Reverse mortgages in Walnut: counseling, the senior center and tax help

By Tom Jarboe, NMLS #210600Facts checked November 3, 2026

Quick answer

Walnut homeowners can get independent reverse mortgage counseling from HUD-listed agencies in Orange, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, and most of them counsel by phone or video. None of those agencies lists counseling in Chinese, Korean or Tagalog, so if you'd like another language, ask HUD's line. I taught finance and economics at Mt. San Antonio College here in Walnut for about five years, and I enjoy explaining new things, so here's where I'd start: honest answers, both sides.

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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

Walnut is in Los Angeles County. Your property tax, assessor and county senior services all run through LA County.
Counseling is required, and it's independent. HUD lists five agencies within about 30 miles that offer reverse mortgage counseling. I don't choose or pay yours.
California protects you if a reverse mortgage is negotiated mainly in Chinese, Tagalog, Spanish, Vietnamese or Korean. The business must give you a translated contract before you sign.
Property Tax Postponement and a reverse mortgage usually don't mix. Choosing a reverse mortgage makes postponed taxes due.
The Walnut Senior Center is a good first stop for classes, lunches and community events.

Rather talk it over than read? Call Tom, no pressure: (909) 869-6588 →

Counseling near Walnut

HUD's counselor data, read Nov. 3, 2026, lists these agencies within about 30 miles of Walnut that offer reverse mortgage counseling. None has a Los Angeles County address. Distances are straight-line and approximate. I'm not recommending any of them.

City	Agency	About	Phone	What HUD lists
Orange	NeighborWorks Orange County	15 miles	714-409-3444	In person, group, phone; English, Spanish, Vietnamese
Ontario	Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board	17 miles	800-321-0911	In person, group, online, phone, video; English, Spanish
Rancho Cucamonga	Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services	18 miles	909-988-5979	In person, phone, video; English, Spanish
Riverside	Carolyn E. Wylie Center	28 miles	951-683-5193	Group, online, phone, video; English, Spanish
Riverside	Credit.org	30 miles	800-431-8157	In person, group, phone; English, Spanish

If you'd rather talk in a language other than English, here's what I'd do: call HUD at (800) 569-4287 and ask for a HECM counselor who speaks your language, or ask an agency whether it offers an interpreter.

Also ask about the fee, and whether a son or daughter can join by phone. For how a session works, see counseling near Diamond Bar.

Languages and your contract

Under California Civil Code 1632, if a reverse mortgage is negotiated mainly in Chinese (or Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Korean), the business must give each borrower a translation of the whole contract before signing. If your loan is negotiated in Chinese and you don't get the contract in Chinese, stop and ask why. See protecting a parent.

Walnut senior resources

Walnut Senior Center, 21215 La Puente Road, (909) 598-6200, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Membership is required for programs, and you apply at the front desk.
Free classes from Mt. SAC for older adults are held at the center. Register with Mt. SAC at (909) 274-4192, not the center.
Lunch: the YWCA serves weekday meals at the center for people 60 and older, first come, first served.
Monthly seminars and health screenings: call the center for the current schedule.
Dial-A-Cab is the city's discount ride program for Walnut residents.

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) 869-6588 Get my personal estimate

LA County offices and help lines

Walnut is in LA County: call the Assessor at (213) 974-3211 about home values and exemptions, or the Treasurer and Tax Collector at (213) 974-2111 about your tax bill (the county's shared toll-free property tax line is (888) 807-2111).

If you suspect abuse of an older adult, call the county hotline at 1-877-477-3646, any time, or 911 in an emergency; to find services, call 1-800-510-2020 (a statewide number that connects you to your county's aging office). More help lines are in protecting a parent.

Home values in Walnut

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in Walnut at about $1,014,000 (2020 to 2024 estimates, as owners reported them), and about 84% of homes are owner-occupied. 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 and can suit higher-value homes. See types of reverse mortgages.

With any reverse mortgage there's no required monthly mortgage payment, but property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues and upkeep stay yours. The balance grows over time; for when the loan comes due, see how a reverse mortgage works in California.

Property Tax Postponement

If you're weighing the State Controller's Property Tax Postponement against a reverse mortgage on your Walnut home, know that state law makes postponed taxes due once you choose a reverse mortgage, so usually you pick one. Read Property Tax Postponement or a reverse mortgage? before you choose.

Do and don't

My advice:

Do ask for your counseling and your contract in the language you're most comfortable with.
Do bring a family member to calls and meetings if you'd like a second set of ears.
Do call two or three counseling agencies and compare fees and times.

Don’t

Don't sign anything you haven't had explained in a language you fully understand.
Don't let anyone rush you past counseling or California's 7-day wait after counseling before a final application or fee.
Don't buy an annuity or other product because someone says the loan requires it. No one involved in the loan can require that.

Not sure which option fits you? Ask Tom for a personal estimate →

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

Example: Wen asks for her contract in her language

Wen, 74, has owned her Walnut home for decades. Her daughter called HUD's line and asked for a counselor in the language Wen is most comfortable with, and Wen did her session by phone with her daughter listening. Later, a lender explained the loan to her in that language.

Wen knew to ask for the translated contract before signing, and she reviewed it with her daughter. She keeps paying her property taxes and insurance. She hasn't decided yet, and she's taking her time.

Questions families ask

Where can I get reverse mortgage counseling near Walnut, and can it be in Chinese?

HUD lists agencies in Orange, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Riverside, and most counsel by phone. None near Walnut lists Chinese. Call HUD at (800) 569-4287 and ask for a counselor who speaks Mandarin or Cantonese, or ask an agency about an interpreter.

If we talk about the loan in Chinese, does the contract have to be in Chinese?

Yes, under California Civil Code 1632, if the business negotiates the reverse mortgage primarily in Chinese, it must give you a translated contract before you sign. The same rule covers Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Korean.

My Walnut home is worth more than the HECM limit. What are my choices?

The short version: a HECM only counts value up to HUD's limit ($1,249,125 for case numbers assigned in 2026). Private reverse mortgages set their own rules and limits, and some start at 55 in California. Compare both, with the costs of each in writing.

Is there a reverse mortgage lender in Walnut or Rowland Heights who explains things clearly?

I can't rate myself, so here's what I'd look for in anyone: someone who explains that counseling is required, lists every cost, and never pushes other products. Look up any loan officer on NMLS Consumer Access. I'm Tom Jarboe, NMLS #210600, and my office is a few minutes away in Diamond Bar.

Can I postpone my property taxes and get a reverse mortgage?

Usually not both. California law says choosing a reverse mortgage makes postponed taxes due. Call the State Controller at (800) 952-5661 before you plan on it.

Your next step

Talk with me first. I'll give you honest answers on both sides, 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.

Ask the agency about counseling in your language. See also how a reverse mortgage works in California.

Sources (read November 3, 2026)13 sources · show all

HUD Housing Counselor data, 30 miles from Walnut, agencies listing reverse mortgage counseling (code RMC): https://data.hud.gov/Housing_Counselor/searchByLocation?Lat=34.0203&Long=-117.8654&Distance=30
HUD, find a housing counselor: https://answers.hud.gov/housingcounseling/s/?language=en_US
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-year, tables B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure), Walnut city: https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B25077?g=160XX00US0683332
California Civil Code 1632 (translated contracts, includes reverse mortgages): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1632
City of Walnut, Senior Center: https://www.walnutca.gov/for-residents/departments/community-services/recreation/senior-center
LA County property tax contact information (Assessor, Treasurer and Tax Collector): https://www.propertytax.lacounty.gov/Home/ContactUs/0
LA County Aging & Disabilities, how to report abuse: https://ad.lacounty.gov/services/how-to-report/
LA County Aging & Disabilities, contact (Information & Assistance): https://ad.lacounty.gov/contact-us
HUD press release No. 25-145, 2026 HECM limit: https://www.hud.gov/news/hud-no-25-145
California Government Code 16190, when postponed taxes are due: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=16190
State Controller, Property Tax Postponement: https://www.sco.ca.gov/ardtax_prop_tax_postponement.html
California Civil Code, Chapter 8, Reverse Mortgages (7-day wait, 1923.2(k)): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&division=3.&title=4.&part=4.&chapter=8.&article=
FTC, "Reverse Mortgages": https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/reverse-mortgages

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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.