"What's your best rate?"

"What's your best mortgage rate?" This is the million dollar question... or is it? I am asked this everyday, my response is "What is your mortgage strategy?" Most people are thrown off by this response as they do not have a mortgage strategy. The truth of the matter is that there are so many different mortgage rates and products that without developing an in depth personal mortgage strategy we really don't know what the best rate is for you and your mortgage plan.

Are you purchasing your first home?

Are you refinancing an existing home? Are you going to sell this home within the next 3-5 years?

Are you renovating your home?

Are you consolidating debt?

Do you own an investment property?

Do you need cash back?

Tailoring a mortgage to a client's needs is something many mortgage professionals do not do enough of. As a Mortgage Advisor it is my commitment to discuss all your mortgage options, and answer all your questions and concerns.

The lowest rate says nothing about the quality of the mortgages and the service provided, your ability to qualify or the support you can expect with a given rate. Keep in mind, most deeply discounted rates come with little service or mortgage planning. If you want someone who takes time to carefully review your best alternatives and warn you of lender restrictions, and be available for your mortgage needs before, during and after the mortgage process it is rational to pay 5-10 basis points extra for that service (2.99% instead of 2.89% for example). That difference is minimal when you need the right advice, because bad mortgage selection will balloon your cost of borrowing after closing.

Get Pre-Approved Today

Considering buying a house? Perhaps you want to upgrade to a new larger home. Ever think about a second home, cottage or investment property? Your first step is getting pre-approved to find out what you can afford.

If you’re thinking about buying your first house, one of the first questions you may ask yourself is, “How much can I afford?” Read the following mortgage affordability tips before you set out to find the home of your dreams:

Consider your annual household income. This is a key factor when determining how much of a mortgage you can afford. In addition to calculating your annual household income, consider any income changes that may impact your ability to make your payments. For example, if there are currently two major income sources within your household, would you still be able to afford your mortgage if one was removed? What if a child comes into the picture and your partner decides to become a stay-at-home parent? Consider all factors before deciding.

Consider your down payment. Currently, you are required to have at least a 5% down payment when buying a house. The size of your down payment is one factor in determining the size of mortgage you can afford.

Consider your debt. When determining “How much can I afford?” one of the other important factors to take into account is the amount of debt you currently have. The lower your debt-to-income ratio, the more money you’ll likely have to put towards your mortgage. In addition, your debt level will also help to determine how large of a mortgage you will qualify for.

Consider your amortization period. If you are simply trying to keep your regular mortgage payments low in order to comfortably fit the payment into your budget, you will probably want to apply for a mortgage with a longer amortization period. However, if you don’t mind a somewhat larger regular mortgage payment in order to save money on interest in the long run, you may want to consider a shorter amortization period.

Consider your closing costs. Closing costs are an often overlooked expense that will definitely help determine how much money you can afford as a down payment.

Consider your property taxes, various types of homeowner’s insurance such as damage, title etc and additional expenses. Lastly, there are a few additional expenses that may impact how much money you have to put towards your mortgage each month. Expenses like property taxes, homeowner’s insurance and even things like home maintenance should be factored in before making your final decision. These costs are often overlooked but should be considered before settling on the home of your dreams.

An experienced mortgage professional helps you answer the question “How much can I afford?”
Buying a home is a big financial decision. When you start out by knowing what mortgage you can comfortably afford and what houses fit into your price range, you will be prepared to find the ideal house for
 your situation.

Get pre-approved today 1-866-890-9066

Service vs. Rate

Canadians today are savvy and educated when it comes to shopping for mortgage financing. Healthy competition is good for any industry and great for Canadians as a whole because it gives us multiple options to choose from. But how do you decide which financial institution to finance your mortgage with?

Most banks, brokers and mortgage lenders offer similar rates and products that range from 10+ basis points (0.10%.) For example as of the writing of this post, a 5 year fixed rate mortgage ranges from 3.29%-2.99%. You may may shop around to different lenders until you find the lowest rate, but a word of caution, make sure you are getting the right advice and service from your mortgage professional.

Ask your mortgage professional the following questions;

What are my pre-payment options?
Ensure that you are being informed on your pre-payment costs. A lower rate or discount mortgage may be great but you also may have very limited pre-payment options, or the mortgage can be locked for the full term meaning it cannot be paid out.

How are penalties calculated and applied?
Make sure that your aware of any penalties by paying the mortgage off early. Is the penalty 3 months of interest. Interest rate differential? Can the mortgage be paid out mid term or only from a bona fide sale?

Can I port or transfer my mortgage?
Ensure that you know if you can port your mortgage to another property without being charged a penalty during the term of the mortgage.

Is my mortgage standard charge or collateral?
Get clarification if the mortgage charge is standard or collateral. See my post on collateral vs. standard charge mortgages.
http://drmortgages.blogspot.ca/2013/02/collateral-vsstandard-charge-mortgages.html

Does my mortgage lender have a local branch?
This in my professional opinion is one of the most important factors when deciding where to place your mortgage. A lot of mortgage brokers will place your mortgage with a lender that may be located in another province altogether. This means the only way you can get assistance and proper service is via phone or email. It can be very frustrating if you have an issue, problem or concern with your mortgage and the only means of contact to get resolution is by phone or email. However if your lender has a physical branch located in your community, it's much easier to walk into the branch and get  direct personal service, and you are more likely to get your concern addressed and resolved immediately.

To put this into perspective take for example a $200,000 mortgage amortized over 25 years at a 5 year rate of 3.09% and 2.99%. The difference in the monthly payment is $10.28 or thirty four cents a day. Would you pay thirty four cents a day for the peace of mind, knowing that if you have a concern you can have it addressed right away by your local branch personally and not have the headache of problem resolution over the phone?

I have new clients come to me constantly who want to switch their mortgage for this reason and this reason only. They have stated that they would gladly pay a slightly higher rate to get the better service of a local branch presence.

Collateral vs.Standard Charge Mortgages

More lenders are moving to collateral charge mortgages so it’s becoming increasingly important to understand the differences between a collateral and standard charge mortgage. TD Bank announced in October, 2010 that all new mortgages will be a collateral charge mortgage. ING made the same announcement at the end of 2011 and it is expected that other lenders may follow.  Collateral charge mortgages are now the only option with TD and ING.  Standard charge mortgages are offered by the majority of all other lenders, although some offer both – standard charge mortgages and HELOCs, which are a collateral charge. You choose the option that best meets your needs.  So what’s the difference, and which is better for you?. It’s important to understand those differences so you can make sure you get the mortgage that best fits your long-term goals.

They both have advantages and disadvantages; the one that is right for you depends on your preferences, future needs, and long-term goals. The primary difference is that a collateral charge mortgage registers the mortgage for up to 125% (TD) or 100% (ING) of the value of the home at closing, instead of the amount you need to close your transaction.  The advantage behind this is that it makes it easier to tap into your equity for debt consolidation, renovations or to invest in property or investments easily and cost effectively, since you don’t need to visit a lawyer and pay legal fees. This flexibility is one of the primary advantages of collateral charge mortgages.

The downside comes at renewal. For consumers who want to keep their options open at maturity and have negotiating power with their lender, this isn’t the best product feature because collateral charge mortgages are difficult to transfer to another lender. That means if someone wants to change lenders for a better rate or product feature, they need to start from the beginning and pay new legal fees, which range from $500 to $1,000. Technically they can be assigned but lenders don’t accept the transfer. With regular standard charge mortgages, you can switch for free, although certain minor charges may apply. In addition, with a collateral charge, it could be difficult to get a second mortgage unless your home significantly appreciates in value.

The ability to take out equity is one of the primary features of Home Equity Lines of Credit, which are collateral charges for this reason. In these cases, clients want the ability to extract equity when they need it or as it becomes available. If you feel that there is a very good chance you will refinance to consolidate debt or to extract equity for a renovation or to invest, then a collateral charge mortgage may be a wise decision.

If you don’t believe that you’ll need to refinance or extract equity, then a regular standard charge mortgage will suit you fine, and it will give you the ability to move to another lender at renewal should you want to without incurring legal fees. In other words, it’s easier for you to keep your options open. If need to borrow more with a standard charge mortgage, you have the option of a second mortgage or line of credit.

Determining whether to get a standard or collateral charge mortgage adds another layer of complication for many homebuyers and owners. Obtaining the proper advice from a mortgage professional is your best choice to navigate this complex subject.

Source: Mortgage Superhero

Mortgage & Retirement

Having a mortgage during retirement adds a hefty bill to a post-employment lifestyle. As a result, many people seek to pay off their mortgages entirely prior to retiring. Here are three questions to ask yourself when determining whether paying off your mortgage early is a good strategy for you.

What are the Rates of Return?

One way to evaluate the decision to pay off your mortgage versus keeping more of your money in savings is by comparing the rates of return you expect to earn by following each path. Should you choose to pay off your mortgage, your rate or return is certain; you "earn" the interest rate charged on your mortgage.

If you instead choose to save the money, your rate of return may vary considerably. Your expectation will be determined by how you choose to invest. If you choose to invest very safely, like in a savings account, your rate of return will be quite low, likely below that of your mortgage. If you choose to invest more aggressively, you may very well earn a higher return, but will do so at a cost of significantly more risk and greater uncertainty.

What About the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction?

With every home payment you make, you might benefit from a mortgage interest deduction. However, the benefit of the home mortgage interest deduction may be less than you think, since:

• Your tax rate may be lower than ever - Since you’re in retirement, you’re not working, lowering your income, and lowering your income tax rate.
• Your payment consists of more principal and less interest.
• Each successive mortgage payment is comprised more of principal and less of interest, reducing the size of your deduction on your tax return.
• Your other itemized deductions are probably lower too.
• Because you’re in retirement, you’re probably paying less state income tax. Since you only receive a tax benefit to the extent your itemized deduction exceeds your standard deduction, this means you get less of a tax break from your home mortgage payments.

Would You Prefer No Bill or No Cushion?

While it may be of comfort to avoid a mortgage bill every month, you don’t want to pay off your entire mortgage if doing so would leave your without any savings cushion. You’ll never want to pay down your mortgage only to find that you can’t afford to pay for an unexpected car or home repair without going into credit card debt. Ideally, you could pay off your mortgage and have significant savings remaining. Regardless, make sure you retain an emergency fund in retirement.

4 reasons to pay off your mortgage before you retire

Does your mortgage term extend past the date you want to stop working? You might want to reorganize your finances and pay it off sooner. Here's why.

With housing prices skyrocketing and 30-year mortgages available to homeowners, more and more Canadians will be paying off their home well into retirement. If you’re still making a decent living in your 60s and 70s, then that may not be a problem. But for people who actually want to retire, having a hefty monthly payment to take care of can be trouble.

Ideally, you want your mortgage paid off by the time you leave the workforce. Here’s why.

1. Mortgage payments are large - As housing prices go up, so do monthly mortgage payments. Just imagine how much money you’d have if you didn’t have to pay a mortgage. Now imagine paying that monthly amount and not making any income. Scary, right? You don’t want to have to worry about finding a few thousand bucks a month to pay for your house when you’re not bringing in a paycheque.

2. RRSP withdrawals aren’t the answer - You’re probably thinking you can withdraw money from your RRSP to make those payments. Well, besides the fact that the point of saving all that money during your career was so you could enjoy retirement, in order to pay the mortgage you’ll actually need to take out more money than you might think.

When RRSP savings are withdrawn, you have to pay tax. It’s the after-tax dollars that will be used to pay down your debt. Theoretically, you could have to remove $3,000 to make a $2,000 payment.

3. You know what you’re getting into - There’s always a debate around paying off a mortgage versus investing in an RRSP. A lot of experts recommend concentrating on the mortgage first because it’s easy to see what’s happening. You have a set rate and you can see the balance dropping. With investing, the rate of return is unpredictable. Aggressively pay down the mortgage first and then use all that extra cash for retirement savings.

4. You’re building equity -  Not only does a mortgage-free retirement give you a lot of extra money to spend in your golden years, but if you need cash to fund something -- maybe a major medical issue, or you want to buy a small condo -- you can sell the house. If the mortgage is paid off you’ll get all the proceeds from the sale.

Retiring mortgage free doesn’t always make sense -- having a large pension, if you're so lucky, could make those payments manageable -- but generally, it’s better not to have such a huge debt when you stop working.

 

 

Source:  Rob Carrick

What Happens When You Can’t Qualify For A Mortgage!?

If your mortgage application has been declined, it’s probably due to low income, too much debt or bad credit. Here are some ideas of what you can do if you’re getting declined:

Low income: if the bank tells you that you can’t afford a particular mortgage amount because of your income, it’s for good reason; you won’t be able to afford the payments. Try the following:

■Lower your mortgage expectations by shopping for a cheaper home
■Start making more money
■Put more money down. A bigger down payment means a smaller mortgage
■Get someone to co-sign the loan with you. If you know someone who’s willing to back your loan, you can
have him or her sign with you on the mortgage as assurance to the bank that at least someone has the ability to make the payments.

Too much debt: a large chunk of what the bank believes you can afford is based on the credit that is available to you. So, for instance, if one person has a MasterCard (with a balance) with a credit limit of $5,000 versus someone with three credit cards (no balance) with credit limits totalling $15,000, the person with the MasterCard (with a balance) is considered to be less of a default risk. This is because the person with the $15,000 limit has the potential to utilize all that credit. Here’s what you should consider doing if you’ve got too much available debt:

■Slowly begin to consolidate consumer debt to reduce your overall available credit. Cancel unused credit cards (keep the one with the best and longest credit history), transfer balances and ask the lender to reduce the credit limit or both.
■Focus on paying down consumer loan balances quickly. The faster you get rid of your consumer debt, the more available income you’ll have to allocate toward a home.

Bad credit: before you enter into the application process, review your credit report. To ensure your credit file has accurate information, check on it every year. You can order your credit report online or by mail through Equifax Canada Inc. or TransUnion Canada Inc.
If there’s an error on your report, send a written request (with official receipts and paperwork supporting your side of the issue) to the credit bureau, which will investigate. If the error turns out to be incorrect, the credit bureau must correct it and send out revised reports to the lender you are trying to get a mortgage from.

If you’ve been late on payments, missed payments, not repaid a loan or have declared bankruptcy, you’re going to have a tough credit rating to face. Here’s what you can do: be responsible and wait it out. Make your payments on time, don’t miss payments and don’t ignore your debts. If you’re struggling with keeping up, see a credit counsellor who can help you negotiate new terms with your lenders.

Debt Consolidation Mortgage

High interest debt on credit cards, auto loans, or other consumer loans can be difficult to pay off and may create a barrier to your financial goals. However, if you’re a homeowner with equity, you have additional options to help you manage your debt, including a debt consolidation mortgage and home equity loan or line of credit.

Refinance with a debt consolidation mortgage

As a homeowner, one way to start managing some of your higher-interest debt is to refinance your existing mortgage with a debt consolidation mortgage. For example, a Home Power Mortgage allows you to borrow additional money on your mortgage so you can consolidate your debts into one simple payment. That way you can easily budget with a structured payment plan and an assured pay-off date.
Find a mortgage that’s right for you using our mortgage product selector.

Debt consolidation home equity loan or line of credit

Homeowners who are looking to consolidate their debts have the option of using their home equity to secure a loan or line of credit. A home equity loan or line of credit allows you to obtain a lower interest rate and a higher credit limit by using the equity you’ve built in your home as security. By consolidating your debts into a home equity loan or line of credit, you’ll have the convenience of one consolidated payment rather than having several bills from different creditors. This makes bill payments more manageable and the rate is usually lower, helping you pay off your debts sooner. With a home equity line of credit such as a Home Power Plan, you’ll enjoy additional benefits such as making interest payments only on the funds you use, not your total credit limit, and having ongoing access to funds up to your authorized credit limit.

Benefits of debt consolidation mortgages and debt consolidation home equity loans or lines of credit

• Interest rates on mortgages and home equity loans or lines of credit are often much lower than those on credit cards and consumer loans
• Making a single payment to your debt consolidation mortgage or home equity loan or line of credit is much easier than making multiple payments to credit cards and other lenders