Mortgage Guide

The House Team Of Mortgage Intellingence asked:


Real estate has been an outstanding investment in most parts of Canada in the past few years. Home valuations are continuing to rise and have broken through the peak of their 1989 “bubble” in many areas of the country. That’s good news for Canada’s 7.5 million home owners, who are enjoying an average increase of $43,000 in real estate wealth since the upward trend took hold in 1998.

The hot housing market is being fuelled by mortgage rates which are the lowest they’ve been in almost 50 years. First-time home buyers are finding the rates attractive, and home buyers are lining up to purchase their first home or to upgrade to their dream homes. Housing statistics have been capturing headlines for months and the boom is noticeable on key economic indicators.

But the news isn’t just about rising valuations or Canadians moving into their new homes. Quietly in the background, there is a significant trend to refinancing. Canadians who have built up the equity in their home over the last few years are borrowing against that equity in record numbers. According to a report from a major bank, since 2001, Canadian households have taken out approximately $20 billion in cash out of their homes through mortgage refinancing and home equity loans.

We might thank the Ontario mortgage industry for the surprising resilience of the North American economy. In the past two years, the North American economy has endured numerous economic fallouts but consumer confidence remains reasonably strong - at least partly because homeowners have seen some of their losses offset by an increase in their real estate wealth. We find that we are sitting on (and sleeping in) the best-performing investment we own. And even if they have no plans to sell, homeowners have found that the return on their investment is still as good as cash in the bank.

That cash has been a key economic stimulus both here and in the U.S., where the trend is even more pronounced. As Canadians look beyond the view of a home as primarily shelter, mortgages become a valuable resource - and homeowners aren’t necessarily waiting for renewal time to cash out some of their gains.

So where is the money going? The equity being pulled out is often being used to pay down other more expensive debt. Credit card interest rates are shockingly high and - as a nation - our credit card and other consumer debt is continuing to grow. And much of the money is being used for increased spending. There has never been a better time to borrow against home equity to build the kitchen of your dreams, add a new wing, embark on the landscaping project you’ve wanted for years, enjoy the vacation you’ve always dreamed of, or help with the high cost of post secondary education. However, as always, never let your enthusiasm for the opportunity to spend get in the way of good common sense about debt management.



Andre

The House Team Of Mortgage Intellingence asked:


For most Canadians, buying a home is the largest financial decision they will make in their lifetime. Yet, consumers across the country are more likely to painstakingly review dozens of investment possibilities for their portfolios than to scrutinize their mortgage choices. The mortgage world - like the investment world - can sometimes be confusing. There is a vast array of choices - open, closed, fixed, floating, long or short amortization, prepayment options, portability… and of course, the rate itself.

Making the right mortgage decision can have a huge financial impact over the long term. Many Canadians have an investment advisor to help them sort through their choices. Now, Canadians are also beginning to turn to mortgage brokers to help them make better mortgage decisions. Canadians are just now catching up with their counterparts south of the border, where mortgage brokers already arrange approximately 70 per cent of mortgages for U.S. properties.

So what is a mortgage broker? The role of a mortgage broker is to understand your mortgage needs, seek out the best options for your situation, and guide you through the lending process. A mortgage broker does not work for any individual institution or lender, but is independent, and has up-to-the-minute loan rates for a wide array of banks and other lending institutions.

There was a time when the banks exercised the view that they “owned” their customers, and mortgage brokers were perceived only as a last resort for home buyers with poor credit history. But times have changed, and home buyers in every bracket are learning they can benefit from the professional advice of a mortgage broker.

A good investment advisor can make you thousands of dollars. But a good mortgage broker will SAVE you thousands of dollars. Whether you are buying a home or renewing a mortgage, consider making a mortgage broker part of your financial plan this year.



Sam

mike cole asked:


It is a decision that is almost as important as which house you purchase – which type of mortgage to get. Choosing the right mortgage for your specific needs can potentially save you thousands of dollars over the term of the mortgage. Your two basic options when it comes to a mortgage will be a fixed rate (FRM) or an adjustable (ARM) mortgage, although you may also be able to qualify for other options such as an FHA loan or a VA loan.

Most home buyers take out a fixed rate mortgage – around 70% of all mortgages are fixed rate as opposed to adjustable. A fixed rate mortgage is exactly what it sounds like: the interest rate on your loan will not change, regardless of the economy or whether interest rates rise or fall. The terms and conditions of a fixed rate mortgage are also protected by law. An adjustable rate mortgage will go up or down depending on the interest rate at the time. Whether you should choose a fixed rate or adjustable mortgage depends on the general state of the economy along with your financial situation and the risk you are willing to take.

If interest rates are low when you take out a mortgage, or if you just do not want to take the risk of them increasing, you are probably better off with a fixed rate mortgage. If you have a large mortgage, whereby even a slight rate increase may mean a big increase in your monthly mortgage payment – you are perhaps better off with a fixed rate. If you are simply the cautious type who does not like taking a risk, a fixed rate mortgage is typically the best option for you.

The obvious advantage is that the interest rate does not change – and neither will the amount of your monthly payment. You always know exactly how much you will be paying each week and can thus budget more accurately; the amount of your monthly payment will only increase if the amount of insurance rates or the amount of property taxes increases. Some borrowers consider it easier to plan for other big expenses, such as college funds and retirement, with a fixed rate mortgage.

A fixed rate mortgage does not take into account the cost of living or inflation. In other words, as time goes by and you are perhaps earning more money and everything else costs that much more – your mortgage payment is going to stay the same. Arguably, this can mean more money in your pocket – in 20 years from now, you may be earning more money than you are now, but your monthly house payments are going to stay the same.

The biggest disadvantage of a fixed rate mortgage is that you run the risk of missing lower payments when the interest rate goes down. The difference in the amount that you pay each month can be substantial if you have an adjustable rate mortgage and the interest rate is lowered. This not only saves you money each month, but also potentially helps you pay off your mortgage sooner. Of course, nobody can ever accurately predict when interest rates are going to drop, although it is sometimes possible to have some indication and base your decision upon that.

A change in the interest rate can make a huge difference in determining the amount that you end up paying for your home. A homeowner with a 30-year mortgage can enjoy average savings of around $50,000 over the term of their mortgage with the interest rate being lowered by just one point. And an increase in the interest rate of just one or two percent can mean monthly payments that are between $50 and $250 higher, depending on the cost of your home. The decision to take a fixed rate or adjustable mortgage may also depend on whether you are taking out a 15 or 30-year mortgage.

One compromise of sorts is to take out a fixed rate mortgage and then refinance your loan when interest rates are lowered. Another option with a fixed rate mortgage (or an adjustable rate mortgage) is to pay extra each month towards the principal, thus saving a large amount in interest charges – as well as making the term of the mortgage shorter and owning your home sooner. Make sure that any extra amount that you pay is going towards the principal and not the interest.

It is a huge decision – whether to play it safe and take the fixed rate, or take a chance and go with the adjustable rate mortgage. Ultimately, the decision is yours; but be sure to get some good financial advice before deciding. A fixed rate mortgage has many advantages and disadvantages; you just have to decide which is best for your financial situation.



Brian

Nelson asked:


I am fresh out of a college. Not just any college; a community college. And I need step by step how to become a mortgage broker or mortgage agent please. Thanks alot.

Jeffery

Ronaldo asked:


For example if my 1st mortgage is $1000 per month and i charge a rental income of $1000 per month, is it a wash? Or do i get the $1000 rental income added to my gross monthly income and have the $1000 mortgage payment added to my monthly liabilities?

Roberta

Tml-mortgages asked:


More than a third of homeowners predict they will be nearing retirement before they own their own home, new research suggests.

Responding to a One Account survey, 36 per cent of homeowners predicted they would be at least 60-years-olds before they paid off their mortgage.

A further 20 per cent didn’t expect to fully pay off their mortgage until some time in their 50s, with many also complaining that mortgage commitments were impeding on other areas of their life.

More than two in five claimed not to be able to save because of their mortgage, while nearly one in five 25 to 29-year-olds said it was forcing them to delay starting a family.

However, Debbie Milsom from One Account questioned why homeowners were finding their mortgage such a burden.

Paying off a mortgage should not mean that people have to put their life plans on hold, Ms Milsom said.

She added: It is worrying that homeowners perceive that it will take them until they are in their 60s before they pay it off when they should be spending this time preparing financially for their futures.

Ms Milsom reminded homeowners that there are often flexible solutions for managing payments.

Homeowners with overly expensive payments may also find remortgaging can help to reduce their monthly commitment.

As less people are putting money into pensions, more could begin looking at remortgaging to ensure economic stability during their later years.

Figures released by Moneyfacts have shown that personal pension returns have fallen by as much as a half in the last decade.

The news means that even if Britons are putting the same amount of money into their pension pot every year, their average with-profits pension fund could be half what it would have been in 1996.

These latest figures should serve as a powerful reminder that securing a comfortable retirement will only be possible for those individuals who actively monitor and manage their own pension provision, warned Richard Eagling, editor of Investment, Life & Pensions at Moneyfacts.

The research from Moneyfacts could cause more people to consider other options of financing their retirement, with taking out a remortgaging and downsizing their homes one method to increase the amount of money available in later life.



Alvin