Mary Goolsby

Mary Goolsby

When Mary Goolsby lost her husband, Jackson, she also had to deal with sudden and serious financial burdens.

"When I lost Jackson, it was bad enough," she says. "But along with it, you lose a good part of your income and security. The money wasn't enough. You get these big bills and you have to pay them. I was having a lot of trouble with that, and it was as if there was such a weight on me."

Some people encouraged Mary to sell her rather large house to help pay her bills. But she was determined not to lose her home as well. "I'm very happy here. I can't imagine living anywhere else. I knew that this is my place and moving would just totally demoralize me. My house keeps me young. It really does."

That's when Mary started looking into a reverse mortgage. "I studied it and learned a lot about it," she says. "There were all kinds of misconceptions...but I was perfectly satisfied because I knew the truth of it."

Plus, her MetLife Bank Reverse Mortgage Consultant was able to answer all of her questions. "She was very forthright and answered every question very honestly, there wasn't anything to worry about for me. I felt secure with her," Mary adds.

And now that the money has come in, Mary has a new feeling of financial security, too. "I had a lump sum that I took and paid a lot of bills that were haunting me," she says. "It's like a big load off your back."

What would she tell friends and family about reverse mortgages? "With a reverse mortgage, you can do everything. You can breathe easy. It makes for a better, nicer life because you don't have that worry. I'm happy. I can smile now—and mean it."