All kinds of organizations do all kinds of good things to help people fix up their homes and become homeowners when they couldn’t otherwise afford it.

I wanted to recognize some groups coming together today for a three-day project that has a slightly unusual take on the donated home makeover: Redoing a house to get it eligible for a reverse mortgage.

The home is in Parkland and is owned by an 82-year-old widow, who lives with her disabled adult son. Rebuilding Together, along with the Washington Association of Mortgage Brokers South Sound chapter and Walsh Construction, will be giving the home top-to-bottom treatment, from new flooring, doors and windows to new electrical wiring, plumbing and landscaping.

“I can tell you at this point, without this work, the place was facing condemnation,” said Ed Hoffmann, a member of the mortgage association who is putting together the reverse mortgage for the homeowner.

Much like an FHA loan, homes must meet certain standards to qualify for a reverse mortgage, which is insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A reverse mortgage allows seniors at least 62 years old to continue living in their homes while being paid from the equity they’ve accrued.

Popularity of the loans is expected to jump as baby boomers continue retiring. Already, HUD is seeing more interest, having insured 1,727 such mortgages in the state in 2006, up from 253 in 2000.

To learn more about how Rebuilding Together helps provide disadvantaged homeowners a better place to live and how families can apply for the help, go here.