Mortgage brokers have become an integral part of Canada’s financial landscape. Rather than deal directly with banks, about 30 per cent of Canadians turn to independent brokers to help them secure the best terms for their loan. But as residential real estate markets continue to power ahead at a time of economic uncertainty, government regulators […]

Prepayment, Portability and Assumability Prepayments One of the most common questions we get is about mortgage prepayments. The conditions vary from lender to lender but the nice thing about prepayments is that you can pay a little more every year if you want to pay off your mortage faster. A great way to do this […]

Although going through the pre-approval process is more important than ever, the actual term ‘pre-approval’ is often misleading. It really addresses just a few variables that may arise once in the middle of an actual offer. The pressure in many markets has never been greater to write a condition-free offer, yet due to recent changes […]

Often, when we talk to you about mortgages, Mortgage Professionals will provide you a set of choices involving banks, credit unions and single service mortgage providers called a “Monoline” and a recommendation. Many times, if it’s a good fit, we recommend a Monoline, as your first option. It’s important to recognize the differences between the […]

Sales of new homes in the Greater Toronto Area surged in October, driven by multifamily and condo apartments in high-rise and medium-rise buildings and stacked townhomes. A report from the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) shows that 5,377 new homes were sold last month, 91% (4,884) were multifamily while just 493 were low-rise […]

The question most often asked: ‘Is my mortgage portable?’ The answer most often given: ‘Yes.’ This answer is increasingly wrong. In reality you qualify to move ~80% of the balance… maybe. If you are thinking of: Moving (upsizing or downsizing) Locking a variable-rate mortgage into a fixed-rate product … you would be well served to […]

Paperwork-it’s a fact of life. You need it and we as mortgage professionals also need it. Below is a list of must have documentation BEFORE you start going through the mortgage approval process. Personal Information This will be the basic information we require to start your mortgage process. It will include your age, marital status, […]

Being fully pre-approved means that the lender has agreed to have you as a client (you have a pre-approval certificate) and the lender has reviewed, approved ALL your income and down payment documents (as listed below) prior to you going house hunting. Many bankers will say you’re approved, you go out shopping and then they […]

1. Not consolidating high interest debt into low interest mortgage. 2. Paying “fees” to get the lower rate 3. Not looking at their long term forecast 4. Taking a 5 year rate when 3-4 years can be cheaper 5. Having their mortgage with a lender that has high penalties and restrictive clauses. Not consolidating high […]

Have you been approved for a mortgage and waiting for the completion date to come? Well, it is not smooth sailing until AFTER the solicitor has registered the new mortgage. Be sure to avoid these 10 things below or your approval status can risk being reversed! 1. Don’t change employers or job positions Any career […]