Hello Daniel, She should send a copy of her marriage certificate to the lender to show them that she has changed her name and that there is no change of title. They will adjust their records accordingly and let her know if they need anything else, but it will not affect the terms of her loan.

Hello Fred, She is not considered an eligible non-borrowing spouse because you were not married at the time you received the loan. Under the terms of the loan, the loan becomes due and payable when the last borrower on the loan is no longer living in the home as their primary residence. That being said, it is very difficult to say exactly how long she would be able to remain in the home after you pass and this is a very common question for ineligible spouses and let me tell you why. Firstly, is your spouse your heir? Is she on title to the home? Do you have other heirs who will inherit the home (i.e., children)? This is important because the lender will call the loan due and payable once they know that you no longer live in the home but if you have other heirs, they may beat the lender to it. We have had people write us, especially with children/grandchildren and second spouses/children when heirs want to do one thing but someone in the house has other plans. If your spouse is not on title and you have other heirs, they could move more quickly than the lender. The lender will take action once they become aware of the passing of the last borrower on the loan. This happens faster in some instances than others. Lenders have a number of ways they are notified of the passing of a borrower but they are not foolproof. If the lender finds out within a month or two of the borrower's passing, they will start contacting the heirs to see what they want to do (pay off the loan with funds available to them, with a new loan, or by selling the house or let the lender foreclose or what) and if the heirs do not want to keep or sell the house then the lender would start a foreclosure action. Between the filing requirements and the time to complete a foreclosure, about the quickest things can be completed is 6 months and it usually takes 8 months or more from the time the lender first learns of the passing of the borrower. So, when you ask how long can she stay after you die, it really depends on when things happen but could be as short as 6 months if the lender were to learn of your death immediately and was able to start the process without delay and it could take more than a year (we have some families who write us who say it has been more than 2 years since the borrower has passed). I think the more important question is what do you want to happen? If it is your desire for your spouse to remain in the home, there are several things you can do now to make that more possible. Firstly, add your spouse to title now if you have not already done so. Your loan allows you to add anyone else to title with you as long as you are also on title as well. Secondly, write a letter to your lender authorizing them to communicate with your spouse on all matters relating to the loan and for your spouse to talk to them and receive any information about the loan. This allows your spouse to speak to the lender because at this time, they cannot speak to an unauthorized third party about your loan. And finally, think about refinancing the loan in both your names now. If you do a refinance in both your names with both of you on title, if either one of you pass before the other, the remaining borrower can continue to live in the home for life under the terms of the reverse mortgage in both your names. This would also resolve any family issues if that is a concern for you. This is not legal advice, just a suggestion for how you can ensure that your spouse can remain in the home after you pass if that is a concern. I would always suggest that you consult with your family and your attorney, especially if you have a will or trust.