What happens when you call us

Five steps, and you can stop at any one of them

1. 1

   You call — and you will not get a phone tree.

   You reach a real person, not a call center three time zones away. Ask anything. If you only want information, that is a complete visit as far as we are concerned.

2. 2

   We mail you our printed guide.

   Straight Answers About Reverse Mortgages — a real booklet, in large readable type, sent to your mailbox. Read it with your morning coffee. Mark it up. Pass it to your kids.

3. 3

   We sit down together — if you would like to.

   At your kitchen table, at our office, or on a screen with the family dialed in from wherever they live. Bring your spouse, your daughter, your accountant, your pastor. We stay until every question is answered.

4. 4

   You meet with an independent, HUD-approved counselor.

   Federal rules require this step before we can even take your application — and we think that is one of the best parts of the process. More on that just below.

5. 5

   You take all the time you need.

   Sleep on it. Talk it over at Sunday dinner. Call us back with more questions, or do not call back at all. Yes, no and “not yet” are all answers we respect — and “not yet” is the one we hear most.

Step four, in full

The second opinion we insist on

Before we can take your application, federal rules require a session with an independent counselor from an agency approved by HUD. That counselor does not work for us. We cannot coach them, we cannot sit in to steer things, and they have no stake in what you decide.

Some companies treat this step like a speed bump. We think it is one of the best parts of the process.

Here is why. It means you get a knowledgeable second opinion from someone whose only job is to make sure you understand what you would be agreeing to — the costs, the responsibilities, the alternatives, and what it means for your family down the road. It is a built-in protection for you, and honestly, it keeps our industry honest.

We will help you find an approved counseling agency and schedule at your convenience. And if the counselor raises a question we have not answered to your satisfaction, bring it straight back to our table. That is what the table is for.

The people who answer the phone

When we say a real person answers, we mean one licensed advisor, start to finish. A name, a face and a direct line — not a rotating cast, and not a queue. One person who knows your file because it is sitting on their actual desk.

You get their photograph and their card in the mail before any home visit, so you know exactly who is knocking. You get a wallet card and a refrigerator card with the direct line on it, because the number you need is never the one you can find. And after every sit-down you get a handwritten note, whether or not you decide to go ahead with anything.

Our door is open. The coffee pot is on, there are reading glasses on every table, and you do not need an appointment. Bring your paperwork, bring your questions, bring your son-in-law who reads the fine print. We like the fine-print readers.

Royal Reverse. Powered by Royal Mortgage. Answered by a neighbor.

Hand this to the kids

Questions to ask any reverse mortgage company — including us

Every guide we mail comes with this card. It is written to be used against us as easily as against anyone else, which is rather the point. If a company will not answer these plainly, that is your answer.

• ✓Will you put every cost in writing, in plain English, before I sign anything?
• ✓Will you tell me who this is wrong for — and say so if that is me?
• ✓What are my responsibilities after closing, and what happens if I cannot meet them?
• ✓What happens to the house, and what choices do my heirs have?
• ✓What are the alternatives to this loan, including doing nothing at all?
• ✓Will you talk to my family and my advisors, and send them the same documents you send me?
• ✓Will one named, licensed person handle my file from start to finish?
• ✓Where is your license number, and how do I verify it myself?