I need some minor repairs done that I am no longer able to do, and I do not have the funds to hire anyone. Any suggestions?

Lynn, when the equity does go up on your home, you'd only have enough to pay off your current Reverse Mortgage, all the interest, plus the fees. Sorry to say I doubt there would be enough equity left over to try a Reverse Mortgage again. In the mean time, you have things that need fixing now in your house... and next year more things that need fixing... what if the furnace needs replacing?... or a major appliance?

Even if you get a small amount of equity from the house, there are senior apartments where the monthly rent is geared toward your income. Once your leg and knee heals and you are finished with rehab, look around for a part-time job. It's not unusual for those of us who are your age to be in the world force :)

Selling the house would NOT pay off the reverse. Thankfully for me, it was appraised much higher when I did it than it is now, or I would have lost the house after my divorce. Plus the years of REVERSE. By law, you are not required to second mortgage your house (or use a Line of Credit from your Reverse) to pay for Emergency Medical Home Health Care if you are otherwise considered low income. And now there is nothing left there anyway. If at any point there is equity in it again (I double that), then I could sell or do another reverse. But even if I could sell, it is doubtful there were ever be enough profit from that to pay for an apartment or senior living. My only income is social security at $730.00 mo.

Lynn, yes you do have a choice.... sell your house to pay off the Reverse Mortgage. Take whatever equity you have and find a nice senior apartment complex. No more worries about property taxes, fixing this or fixing that.

Sell the house "as is" if necessary, otherwise the repairs will keep piling up. Take it as a new adventure and as meeting a lot of new people.

Of course social services won't help as you own your own home, and it's not their issue if you cannot afford to keep up your home. As for the Boy Scouts, you have to be careful as they aren't professionals who are licensed and insured. You wouldn't want any of those fine lads to get hurt while climbing a ladder to fix a light. They aren't plumbers, either. Maybe they could help clean up the yard. But that doesn't solve the problem.

Correction - should be "reverse", nor "revere" mortgage.

Couldn't you have used funds from the revere mortgage? Are there any funds left that could be used for home maintenance purposes?

THANK YOU ALL for some helpful suggestions. It truly concerns me about how long I can live alone, but I am only 70 and I have a reverse mortgage on my house so I have no option. If I once leave here for a year, the house goes to the bank. I have tried renting a room and that was successful for awhile until I ended up with the 'roommate from hell.' Still trying to recover and REPAIR from that. I have no relatives but a granddaughter (college student) who lived with me awhile, but now on her own. She is very responsible (but a little too busy to help out) and when the time comes I can discuss it with her. I am fine alone except for no longer being able to get on a ladder, and some chores I always have to pay someone to do. Just no money to do it now, after a disastrous situation where social services refused to give me home. Already been to Legal Aid and they say they cannot help. I am also no longer involved with a church as I was for many, many years. Just can't find one that will accept a Christian conservative who believes in Gay rights and the fact that suicide is NOT an unforgivable sin. I had a cousin who committed suicide because he was gay and the family and church condemned him. There is just NO LOVE there as far as I am concerned. Well, sorry that I got on my 'soap box.' These are kind of important issues to me. I will follow up on the excellent suggestions offered. Thank You ~ Lynn

Habitat for Humanity in my area has a program to assist low-income seniors with home repairs.

Maybe someone at your church could come over and help, check with the pastor. There may be some Scouts that need to do some service projects and might do some of it for you, check with a Boy Scout troop as well, maybe. Good luck!

Call your local California State University Cooperative Extension and ask if there are any local 4-H clubs that need a community service project. If that does not work, see if you can find a local boy scout or girl scout group that would like to adopt you for a weekend.

Lynn, I empathize with you. I really do. Your best bet would be to contact your local Area Agency on Aging and see if there is any program in your area that assists with home repairs.

But I'm also going to suggest that you think long and hard about how long living alone is a sustainable and practical idea. Do you have a trusted relative, advisor or pastor you could discuss this with? Please keep in touch and let us know how this works out