Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 18 hours ago
A jumbo reverse mortgage is a private lender's alternative to the government-insured HECM, and it exists for one reason: the HECM stops counting your home's value at about $1.25 million. If your home is worth $3 million, the government program acts like the last $1.75 million doesn't exist.
In this video I go through the differences that actually matter between an FHA HECM and a jumbo proprietary reverse mortgage, including the ones where the HECM is the better product.
I'm Christopher Gibson, a mortgage broker with C2 Financial, NMLS #1910430. I work primarily in reverse mortgages and I'm licensed in Washington, Colorado, Texas, Florida and Michigan.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Why jumbo reverse mortgages exist
0:24 Jumbo vs proprietary: what the words mean
1:17 The five differences
1:26 Claim and loan limits: $1.25M vs $10M
2:17 Age 62 vs 55, and the Washington and Texas exceptions
2:40 Non-borrowing spouse: protected on a HECM, usually not on jumbo
3:21 Where the HECM wins: line of credit
3:45 Where the HECM wins: interest rate
4:26 Streamlined underwriting and no seasoning
4:58 Who proprietary products actually help
Four things covered here that most comparisons leave out: the maximum HECM loan amount is theoretical and nobody is reaching it at current rates; Washington caps proprietary reverse mortgages at age 60 and Texas at 62, so the age-55 advantage does not apply everywhere; on an FHA HECM a non-borrowing spouse is protected if the borrower dies, while on these jumbo proprietary products that spouse is usually unprotected and has to pay off, refinance or sell; and because you can borrow a higher percentage at a higher rate, equity can erode faster on a proprietary loan.
Questions about your own situation? Call me at 720-449-6622.
FULL WRITTEN GUIDE
The four proprietary programs compared side by side, the minimum age by state with the statutes,
current market data, and where the HECM still beats a jumbo:
gibsonhomeloans.com/jumbo-reverse-mortgage-lenders
More on how reverse mortgages work:
gibsonhomeloans.com/reverse-mortgages
DISCLOSURE
The proprietary program I discuss by name is Secure Equity from Mutual of Omaha. The terms I quote, including minimum age, claim and loan limits, and underwriting requirements, are current as of this recording and can change at any time. Other proprietary reverse mortgages have different terms, and not every borrower or property qualifies. I am a mortgage broker, not the lender. Nothing here is a loan offer or a commitment to lend.
Christopher Gibson | Mortgage Broker | C2 Financial Corporation | NMLS #1910430
Equal Housing Opportunity. This material has not been reviewed, approved or issued by HUD, FHA or any government agency.
A jumbo reverse mortgage is a private lender's alternative to the government-insured HECM, and it exists for one reason: the HECM stops counting your home's value at about $1.25 million. If your home is worth $3 million, the government program acts like the last $1.75 million doesn't exist.
In this video I go through the differences that actually matter between an FHA HECM and a jumbo proprietary reverse mortgage, including the ones where the HECM is the better product.
I'm Christopher Gibson, a mortgage broker with C2 Financial, NMLS #1910430. I work primarily in reverse mortgages and I'm licensed in Washington, Colorado, Texas, Florida and Michigan.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Why jumbo reverse mortgages exist
0:24 Jumbo vs proprietary: what the words mean
1:17 The five differences
1:26 Claim and loan limits: $1.25M vs $10M
2:17 Age 62 vs 55, and the Washington and Texas exceptions
2:40 Non-borrowing spouse: protected on a HECM, usually not on jumbo
3:21 Where the HECM wins: line of credit
3:45 Where the HECM wins: interest rate
4:26 Streamlined underwriting and no seasoning
4:58 Who proprietary products actually help
Four things covered here that most comparisons leave out: the maximum HECM loan amount is theoretical and nobody is reaching it at current rates; Washington caps proprietary reverse mortgages at age 60 and Texas at 62, so the age-55 advantage does not apply everywhere; on an FHA HECM a non-borrowing spouse is protected if the borrower dies, while on these jumbo proprietary products that spouse is usually unprotected and has to pay off, refinance or sell; and because you can borrow a higher percentage at a higher rate, equity can erode faster on a proprietary loan.
Questions about your own situation? Call me at 720-449-6622.
FULL WRITTEN GUIDE
The four proprietary programs compared side by side, the minimum age by state with the statutes,
current market data, and where the HECM still beats a jumbo:
gibsonhomeloans.com/jumbo-reverse-mortgage-lenders
More on how reverse mortgages work:
gibsonhomeloans.com/reverse-mortgages
DISCLOSURE
The proprietary program I discuss by name is Secure Equity from Mutual of Omaha. The terms I quote, including minimum age, claim and loan limits, and underwriting requirements, are current as of this recording and can change at any time. Other proprietary reverse mortgages have different terms, and not every borrower or property qualifies. I am a mortgage broker, not the lender. Nothing here is a loan offer or a commitment to lend.
Christopher Gibson | Mortgage Broker | C2 Financial Corporation | NMLS #1910430
Equal Housing Opportunity. This material has not been reviewed, approved or issued by HUD, FHA or any government agency.
