My mother will be 86 in December. She told me she had roughly $10,000 in the bank when I visited her last month. She is still in OK shape. But, here's the kicker...That $10,000 plus whatever other money she has left or manages to save will go straight to the holder on that reverse mortgage when she passes. The holder gets most of the money, while the government gets its cut. That's where my step-father's money went. The house is worth $175,000. Mom has no idea how much they borrowed or owe. All I know is that my brother, sister and I are trying to get her out of that house (into a senior apartment) so we can use it as a rental to pay off the reverse when she passes.