NRMLA submitted a letter to the leadership of the Massachusetts legislature urging lawmakers to expedite the passage of House Bill 1146, which would permanently allow video or telephonic reverse mortgage counseling.
On June 15, 2021, the State of Emergency declared last year by Governor Charlie Baker ends and the existing law that requires in-person reverse mortgage counseling begins again.
“However, at the expiration of the Governor’s State of Emergency on June 15, 2021, it is our understanding that there will only be five (5) full-time and one (1) part-time reverse mortgage counselors in Massachusetts that are both approved by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs and HUD,” says NRMLA.
The letter adds that during the Governor’s State of Emergency, there were at least 400 reverse mortgage counseling sessions conducted via telephone or video conference to accommodate social distancing. The nonprofit Cambridge Credit Counseling Corporation, based in Agawam, MA, surveyed those clients who received telephonic counseling and found 95 percent were satisfied with the experience.
NRMLA will continue to monitor the situation in Massachusetts and report any updates. In the meantime, NRMLA thanks long-time member Harbor Mortgage Solutions for assisting in this effort. To read the full letter, login to the comment letters section of NRMLAonline.org.