The term 'reverse mortgage loan' is not particularly descriptive of the kind of financing involved. It implies that the homeowner is lending money to the mortgage company.

With a traditional mortgage, the usual pattern works like this: the total price of a property is $100,000. Of this amount, let's say $10,000 (10%) is put down by the prospective homeowner - the other $90,000 is supplied by a bank or other financial institution. Then, over a period of 15 to 40 years (depending on the loan term), the homeowner pays back the $90,000 in regular monthly payments including interest.

With a reverse home loan, an owner with equity in their home or who has paid off their existing mortgage, requests a cash sum from a lending institution. The big difference from a regular mortgage is that there are no monthly payments involved. In fact, there are no payments during the homeowner's lifetime; the total loan amount is paid back only upon the death of the homeowner. This amount will also include interest accrued over the lifetime of the loan.

There are several ways in which the homeowner can enjoy the benefits of a reverse home loan. He or she can take out a single lump sum in cash, or alternatively, a regular monthly cash advance. Another option is to use the available loan as a line of credit and use it as needed; a homeowner could also choose to combine some of the options above.

Reverse mortgage loans can be of particular help to elders who may be poor in terms of available savings or monthly income, but who are wealthy in terms of the equity that has built up over the years on their real estate property. For example, if a person is retired and purchased their house 30 years ago for $10,000, they have paid off their mortgage and the house is now valued at $100,000. They could take out a reverse home loan and have access to much of that equity, with no monthly payments.

Therefore, unlike a regular mortgage, with a reverse mortgage, such things as credit score and income are not particularly relevant as there are no monthly payments involved. Obviously, these loans are generally made to senior citizens who can use the equity in their home to help finance them on a monthly basis, or perhaps to pay off their medical bills, or maybe even to travel the world.

These reverse mortgage loans are usually tax-free and are officially known as 'Home Equity Conversion Mortgages' or HECMs. They are backed by HUD (The Department of Housing and Urban Development). This kind of loan can also be obtained from private institutions such as banks and many other mortgage lenders, who are not backed by HUD.

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