episode 2 Home Sweet Home

If you need more information on home buying please contact David Cooke , your Calgary mortgage broker at
Dominion Lending Centres Westcor

Own Sweet Home - Episode 1: Meet the couple and their team of professionals

Part 2 in the series about buying a home

Bank of Canada Rate Announcement

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  Good morning
  
  As you know, your variable rate mortgage, line of credit and/or student loans are all based on the Prime Rate and here is your personal update from me on the recent Bank of Canada announcement on changes to their Overnight Rate which in most cases impacts your Prime Rate.
  
  At 10:00 am EST, Wednesday January 22nd, 2014 the Bank of Canada again did what we expected them to do … they continued to maintain their overnight rate. What this means to you is that once again the prime rate on your mortgage, line of credit or student loan will not change and remains at 3.00%. This is fabulous news but don’t forget to make the most of the low payments you still have, as the rate will increase in the future. If you haven’t done so already, give me a call and we can chat about helping you get set up with a great GIC, Tax Free Savings Account, or Retirement Savings Plan as your payments continue to remain low. So did you, or someone you know, blow their budget over the holiday season and have started to get those dreaded credit card bills in and the reality is starting to sink in... let me help you get back on track with a review of your financial situation which might be a savings plan, credit counseling or debt consolidation to pay off high interest loans or credit cards. If you would like to chat about some budgeting and saving strategies – let me know as I would be happy to assist.
  
  Here is an excerpt of the announcement from the Bank of Canada and what they had to say about their decision today:
  
  “Inflation in Canada has moved further below the 2% target, owing largely to significant excess supply in the economy and heightened competition in the retail sector. Global growth is expected to strengthen over the next two years with the US leading this acceleration, aided by diminishing fiscal drag, accommodative monetary policy and stronger household balance sheets. The improving U.S. outlook is affecting global bond, equity, and currency markets. Growth in other regions is evolving largely as projected. In Canada, growth improved in the second half of 2013. However, there have been few signs of the anticipated re-balancing towards exports and business investment. Stronger U.S. demand, as well as the recent depreciation of the Canadian dollar, should help to boost exports and, in turn, business confidence and investment”.
  
  Based on this news, the Bank still does not expect to increase their rate in the foreseeable future with any change most likely to occur late 2014 or even not until 2015! Remember, that any increase to the prime rate since 1992 has only been by 0.25% at any ONE time, so you won’t see a large significant increase all at once.
  
  Fixed rates dropped just slightly since the last announcement to around 3.39% to 3.59% for a five year fixed term.
  
  Based on this recent announcement, and the anticipation that the prime rate will still remain low for a while now, unless you feel otherwise, I’d recommend that you remain with your current variable rate product as the interest is lower than a fixed term rate right now. However, if having a fixed payment is important to you, call me so I can calculate what your new payment would look like and also if it is suitable for you. The next announcement on any change to the prime rate is March 5th, 2014 at which time
  I wonder if I can ask a favour – this is a great time for first time home buyers who are thinking of purchasing in the Spring to start with a pre-approval plan now to get them on track and save unnecessary interest. Also if you hear a friend or family member talk about going thru a financially tough time – maybe I can help with some budgeting and debt consolidation options for them. In either of these cases, would you mind passing my contact information on to them – this is very much appreciated.
• David Cooke - your Calgary mortgage broker 

Why bank preapprovals are not as good as a mortgage broker's.

It's so satisfying to be able to beat the banks at their own game.
  I was in a meeting recently when it was mentioned that all preapprovals by this lender are underwritten before issued. I've known this for some time but a question came to mind. Do banks underwrite their preapprovals. When you go to a bank and fill out an application does anyone check over the numbers and your credit report and see how much you really can afford?
     I asked this question and was told that banks don't underwrite their preapprovals. This is the reason why you are preapproved for $400,000 and when you make an offer on a house for $400,000 it may be declined by the bank. If they took into account the $500 a month car payment that you have they could have given you a more accurate pre-approval anmount of $350,000.
     I should caution you. Not all lenders do this. If you are concerned you should tell your mortgage broker that you want a pre-approval that has been underwritten. This limits the number of lenders it can be sent to but you can shop with confidence with this document in hand.
  For further information contact David Cooke at www.davidcooke.ca 
    

Getting a Mortgage Pre-Approval

LEARN ABOUT BUYING A HOME

Getting a Mortgage Pre-Approval

If you are looking for a new home, be sure you are pre-approved. With a mortgage pre-approval, a licensed mortgage professional can do a more complete verification prior to sending you shopping for a home, and with that done, the dollar figure you are going shopping with is actually what you can spend.
The mortgage professional that you work with to get pre-approved will let you know for certain what you can afford based on lender and insurer criteria, and what your payments on a specific mortgage will be. Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professionals can lock-in an interest rate for you for anywhere from 60 - 120 days while you shop for your perfect home. By locking in an interest rate, you are guaranteed to get a mortgage for at least that rate or better. If interest rates drop, your locked-in rate will drop as well. However, if the interest rates go up, your locked-in interest rate will not, ensuring you get the best rate throughout the mortgage pre-approval process.
In order to get pre-approved for a mortgage, a mortgage professional requires a short list of information that will allow them to determine your buying power. A mortgage professional will explain to you the benefits of shorter or longer mortgage terms, the latest programs available, which mortgage products they believe will most likely meet your needs the best, plus they will review all of the other costs involved with purchasing a home.
Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is something every potential home buyer should do before going shopping for a new home. A pre-approval will give you the confidence of knowing that financing is available, and it can put you in a very positive negotiation position against other home buyers who aren't pre-approved.
David Cooke is a Calgary mortgage broker. For more information contact him via his website here.

How to avoid having your mortgage approval “unapproved”

 It happens every year.  A client will go to a mortgage broker or the bank and get a pre-approval and then go house hunting.  They find a home and make an offer which is accepted. They then go back to the lender with the offer and all the paperwork and all of a sudden, they are not approved.

 How did that happen? What happened to the preapproval?   What most people do not realize is that a preapproval is a brief overview to see if you are creditworthy and it tells you how much you can afford. The pre-approval is really no more than an interest rate hold.

   Inexperienced bank employees and a few brokers fail to give their clients the 5 Commandments when they give their clients the pre-approval.

 Here they are:

1-   Don’t make any large purchases – don’t buy a new car or change the lease. Do not go out to buy the new furniture for your home until after the mortgage is approved. Even if you have one of those no payments for 90 days plans from the Brick, Sears or Leon's , they do appear as purchases made at this time on your credit bureau report.

2-      Don’t apply for new credit – I know the zero down balance transfer looks appealing but you don’t need another hit on your credit bureau. Put off the temptation until after the deal is done.

3-      Keep your job – This may sound like a no-brainer but there are a lot of people who will switch forgetting about the 3 month probation or will become consultants which means they are self-employed. Don’t change industries.  More than one mortgage has been shot down by a job change.

4-      Pay your bills – pay them on time and don’t let the balances get close to the credit limit.

                           If you let your balance get close to your limit you can lose 30 points. Go over by a                   dollar and you will lose 35 points in a flash. Lenders often check for credit score drops in the days leading up to your visit to the lawyer’s office.

5-      Don’t move large amounts of cash around in your accounts. If you are receiving a gift for your down payment from your parents be sure to photocopy the cheque and the deposit receipt. Money laundering is a big worry with lenders so you should wait until your broker tells you it’s okay to move funds.

Finally,  be aware that the lawyer will ask you for 2 pieces of identification. If you make an offer on a house use your formal name, not your nickname. If the name on the offer and the name on your identification do not match you could delay or kill the home purchase at the last minute.

Let’s face it. Buying a home is a life changing event. Deal with a professional mortgage broker and you can avoid making stupid mistakes that will deprive you of owning the house of your dreams. 

Only 2 weeks left to get a Cashback Mortgage

   October 31st is the deadline for getting a cash back mortgage that you can use the proceeds for your down payment. After October 31st, cash backs will be available but you will receive them after possession and can use them for buying drapes , new appliances etc. 
      What do you need to qualify for this type of mortgage? You need a good steady job, very good credit, and you have to be buying a nice property.
      What are the terms of this type of a mortgage? They are the same as a regular mortgage, the difference is that you pay the bank posted rate of 5.24% for the first five years and then get 5.5% back that you can use for a down payment or for other expenses you may have. 
   There is only one lender offering this and they do not deal directly with the public in western Canada. You can only get this deal through a mortgage broker.
Contact me if you want more information on this and to see if this is a product that would be good for you.
David Cooke
Dominion Lending Centres Westcor
Calgary, AB

 WEBSITE
    

Survey- Canadians worried about rising interest rates

A new survey says that 20% of Canadians with variable rate mortgages are worried that if interest rates rise they are not sure that they will be able to afford the monthly payments. BMO has suggested that you try the stress test to see. Pick a higher interest rate, figure out the monthly payments and see if it works with your budget. Why are they suggesting this? No one knows how to figure out monthly payments so you will go into a branch and they have an opporuntity to get you as a customer.
What you may not know is that you have already been stress tested at the time you took out your mortgage. Up until this time last year, all variable rate mortgage applicants were tested at the 3 year fixed posted rate. This rate is at least double the variable rate and often 2 1/2 times as great. Last year, Jim Flaherty changed that to the 5 year fixed posted rate. The present 5 year fixed rate is 5.44%. In order for you to get your present mortgage you had to qualify at this higher rate. Therefore you have been stress tested.
I should add though, that if you live in Vancouver or Victoria, the idea of having your monthly mortgage payment double is a scary thought and I have to wonder if you were councelled by your bank or broker as to the negative aspects of variable rate mortgages.
As a general rule, a person advising you on a mortgage should present the positive and the negative aspects of the product so that you can make an iformed choice. Unfortunately, many bankers and mortgage brokers offer you one choice which they have made. This is one reason that CAAMP, the Canadian Association of Acreditted Mortgage Professionals has introduced the AMP designation. Anyone with the AMP accreditation will work for you and not let their personal preferences get in the way. By the way, did you know that Joe or Jane at the bank has not taken a mortgage course and does not belong to your provincial mortgage association? They are bank employees and do not need to take any training or special courses. Scary isn't it?
The author is an accreditted mortgage professional with Mortgage Alliance in Calgary Alberta. Visit his webpage at http://mortgagealliance.ca/davidcooke