In October 2015, I wrote 136 words on this topic, hoping that the image alone would get some traction. It was a pretty insane image to a numbers geek like me – linked here.

Perhaps these additional 381 words worth will garner more attention.

This month’s Visa images are tamer, as a business card the monthly total can be significant during busy months. Yes I pay the balance to zero each month, in fact I appear to actually over pay it some months (so deep is my fear of credit card interest).

No I will not be taking 108 years and 7 months to pay off the balance…

108 YEARS AND 7 MONTHS!

Here is a question for a government so intent on protecting us from ourselves:

Why clamp down even further against lending on a secured asset in which we live, a debt we must pay off in a maximum of 30 years, (25 if less than 20% down) with a record of repayment that is the envy of the free world, yet allow us to take 108 years and 7  months to pay off the:

• Particle board furniture we fill the home with?
• The vacation we could not afford to take?
• A night of bottle service hitting up the clubs (yo!)?

How does this make sense?

99.63% of Canadians never miss a mortgage payment. There is no mortgage crisis to repair.

Can the same be said about this form of debt though?

To qualify for this 108 year 7 month amortization… Does one need:

• A down payment?
• Clean Credit history?
• A job?

Nope. Not at all.

In fact in some cases one can qualify for this kind of debt without even being alive, or even being an actual  human being. Trust me, to apply for a mortgage through Dominion Lending Centres, is easy, but not THAT easy!

So I ask again: Where is the real debt problem in our country?

Why is our government not asking this question?

Why is our government intent on trying to fix a problem that does not exist?

Canada is not the USA, and policy should not be set based on Netflix analysis.

The recent changes made to mortgage lending will in fact do the most damage to lower middle class households, the ones already most susceptible to 108 year 7 month loans.

Enjoy your day, mine will be spent applying for credit cards on behalf of our dog and two cats.

GET IN FRONT OF A BAD SITUATION

Financial difficulty can happen. Marital breakdown, economic downturn / job loss, health issues are all realty.

If I can give one piece of advice it’s this – in the face of financial difficulty the worst thing that a person can do is to go dark on their creditors.

In my experience, being 100% upfront and honest with creditors is by far the best 1st step in face of a cash crunch. CALL YOUR CREDITORS. EXPLAIN YOUR SITUATION. ASK FOR A TEMPORARY REPRIEVE. BE PROACTIVE WITH LOOKING AT A SOLUTION EARLY.

Trust me – most creditors DO NOT want to foreclose on homes, send you to collections or push you over the brink of financial ruin. Many will actually work to help you get back on your feet if you let them know early on that you are in a crunch. I have seen some of our lenders make amazing concessions for customers who hit a stumbling block financially when they have gotten in touch BEFORE they fall behind.

It’s when a person stops making minimum payments, avoids calls from creditors and just gives up on their situation / assumes they are up the creek or are too embarrassed to admit that they may not be able to meet obligations.

This looks to creditors that the person has abandoned the debt and is now looking to stick it to them.

Unfortunately, many times people call us at Dominion Lending Centres when they are already months behind and been served with collections / seizure notices and credit is ruined. At that time, they are too far gone and lenders/creditors are normally not able to help.

Any time a person calls to advise that they are looking for a solution to help with a cash crunch, the first question I ask is “Have you spoken to your creditors?”

Don’t be embarrassed, be proactive!! Save your credit standing, your assets and your future. Short term pain is much better than long term ruin any day.

We have seen it all at DLC and are here to help.

IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS, A FOCUSED APPROACH IS KEY

By now you will have likely heard that the Federal Finance Minister has made drastic changes to mortgage lending rules making it tougher to qualify for a mortgage. For Canadians with less than a 20% down payment, their purchasing power has been dramatically reduced. So what can you do if you want to purchase a home in the next few years? Below are five main points you will want to consider if home ownership is one of your financial goals.

First, however, let’s clarify the role of debt servicing in the mortgage approval process. There are two types of debt servicing ratios that lenders look at. The first is Gross Debt Servicing (GDS) and it accounts for the costs associated with housing – mortgage principal and interest payment, property taxes and heat. The second ratio is Total Debt Servicing (TDS) which includes all costs in the GDS plus all other outstanding debt. These ratios need to be below 39% for GDS and 44% for TDS. So let’s look at what you can do to qualify within these ratios.

1. Pay down unsecured debt. Balances on unsecured debt such as credit cards and unsecured lines of credit affect your TDS ratio. Even if the GDS is in line, if your TDS is high, your maximum mortgage amount will be limited. All unsecured debt must be calculated at a 3% payment per month regardless of the actual payment required. For example, a $10,000 credit card balance equates to a $300 per month payment for debt servicing. High balances combined with other types of debt (i.e. car payments) will affect the maximum mortgage amount so pay them down.

2. Hold Off On That New Car. We all love that new car smell and dealerships make it very easy to purchase a new car. However, that car payment may make the difference between qualifying for a mortgage or not. If home ownership is a goal for you, then you need to understand how that car payment will affect your debt servicing ratios. Like unsecured debt, that car payment is calculated in your TDS.

3. Manage Your Credit As If It Is Your Most Valuable Possession. Now more than ever, good credit will be a key to home ownership. As the landscape of the mortgage world continues to change, credit will become a main focus of lenders when considering mortgage applications. Always make your payments on time, keep balances below 70% of your limit and maintain at least two types of credit with a two year history.

4. Save, Save, Save. Start saving now for that down payment. As mortgage guidelines tighten, the larger down payment you have saved, the more options available to you. Gifted down payments from immediate family can also be considered as part of your down payment.

5. Start Claiming Income On Your Tax Returns. This sounds contrary to what most people would think as we all strive to pay less taxes. However, over the last several years lenders have required proof of income based on your tax returns. The higher the income on the tax returns, the more income that can be used to qualify you for a mortgage. Income such as self-employed income, tips, overtime, etc. require a two year average in order to be used. If you want to purchase a home in the next few years, you may want to start claiming all income earned to maximize the mortgage amount you qualify for. Guidelines around self-employed income have been tightening up for a few years so there is no guarantee the programs available now will be available in the future.

As the government continues to tighten mortgage lending rules, it is more important than ever to ensure you work with a mortgage professional you trust who can help guide you towards home ownership. Contact your Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker and start reviewing your situation now to work towards your homeownership goal.

THINKING OF SELLING? COSTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT!

Often times it’s the simple math that will betray you when selling a property. In your head you do quick calculations, you take what you think your property will sell for and then subtract what you owe on your mortgage, and the rest is your profit! Well… not so fast, there are several costs that have to be taken into consideration when selling a home. It’s especially important to get these costs right when you are selling one property, and using the proceeds from that sale as a downpayment for another property.

So here is a fairly comprehensive list of costs you may incur when selling your home.

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION COSTS

Although it may seem odd that you have to pay money to sell your home, that’s the reality, and selling a property isn’t cheap. If you use the services of a professional REALTOR®, the total commission cost is going to be anywhere between 4-6% of the purchase price, divided between the listing agent (the REALTOR® who represents you) and the buyer’s agent (the REALTOR® representing the buyer). It’s also good to note that GST is added to real estate commissions.

If you are looking for a way to get around paying real estate commissions, you might consider selling your house privately. To list your property with a FSBO company (for sale by owner), you are going to be anywhere between $400-$1,500 just for setup and a bit of marketing. From there, you may still have to negotiate a commission if potential buyers are working with a buyer’s agent.

MORTGAGE DISCHARGE FEES

If you have a mortgage on your property, there will be a cost to discharge it, the question is how much?

If you are breaking your mortgage in the middle of your term, you will be responsible to pay a penalty. On a closed mortgage, that penalty will be either 3 months interest or an Interest Rate Differential penalty, known as an IRD. Each mortgage contract is written up differently lender by lender, so it’s impossible to simply explain the math here and have you calculate your penalty on your own. In order to figure out your IRD ahead of time, you can either contact your lender directly, or you can contact me and I can help you through the process.

The IRD penalty is the wildcard in the whole process, because depending on how the lender calculates the penalty, penalties can range from $3,000 to $30,000. It is very important to know what you are dealing with here.

If you are currently in a variable rate mortgage, your penalty will be equal to 3 months interest. Even if you are in an open mortgage, or have a home equity line of credit secured to your property, there might not be a penalty to discharge, but there will most certainly be some kind of lender fee, usually between $250-$500.

LAWYER’S FEES

In order to discharge the title of your property, and to verify that the buyer is going to receive a clear title of your property, you are going to incur legal fees to sell your property. In a straightforward discharge, expect to pay between $500-$1000, less than when you purchased the property, but an expense none the less.

UTILITIES AND PROPERTY TAX

Although this might not come as a surprise, when you are selling your property, you are responsible for paying all the property taxes and utilities up to the day you no longer have possession. If you close in the middle of the month, you will be responsible for half the months taxes and utilities. If you are on equalized payments, and you have run a deficit with the utility company, expect to bring that bill current before your lawyer can discharge the mortgage!

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

If you’re selling your primary residence, you are in the clear. In Canada we don’t pay tax on the appreciation of our primary residences, however, if you are selling an income property, you will be responsible to pay taxes on half the gains at your marginal income tax rate.

PROPERTY REPAIR

If you are looking to sell your house quickly, you will want to make sure that it is in tip top shape, don’t underestimate the growing costs of fixing your property up before trying to sell it. It has been said that sellers should consider spending up to .5%-1% of the asking price on getting the property ready, making sure the small things are looked after will give people the feeling like the property was looked after . Low-cost, minor improvements like

• Patch drywall and nail holes, repaint.
• Fix or replace damaged flooring.
• Repair plumbing leaks.
• Replace burnt out light bulbs.
• Replace outdated light fixtures.
• Clean out and reseal gutters.
• Keep up with the yard and garden.

MOVING

Don’t forget that once you do sell your house, it’s gonna cost you money (and time) to move. Depending on how much stuff you have, you are looking at some gas money and pizza for friends, or a few hundred to a few thousand for movers.

There you have it, by understanding these costs hopefully you will have a better idea of how much money you will actually have in your jeans after selling your house! Of course if you’re looking for a new mortgage for a new house – give the mortgage professionals at Dominion Lending Centres a call!

5 REASONS A MORTGAGE BROKER IS YOUR BEST CHOICE

So it seems that there are still Canadian consumers who have reservations or misunderstandings about why a mortgage broker is their best choice. Time to take a quick look at 5 reasons you should use a broker.

1. Almost always free to use. 41% of consumers polled for the June 2016 Mortgage Professionals Canada “The Next Generation of Homebuyers” report seem to have the misconception that they are the ones paying somehow for the mortgage broker’s services. Here are a few things you should know:

· Bank branch reps and mobile specialists are paid bonuses for being able to get you to sign at a higher rate. It’s true. Ask them.

· The banks and broker lenders avoid the costs of having another in house employee with benefits and all that when they go through a mortgage broker who pay all those cost themselves.

· A mortgage broker will only charge a fee on an alternative deal where the client has blemished credit or on a commercial deal and in both cases the amounts are very upfront and are agreed to ahead of time.

2. Professional and carefully watched. Mortgage brokers only do mortgages. That means we know what we are talking about and can advise you properly. You can also rest assured that your privacy is well protected given that we are watched carefully by governmental agencies. As we should be really.

3. Choices! A mortgage broker is exactly like an insurance broker. We have access to a large number of lenders so if your application does not quite fit with one bank we have many others we can try it through. It is our job to know that you are getting the best mortgage and rate for your situation. Often we can even get better rates for you at your own bank given the very high volume we do with them.

4. Avoiding nasty pitfalls. Do you know how your bank calculates the penalty on the mortgage? Do they use posted to discounted rates? Are you getting put into a collateral mortgage? That’s OK if you have no idea what any of that means. We know. It’s our job and that can save you a ton of money down the road.

5. Convenient. Mortgage brokers pride themselves on their exemplary service. We can work with you remotely or face to face. We use the latest technology to make things as easy as possible for our clients.

So there you have it. We are free to use, full of professional advice, offer wide variety of choices, help you avoid pitfalls and we are convenient too! Oh, and did we mention that just over 50% of first time home buyers use mortgage brokers these days? Come find out why Dominion Lending Centres is where you should go for your next mortgage. You’ll be so glad you did.

NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM – NEW CANADIAN MORTGAGE RULES EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 17, 2016

The Minister of Finance announced on Monday new Canadian mortgage rules effective October 17,2016. The new rules will impact high ratio buyers – those with less than 20% down payment. Other rule changes are expected to follow so stay tuned for details as they unfold. The important thing to remember is that this is not the end of the world! Rather, it is the time when you really need the voice of reason from an experienced Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional.

Currently a home buyer with less than 20% (high ratio) requires mortgage insurance through CMHC or one of the private insurers. The financing rules for this purchase differ from those buying a home with 20% or more down payment. However, both types of buyers have one rule in common – to access short term fixed rates (1-4 years) or a variable rate mortgage they must qualify at the benchmark rate (currently 4.64%). They don’t pay that rate, but it is a metric used to qualify for access to the variable or short term rate products.

Effective October 17th all high ratio buyers will have to qualify at the benchmark rate for all terms.

For example a home buyer currently qualified to purchase with 10% down for a mortgage of $527,000. After October 17th, this home buyer would qualify for a $420,000 mortgage. This equates to a 20% drop in buying power. (All things being equal in terms of property taxes, income, debts, etc).

Buyers in this situation would have the option to make up the shortfall with more money down or add another person to the mortgage to help qualify or purchase a lower priced property. For detached homes with a suite the use of rental income could help the buyer make up some or all of that difference in qualifying.

Any buyers with an accepted offer in place will have till October 16th to have a firm financing approval in place. Buyers who secure an accepted offer who do not have a firm agreement from their lender (and the respective mortgage insurer) in place by October 16th will be subject to the rule change October 17th.

This is crucial timing so talk with your realtor and Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional in detail if you are ready to make an offer or have an accepted offer with no current financing in place.

There are no specific deadlines in place by the Minister of Finance regarding pre-sale purchases set to close in 2017. So discuss a strategy with your DLC mortgage broker and realtor if you are a buyer in this situation.

The announcement also indicated a change later this year to mortgages for conventional borrowers with financing that is bulk-insured. This represents a number of banks and other lenders who choose this as a strategy for their portfolio. This could impact all borrowers (those buying or refinancing). We will gain more details on this specific outcome within our industry channels and provide an update as soon as possible.

Note – when watching the news on this subject always remember to do your due diligence and consult with your professional mortgage broker. The media does not always get the details correct and can provide information that can be confusing.

MORNEAU TAKES OUT THE BIG GUNS TO SLOW HOUSING

Yesterday, Ottawa unveiled major initiatives to slow housing activity both by potentially discouraging foreign home purchases and, more importantly, by making it more difficult for Canadians to get mortgages. As well, the Finance Minister is limiting the degree to which mortgage lenders can buy portfolio insurance on mortgages with downpayments of 20% or more. Ottawa has clearly taken out the big guns to slow housing activity, which is widely considered to be too strong in Vancouver and Toronto. Ironically, home sales have already slowed precipitously in Vancouver in recent months and the BC government introduced a new 15% land transfer tax on foreign purchases of homes effective August 6, the effects of which are yet to be fully determined.

The measures announced by Finance Minister Morneau are more far reaching than anything considered to date and could well have quite a significant impact. Not only are these initiatives intended to close loopholes for foreign investors, which might help to make housing more affordable for domestic purchasers, but they will actually make homeownership less attainable for the marginal borrower, which is often younger Canadian first-time home buyers.

Officials at the Department of Finance have been studying the housing market and have led a working group with municipalities and provinces, as well as federal agencies such as the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). This in-depth analysis has informed today’s announcement.

 Measures Aimed At Foreign Homebuyers

• The income tax system provides a significant income tax benefit to homeowners disposing of their principal residence, in the form of an exemption from capital gains taxation.
• An individual who was not resident in Canada in the year the individual acquired a residence will not—on a disposition of the property after October 2, 2016—be able to claim the exemption for that year. This measure ensures that permanent non-residents are not eligible for the exemption on any part of a gain from the disposition of a residence.
• The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will, for the first time, require all taxpayers to report the sale of a property for which the principal residence exemption is claimed.

Measures Affecting All Homebuyers

The Finance Department says in its press release that, “Protecting the long-term financial security of Canadians is a cornerstone of the Government of Canada’s efforts to help the middle class and those working hard to join it.” This is a “Nanny State” measure to protect people from themselves, as the Bank of Canada has long been concerned about the growing number of households with excessive debt-to-income ratios. It will make housing less attainable, at least in the short run. If it, therefore, substantially reduces housing demand, home prices could decline, ultimately improving affordability. This, of course, is not what the 70% of Canadian households that already own a home would like to see.

• Broadened Mortgage Rate Stress Tests: To help ensure new homeowners can afford their mortgages even when interest rates begin to rise, mortgage insurance rules require in some cases that lenders “stress test” a borrower’s ability to make their mortgage payments at a higher interest rate. Currently, this requirement only applies to a subset of insured mortgages with variable interest rates (or fixed interest rates with terms less than five years). Effective October 17, 2016, this requirement will apply to all insured mortgages, including fixed-rate mortgages with terms of five years and more.
• A buyer with less than 20% down will have to qualify at an interest rate the greater of their contract mortgage rate or the Bank of Canada’s conventional five-year fixed posted rate. The Bank of Canada’s posted rate is typically higher than the contract mortgage rate most buyers actually pay. As of September 28, 2016, the Bank of Canada posted rate was 4.64%, compared to roughly 2% or so on variable rate mortgages.

For borrowers to qualify for mortgage insurance, their debt-servicing ratios must be no higher than the maximum allowable levels when calculated using the greater of the contract rate and the Bank of Canada posted rate. Lenders and mortgage insurers assess two key debt-servicing ratios to determine if a homebuyer qualifies for an insured mortgage:

• Gross Debt Service (GDS) ratio—the carrying costs of the home, including the mortgage payment and taxes and heating costs, relative to the homebuyer’s income;
• Total Debt Service (TDS) ratio—the carrying costs of the home and all other debt payments relative to the homebuyer’s income.

To qualify for mortgage insurance, a homebuyer must have a GDS ratio no greater than 39% and a TDS ratio no greater than 44%. Qualifying for a mortgage by applying the typically higher Bank of Canada posted rate when calculating a borrower’s GDS and TDS ratios serves as a “stress test” for homebuyers, providing new homebuyers a buffer to be able to continue servicing their debts even in a higher interest rate environment, or if faced with a reduction in household income.

The announced measure will apply to new mortgage insurance applications received on October 17, 2016 or later.

• Tighter Mortgage Insurance Rules

Lenders have the option to purchase mortgage insurance for homebuyers who make a down payment of at least 20% of the property purchase price, known as “low-ratio” insurance because the loan amounts are generally low in relation to the value of the home. There are two types of low-ratio mortgage insurance: transactional insurance on individual mortgages at the point of origination, typically paid for by the borrower, and portfolio (bulk pooled) insurance that is acquired after origination and typically paid for by the lender. The majority of low-ratio mortgage insurance is portfolio insurance.

Lender access to low-ratio insurance supports access to mortgage credit for some borrowers, but primarily supports lender access to mortgage funding through government-sponsored securitization programs.

Effective November 30, 2016, mortgage loans that lenders insure using portfolio insurance and other discretionary low loan-to-value ratio mortgage insurance must meet the eligibility criteria that previously only applied to high-ratio insured mortgages. New criteria for low-ratio mortgages to be insured will include the following requirements:

1. A loan whose purpose includes the purchase of a property or subsequent renewal of such a loan;
2. A maximum amortization length of 25 years;
3. A maximum property purchase price below $1,000,000 at the time the loan is approved;
4. For variable-rate loans that allow fluctuations in the amortization period, loan payments that are recalculated at least once every five years to conform to the original amortization schedule;
5. A minimum credit score of 600 at the time the loan is approved;
6. A maximum Gross Debt Service ratio of 39 per cent and a maximum Total Debt Service ratio of 44 per cent at the time the loan is approved, calculated by applying the greater of the mortgage contract rate or the Bank of Canada conventional five-year fixed posted rate; and,
7. A property that will be owner-occupied.

These tighter mortgage insurance regulations will reduce the supply of mortgages and/or increase their cost to the borrower.

Consultation on Lender Risk Sharing

The Government announced that it would launch a public consultation process this fall to seek information and feedback on how modifying the distribution of risk in the housing finance framework by introducing a modest level of lender risk sharing for government-backed insured mortgages could enhance the current system.

Canada’s system of 100% government-backed mortgage default insurance is unique compared to approaches in other countries. A lender risk sharing policy would aim to rebalance risk in the housing finance system so that lenders retain a meaningful, but manageable, level of exposure to mortgage default risk.

This proposal by CMHC has been floated for some time and, needless to say, the Canadian Bankers’ Association, is against it. The measure would certainly increase the risk associated with funding mortgages and therefore likely increase the capital required to be set aside against this additional risk. Therefore, in essence, it increases the cost to the lenders to finance mortgages. The lenders will undoubtedly attempt to pass off this increased cost to the borrower or reduce its supply of credit. Right now, the cost of mortgage insurance is borne by the taxpayer.

Bottom Line: These are very meaningful initiatives to slow housing demand, making it more difficult for Canadians to borrow. Finance Minister Morneau has taken out the big guns. I have no doubt that the pace of mortgage lending will slow from what it would otherwise be as a result of these government actions. However, these actions do nothing to address the shortage of housing supply in Vancouver and Toronto.

Housing has been a very important pillar for the Canadian economy, especially at a time when oil price declines have decimated the oil sector and manufacturing continues to struggle. This is a case of being very careful what we wish for– I’m concerned that we might see more of a slowdown in housing than the government was counting on, which will certainly affect jobs and growth and reduce tax revenues at a time when budget deficits are mounting and fiscal stimulus has yet to do its job.

Every mortgage secured by a property will be registered with the land title office.There are two ways your mortgage can be registered on title: Standard charge or collateral charge.  Not long ago, most lenders registered all mortgages as a standard charge.  In recent years, some lenders – mainly the major big banks – have moved towards using the collateral charge.

When choosing your mortgage it is vital you fully understand the terms you are agreeing to. Choosing the right mortgage can protect your interest now and in the future.  Let’s focus on the major differences between the two charges/liens that your mortgage can be registered as.

Know How Your Mortgage Is Registered

STANDARD CHARGE MORTGAGE

A standard charge mortgage is registered for the amount of your mortgage only.  A standard charge mortgage allows you the freedom to freely move lenders at renewal time without incurring legal fees.  As a borrower, you want to be in a standard charge mortgage because it gives you the leverage to shop options at renewal.

A standard charge mortgage allows you to borrow more in the form of a second mortgage or a home equity line of credit (HELOC).  As you pay down your mortgage you can access the equity you’ve gained.

COLLATERAL CHARGE MORTGAGE

A collateral charge mortgage is registered on title for more money than you require to close.  For example, a $500,000 mortgage might be registered on title as a $600,000 charge.  The lender will tell you this is beneficial because it makes it easier to access the home equity without incurring legal fees.

The major downside of a collateral mortgage becomes evident at your maturity date.  If you want to change lenders in order to obtain a better product or rate, you are on the hook for legal fees.  This often deters borrowers from moving lenders and they can feel “forced” to take whatever renewal rate their current lender is offering.

With a standard charge mortgage, in most cases, the new lender will cover the charges under a straight switch(no new money) in order to earn your business.  This means no fees to you and the ability to shop for the best mortgage.

Navigating through the mortgage process alone can be tricky.  Dominion Lending Centres has access to multiple lenders and we can help ensure you receive the perfect mortgage.