#21
South Carolina Reverse Mortgage Market Report
Statewide HECM Portfolio • Regulatory Framework: Standard HUD/FHA
36 Active FHA Lenders
South Carolina Executive Market BLUF
Institutional VerifiedAugust 2026 (HUD FHA Single-Family Release)
South Carolina shows strong retirement in-migration along the Grand Strand (Myrtle Beach/Horry County) and Charleston, driving HECM for Purchase popularity among retirees.
Strategic Key Takeaways
- •Statewide senior home equity: $310.0 Billion.
- •Average Maximum Claim Amount (MCA): $402,000.
- •Annual endorsement momentum: +13.6% YoY.
- •Regulatory category: Standard HUD/FHA.
Total Senior Equity Pool
$310BEquity Pool
1,210,000 seniors age 62+
Total HECM Volume
$0.27B+13.6%
Rank #21 Nationwide
Endorsements YTD
670Annual Pace
Prior Year: 590
Average MCA
$402,000FHA Insured
Median Home: $315,000
South Carolina HECM Endorsement History
Annual volume trajectory vs average claim amount
Endorsements
Avg MCA
670 loans
2024 YTD
Latest Endorsements670
Average Claim (MCA)$402,000
Line of Credit Share89.8%
Avg Borrower Age73.6 yrs
Top HECM Origination Counties in South Carolina
46 Total Counties TrackedSouth Carolina County-Level HECM & Senior Equity Directory (46 Jurisdictions)
Complete county-by-county reverse mortgage endorsements, average Maximum Claim Amounts, and senior housing wealth in South Carolina.
| County | FIPS | Endorsements YTD | Avg MCA | Senior Equity | YoY Velocity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horry County | 45051 | 190 | $253,800 | $8.5B | +6.5% |
| Richland County | 45079 | 187 | $217,296 | $4.5B | +6.5% |
| Spartanburg County | 45083 | 180 | $211,464 | $4.3B | +6.5% |
| Beaufort County | 45013 | 176 | $408,132 | $8.0B | +6.5% |
| Lexington County | 45063 | 164 | $213,408 | $3.9B | +6.5% |
| Charleston County | 45019 | 160 | $448,200 | $11.9B | +6.5% |
| York County | 45091 | 140 | $310,608 | $4.8B | +6.5% |
| Anderson County | 45007 | 124 | $204,552 | $2.8B | +6.5% |
| Greenville County | 45045 | 120 | $268,812 | $8.7B | +6.5% |
| Aiken County | 45003 | 114 | $196,344 | $2.5B | +6.5% |
| Berkeley County | 45015 | 111 | $273,348 | $3.4B | +6.5% |
| Florence County | 45041 | 80 | $169,992 | $1.5B | +6.5% |
| Dorchester County | 45035 | 79 | $294,840 | $2.6B | +6.5% |
| Pickens County | 45077 | 74 | $212,328 | $1.8B | +6.5% |
| Lancaster County | 45057 | 69 | $293,868 | $2.3B | +6.5% |
| Georgetown County | 45043 | 62 | $253,368 | $1.8B | +6.5% |
| Oconee County | 45073 | 62 | $208,224 | $1.4B | +6.5% |
| Sumter County | 45085 | 60 | $158,004 | $1.1B | +6.5% |
| Orangeburg County | 45075 | 57 | $113,940 | $0.7B | +6.5% |
| Greenwood County | 45047 | 44 | $155,520 | $0.8B | +6.5% |
| Laurens County | 45059 | 42 | $149,688 | $0.7B | +6.5% |
| Kershaw County | 45055 | 41 | $187,704 | $0.9B | +6.5% |
| Darlington County | 45031 | 40 | $143,208 | $0.7B | +6.5% |
| Cherokee County | 45021 | 31 | $134,460 | $0.5B | +6.5% |
| Chesterfield County | 45025 | 27 | $98,712 | $0.3B | +6.5% |
| Newberry County | 45071 | 25 | $150,336 | $0.4B | +6.5% |
| Clarendon County | 45027 | 25 | $144,720 | $0.4B | +6.5% |
| Colleton County | 45029 | 25 | $137,376 | $0.4B | +6.5% |
| Williamsburg County | 45089 | 22 | $93,852 | $0.2B | +6.5% |
| Jasper County | 45053 | 21 | $263,196 | $0.6B | +6.5% |
| Chester County | 45023 | 20 | $144,288 | $0.3B | +6.5% |
| Marion County | 45067 | 19 | $97,416 | $0.2B | +6.5% |
| Abbeville County | 45001 | 18 | $127,872 | $0.3B | +6.5% |
| Union County | 45087 | 18 | $102,924 | $0.2B | +6.5% |
| Edgefield County | 45037 | 16 | $175,932 | $0.3B | +6.5% |
| Dillon County | 45033 | 16 | $96,660 | $0.2B | +6.5% |
| Marlboro County | 45069 | 16 | $84,132 | $0.1B | +6.5% |
| Fairfield County | 45039 | 15 | $133,056 | $0.2B | +6.5% |
| Barnwell County | 45011 | 13 | $104,868 | $0.1B | +6.5% |
| Saluda County | 45081 | 12 | $127,224 | $0.2B | +6.5% |
| Calhoun County | 45017 | 11 | $141,372 | $0.2B | +6.5% |
| McCormick County | 45065 | 11 | $129,060 | $0.2B | +6.5% |
| Hampton County | 45049 | 11 | $101,412 | $0.1B | +6.5% |
| Bamberg County | 45009 | 10 | $104,976 | $0.1B | +6.5% |
| Lee County | 45061 | 10 | $100,872 | $0.1B | +6.5% |
| Allendale County | 45005 | 5 | $66,744 | $0.0B | +6.5% |
Calculate Borrowing Power in South Carolina
Institutional FHA HECM Principal Limit Calculator
HUD Mortgagee Letter 2017-17 Actuarial Matrix • Active 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)
$149,600PLF: 44.4%
Available immediately as an unused, guaranteed growing Line of Credit, or distributed as monthly tenure payments for life.
Gross Principal Limit$288,600
Tenure Monthly Payout$992/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
| Year | Available Line | Loan Balance | Est. Retained Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 0 | $149,600 | $139,000 | $511,000 |
| Year 2 | $170,478 | $158,398 | $537,898 |
| Year 4 | $194,269 | $180,504 | $565,386 |
| Year 6 | $221,380 | $205,694 | $593,322 |
| Year 8 | $252,275 | $234,400 | $621,526 |
| Year 10 | $287,482 | $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). "South Carolina Reverse Mortgage (HECM) Market Intelligence Report." Systemores Institutional Reverse Mortgage Intelligence. Retrieved from https://reverse.systemores.com/trends/south-carolina
Provenance: HUD FHA Single-Family Datasets & South Carolina Housing Division