Reverse Mortgages

C.R.S. tit. 11, art. 38
in effect

C.R.S. § 11-38-101 Legislative declaration

11-38-101. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly hereby finds that Colorado's elderly homeowners should have the opportunity and be permitted to meet their financial needs by accessing the equity in their homes through a reverse mortgage loan transaction. (2) The general assembly further finds that many restrictions and requirements that exist to govern traditional mortgage loan transactions in Colorado are inapplicable in the context of reverse mortgages and that state law should be clarified to ensure that inapplicability. (3) The general assembly therefore declares that, in order to foster reverse mortgage transactions and better serve the elderly citizens of this state, it is necessary to enact this article authorizing the making of reverse mortgages and expressly relieving reverse mortgage lenders and borrowers from compliance with inappropriate statutory requirements.

C.R.S. § 11-38-102 Definitions

11-38-102. Definitions. As used in this article 38, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Borrower" means the person receiving cash advances pursuant to the terms of and obligated for repayment of a reverse mortgage. "Person" includes plural as well as singular. (1.3) "Force majeure" means fire, explosion, action of the elements, unusually severe weather, act of God, act of war, or any other cause that is beyond the control of the borrower and that could not have been prevented by the borrower while exercising reasonable diligence. (2) "Independent counseling" means counseling by a person unaffiliated with the lender, including but not limited to a housing counseling agency approved by the United States department of housing and urban development. (3) "Lender" means a bank, savings and loan association, or credit union organized under the laws of the United States or the state of Colorado or a person who regularly makes loans or advances secured by interests in residential real property. (4) "Reverse mortgage" means a written instrument evidencing or creating a nonrecourse loan secured by real property which: (a) Provides cash advances, whether in the form of a lump sum, periodic payments, a line of credit, or other similar methods, or a combination thereof, to a borrower based on the equity in the borrower's owner-occupied principal residence, which periodic payments may be derived from an annuity purchased with such cash advances; (b) Requires no partial or other payment of principal or interest until the entire loan becomes due and payable; and (c) Is made by any lender as defined in subsection (3) of this section.

C.R.S. § 11-38-103 Prepayment

11-38-103. Prepayment. Payment of a reverse mortgage, in whole or in part, shall be permitted without penalty at any time during the period of such reverse mortgage.

C.R.S. § 11-38-104 Intervening liens

11-38-104. Intervening liens. All advances made under a reverse mortgage and all interest on such advances shall have priority over any lien arising after recording an instrument evidencing the lien arising from such reverse mortgage with the clerk and recorder of the county where the real property securing such reverse mortgage is located.

C.R.S. § 11-38-105 Interest - periodic advances

11-38-105. Interest - periodic advances. (1) A reverse mortgage may provide for an interest rate which is fixed or adjustable and may also provide for interest that is contingent on the appreciation in the value of the home securing such reverse mortgage. (2) If a reverse mortgage provides for periodic advances to a borrower, such advances shall not be reduced in amount or number based on any adjustment in the interest rate on such reverse mortgage. (3) The interest rate contracted for in any reverse mortgage shall not exceed the loan finance charge rates provided by section 5-2-201, C.R.S., although the effective rate may exceed those rates. Such interest rate shall be calculated on the assumption that the reverse mortgage will be repaid according to the agreed terms and will not be repaid before the end of the agreed term.

C.R.S. § 11-38-106 Lender default

11-38-106. Lender default. Any lender failing to make loan advances as required by the terms of the reverse mortgage, and failing to cure such a default as required by such terms, shall forfeit the right to collect any interest on such reverse mortgage and shall be liable for any civil damages arising from such default. This section shall not apply if the default is by an insurance company which is not owned or controlled directly or indirectly by the lender and the default by the insurance company is pursuant to an annuity purchased by a borrower with reverse mortgage loan advances.

C.R.S. § 11-38-107 Repayment

11-38-107. Repayment. (1) A reverse mortgage may become due and payable upon the occurrence of any one of the following events: (a) The home securing the reverse mortgage is sold. (b) The borrower ceases to occupy the home as a principal residence. (c) Any fixed maturity date agreed to by the lender and the borrower is reached. (d) An event occurs which is specified in the terms of the reverse mortgage and which jeopardizes the lender's security. (e) Upon death of the borrower. (2) The repayment requirement described in subsection (1) of this section is also expressly subject to the following additional conditions: (a) Temporary absences from the home not exceeding sixty consecutive days shall not cause the reverse mortgage to become due and payable. (b) Temporary absences from the home exceeding sixty consecutive days but not exceeding one year shall not cause the reverse mortgage to become due and payable so long as the borrower has taken prior action which secures the home in a manner satisfactory to the lender. (b.5) (I) To the extent allowable by the United States department of housing and urban development's regulations and policies, a temporary absence from the home, if the absence is a result of a natural disaster or other force majeure rendering the home temporarily uninhabitable, does not cause the reverse mortgage to become due and payable if: (A) The borrower is engaged in repairing the home with the intent to reoccupy the home as a principal residence or to sell the home; (B) The borrower stays in communication with and reasonably responds to inquiries from the lender while the home is being repaired; (C) The borrower complies with all other terms and conditions of the reverse mortgage; and (D) The repairing or rebuilding of the home does not reduce the lender's security. (II) At the time of closing, the lender shall disclose the requirements of subsection (2)(b.5)(I) of this section to the borrower in writing. (c) The lender's right to collect reverse mortgage proceeds shall be subject to the applicable statute of limitations for loan contracts pursuant to section 13-80-103.5, C.R.S.; except that the statute of limitations shall commence on the date that the reverse mortgage becomes due and payable. (d) Prior to the closing of a reverse mortgage, the lender must prominently disclose any interest or other fees to be charged during the period that commences on the date that the reverse mortgage becomes due and payable and ends when repayment in full is made.

C.R.S. § 11-38-108 Inapplicability of related statutes

11-38-108. Inapplicability of related statutes. (1) A reverse mortgage may be made or acquired without regard to the following provisions for other types of mortgage transactions set out in the statutes specified in this subsection (1): (a) Any law of this state limiting loan-to-value ratios; (b) Prohibitions on balloon payments pursuant to section 5-3-208, C.R.S.; (c) Any law of this state limiting interest on interest, the adding of deferred interest to principal, or the compounding of interest; (d) Subject to section 11-38-105 (3), interest rate limits under the usury statutes pursuant to sections 5-12-103 and 18-15-104, C.R.S.; (e) Any law of this state applicable to insurance or insurance companies under title 10, C.R.S.

C.R.S. § 11-38-109 Disclosure - total loan cost

11-38-109. Disclosure - total loan cost. (1) Any lender making reverse mortgage loans shall provide to a borrower prior to closing on such a loan a written statement of the projected total loan cost rate for all reverse mortgage loans except for reverse mortgage loans subject to federal "Truth in Lending Act", as amended, total annual loan cost disclosure requirements. As used in this section, "total loan cost rate" means the total of all loan costs including, but not limited to, any origination fee, closing costs, servicing fee, insurance premium contingent interest based on appreciation, and the annual interest rate charged on the reverse mortgage balance which is expressed as a single annual average rate of interest. Such statement shall include: (a) An explanation of why the total loan cost rate on reverse mortgages is greatest in the early years of the loan and decreases over the term of the loan; and (b) A chart or table containing projections of the total loan cost rate at certain anniversary dates during the term of the loan, beginning at the end of year two and thereafter not more than every four years from the date of the loan to year thirty and utilizing not less than three annual average home appreciation percentages from between zero and ten percent.

C.R.S. § 11-38-110 Treatment of reverse mortgage loan proceeds by public benefit programs

11-38-110. Treatment of reverse mortgage loan proceeds by public benefit programs. (1) Reverse mortgage loan payments made to a borrower shall be treated as proceeds from a loan and not as income for the purpose of determining eligibility and benefits under means-tested programs of aid to individuals. (2) Undisbursed funds under a reverse mortgage shall be treated as equity in a borrower's home and not as proceeds from a loan for the purpose of determining eligibility and benefits under means-tested programs of aid to individuals. (3) This section shall apply to any law relating to means-tested programs of aid provided by this state, including but not limited to supplemental security income, low-income energy assistance, and the "Colorado Medical Assistance Act", articles 4, 5, and 6 of title 25.5, C.R.S.

C.R.S. § 11-38-111 Consumer information and counseling

11-38-111. Consumer information and counseling. No reverse mortgage shall be made by a lender unless the loan applicant attests, in writing, that the applicant has been advised by the lender to obtain independent counseling regarding the advisability of such applicant's entering into a reverse mortgage transaction and that such applicant has either obtained such counseling or waived such counseling in writing.

C.R.S. § 11-38-112 Application of article

11-38-112. Application of article. This article shall apply to all reverse mortgages entered into on and after July 1, 1992, and shall not invalidate any reverse mortgage entered into prior to July 1, 1992.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-11.docxFetched: 10/6/2026

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