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Marie-France Lavigne and Michele Quinn – Dominion Lending Centres The Mortgage Source 10145 | Articles
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What is a fixed-rate mortgage? With fixed-rate mortgages, your interest rate stays the same for the length of your term. It doesn’t matter if interest rates go up or down. The interest rate on your mortgage won’t change, and you’ll pay the same amount every month. Fixed-rate mortgages typically have a higher interest rate compared to variable-rate mortgages because they guarantee a consistent rate. What is a variable-rate mortgage? Variable-rate mortgages are appealing because the interest rates are typically lower than those on fixed-rate mortgages. If interest rates fall during your term, your mortgage interest rate will too — and the amount of...

When is it time to think about saving for a down payment? I would say about a year before you think about buying a home. While that’s ideal in today’s world, we often do not have much time to save for a down payment. Sometimes your landlord is planning on retiring and wants to sell the property. How do you get a down payment? Here’s a few ways to get a down payment for your home: Save – it’s old fashioned but it works. Open a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) and put a set amount into it. If you don’t...

There’s nothing quite like stepping into your dream home for the very first time. You have achieved your goal of homeownership! However, the journey from home seeker to home buyer can be challenging – unless you have a well-defined plan and guidance from the right professionals. As a mortgage broker, here’s how I will help you reach your objective: STEP 1 GETTING TO KNOW YOU In the discovery phase, we will discuss your situation, the essentials and “nice to haves” you’d like in your new home, and how long you plan to live there. Based on your desired move-in date, we’ll work out...

When applying for any sort of loan, one of the most important metrics a lender is going to look at is your credit score. But what really is a credit score, who keeps track of it, and most importantly, how can you improve yours? There are a few simple ways to keep your credit score in good shape. First off, prioritize paying your bills on time. Missing payments on your credit cards, lines of credit and so on, can have a very negative impact on your score. You can spend an entire lifetime building up for good credit. All it takes is one mistake...

It’s important to understand the home buying process, so here’s a 7-step checklist. Step 1: Down Payment The hardest part to buying a home is saving the down payment (a gift from the Bank of Mom & Dad also works). • For purchases under $500,000 minimum down payment is 5%. • Buying between $501-999,000 you need 5% on first $500,000-PLUS 10% down payment for anything over $500,000. • Buying a home over $1 million you need 20% down payment. For any home purchases with less than 20% down payment, you are also required to purchase Mortgage Default Insurance. Step 2: Strategize, Define Your Budget and get Pre-Qualified Unless...

1. Too Much Debt When home buyers seek a mortgage, the words “debt-to-income ratio” quickly enters into the vocabulary, and it’s not without reason. Too much debt is a red flag to lenders, signifying you may not be able to handle credit responsibly. Lenders will analyze how much debt you carry and what percentage of your income it takes to pay your debt. Debt ration is just as important as your credit score and payment history. Two affordability ratios you need to be aware of: • Rule #1 – GROSS DEBT SERVICE (GDS) Your monthly housing costs are generally not supposed to exceed 32%...

Though credit scores aren’t always an indicator of financial health, they are used in a variety of ways that could have a major impact on your life. Interest rates (including mortgage rates) are almost always determined by your credit score. Some employers & landlords may require a credit check to see if you have past credit issues. Remember this is your credit report, not your “I’m Fiscally Responsible” report. Lenders want to know how you have historically handled credit in order to determine if you are a good credit risk. Higher risk = higher rates! The Rule of Two: • You should always...

It is a reoccurring but common misconception that you will qualify for a mortgage in the future because you have qualified for a mortgage in the past. This is not accurate! Do. Not. Assume. Anything. Even if your financial situation has remained the same or has improved, securing mortgage financing is more difficult now than it has in recent years. The latest changes to mortgage qualification by the federal government has left Canadians qualifying 20-25% less. On top of that, guidelines that lenders would use in determining your suitability have been replaced with non-negotiable rules and declarations. As mortgage professionals, we keep up to date...

I am often asked if it’s hard to compete with the banks. While they may offer competitive rates at times, right now we have much better rates than the banks. However, we have certain advantages which allow us to blow them out of the water most of the time. More Choice – banks are limited to around 5 products that they can offer you. They will try to fit you into one of their products even if the financial institution next door has a better one for you. Brokers have access to banks, credit unions, trust and mortgage companies as well...