source:
  type: guide
  id: hud-4000-1-ii-a-required-referral-for-hecm-counseling
  authority: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part II — a. Required
    Referral for HECM Counseling (04/29/2024)
  description: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part II — a. Required
    Referral for HECM Counseling (04/29/2024).
  coverage_tier: operative
obligations:
- id: hud-4000-1-ii-a-required-referral-for-hecm-counseling-full
  canonical_id: hud-4000-1-ii-a-required-referral-for-hecm-counseling-full
  section: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part II — a. Required
    Referral for HECM Counseling (04/29/2024)
  type: do
  tags:
  - regulator-direct
  - fha
  - hud-handbook
  - corpus-expansion
  - tier-operative
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, Part II — a. Required
      Referral for HECM Counseling (04/29/2024)
    source_class: hud-handbook
    source_url: https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/single-family-handbook-4000-1
    snapshot_id: 8c03836f77f317e1
    fetched_at: '2026-05-23T00:28:40Z'
    content_hash: sha256:411430f29b13f9b54a2ebb0e6f6e7087ecd2b90d0da22eb0c8c792eaa2d7d0df
    paragraph_quote: 'a. Required Referral for HECM Counseling (04/29/2024) i. Definition
      HECM Borrower refers to the original Borrower under a Note and Mortgage. The
      term does not include successors or assigns of a Borrower. Participating Agency
      refers to all housing counseling and intermediary organizations participating
      in HUD’s Housing Counseling program, including HUD-approved agencies, and affiliates
      and branches of HUD-approved intermediaries, HUD-approved multi-state organizations,
      and state housing finance agencies. ii. Standard The Mortgagee must provide
      each prospective Borrower with a list of the names, addresses, and telephone
      numbers of the Participating Agencies eligible to provide HECM counseling that
      includes: • all HUD-approved intermediaries listed on the HUD Intermediaries
      Providing HECM Origination Counseling Nationwide; • Participating Agencies that
      provide telephone counseling; and II. ORIGINATION THROUGH POST-CLOSING/ENDORSEMENT
      B. Title II Insured Housing Programs Reverse Mortgages 1. Origination/Counseling
      Requirements Handbook 4000.1 539 Last Revised: 11/26/2025 • at least five Participating
      Agencies located in the prospective Borrower’s state or locality, including
      at least one local agency within a reasonable driving distance of the prospective
      Borrower’s residence for face-to-face counseling. In cases where HECM counseling
      is not available in the local area or state, Mortgagees must determine which
      Participating Agencies are most conveniently located to the Borrower and provide
      a listing of at least five Participating Agencies. Mortgagees must inform Borrowers
      that it is the Borrower’s responsibility to initiate communication with a Participating
      Agency to schedule counseling without the assistance of the Mortgagee. If the
      prospective Borrower has already received HECM counseling and provides the Mortgagee
      with an unexpired, signed and dated form HUD-92902, Certificate of HECM Counseling,
      then the Mortgagee does not need to provide the prospective Borrower with the
      list of Participating Agencies. iii. Required Documentation The Mortgagee must
      enter the date the prospective Borrower received the list of Participating Agencies
      in the FHA Connection (FHAC) HECM Referral List Update screen prior to closing.
      If the Mortgagee did not provide the list of Participating Agencies because
      the prospective Borrower provided evidence of counseling, the Mortgagee must
      select the “Not Referred” box in FHAC.'
  judgment: false
