Posts Tagged ‘CMHC’
This incredible mortgage rate!
If you are shopping around for mortgage rates on the internet and notice some huge discrepancies on available “best rates”……beware.
A recent inquiry came from an individual who came across a mortgage brokerage advertising a 1 year fixed rate at 2.29%. I searched through my rate sheet, as well as other rate sheets I use to compare mortgage rates only to find that there really was no lender offering this rate nor was there any particular mortgage rate special being offered in the mortgage brokerage community.
Why would a mortgage brokerage advertise a rate that is really not available? The reason is plain and simple. Companies will sometimes do what it takes to make the phone ring and once they have you really interested in that offer, they might just get your business. Most mortgage brokerages who are guilty of this practice know exactly what they are doing. Follow me on an example of how this would be played out…… Once the mortgage brokerage receives a mortgage inquiry that leads to a mortgage application and a corresponding credit check, and receive all the relevant paperwork from the applicant, job letters, pay stubs, a notice of assessment, etc, the applicant is usually then encouraged to “avoid shopping around for a mortgage, as shopping around could negatively affect their credit score”. At this point, the applicant has fulfilled all of the lender’s requirements to get this “super great advertised mortgage rate” quoted on the website. But the bad news now comes out…….”oh so sorry, that mortgage rate, you saw, is no longer available as the lender has just changed their rate”. How can the applicant prove otherwise? After all, they do not have access to lender rate sheets, that the brokerage has, and there is always that small footnote, at the bottom of the website that you did not see……”mortgage rates are subject to change without notice”. An applicant who has already invested much time and effort, may just go ahead with the application resenting the thought of going through all of this painful application process again (and this is exactly what steps the brokerage planned to take you through when they advertised that mortgage rate, that really does not exist).
The practice of advertising a product (or a mortgage rate) that really is not available to the consumer is considered a “Bait and Switch” tactic. The practice of using Bait and Switch is forbidden by the “Canadian Code of Advertising Standards”. The advertising standards document can be viewed at this link:
http://www.adstandards.com/en/standards/canCodeOfAdStandards.pdf
What can you do to really ensure you are not being deceived by some “amazing rate” that you find that seems too good to be true? Research it and check it out against some other reliable sources like:
1. https://www.cannex.com/canada/english/
2. http://www.financialpost.com/personal-finance/rates/mortgage-closed.html
If you see no other brokerage that is even close to this advertised rate, that is probably a good indication that the rate you see on the website is set up to lure you in.
What can you do, if you think you have found misleading advertising? You should take the time to file a complaint. You can find the information and complaint process under the Competition Bureau website:
http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/02776.html
This article written by Elizabeth Blair on August 25, 2010. Elizabeth is a Licensed Mortgage Agent with Mortgage Edge in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Elizabeth services mortgage clients in Mississauga and all over the Greater Toronto area.
You can contact Elizabeth directly by phone at (905) 510-5785
by email at eblair@mortgageedge.ca
or you visit any of her websites at:
http://www.burlington-mortgage.ca
http://www.oakville-mortgage.com
http://www.streetsville-mortgage.ca
Elizabeth is licensed with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and is also a Member of IMBA (the Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario) www.imba.ca
Lic # M08005880 / Brokerage Lic # 10680
Head office is located at: 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 210, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
Buying a home, renting it all out, or just a portion of it
Buying a home, renting it all out, or just a portion of it
I have run into this question a few times, over the years, and decided that I should sit down and write about it. When you purchase a home, as the mortgagor, you will come across some questions around whether the home you are buying is going to be your primary residence (you will be living there yourself) OR whether you have intentions of renting out ANY portion of the house.
1. Is this your primary residence?
This question will be asked of you, at the mortgage application stage. It is important to specify exactly what your intentions are with this new home you are buying. If you are planning on renting out the home, you must state this. Your answer will determine how your mortgage application is underwritten. If you purchase a home and it will be your primary residence, you may purchase a home in Canada with a minimum down payment of 5%. However, if you purchase a home and have intentions of renting it out, your down payment must now be 20% per Department of Finance new borrowing guidelines introduced on April 19, 2010.
The question will also be asked of you, at the lawyer’s office. The lawyer will require you to sign a legal affidavit stating that this is your primary residence and it is not intended for use as a rental property. If the client even hints that they will be renting out any portion of the house, the lawyer cannot and should not commission the affidavit.
2. Is ANY PORTION of the house to be rented out?
This statement will appear in your mortgage commitment and applies if this is your primary residence. You may be wondering why would it be a concern to my lender if I decide to just rent out a PORTION of my house?
Here is likely the most apparent reason why a lender would not allow this. Should the mortgage go into default, how quickly can they (the lender) get a tenant out of the house, as opposed to the owner? At one time, when someone was about to go into default, they might immediately sign a lease with a friend and then the mortgagee would have to go through a cumbersome process to evict them. While it is now easier to evict a tenant, there is always concern about delays that might occur getting a tenant out. Also, it is important to mention, that since the tenant does not own the home, they may not take the same care of the property, that an owner would.
In summary, some very important things to consider:
If you purchase a home, and you have indicated that it is your primary residence, the lawyer is instructed, by the lender, to prepare a legal affidavit stating that this is your primary residence and that you do not have intentions of renting out the home. Remember that if the borrower even hints that they will be renting out any portion of the house, the lawyer CANNOT commission the affidavit.
Also remember that if this is your primary residence you should not even rent out a PORTION of your home UNLESS you have notified your lender. If your lender finds out, EVEN IF you are not in default on any other provision, there will most certainly be a default coming if you do not disclose the new rental arrangement and the lender finds out. You may be thinking, well how can the lender find out…….easier than you think. A disgruntled neighbor, family member, or even worse, your tenant! I recently met a mortgage applicant who shared their intention of reporting their current landlord for renting out an illegal basement apartment to them as a way of retaliating for raising the rent! So a word of caution if you are thinking of doing this or even are in this situation now…..lenders can find out.
Be absolutely sure to disclose up front, to the bank, or your broker, exactly what your intentions are with the property at the time you are planning to buy, OR, if you make any changes to your plans after you move in.
This blog post was written by Elizabeth Blair on June 24, 2010. Elizabeth is a Licensed Mortgage Agent with Mortgage Edge in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Elizabeth services mortgage clients in Mississauga and all over the Greater Toronto area.
You can contact Elizabeth directly by phone at (905) 510-5785
by email at eblair@mortgageedge.ca
or you visit any of her websites at:
http://www.burlington-mortgage.ca
http://www.oakville-mortgage.com
http://www.streetsville-mortgage.ca
Elizabeth is licensed with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and is also a Member of IMBA (the Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario) www.imba.ca
Lic # M08005880 / Brokerage Lic # 10680
Head office is located at: 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 210, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
Changes to Insured Stated Income programs
Borrowing Guidelines for Insured Stated Income Programs in Canada are about to change
The borrowing guidelines for insured Stated Income Programs are about to undergo some major changes and these changes will be implemented effective April 9, 2010.
The changes are being announced by CMHC (also known as Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). CMHC’s changes, as well as those announced by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty effective on April 19, 2010 are all attempts to help cool off the heated housing market which is now being driven by record-low interest rates. More importantly, these new measures are required to protect borrowers from taking on more debt than they can afford especially as interest rate hikes are imminent. While Canada still allows Stated Income programs here, they are becoming very rare in the U.S. The massive number of defaults and foreclosures reported by the U.S. after the 2008 credit crisis were attributed mostly to Stated Income programs that were used to place under-qualified borrowers into mortgage loans that they could not afford.
While Canadian lenders continue to use the Stated Income programs here, customized for commissioned and self-employed borrowers, CMHC will now be scrutinizing those same applications using tighter underwriting criteria making the CMHC Self-Employed mortgage insurance program a little harder to access.
What exactly does Stated Income mean?
Stated Income means exactly that. When a mortgage application is created, for a self-employed or commissioned applicant, and the entire income amount is not verifiable in traditional documents, for example a Notice of Assessment, the applicant may apply under the Stated Income program to allow an income adjustment to help qualify them for a home purchase or re-finance. A real example might look something like this:
Mr.Thomas works as a Systems Analyst in Toronto. He is purchasing a house based on his earnings alone as his wife is currently not working. He earns $77,000 gross annually and his employment status is considered self-employed as he works as an independent contractor and bills the company directly for his time. He is not on payroll. He has worked in various departments for this same government organization, as a Systems Analyst, for the last two years. To buy the home they want, this couple would need an income of $85,000 to qualify for the purchase. On a traditional mortgage application, the couple would be declined and would not be able to purchase the home. However, by utilizing the Stated Income program, the couple can qualify to buy this home with a 5% down payment and the income placed on the application would be “stated” on the application at a higher amount. The couple has no other savings or funds available to them. The income to qualify the applicants, would be entered at the amount of $85,000 instead of his actual income of $77,000, in order to qualify the buyers.
Here is an outline of the changes that will be implemented on any applications called Stated Income applications which pass through CMHC as an “insured” mortgage AFTER April 9, 2010 and how these changes would affect the particular applicants described above:
1. Downpayment: those who are purchasing a home, and who have applications classified as a Stated Income application, will be required to put down 10% rather than the 5% minimum required today.
Mr.Thomas and his wife, after April 9, 2010 must have a down payment equal to 10% of the purchase price, along with enough funds to cover closing costs.
2. Tenure: those who have been working in the same business for greater than three years, would not be eligible for the Stated Income program and therefore those in this category would have to provide proof of their income, for example, a Notice of Assessment.
Because Mr.Thomas had only been working as a Systems Analyst for the past two years in total, they could still apply under the Stated Income program and be eligible. Had Mr.Thomas been working three years and 6 months, as a Systems Analyst, they could not qualify for the home they wanted.
3. Documents: documents will be requested and viewed by the lender to help determine the length of self-employed which are not always requested today. The documents a lender may ask for: a business license, proof of GST registration, articles of incorporation (if incorporated).
4. Commission: those who are collecting commission would no longer be eligible for the Self-Employed program.
Mr.Thomas is not paid on a commission basis, therefore, after April 9, 2010, he could still utilize the Stated Income program.
5. Limits: a re-finance will be limited to 85% loan-to-value instead of the current limit of 90% used today.
If Mr.Thomas decides to re-finance his home, in the coming years, while he is within the insured status range and assuming self-employed income is still their primary income, they will only be able to re-finance up to 85% of the value of their property.
It is important to mention that these program changes only affect those mortgages that are “insured” by the lender therefore, those mortgages that are not insured, could be reviewed differently from lender to lender and each lender would specify their underwriting criteria on a case-by-case basis.
© 2010 This article was written by Elizabeth Blair at Mortgage Edge on March 11, 2010. Elizabeth Blair services mortgage clients primarily in Mississauga and all over the Greater Toronto area
You can contact Elizabeth directly by phone at (905) 510-5785
by email at eblair@mortgageedge.ca
or you visit her website at: http://www.missmortgage.ca
Elizabeth is licensed with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and is also a Member of IMBA (the Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario) http://www.imba.ca
Lic # M08005880 / Brokerage Lic # 10680. Head Office: Park Place Corporate Centre, 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 210, Richmond Hill, ON, L4B 3H7, Canada.
Useful website links for home buyers
Tired of navigating through countless websites to find the exact information that you need? I am too so I decided to put together a list of useful links that you can use yourself. The subject areas covered are, buying a home and mortgage loan insurance premiums, information on the Ontario land transfer tax and refund, enrolling in your city’s pre-authorized payment plan, a link to ordering your own personal credit report as well as a link to the government website listing grants available to home owners who make their homes more energy efficient. Please let me know if these are helpful and if you happen to think of any new links that you would like to see listed here, please pass along your ideas to me and I will attempt to add them. I sincerely hope that these links can save you some time.
Do you need to check if a Mortgage Brokerage, Administrator, Mortgage Agent, or Mortgage Broker is registered and properly licensed in Ontario
Visit the Financial Services Commission of Ontario website at:
http://www2.fsco.gov.on.ca/mbslist/agents.mbl
Do you want to look up the Mortgage Loan Insurance premiums with
Genworth Financial Canada
Mortgage Loan Insurance premiums are available at:
http://www.genworth.ca/mi/eng/product_solutions/premiumRateTable.html
Do you want to look up the Mortgage Loan Insurance premiums with
AIG United Guaranty
Mortgage Loan Insurance premiums are available at:
http://www.aigug.ca/products/premium-rate-chart.pdf
Do you want to look up the Mortgage Loan Insurance premiums with
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation or CMHC
Mortgage Loan Insurance premiums are available at:
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/moloin/moloin_005.cfm
Do you need to know anything about the Ontario Land Transfer Tax
Or apply for the land transfer tax rebate
Visit the Government of Ontario, Ministry of Revenue website at:
http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/taxes/ltt/
Do you need to enrol in the City of Mississauga’s Pre-authorized Tax Payment Plan
Visit the City of Mississauga website at:
http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/residents/taxformscentre
Do you need to enrol in the City of Oakville’s Pre-authorized Tax Payment Plan
Visit the City of Oakville website at:
http://www.oakville.ca/taxpayment.htm
Do you need to enrol in the City of Milton’s Pre-authorized Tax Payment Plan
Visit the City of Milton website at:
http://www.milton.ca/residents/tax/taxpayment.htm
Do you need to enrol in the City of Toronto’s Pre-authorized Tax Payment Plan
Visit the City of Toronto website at:
http://www.toronto.ca/taxes/property_tax/forms.htm#plan
For an in-depth document of the ABCs of mortgages, you can
Visit the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada or FCAC website to read it:
http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/eng/publications/mortgages/Amortization_e.asp
Genworth Financial publishes daily mortgage rates on their website at:
http://www.genworth.ca/mi/eng/misc_pages/interest_rates.asp
Equifax Canada
Order a copy of your consumer credit report:
http://www.equifax.com/home/en_ca
Do you wnt your home assessed for its energy efficiency?
The Energuy
Do you want to see what grants, rebates, discounts and incentives are available
If you make your home more energy efficient?
Please visit the Natural Resources Canada website at:
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/incentives.cfm
This blog was written by Elizabeth Blair, a Licensed Mortgage Agent with Mortgage Edge in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Elizabeth services mortgage clients in Mississauga and all over the Greater Toronto area.
You can contact Elizabeth directly by phone at (905) 510-5785
by email at eblair@mortgageedge.ca
or you visit her website at: http://www.missmortgage.ca
Elizabeth is licensed with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and is also a Member of IMBA (the Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario) www.imba.ca
Mississauga – What exactly is mortgage loan insurance?
As a first time home buyer, you may have heard that you may have to pay a mortgage insurance premium.
You will have to obtain mortgage loan insurance when you purchase a home and if your downpayment is LESS than 20%. Remember that lenders do reserve the right to insure your mortgage even if your downpayment is greater than 20% and this decision is often based on the risk associated with the financing. The key players that provide mortgage insurance in Canada today are CMHC, Genworth and AIG United Guaranty. The newest insurer to join is AIG United Guaranty. There may be more mortgage insurers joining the industry who may apply to the OFSI (Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions) to become mortgage insurers in Canada. More competition will result in more choice and lower premium costs for Canadians who want to purchase a home.
Here is a sample breakdown to help you understand how a mortgage insurance premium is calculated for a buyer who wants to purchase a home with a 5% downpayment.
|
Price of home being purchased |
(A) $242,000 |
|
Your saved 5% downpayment |
(B) $12,100 |
|
Price less downpayment (A) – (B) = |
(C) $229,900 |
|
Insurance Premium calculated for a 5% downpayment is 2.75% of amount $229,900
Total mortgage loan insurance premium is à |
(D) $6,322.25 |
|
Total amount advanced to you by the Lender total mortgage amount (C) + (D) = |
$236,222.25 |
|
The lender who is reviewing your mortgage application will include the mortgage insurance premium (on your mortgage commitment) as part of your total mortgage loan and this is repaid over the term of your mortgage loan. You can also pay this premium up-front, on closing date, if you prefer.
|
|
It is also important to point out that the mortgage loan insurance premium (calculated in example above) is also subject to provincial sales tax and this tax amount is not included in the total loan amount therefore you would have to pay this sales tax on your closing date.
Here below is a table that gives you an idea on what the typical mortgage loan insurance premiums are, but you should go directly to the various insurer websites to check the current insurance premiums when you are ready to buy.
The mortgage loan insurance premium charges are calculated as follows:
|
Financing Needed on the Purchase |
Insurance Premium
|
|
Up to and including 65%
|
0.50 %
|
|
Up to and including 75% |
0.65 %
|
|
Up to and including 80% |
1.00 %
|
|
Up to and including 85% |
1.75 %
|
|
Up to and including 90%
|
2.00 %
|
|
Up to and including 95%
|
2.75 %
|
You may be asking, so why do I need mortgage loan insurance, is it mandatory, and who does it protect?
Why do I need mortgage loan insurance? It is the lender who requires the mortgage loan to be insured. The mortgage lender passes along the cost of insuring that mortgage, along to the consumer.
Is mortgage loan insurance mandatory? No. There are a few mortgage lenders, on the market, who may provide you with mortgage financing without mortgage loan insurance but there will most certainly be a much higher interest rate offered as well as other administrative fees that could be added to the mortgage loan amount. These other mortgage lenders can be accessed through the mortgage broker community.
Who does mortgage loan insurance protect? Mortgage loan insurance is required by the mortgage lender because it protects the lender, if, the borrower, for some reason, cannot pay their mortgage.
This blog was written by Elizabeth Blair, a Licensed Mortgage Agent with Mortgage Edge in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Elizabeth services clients in Mississauga and all over the Greater Toronto area.
You can contact Elizabeth directly by phone at (905) 510-5785
by email at eblair@mortgageedge.ca
or you visit her website at: www.missmortgage.ca
Elizabeth is licensed with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and is also a Member of IMBA (the Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario) www.imba.ca
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