In case you missed them the first time around, here’s our weekly look at the top stories from the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage world, including one lender’s unique plan to avoid HECM for Purchase transaction delays and a Forbes take that generated some lively discussion.

Lender Finds Creative Fix for HECM for Purchase Hurdle — Frustrated by rules that require H4P buyers to wait for a certificate of occupancy until they can even file an application, one Iowa lender decided to create a curious work-around: Issue a home equity line of credit to pay off the builder immediately, have the borrowers move in immediately after receiving the certificate, and refinance the loan into a HECM a few months later.

Forbes: Reverse Mortgages Help With Retirement Income “Shocks” — In this Forbes piece about retirement, writer John Wasik identifies certain “shock” events that can derail a financial plan, including a divorce or the loss of a job. Wasik pointed out that a Reverse Mortgage can help hedge against these shocks, but also advised readers to only take one out as a last resort.

How Blogs Can be an Essential Reverse Mortgage Marketing Tool — Amid multiple signs that today’s seniors are far more attached to their laptops, tablets, and phones than their counterparts from the past, reverse mortgage professionals have increasingly turned to blogs as a way to spread the word about their offerings — and combat common misconceptions about HECMs.

RMS Parent Receives Second Warning from NYSE — Walter Investment Management Corporation (NYSE: WAC) received its second de-listing warning from the New York Stock Exchange in a month, this time because its market capitalization and stockholders’ equity had both fallen below the mandatory $50 million threshold.

Moody’s Issues Rating on Finance of America Reverse — Moody’s released its annual rating on Finance of America Reverse, assigning the Tulsa, Okla.-based lender the middle of its five rankings.

Written by Alex Spanko