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Reverse mortgages in Chino: counseling, the Senior Center and San Bernardino County help

By Tom Jarboe, NMLS #210600Facts checked November 5, 2026

Quick answer

Chino homeowners have two HUD-listed reverse mortgage counseling agencies within about 9 miles, in Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, and both counsel in person, by phone or by video. Chino is in San Bernardino County, not Los Angeles County, so your tax offices, deed alerts, aging services and elder abuse line are different from Diamond Bar's. I'll give you both sides, the costs and risks as well as the help, and tell you plainly if a reverse mortgage isn't the right fit.

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A HECM, the federally insured reverse mortgage, is FHA-insured. New American Funding is not acting for HUD, FHA or any government agency.

Key points

  • Chino is in San Bernardino County. Use that county's offices for taxes and recorded documents, not LA County's.
  • Counseling is close. Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga agencies are about 8 and 9 miles away, and I don't choose or pay yours.
  • Part of Chino is in a Very High fire hazard zone. The fire district's map took effect Sept. 1, 2025. Check your address, because insurance matters on a HECM (see below).
  • Your contract in your language. If a reverse mortgage is negotiated mainly in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Korean, California requires a translated contract.
  • Property Tax Postponement and a reverse mortgage usually don't mix. Postponed taxes come due if you take a reverse mortgage.

Questions so far? Tom is glad to walk you through it. Call Tom: (909) 869-6588 →

Counseling near Chino

HUD's counselor data, read Nov. 5, 2026, lists these agencies within about 30 miles of Chino that offer reverse mortgage counseling. Distances are straight-line and approximate. I'm not recommending any of them.

CityAgencyAboutPhoneWhat HUD lists
OntarioInland Fair Housing and Mediation Board8 miles800-321-0911In person, group, online, phone, video; English, Spanish
Rancho CucamongaNeighborhood Partnership Housing Services9 miles909-988-5979In person, phone, video; English, Spanish
RiversideCarolyn E. Wylie Center16 miles951-683-5193Group, online, phone, video; English, Spanish
OrangeNeighborWorks Orange County17 miles714-409-3444In person, group, phone; English, Spanish, Vietnamese
RiversideCredit.org18 miles800-431-8157In person, group, phone; English, Spanish
San BernardinoInland Empire Resource Center22 miles909-887-8700In person, group, online, phone, video; English, Spanish
Moreno ValleyNID-HCA Riverside / San Bernardino County24 miles951-399-4538In person, group, phone; English

None of these agencies lists Chinese. For Mandarin or Cantonese, call HUD at (800) 569-4287 and ask for a HECM counselor who speaks it, or ask an agency about an interpreter. Also ask about the fee and whether family can join. See counseling near Diamond Bar.

Languages and your contract

If a reverse mortgage on your Chino home is negotiated mainly in Spanish or Chinese (or Tagalog, Vietnamese or Korean), California Civil Code 1632 says the business must give each borrower a translation of the full contract before signing. See protecting a parent.

Chino senior resources

Tom Jarboe

Questions about your own situation?

Talk with Tom Jarboe. He's been helping families with home loans since 1986. You'll get plain answers, and he'll tell you if a reverse mortgage isn't the right fit.

Call Tom: (909) 869-6588Get my personal estimate

County help: taxes, deed alerts and probate

Chino is in San Bernardino County. Property taxes are due in two installments; San Bernardino County homeowner help has the dates, exemptions and who to call. With a reverse mortgage there's no required monthly mortgage payment, but property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues and upkeep stay yours with any reverse mortgage.

On a HECM, falling behind on taxes or insurance can make the loan come due; private loans set their own rules.

If you're weighing the state's Property Tax Postponement, know that postponed taxes come due if you take a reverse mortgage (Government Code 16190(f)), so usually you pick one; see Property Tax Postponement or a reverse mortgage?.

Deed alerts come automatically, with no sign-up: under the county's Real Estate Informational Letter Program, the owner on file gets a letter when key documents, such as a grant deed or deed of trust, are recorded on the home.

If a parent dies, probate for a Chino home is handled by the Superior Court's Fontana District; see titles, trusts and probate.

Fire zones and homeowners insurance

On a HECM, keeping homeowners insurance in force is a loan duty, and a lapse can make the loan come due. Private (proprietary) reverse mortgages set their own rules in the loan papers.

The Chino Valley Independent Fire District adopted CAL FIRE's recommended zones without changes in Ordinance No. 2025-01, effective Sept. 1, 2025, for Chino, Chino Hills and unincorporated areas in the district, and the State Fire Marshal's map shows 1,095 Very High acres in Chino's local areas; the fire marshal's office is at 909-902-5280, option 2.

See San Bernardino County homeowner help for how to check your address and where to get insurance help.

Home repair help

San Bernardino County says it doesn't run its own homeowner repair program and refers residents to their cities. Chino's 2025-2026 home improvement brochure lists:

Low-income limits in the 2025-26 brochure: $62,650 for one person, $71,600 for two, $80,550 for three, $89,500 for four. The brochure doesn't say whether funds are open now, so call the Housing Division at 909-334-3272.

One loan's terms are tied to the life of your first mortgage, so ask the city and me before combining any of these with a reverse mortgage. On a HECM, the reverse mortgage must be the first lien, and other liens must be subordinate to it (24 CFR 206.27(b)(3)).

Home values in Chino

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in Chino at about $683,400 (2020 to 2024 estimates, as owners reported them). That is a broad average, not your home's value.

For FHA case numbers assigned in 2026, HUD's HECM limit is $1,249,125, and a HECM figures your amount on the lower of your home's value or that limit. Private (proprietary) reverse mortgages set their own rules. See types of reverse mortgages.

The balance grows over time; for when the loan comes due, see how a reverse mortgage works in California.

Do and don't

My advice:

Do

  • Do call the San Bernardino County offices, not LA County's, about your Chino tax bill.
  • Do check your address on the fire district's map before you shop for insurance.

Don’t

  • Don't pay or sign because someone says the offer ends today.
  • Don't skip counseling or California's 7-day wait after counseling before a final application or fee.
  • Don't let anyone require you to buy an annuity or other product with the loan.

Want to know what this means for your home? Get your personal estimate from Tom →

A made-up example to show how it works. Your situation will be different.

Example: Leonel asks about a city loan first

Leonel, 67, owns his Chino home, which needs a new water heater and a safer bathroom. He called the city's Housing Division about the Healthy Homes grant and asked how a reverse mortgage would affect the city's loan programs. He did his reverse mortgage counseling in person in Ontario, with his niece.

He keeps paying his property taxes and insurance, and he's taking his time before he decides.

Questions families ask

Can I get reverse mortgage counseling in person near Chino?

Yes. HUD lists in-person counseling in Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, about 8 to 9 miles away. Call ahead.

Can a parent get rides to the senior center or the doctor in Chino?

Yes. The city's Get S.M.A.R.T. program gives door-to-door morning rides for Chino residents 50 and older within city limits. Call the Senior Center at 909-334-3271.

How do I find a good reverse mortgage lender in Chino?

I can't rate myself, so here's what I'd look for in anyone: a loan officer who explains that counseling is required, shows every cost, explains when it isn't a fit, and never pushes other products. Check any license on NMLS Consumer Access. I'm Tom Jarboe, NMLS #210600, with an office in Diamond Bar.

Tom Jarboe

Your next step

Talk with me first. I'll answer your questions, go over your options and tell you plainly if a reverse mortgage isn't the right fit. Call (909) 869-6588 or email [email protected], or read about me. There's no pressure.

Before you can apply for a HECM, you'll meet with an independent HUD-approved counselor. It's required, and I'll give you a list of agencies. In California there's also a 7-day wait after counseling before a final application or any fees. Find one on HUD's site or call (800) 569-4287.

If you're worried someone is taking advantage of a parent, call San Bernardino County APS at 877-565-2020.

Questions about a reverse mortgage on your Chino home? Talk with Tom.

Sources (read November 5, 2026, unless another date is shown)22 sources · show all

Reverse mortgages closed near Chino

Type Chino or your own ZIP to see how many FHA-insured reverse mortgages (HECMs) have closed nearby. The counts come from HUD.

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Tom Jarboe, Regional Sales Manager, New American Funding, NMLS #210600, Diamond Bar.

As a loan officer, I want you to be able to check everything. That's why I give you honest answers on both sides, cite the official rules, and make sure you meet an independent HUD-approved counselor before you apply. My goal is that you make an honest, educated decision. More about me.

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Questions? Ask a person, not a robot.

Call or email Tom. No pressure and no obligation: if a reverse mortgage isn't right for you, he'll tell you, and point you to what might be.

Tom Jarboe, Regional Sales Manager, New American Funding
NMLS #210600
20955 Pathfinder Rd, Suite 200
Diamond Bar, CA 91765

(909) 869-6588
[email protected]