Should I refinance or pay off my home early?
ask your lender for the amortization of both scenarios to see which costs you less over that time frame- that should then be your choice if you can afford it

Does my husband need my signature to refinance?
need more info, how much is the loan (you said 26,000) but is that the whole loan or just the loan YOU think is on the home. you're legally separated but not divorced so technically both of you are required to be a part of the repair of this loan, whether you pay it off by selling or by being able to catch...

Trying to get home equity loan
If you're over 62 you could do a reverse mortgage, otherwise you will need some type of special financing as suggested by William in AZ. I am here in MD if you want to press onto some other areas.

who does a reverse mortgage for purchase in North Carolina?
You would need info first, I can help with that. We can give you an idea of what you'll need to do to qualify (age and the cash you'd be bringing to the table). You'll need to find a house (unless you already have) and you'll need to have a contract in place before you can take the reverse...

Are there any credit requirements for reverse mortgages?
If you mean a minimum credit score, no, not at this time. Reverse mortgages requirements are age based (have to be 62 or over) and from there its based on available equity and proof of home occupancy. HUD is working on a plan for a financial assessment to ensure borrower can afford taxes and insurance down...

What are some ways to pay down my mortgage faster?
for you forward mortgage gurus (I'm a reverse guy) what about him refinancing (without fees) into a 15 year, how would that help. of course it his payment was the same or less than his current mortgage, how much would that save him?

If I complete an hecm, will these funds be considered taxable income?
Thats a great question Ben and Harry is correct, you should ask your tax professional but I'll also share that I teach continuing education classes for CPAs and some of them are in complete darkness surrounding how reverse mortgages work so make sure your tax professional really understands them...

Is there a way to take equity out of land I bought and paid off?
Your home doesn't have to be paid off to do a reverse mortgage but you do have to have approx 50% equity in it. The reverse funds would require you pay off mortgage on home (not on property) so it could potentially free up more money for you to pay off some portion of your land. Do you need more help finding out...