Cook County, IL Reverse Mortgage Snapshot

FIPS: 17031Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI • Market Tier: High Volume

FHA Insured Portfolio

Cook County Executive BLUF Summary

Institutional VerifiedAugust 2026 (HUD FHA Single-Family Release)

Cook County represents the core of Midwestern urban and suburban HECM activity. Senior homeowners across Chicago and outer Cook County utilize tenure payouts and credit lines to manage escalating property tax assessments.

Strategic Key Takeaways

  • Estimated Senior Home Equity (62+): $175 Billion.
  • Average Maximum Claim Amount (MCA): $420,000.
  • Senior Homeownership Rate: 70.4%.
  • Regulatory: Illinois statutory counseling certificate mandatory prior to application.
Senior Home Equity Pool
$175.0B70.4% Owner

980,000 seniors (Age 62+)

Endorsements YTD
440+7.3%

Prior Year: 410

Average MCA Claim
$420,000FHA Insured

Median Home: $310,000

Total Loan Volume
$184.8MYTD HUD Volume

FHA Cap: $1,149,825

Cook County Endorsement & MCA Trajectory

Annual FHA single-family reverse mortgage activity

Endorsements
Avg MCA
620 loans
2021
780 loans
2022
440 loans
2024 YTD
Latest Endorsements440
Average Claim (MCA)$420,000
Line of Credit Share89.2%
Avg Borrower Age74.3 yrs

Top FHA Approved Reverse Mortgage Lenders in Cook County

#127.5% Local Share

Finance of America Reverse

Direct Endorsement Approved

#223% Local Share

Mutual of Omaha Mortgage

Direct Endorsement Approved

#316.5% Local Share

Fairway Independent Mortgage

Direct Endorsement Approved

#412% Local Share

Longbridge Financial

Direct Endorsement Approved

Estimate HECM Line of Credit for Cook County Homeowners

Institutional FHA HECM Principal Limit Calculator

HUD Mortgagee Letter 2017-17 Calibrated • 2026 FHA MCA Cap: $1,149,825

Non-Recourse Insured
Quick Scenarios:
$650,000
$150KFHA Cap: $1.15M$2.5M+ (Jumbo)
72 Years Old
Age 62 (Min)Age 75Age 95
$120,000
$0 (Free & Clear)$400K$800K
6.25%
4.00%6.25%8.50%
Eligible Non-Borrowing Spouse (NBS) Protection

Under HUD ML 2014-07, spouses of any age can be named as an Eligible Non-Borrowing Spouse, securing statutory rights to remain in the home indefinitely after the borrowing spouse passes away.

Net Available Principal Limit (LOC / Cash Payout)
$148,300PLF: 44.2%

Available immediately as an unused, guaranteed growing Line of Credit, or distributed as monthly tenure payments for life.

Gross Principal Limit$287,300
Tenure Monthly Payout$984/mo
Mandatory Debt Payoff$120,000
Max Claim Limit (Cap)$650,000
FHA Upfront MIP (2%)$13,000
Est. Total Closing Costs$19,000

10-Year Line of Credit Compounding Trajectory

Growth Rate: 6.75%
YearAvailable LineLoan BalanceEst. Retained Equity
Year 0$148,300$139,000$511,000
Year 2$168,996$158,398$537,898
Year 4$192,581$180,504$565,386
Year 6$219,457$205,694$593,322
Year 8$250,083$234,400$621,526
Year 10$284,984$267,112$649,777
Plain-English Borrower Safeguards:
Zero Monthly Mortgage Bills
You Retain 100% Home Title
Tax-Free Loan Proceeds
Non-Recourse Protection for Heirs

Machine & Academic Citation Index

ReversePulse Research Board. (August 2026). "Cook County, IL Reverse Mortgage (HECM) Market Intelligence Snapshot." Systemores Institutional Reverse Mortgage Intelligence. Retrieved from https://reverse.systemores.com/trends/illinois/cook-county
Provenance: HUD FHA Single-Family Endorsement Portfolio, US Census ACS & ReversePulse Index
Cook County, IL Reverse Mortgage Trends & HECM Data (2026) — ReversePulse | ReversePulse Intelligence