Questions, meet straight answers

Essentially, yes — reverse lending is Kelly’s entire practice, not a product on a list. She’s a Retirement Mortgage Specialist and SVP of Reverse Lending with Fairway Home Mortgage, working exclusively with people 62 and better and the families and advisors who support them.

Nothing, ever. It’s a free, no-obligation education session. Most check-ups don’t become loans — they become understanding, and Kelly considers that a win.

Kelly actively encourages it. Family belongs in big decisions, and housing wealth works best when it’s coordinated with the rest of your plan. Bring anyone you trust to any meeting — and with your permission, Kelly keeps them updated through the process.

Kelly serves the Upper Midwest — licensed in South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Missouri & Wisconsin — from her home base in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In-person meetings around the Sioux Falls area; phone and video everywhere else in her footprint. Same check-up, same approach, whichever state you call home.

No. This site has no forms, no trackers, no cookies, and collects zero personal information. When you’re ready to talk, you contact Kelly directly — text, call, email, or her Fairway scheduling page. Applications happen inside Fairway’s secure corporate systems, never here.

It depends on the age of the youngest borrower, current interest rates, your home’s appraised value, and the HECM lending limit ($1,249,125 for 2026). As a shape-of-the-math sample, try the estimator on the Your Numbers page — then let Kelly run the real figures.

Reverse mortgage advances are loan proceeds, not income, so they’re generally not taxable and don’t affect Social Security retirement benefits or Medicare. Funds held as cash can affect needs-based programs like Medicaid or SSI. Confirm your specific situation with your tax professional.

FHA upfront and annual mortgage insurance, origination, and standard closing costs — most financeable into the loan. Interest and MIP accrue on drawn funds rather than being paid monthly. Kelly itemizes every dollar at the check-up; if the costs don’t serve your plan, she’ll say so.

Not for missing a mortgage payment — there isn’t one. Like any homeowner, you must keep property taxes and insurance current, maintain the home, and live in it as your primary residence. Fail those obligations and the loan can become due — which is why Kelly covers them so carefully, and why tools like the LESA exist.

Value above $1,249,125 isn’t counted by the HECM — but Fairway offers proprietary (jumbo) reverse options for higher-value homes. Which program wins depends on your numbers; Kelly quotes both.

Your heirs choose: sell the home, repay the loan from proceeds, and keep the remaining equity; or keep the home by satisfying the loan (typically the balance or 95% of appraised value, whichever is less). Non-recourse protection means they never owe more than the home is worth. Kelly encourages this exact conversation with your family before closing.

If you’re both borrowers, nothing changes — the survivor continues under the same terms. A spouse under 62 can be an eligible non-borrowing spouse with HUD protections allowing them to remain in the home if requirements are met. Households with an under-62 spouse should raise it at the very first conversation — it shapes the plan.

Yes — you’re never trapped. Selling the home repays the loan and the remaining equity is yours. Moving permanently (12+ consecutive months away, including care facilities) is a maturity event that makes the loan due, typically satisfied by selling.

Anytime, any amount, no prepayment penalty. On a line of credit, voluntary payments generally restore borrowing capacity — a feature some planners use deliberately.

No — and Kelly will tell you if it’s not right for you. Short time horizons, plans to move soon, or homes headed to heirs debt-free by firm family intention can all argue against it. The check-up exists to find that answer honestly, whichever way it goes.