Posts Tagged ‘first time buyer’
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.
Land Transfer Tax / Property Transfer Tax in Canada
If you decide to purchase a property, in Canada, you will be required to pay a tax to the Ministry of Revenue/Finance, in the province where you are buying.
This tax is commonly referred to as the “Land Transfer Tax” or the “Property Transfer Tax”.
The tax is usually paid to the Ministry of Revenue, within the Province and the tax is calculated based on the fair market value of the property, using a certain formula. The formula used to calculate the land transfer tax portion varies greatly from province to province. I used Ontario’s formula, as an example. Here is how the Land Transfer Tax is calculated for a property purchased in Ontario:
The first $55,000 is taxed at 0.5%
The next $195,000 is taxed at 1%
The next $150,000 is taxed at 1.5%
And the remaining $250,000 is taxed at 2%.
So if you purchased a home for $300,000 in Ontario, your Land Transfer Taxes payable would be calculated as follows:
The first $55,000 is taxed at 0.5% or 0.005 * $55,000 = $275
The next $195,000 is taxed at 1% or 0.01% * $195,000 = $1,950
The next $150,000 is taxed at 1.5% or 0.015 * $50,000 = $750
And the remaining $250,000 is taxed at 2% or 0.02 * $0 = $0
The total Land Transfer tax payable is: $275 + $1,950 + $750 = $2,975
If you decide to purchase a property in Ontario, and within the City of Toronto, you will be required to pay an additional tax, called the Toronto Municipal Land Transfer Tax and this is calculated as follows:
The first $55,000 is taxed at 0.5%
The next $345,000 is taxed at 1%
And 2% on the entire portion over $400,000.
So using the above formula, a home valued at $300,000 will result in an additional tax of:
The first $55,000 is taxed at 0.5% or 0.005 * $55,000 = $275
The next $345,000 is taxed at 1% or 0.01% * $245,000 = $2,450
And 2% on the entire portion over $400,000 is taxed at 0.02 * $0 = $0
The total Toronto Municipal Land Transfer Tax payable is: $275 + $2,450 = $2,725
Land Transfer tax payable $2,975 + Toronto Municipal Land Transfer Tax payable is $2,725 = $5,700 !!
I decided to do some research to just compare all of the provinces and territories to see which provinces/territories had the highest and which provinces/territories had the lowest land transfer taxes.
The table below is based on a $300,000 purchase price and the data was collected as of July 31, 2010.
I was very surprised (well actually not) that the results show Ontario (Toronto buyers) are paying the HIGHEST land transfer taxes, compared to any other city in the country!!
| Provinces and Territories | Estimated Land Transfer Tax Payable |
| Home Purchase Price = $300,000 | |
| Ontario (city of Toronto area*) | $5,700 |
| Nova Scotia (Halifax county) | $4,500 |
| British Columbia | $4,000 |
| Manitoba | $3,150 |
| Prince Edward Island | $3,000 |
| Quebec | $3,000 |
| Ontario (not the city of Toronto) | $2,975 |
| Newfoundland | $1,250 |
| Saskatchewan | $915 |
| New Brunswick | $805 |
| Yukon | $750 |
| Northwest Territories | $490 |
| Alberta | $335 |
| Nova Scotia (not Halifax county) | $150 |
Information gathered as of July 31, 2010. This information is not guaranteed and therefore should not be relied upon without verification. E.&O.E. * Those who purchase in the City of Toronto, are also required to pay the Toronto Municipal Land Transfer Tax
This article written by Elizabeth Blair on July 31, 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 active 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.
Value of Home Improvements
You may be thinking about those spring-time projects that you will need to tackle this year, like landscaping the garden, rebuilding a patio or fence, changing older windows and doors, a new roof, or even remodeling your basement, kitchen or bathroom. If you tune in to some recent popular TV programs like “Extreme Makeover – Home Edition”, you will surely catch the home makeover bug. If you live in a freehold house, you should be spending an average of 1% of your home value annually, on maintenance, just to keep it in good repair and to prevent it from declining in value, according to “Home Buying for Dummies” by Eric Tyson and Ray Brown.
Renovating a home, may also be an important consideration for you in 2010, if you are thinking of listing your home for sale. Remember that the right renovations can help you to maximize the resale value of your home. The renovation payback statistics were extracted directly from the Appraisal Institute of Canada’s website and the data is current as of January 2010:
To see the table, please click on the link:
You can check your renovation investment plans using the Appraisal Institute of Canada’s on-line tool. The name of this tool is RENOVA and it is an excellent resource for homeowners. You may visit the site by going to this website:
http://component.aicanada.ca/e/resourcecenter_renova_all.cfm
Remember that the referenced website link is only a guide, and you should always carefully consider that proper appraisal values and returns can be provided by an accredited appraiser holding a CRA or AACI designation. It is also important to mention that an appraiser will also assess other factors, about the home to complete accurate appraisal results, for example, the neighborhood, recent real estate activity, lot, location, etc.
Canada AM has been running an informative real estate market series that commenced on January 25, 2010. Featured on Tuesday’s program was Mr. Ed Saxe of Edjline Appraisal Services. Mr. Saxe is a certified Canadian Residential Appraiser as well as the President of the Ontario Association of the Appraisal Institute of Canada. Mr. Saxe discusses that the number one investment returns come from kitchen and bathroom renovations, however, as a homeowner, he advises that discretion is required when spending. Mr. Saxe advises homeowners to carefully consider just how much they are spending and where they are spending. For example, he mentions that you would not be wise to spend $50,000 on a kitchen renovation if you are living in a home that is only worth $200,000. A home renovation should be relative to the market and the neighborhood in which you live. You can view the current live video clip at the following link:
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/top-picks/added-value/#clip259603
This blog was written by Elizabeth Blair of Mortgage Edge.
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
Lic # M08005880 / Brokerage Lic # 10680
The Evil IRD Penalty
The IRD penalty (Interest Rate Differential) has become a very hot topic in the last year. With the recent plunge in interest rates, many fixed rate mortgage holders, have contacted their banks to find out what it would cost to break their mortgage term in pursuit of today’s much lower mortgage rates.
Many are shocked to find out that the IRD penalty is so high, that breaking their mortgage has even become impossible for some as it would eat up any small amount of equity that they managed to build. If you are selling a home outright, add to this penalty amount, the real estate fees to sell, and many are completely trapped and unable to find the extra cash they need, in their home equity, to move away from the mortgage obligation. The IRD penalties are often huge and in most cases are absolutely outrageous.
I have experienced the same feedback from my own clients, who have made these calls. A recent client discovered their penalty would be $20,000……..I compare this kind of penalty charge to a form of predatory lending…….perhaps similar to the behavior of a loan shark? Is that too strong a term to use? Maybe not when you consider that while the bank won’t break your legs, or threaten your family’s safety, their imposed IRD penalties could very well “cripple you financially” …..now you know why I compare it to loan sharking.
In difficult times, when many home owners are already struggling to make ends meet because of lost jobs, pay cuts, ex-spouses no longer receiving child support, others struggling to maintain support payments, and others with unexpected requirements to move a family out of a house, would it not make sense for banks to re-visit their IRD penalty policy and agree to settle for a 3-month interest only? Everyone else has been expected to reduce their expectations, so why are the banks not doing the same for their customers, especially in light of the current financial devastation, being faced by many individuals and families today?!
Consumers and industry professionals need to stand up against the IRD penalty as it is quietly eroding and undermining the financial stability of many households who have decided to re-finance or to get out of a current fixed rate mortgage.
Here also, is a link to a website where there has been much lively discussion, about the IRD penalty, sponsored by Ms. Ellen Roseman, of the Toronto Star. You will see many shocking personal stories of mortgage holders who have faced the reality of the IRD penalty. It is even more shocking to see that our own government has done nothing to protect consumers, even after many have already written their personal stories to organizations like “Ombudsman Ontario”. Here is the link:
http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=414
I believe that there will be great negative fallout, for many home owners down the road, unless home owners are given the option to freely re-finance their mortgages to obtain lower rates now as rates remain low. Once mortgage rates climb, those who are very new home owners, who took out 35-year amortizations 5 years ago, have accumulated little equity and at the same time increased their household debt-load, their ability to carry a mortgage renewal, at a higher mortgage rate, will be a huge challenge.
Government must step in and force banks to change the rules. The IRD Penalty should be illegal and banks should be limited to charge only the standard “3-month interest penalty” instead of the IRD penalty being used today. I already see it choking many mortgage holders, today, who are simply looking to move out of a higher mortgage rate into a lower mortgage rate, or perhaps even get out of a mortgage obligation due to current financial pressures, for example, a lost job.
I just returned from visiting the States and read an article in the USA Today. It discusses how Texas banks have held a strong position, based on their tight regulations, even when many other banks around them failed. An especially interesting point, in this article, is that the state of Texas prohibits banks from charging high mortgage penalties …… Canadian banks should also be prohibited from using the IRD penalty calculation. You can read the article in the USA Today, at the following link:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-12-28-texas-banks_N.htm
Ottawa is presently reviewing Canadian mortgage rules and may change financing rules to increase minimum down payments and decrease the extended amortization of mortgages (currently at 35 years) – these would be very positive moves to make. Texas banks have done well and their tough guidelines governing the mortgage financing industry have been the very reason why a housing fallout there, has been minimal.
If you want to express your concern about the IRD penalty, and you live in Mississauga or Streetsville, you should write to the Honourable Bonnie Crombie, Member of Parliament, for Mississauga and Streetsville areas, to request that the Government work to remove the IRD penalty, in use today, by our banks.
Her email address is:
crombie.b@parl.gc.ca
This post 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) http://www.imba.ca
Lic # M08005880
Brokerage Lic # 10680
Head office is located at: 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 210, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
NEW Lower Mortgage Rates!
Here are hot new mortgage rates for you:
1. Variable Rate Mortgage at Prime Rate – 2.25% **
2. 5 Year Fixed Rate – 3.75% **
If your mortgage loan amount is greater than $370,000, I can get you
3.59% ** on a 5 Year Fixed Rate.
** Some conditions apply and subject to approval by the Lender. Mortgage rates are subject to change without notice.
This post 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) http://www.imba.ca Lic # M08005880 Brokerage Lic # 10680 Head office is located at: 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 210, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
HOT News: Lenders slashing variable discounts
Hot news for those who are looking for variable rate mortgages. Here is the best deal available today:
Prime Rate plus 0.15%. —> 2.40%
Wow, this is an excellent rate and is only available for mortgage terms of less than 3 years.
You pick a renewal date between March 19, 2012 and May 31, 2012.
This blog post 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) http://www.imba.ca Lic # M08005880 Brokerage Lic # 10680 Head office is located at: 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 210, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
Look out Ontario: more taxes are coming your way
Is the bad news about our economy, the slumping housing industry, and more lost jobs enough to have you down and out? Wait there is more bad news heading your way. Yes the poor, beat-up and overtaxed Canadian family, living in Ontario, is about to face more taxes. Primarily, the tax is directed at the housing industry so if you plan to buy a newly constructed home, or sell your home, you will be facing this new tax in Ontario.
Announced on March 26, 2009, the Ontario Liberal Government, Dalton McGuinty, is fine-tuning their annual provincial budget which is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2010. The new budget is going to merge the current 8% PST and 5% GST, into a new “harmonized” tax. If you think that is a harmless undertaking, have a close look at some of the housing-related services that will now be taxed:
Buyers who purchase a newly constructed home, after July 1, 2010, where the value is greater than $400,000, will be required to pay a 13% tax. For example, if you purchased a house for $500,000, the additional tax, added into the mix, would stick you with a $65,000 tax. It is important to mention, that this harmonized tax would NOT apply to re-sale homes. This has Ontario home builders especially worried as they are already dealing with excess inventory now and current deterioration of prices. With the introduction of this tax, newly-built, higher-priced homes, from builders, will be very difficult to sell.
If you are planning to sell your home, after July 1, 2010, you would be required to pay a 13% blended tax rate. The new 13% tax rate will replace the current 5% GST calculated on a realtor’s commission. Here below is an example of what a $400,000 sale price might look like, comparing today’s 5% GST and the coming 13% blended tax. This 13% tax will apply on the service, regardless of the sale price of your home. The tax will be charged, whether you utilize the services of a professional real estate agent or a discount service provider. Realtors, no doubt, will be facing disgruntled sellers who will push even harder to negotiate the commission down because of the new added costs a seller will face: a higher tax, a lower home value and less cash room for sellers to maneuver. The 13% tax will be a big burden especially since real estate values are predicted to face challenges right into 2010, when the new tax is introduced.
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Sale Price of the Home = $400,000 |
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Now |
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After July 1, 2010 |
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Real Estate Fees |
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Real Estate Fees |
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5% to Realtor |
$20,000 |
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5% to Realtor |
$20,000 |
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5% GST |
$1,000 |
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13% harmonized tax |
$2,600 |
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Total Selling Cost |
$21,000 |
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Total Selling Cost |
$22,600 |
The list of affected services, does not stop there. The following, in the housing and services industry, will also be required to top up their invoice with this new 13% tax:
– legal services
– home inspection services
– landscaping
– renovation services
– land survey services;and there are others too.
Of course the Ontario Government is really beginning to lick their lips with glee, as this new tax is estimated to bring in over $300 MILLION in tax revenues, and the revenues are only estimated for the closing of home sales alone. With a surging deficit, the Ontario government is going straight into our pockets for help. Many in Ontario are unhappy about the proposal but like most legislation in Ontario, it is passed without the strong-arm to stop it.
For me, as an Ontario resident, a move to the province of Alberta sounds really tempting right now, especially since our friends out west do not pay any provincial sales tax!
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) http://www.imba.ca Lic # M08005880 Brokerage Lic # 10680 Head office is located at: 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 210, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
First time home buyers :: Get a break on Closing Costs and Land Transfer Taxes
Recognizing that the Canadian housing industry is a significant contributor to our economy and its growth and stability, the Canadian Government has now sweetened the deal to stimulate the housing industry and help Canadians with the costs of purchasing a home.
There are now 2 ways you can get a break on your closing costs and land transfer taxes.
1. CLOSING COSTS
The federal budget tabled in the House of Commons, by the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance on January 27, 2009 entitled “Canada’s Economic Action Plan – Budget 2009” now contains a $750 tax credit to offset closing costs. The tax relief will be extended to those first time buyers who acquired a home after January 27, 2009.
You may view a copy of Budget 2009 at the following link:
http://www.budget.gc.ca/2009/pdf/budget-planbugetaire-eng.pdf
2. LAND TRANSFER TAXES
The land transfer tax makes up the largest portion of a buyer’s closing costs. In December 2007, the Ministry of Revenue extended its Land Transfer Tax Refund to buyers of RESALE homes. This refund could be accessed by first time buyers who entered into agreements of purchase and sale after December 13, 2007. First-time home buyers can now apply for a refund, for up to a maximum of up to $2,000 on the land transfer taxes that they have paid. Details on this previous notice can be found at the following link:
http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/taxes/ltt/
This notice 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) http://www.imba.ca
Lic # M08005880 / Brokerage Lic # 10680
Head office is located at: 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 210, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
What is a mortgage discharge fee?
I received an email from someone who found my website on the internet, asking me why they were charged a discharge fee, by their bank, when they paid off the full balance of their mortgage. This was a fee that they were surprised to see and they were checking with me to see if that was a valid charge that they had to pay.
I explained to this person that this was most definitely a valid fee and that they should go back to their original mortgage contract/mortgage commitment to read the fine print, listed somewhere in their document. If you refer to the fine-print of your mortgage agreement/commitment, you will see it there listed under a “fees” section and it will list all standard fees borrowers will pay in certain situations, for example, service fees, assignment/transfer fee, processing fee, default charges/missed payment fee, as well as the discharge fee, as well as other possible fees related to the mortgage.
Here are a few situations where you would be required to pay a discharge fee:
1) if you pay off your entire mortgage balance;
2) if you switch from your current bank, to another bank, and register a new mortgage with the new bank.
3) if you sell your home and switch from your current bank to another bank.
The discharge fee is worked out, by your bank, on a simple one page form and it really does seem to be a very excessive fee to pay, for a simple form that may have taken your bank a short time to prepare. Interestingly, the mortgage discharge fee varies from province to province and from lender to lender. Did you know, for example, that in the province of British Columbia, The Financial Institutions Commission (FICOM) which regulates the financial services industry, has stated that a mortgage discharge fee must not exceed $75. You can read about their position at this following link:
http://www.fic.gov.bc.ca/pdf/mortgagebrokers/mb-07-003.pdf
Unfortunately, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) has not created a similar cap on the bank’s mortgage discharge fee in Ontario. While every bank must disclose the discharge fee, in the mortgage contract provided to you, you can also go on-line to see what current published discharge fees are, at any time. Remember, however, that the discharge fee that you see in the mortgage contract you signed, is the fee that you will be charged once there is a need to have a mortgage discharge statement prepared. Bank’s published discharge fees can be viewed at this following link:
http://www.fiscalagents.com/thestar/mtg_disx_sort.shtml
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) http://www.imba.ca
Lic # M08005880
Brokerage Lic # 10680
Head office is located at: 15 Wertheim Court, Suite 210, Richmond Hill, Ontario, 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
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