Abstract
Investigating the recent progress and present status of the reverse mortgage products in Japan and the United States, we see continuous efforts to explore and meet potential demands, and reduce diverse risks and costs inherent in these products.
This paper treats these new approaches to reverse mortgages and their significant advantages, which could address the innate contradictions that are revealed when attempting to restructure reverse mortgage products. It suggests that the reverse mortgage market has the possibility of fairly rapid growth and emphasizes the importance of 1) detecting the enormous latent needs of the “house-poor cash-poor” households; 2) promoting credit-line payment methods for multiple purposes in various life stages; 3) providing optimum housing choices to enhance the stability and quality of life; and 4) constructing impartial and broad supportive systems that help users choose suitable alternatives.
