← Reverse mortgages in Florida
Who ends up with your home after a reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound? Your heirs do, and they keep every dollar of equity above the balance. But Florida is stricter than most states about who you may leave a homestead to in the first place, and that is worth knowing before you borrow rather than after.
Hobe Sound is an unincorporated community of about 13,817 people in southern Martin County, between Jonathan Dickinson State Park and the Indian River Lagoon. 34.2% of residents are 65 or older, and 54.3% of owner-occupied homes are owned free and clear. Meanwhile keeping a paid-off home here costs about $569 a month, less than the Florida median of $673 and the cheapest of any Florida community on this site. So a reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound is often an estate question. Compare the town on my Florida aging-in-place overview.
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On this page
- Local reverse mortgage broker in Hobe Sound
- Aging in place in Hobe Sound
- What is my Hobe Sound home worth?
- Reverse mortgage calculator
- Cost of aging in place
- Is a reverse mortgage right for me?
- Learn how reverse mortgages work
- Reverse mortgage options in Hobe Sound
- How much a reverse mortgage costs in Hobe Sound
- House types and manufactured homes
- Reverse mortgage FAQs
Reverse Mortgage Specialist in Hobe Sound, FL
Who is a local reverse mortgage broker in Hobe Sound, FL? Christopher Gibson (NMLS #1910430) is an independent broker with C2 Financial Corporation (NMLS #135622). He helps Hobe Sound homeowners age 55 and older (age 62+ for the government-insured HECM) turn home equity into funds for retirement. Because the funds are loan proceeds rather than income, they are generally not subject to federal income tax.* Call or text 720-449-6622.
Aging in place in Hobe Sound, at a glance
The honest pros and cons, every measure I track, sorted by which way it cuts. Full detail below.
| Works in your favor | Neutral or mixed | Plan around it |
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Figures: U.S. Census ACS 2024 5-Year (tables B25032, B25034, B25035, B25077, B25081, B25088, B25103, B19049, B01001, B01003); Zillow Home Value Index July 2026; Martin County Property Appraiser; Florida Department of Revenue; FEMA National Risk Index; Fla. Const. art. X section 4. Retrieved 2026-09-10.
Why a reverse mortgage appeals to Hobe Sound homeowners 55+ attempting to age in place
Hobe Sound sits between two of the most protected stretches of coast in Florida. Jonathan Dickinson State Park covers 11,500 acres inland, established in 1950 on the site of Camp Murphy, a secret wartime radar school, and the Loxahatchee River running through it became Florida’s first National Wild and Scenic River in 1985. On the barrier island side, the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge holds the largest contiguous stretch of undeveloped beach in southeastern Florida. Against that backdrop the housing is ordinary and affordable: a median build year of 1983 and a median value of $394,700, notably below Martin County’s $432,200, though Zillow put the typical Hobe Sound home at $505,375 in July 2026.
Two numbers frame this page, more than any others. First, Hobe Sound is the rare community that is cheaper than the county it sits in: a median value of $394,700 against Martin County’s $432,200, a median 65-plus income of $57,571 against the county’s $69,533, and a carrying cost of $569 a month against the county’s $789. Second, it is unincorporated, so the county sets everything and there is no city millage at all. That combination is why the estate question here lands differently than it does next door on Jupiter Island.
Hobe Sound reverse mortgage facts and figures
Hobe Sound costs less to own than its own county on almost every measure, which is unusual. So here are the numbers worth having in front of you:
Home values, property tax, income, housing age, structure type and tenure: U.S. Census ACS 2024 5-Year. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index, July 2026. Homestead descent and devise: Fla. Const. art. X section 4; Fla. Stat. section 732.401. Exemptions: Florida Department of Revenue; Martin County Property Appraiser. Deferral: Fla. Stat. sections 197.252 and 197.2423; Form DR-570. Hazard ratings: FEMA National Risk Index. Climate: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Port Salerno station. HECM limit: HUD/FHA 2026. Retrieved 2026-09-10.
What is your Hobe Sound home worth today?
Curious what your home could be worth, and how much equity you have to work with? Use my free home-value tool below. Enter your address for an instant Hobe Sound estimate you can track over time, at no cost and no obligation.
Reverse Mortgage Calculator
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A reverse mortgage is a loan. The balance grows over time and is repaid when the last borrower leaves the home. You keep the title, and you remain responsible for property taxes, homeowners insurance, and upkeep.
Aging in place in Hobe Sound with a reverse mortgage: what it really costs
Of course price and rate are the easy part. So these are the numbers that actually decide whether a reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound makes sense.
What your heirs get, and what Florida decides for you
Start with the loan itself, because that part is simple. A reverse mortgage is non-recourse. When the last borrower permanently leaves, your heirs can repay it and keep the house, refinance it, or sell and keep every dollar above the balance. If the balance has grown past the value, FHA insurance covers the gap and heirs can settle a HECM for 95% of appraised value. They never owe the difference personally.
Now the part that is specific to this state. Under Article X section 4 of the Florida Constitution, a homestead cannot be devised at all if you are survived by a spouse or a minor child, except that it may be devised to your spouse when there is no minor child. A will that says otherwise does not control the house.
Where that restriction applies, Fla. Stat. 732.401 supplies the default: the surviving spouse takes a life estate with a remainder to your descendants, or may elect instead to take a half interest as a tenant in common with them. So in Florida the reverse mortgage question and the estate question are genuinely connected, and the answer belongs with your own attorney rather than with me.
The cheapest carrying cost of these Florida towns
The Census puts the monthly cost of owning a paid-off home in Hobe Sound at $569, which covers taxes, insurance, utilities and any condominium or association fees. Across Florida that figure is $673, and across Martin County it is $789. So Hobe Sound is not only cheaper than the state, it is meaningfully cheaper than its own county.
That is not a trivia point. FHA’s financial assessment weighs your income against exactly those ongoing property charges, so a low carrying cost makes the residual income test easier to pass and a set-aside less likely. At a median 65-plus income of $57,571, well under the county’s $69,533, that headroom matters.
Effective property tax follows the same pattern, at 0.69% here against Martin County’s 0.77% and Florida’s 0.76%. This is an unincorporated community, so there is no city millage layered on top of the county rate at all.
What Martin County takes off the bill, and the deferral trap
To begin with, every Florida homestead gets $25,000 off assessed value for all millages plus a second exemption on value above $50,000 that applies to non-school millage and is indexed to inflation, worth $26,411 for 2026. Save Our Homes then caps annual increases in assessed value at no more than 3% or CPI, whichever is lower.
Martin County senior exemptions →
The Martin County Board of Commissioners adopted an additional $25,000 senior exemption against county taxes for owners 65 and older, subject to household income at or under $38,686 for 2026, and Martin County also grants the 25-year long-term residency exemption, which exempts the entire county portion for a qualifying owner in a home worth less than $250,000. Since Hobe Sound is unincorporated, the county exemption is the one that applies to you.
One more Florida rule deserves a warning. Section 197.252 lets a homestead owner defer property tax, but the deferral is denied where deferred taxes plus all unsatisfied liens exceed 85% of just value, or where primary mortgage financing exceeds 70%. A reverse mortgage is a recorded lien with a balance that grows every month, so the deferral and the reverse mortgage are practical alternatives rather than companions.
A quarter of the housing here is manufactured
The Census counts 1,214 manufactured homes among Hobe Sound’s 4,811 owner-occupied homes, about 25%, which is more than three times Martin County’s 7.6% share. So this comes up in roughly one conversation in four here.
FHA will insure a HECM on a manufactured home, though the conditions are narrow rather than general: it has to meet the federal manufactured housing construction standard, sit permanently affixed to a foundation on land you own, and be classified and taxed as real property rather than as a vehicle. Where any of those fails, the answer is usually no.
That is deliberately the short version, because the detail deserves its own treatment rather than a paragraph. So if you own a manufactured home in Hobe Sound, send me the year and the title status and I will tell you inside a day whether it works.
Care in Jupiter, trauma care in West Palm Beach
Jupiter Medical Center is the nearest acute-care hospital, roughly ten miles south down US-1 in Palm Beach County. Before relying on a rating you read somewhere, check the current record on Medicare Care Compare.
For the most serious cases the Florida Department of Health lists St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach as a Level I trauma center, about 24 miles south, which is closer than the Level II option to the north in Fort Pierce. Level I is the highest designation, and having one within half an hour is unusual for a town this size.
Local support runs through the Council on Aging of Martin County, which operates the Kane Center and a community transit service, and the Area Agency on Aging of Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast, whose helpline covers Martin County. Both are worth knowing about while you are planning rather than reacting.
Sources: U.S. Census ACS 2024 5-Year; Zillow Home Value Index July 2026; Fla. Const. art. X section 4; Fla. Stat. section 732.401; Fla. Const. art. VII sections 4 and 6; Fla. Stat. sections 196.075, 197.252 and 197.2423; Form DR-570; Florida Department of Revenue; Martin County Property Appraiser; HUD Handbook 4000.1; HECM Financial Assessment and Property Charge Guide; Florida Department of Health trauma center list; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals. Retrieved 2026-09-10. Educational only, not tax or legal advice.
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Reverse mortgage options in Hobe Sound: HECM vs. jumbo
At a Census median of $394,700, every ordinary Hobe Sound home sits far inside the 2026 FHA HECM limit of $1,249,125, so the government-insured HECM is the tool here. Note the gap between that median and Zillow's $505,375 for July 2026, which is wide enough to be worth an appraisal rather than an estimate. Since Florida sets no minimum age of its own, proprietary programs open at 55 rather than 62. Start with the types of reverse mortgages and then the comparison table.
Buying a home? Consider a HECM for Purchase (H4P)
A HECM for Purchase lets you buy your next home with a reverse mortgage rather than cash: you bring a large down payment, the loan covers the rest, and afterward there is no monthly principal and interest payment. In Hobe Sound it comes up when someone wants to move from a manufactured home into a site-built one, or closer to Jupiter and the hospital, rather than spending the whole sale price on the next place.
How much you can access depends on age, rates, and value. Start your own estimate with the reverse mortgage calculator above.
How the process works, step by step
First consultation, then HUD counseling, application, appraisal and closing. Florida adds no state layer to that sequence, unlike Texas, which writes counseling timing and a twelve-day notice period into its constitution. What a Hobe Sound file often adds is property classification evidence, since a quarter of the housing here is manufactured and the title and foundation status decide eligibility before anything else does.
How much a reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound costs
In practice the biggest cost is FHA mortgage insurance: 2% of the home's value upfront plus about 0.5% a year on the balance, and that premium funds the FHA guarantee behind the non-recourse protection, which is what caps your heirs' liability at the home's value. On a typical Hobe Sound home at $394,700 the upfront premium runs roughly $7,894. The origination fee is capped at $6,000. In most cases it rolls into the loan rather than coming out of pocket. Every fee, itemized.
The honest trade-offs (the balance grows, you still cover taxes and insurance, and it rewards a longer stay) are the same anywhere. I lay them all out in the pros and cons of a reverse mortgage.
Why work with a mortgage broker, not a bank
A reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound is priced rather than fixed. Of course a bank quotes you whatever is on its own sheet that morning, and a bank that does not lend on manufactured homes simply declines rather than explaining why. Instead I shop the same file across more than 30 wholesale lenders, which matters in a market where a quarter of the housing is manufactured. C2 Financial Corporation, NMLS #135622.
What happens to your home and your heirs
Title stays in your name throughout. When the loan comes due, your heirs repay, refinance or sell and keep everything above the balance, and the non-recourse guarantee means they can never owe more than the house is worth. Florida also charges no estate or inheritance tax. What Florida does add is the homestead devise restriction in Article X section 4, which limits who you may leave the house to when a spouse or minor child survives you, with Fla. Stat. 732.401 supplying the default. Talk that through with your own attorney. Timelines and the 95% rule.
Property types and a reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound
First, the housing mix, which is unusual for this stretch of coast. Of Hobe Sound's 4,811 owner-occupied homes the Census counts 2,967 single-family detached houses, 1,214 manufactured homes, 323 attached homes, 207 units in buildings of two to nine and just 51 in buildings of ten or more.
At 25%, the manufactured share here is more than three times Martin County's 7.6%. FHA can insure a HECM on a manufactured home, though the conditions are narrow, chiefly the federal construction standard, a permanent foundation on land you own, and classification as real property. Send me the year and the title status and I can answer that quickly.
With only 51 units in large buildings, condominium project approval rarely comes up here. Either way, see the property and eligibility rules, and my HOA and condominium checklist if an association is involved.
The HUD counseling requirement, explained
Federal HUD rules require an independent counseling session before closing, on every reverse mortgage nationwide, not a Florida rule. It is usually low-cost or free, and it has to be finished before I can pull an FHA case number. HUD publishes the approved counselors serving Martin County, so scheduling never has to stall your file. Find them through HUD’s HECM program. Florida Office of Financial Regulation publishes consumer guidance. What the session actually covers. So no reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound closes without it, and unlike Texas, Florida adds no second state requirement on top.
Reverse mortgage FAQs for Hobe Sound homeowners
Who ends up with your home after a reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound?
Your heirs do. When the last borrower permanently leaves, they can repay the loan and keep the house, refinance it, or sell and keep every dollar above the balance. The loan is non-recourse, so if the balance has grown past the value, FHA insurance covers the gap and heirs can settle a HECM for 95% of appraised value. Florida adds one rule that surprises people: under Article X section 4 of the state constitution a homestead cannot be devised at all if a spouse or minor child survives you, except to the spouse when there is no minor child.
Does a reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound stop you deferring property tax?
In practice it usually does. Fla. Stat. 197.252 lets a homestead owner defer property tax, and for an owner 65 or older it covers tax exceeding 3% of prior-year household income. But the deferral is denied where deferred taxes plus all unsatisfied liens exceed 85% of just value, or where primary mortgage financing exceeds 70%. A reverse mortgage is a recorded lien with a balance that grows every month, so treat the deferral and the reverse mortgage as alternatives rather than as a stack, and choose deliberately.
Can you get a reverse mortgage on a manufactured home in Hobe Sound?
Sometimes, and it comes up often here, because 1,214 of Hobe Sound's 4,811 owner-occupied homes are manufactured, about a quarter. FHA will insure a HECM on one, but the conditions are narrow: it has to meet the federal manufactured housing construction standard, sit permanently affixed to a foundation on land you own, and be classified and taxed as real property rather than as a vehicle. Where any of those fails, the answer is usually no. Send me the year and the title status and I can answer inside a day.
Do you still pay property tax with a reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound?
Yes. Since you keep title, the bill stays yours and it must stay current for the life of the loan. The Census puts the median Hobe Sound bill at $2,723 on a $394,700 home, an effective rate near 0.69%, below Martin County's 0.77%. Hobe Sound is unincorporated, so there is no city millage. Every homestead gets $25,000 off assessed value plus an inflation-indexed $26,411 for 2026, and Martin County grants an additional $25,000 senior exemption against county taxes plus a 25-year long-term residency exemption, subject to household income at or less than $38,686.
Is HUD counseling required before a reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound?
Yes, though it is a federal rule rather than a Florida one. In every state, a reverse mortgage requires an independent session with a HUD-approved counselor before an FHA case number can be pulled, and it is usually low-cost or free. Unlike Texas, which writes counseling timing and a twelve-day notice period into its state constitution, Florida adds nothing on top. Afterward, HUD publishes the approved counselors serving Martin County, so scheduling never has to hold up your file.
Have a question about a reverse mortgage in Hobe Sound? Call or text me at 720-449-6622. No pressure, just straight answers.
Hobe Sound neighborhoods and nearby areas I serve
I work with homeowners across the city and greater Martin County. That includes Banner Lake, the Bridge Road corridor, the Jonathan Dickinson State Park area, the Indian River Lagoon waterfront, and the US-1 corridor south of Bridge Road. Core ZIP codes include 33455.
In addition, I also help owners in nearby communities such as Port Salerno, Tequesta, Stuart, Jupiter, and Palm City, and across Martin County. See every area I cover on my reverse mortgages across Florida page. Do not see your area? Reach out and ask.
If aging in place is your goal, local resources like the Council on Aging of Martin County, and the Area Agency on Aging of Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast can help you plan, and my free Aging-in-Place Home Scorecard lets you score any Hobe Sound home in about 15 minutes to see how ready it is to grow old in.
Wondering whether a home is one you could grow old in? Score any home in about 15 minutes, and see how a reverse mortgage can fund the upgrades.
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About Christopher Gibson
Christopher Gibson (NMLS #1910430) is an independent mortgage and reverse mortgage broker with C2 Financial Corporation (NMLS #135622), serving homeowners across the states he is licensed in. Serving Hobe Sound and nearby communities. Call or text 720-449-6622. More about Christopher.
Read reviews of Reverse Mortgages & Home Loans with Christopher Gibson at C2 Financial
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*This is general information, not tax advice. Reverse mortgage proceeds are loan advances rather than income and are generally not subject to federal income tax. Consult a CPA or tax advisor about your specific situation. Receiving loan proceeds may also affect eligibility for need-based government benefits such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).