higher and start eligibility at 55 in California. Different math, different fit. Worth a conversation for any client in that home value bracket.
Most advisors don't know this. The unused portion of a HECM line of credit grows at the same rate as the loan accrues, compounding annually for the life of the loan. A line opened at age 62 and untouched for a decade is dramatically larger at 72 — without the client doing anything.
Source: HUD HECM program documentation. The growth rate equals the loan note rate plus the annual mortgage insurance premium (currently 0.5%). Illustrative figures assume no draws. Real-world rate variations apply.
No referral fees (federal RESPA rules prohibit them on mortgage products). What you get instead: a partner who keeps you in the loop, returns your client to you, and respects the relationship.
Email, phone, or just give your client our number. Whichever is easiest. We'll mention you sent them and thank you for the trust.
30-60 min consultation with your client. If the math doesn't fit their plan, we say so — and we tell you why. No pressure, no “decide today.”
Brief check-in with you after the consultation. You hear what we discussed (with client permission), what we recommended, and the timeline.
The reverse mortgage closes, the client stays in your wealth management or estate plan, and you've earned credibility as the advisor who knew the right specialist to call.
“If another lender, partner, or product is a better fit for your client's situation, I'll say so. The right outcome for the client matters more than any single closing. That's how lasting referral relationships are built, and it's how I've practiced for two decades.”
Whether you have a specific client in mind or just want to understand how we work, the partner call is the right first step. No client commitment required. We'll walk through how we handle referrals, the most common case fits, and the line of credit growth math in detail.