I agree about RMs being very expensive & usually a poor idea. The minute your mom needs independent living or worse, you will have to sell the home & pay off the mortgage in full within a short period of time. It cannot be rented. While everyone says they want to stay in their home forever, stuff happens. My MIL sold her home at age 90 & moved into a CCRC (continuing care retirement community), which we credit with allowing her a safe & social life until 99. The catch is that you have to be reasonably healthy to get into one, but you can transition later to their assisted living once you are there. In the meantime, a cash-out refinance would be a better alternative to a reverse mortgage, IMO.