5 Oct

GO GREEN & SAVE!

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

We all do different things to go green in our day to day life: using reusable shopping bags, biking instead of driving, re-using water bottles… you name it. All of the various steps we take to minimize our environmental foot-print give us the satisfaction of knowing we are working towards a greener tomorrow-but how often do you get rewarded for going green? If your experience is anything like ours, not very often. But we have some exciting news right from CMHC-they want to reward YOU for going Green! Here’s how.

The CMHC Green Home Program is a relatively new program that allows lenders to offer borrowers more affordable financing choices when purchasing an energy efficient home or when purchasing an existing home and making energy-efficient improvements. This program gives you a refund of up to 25% of the CMHC Mortgage Loan Insurance Premium as long as the home is located in Canada. In addition, the process to apply is simple, all a borrower must do is fill out this application form and submit it to CMHC.

Sounds fairly straight forward doesn’t it? Let’s dig into a few more details though with a straightforward FAQ.

1. When Does the Program Apply?
The program is applicable when a new home is purchased (with a traditional or non-traditional source of down payment). The program also applies to new construction and to CMHC improvements related to energy efficiency.

2. What is the Loan-to-Value Ration?
The Loan to Value Ratio of this program will vary by CMHC product and the number of units. Contact CMHC or a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage specialist to find out more.

3. What are the Benefits of the Program?
The Program can offer a 15% or 25% refund of the total premium paid provided to borrowers. This is how you are “Paid to go Green”

4. What are the Energy Efficiency Requirements?
The requirements that must be met in order to qualify for a premium refund include:
Purchase of energy efficient homes or units located in low-risresidential building:
• Most new homes built under a CMHC eligible energy-efficient building standard automatically qualify for a premium refund.
• For all other homes, eligibility will be assessed using the NRCan EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) either the 0-100 scale or the gigajoule scale.
Purchase of condominium units located in high-rise residential buildings:
• For homes built under the LEED Canada New Construction Standard (certified, silver, gold and platinum)-Level 1 only.
• The building is designed to be either 20% or 40% more energy efficient than compliance with the applicable building cod.
Energy Efficient retrofit (renovations) of an existing home (purchase)
• To qualify the home must be assessed by a qualified energy advisor before and after the energy-efficient renovations.
• The refund is based on the improvement in the energy rating assessed using the NRCan EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) either the 0-100 scale or the gigajoule scale.

5. How does the Refund Application Process Work?
Borrowers should look at filling out the application located on the CMHC’s website. The application must be submitted within 2 years of the closing date of the mortgage and the energy efficiency documentation must be no more than 5 years old. Finally, the partial premium refund will be provided by CMHC directly to eligible borrowers that have incurred the costs of their lender’s CMHC mortgage loan insurance premium.

For those who qualify for this refund, it presents a unique opportunity to gain back some of their hard-earned money.
Courtesy of Geoff Lee, AMP – DLC GLM Mortgage Group

*Sources: CMHC Green Home Program https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/hoficlincl/moloin/hopr/upload/cmhc-green-home.pdf

4 Oct

YES, YOU CAN

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

This story is from the Fall edition of Our House Magazine

Moving on up from condo to house, these young homeowners prove age is just a number

For Jordan Rothwell and Karissa Roed, the timing to find their forever home couldn’t be more perfect. The couple, who recently moved to Mission, B.C., are expecting their second child and are ready for the family to grow.

It’s quite the responsibility for Jordan and Karissa, aged 23 and 24, respectively. But it’s a challenge the young couple has been preparing for since they first resolved to get into the housing market a couple of years back. And the pair see their story as motivation for what other young people can achieve if they set their minds to it.

“If younger people would just set goals for themselves, especially when it comes to buying property, it’s such a blessing when you do it. You’re instantly further ahead as an adult when you do it,” Jordan says.

Their property story began when Jordan’s grandfather offered to match the couple’s savings for a down payment on a condominium. So Jordan and Karissa went about saving money wherever they could. That meant a lot of sacrifice—especially missing out on trips and events they might have attended.

“It basically became an addiction for a while, just saving up every penny to try and get to the point where we could go in and buy a condo,” Jordan notes.

It paid off. By 2014, they saved up $5,000 and, with matching funds, moved into a two-bedroom condo in Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Fast forward a couple of years, and Jordan and Karissa were looking to upsize. By then, they had some equity, in part because they bought their condo at the right time, taking advantage of the hot Metro Vancouver real estate market, and were ready to move into their forever home.

Once again they looked to family, partnering with Karissa’s mother and stepfather to purchase a 3,000-square-foot, six-bedroom house in Mission for $605,000. Jordan, Karissa and their young family will live upstairs, while her parents will take the ground floor.

The couple couldn’t be happier in their new home. “It’s definitely nice moving from a condo to a house,” Karissa says, adding they have nearly double the square footage as their old condo, along with a backyard for her children to play.

Dominion Lending Centres mortgage specialist Pauline Tonkin says she couldn’t be more impressed by the couple’s smart financial habits. Tonkin helped them secure a mortgage for their first condo and wasn’t surprised to see them make a jump to a house.

“I wasn’t concerned for them because they really do the right things. They really get it,” Tonkin says. “Age is not indicative of how people handle finances.”

She describes the couple, especially Karissa, as very diligent at considering all the costs involved in the purchase. The pair wanted all the details, something Tonkin says isn’t often the case with young buyers.

Besides securing the proper financing, Tonkin helped Jordan and Karissa through the process, giving them a “road map” to where they wanted to be. It was help the couple appreciated. “When you’re buying a condo or a house, it’s such a blur,” Karissa says, adding that their mortgage broker was someone they could trust and call at all hours if they needed to.

Jaclyn LaRose has enjoyed similar success as a homeowner. This spring, she sold her first condo to upsize to a bigger one in Surrey, B.C., close to her work as a schoolteacher.

LaRose was 26 when she and her sister decided to buy their first place with a little help from their parents. Her parents didn’t like seeing them throw away money on rent, she explains, so they helped out with a five per cent down payment for an apartment in nearby Coquitlam, B.C.

“I definitely considered at the time that I was young because I hadn’t been thinking about it for a few more years at least,” she says.

Not having even hit the age of 30, Larose is now on her second home. She said she has friends who believe it’s impossible to get into the market, especially in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. But she also points out those friends are looking in prime spots where the prices are highest. LaRose chose to look a little further afield to get into the market. She’s gone from a 500-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment to a two-bedroom with more than 800 square feet.

While Larose points out there is a sacrifice related to home ownership, she now feels lucky to be in her position. “It’s just about getting in when you can,” she said. There are places out there where you can get in.” And now that she has home ownership all sewed up, she’s able to focus on her career and personal goals.

“For the short term I feel settled,” LaRose says.

Back in Mission, Karissa and Jordan have settled into their new home. They are also way ahead of their peers and looking forward to the future. A lot of people his age look at owning a home as something they’re not supposed to do, or able to do at their age, Jordan says. But he doesn’t see it that way at all: “If you just stick to your guns and build a goal of what you want to accomplish… you’ll get there.”

Courtesy of Jeremy Dutsch – DLC – Lead Writer

3 Oct

CANADIANS TELL THEIR STORIES OF HOW MORTGAGE RULES PUT THE DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP OUT OF REACH

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

This letter will also appear as a full page ad in the Oct. 3 Globe and Mail.

Dear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minster Bill Morneau;

One year ago, your government introduced new mortgage rules that put the dream of home ownership out of reach for many Canadians. Although well intended, the changes have reduced the average Canadian family’s purchasing power by upwards of 20 per cent, and have had the unintended consequence of making housing less affordable for Canadians. Instead, Canadians who were once able to purchase or re-finance their home are being shut out of the market or forced to pay more interest to traditional lenders as competition in our sector declines.

The new stress test that requires all new mortgages to qualify at the greater of either the Bank of Canada benchmark rate or the contract rate offered, means that Canadians who previously could reasonably afford a mortgage payment at the standard rates no longer qualify. Additionally, changes to portfolio insurance requirements have resulted in some monoline lenders being unable to insure mortgages, thus reducing overall competition, which hurts consumers, regardless of what solution they use for their homes.

Canadians who are now unable to fulfill their dream of owning a home have been telling us their stories and we’ve been listening. We’ve documented their stories and we think it’s important for you to see them. We’ve posted these stories at www.NewRulesHurt.ca and are sending every Member of Parliament a printed copy so they can read firsthand how the new mortgage rules have impacted the lives of hard working individuals and families in their constituencies. Please take the time to read these stories and seriously consider changing mortgage rules to make them fair and equitable for all Canadians trying to purchase, or keep their home.

Courtesy of Gary Mauris, DLC President and CEO

2 Oct

DON’T ASSUME ANYTHING WHEN DEALING WITH MORTGAGE FINANCING

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

A lot of people get into hot water when they assume that because they’ve qualified for a mortgage in the past, they will qualify for a mortgage in the future.

This article has one point to make and it’s this:

Don’t assume anything when dealing with mortgage financing!

And if that’s all you take away, that’s enough!

Just because you’ve qualified for a mortgage in the past, doesn’t mean you will qualify for a mortgage in the future, even if your financial situation has remained the same or gotten better. The truth is, things have changed over the last year, and securing mortgage financing is more difficult now than it has been in recent memory.
The latest changes to mortgage qualification by the federal government has left Canadians qualifying for about 20-25% less. On top of that, a lot of the “common sense” guidelines that lenders would use in determining your suitability have been replaced with non-negotiable hard and fast rules.
As a mortgage professional who arranges financing for clients everyday, I keep up to date with the latest changes in the mortgage world, understand lender products, and have my fingers on the pulse of what is going on.
From experience, I can tell you that having a plan is crucial to a successful mortgage application. Making assumptions about your qualification, or just “winging it” is a recipe for disaster.

Courtesy of Michael Hallett, AMP – DLC Producers West FInancial

27 Sep

BANK OF CANADA RATE CHANGE – SHOULD I LOCK IN?

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

This month, the Bank of Canada increased their lending rate for the 2nd time in as many months. The changes in the Prime Lender Rates means that those with a variable mortgage rates will have seen that their mortgages rates adjusted alongside the changes to Prime Rate. For those of you with variable rates, the first thing that probably crossed your mind was “should I lock in?”

Even though your interest rate may have increased, it does not mean that you should immediately lock into a fixed rate mortgage. An associate from B.C, Dustan Woodhouse had this to share about the increase:

“If your discount from Prime (now 3.20%) is 0.50% or deeper – then the variable rate product remains a really great place to be.

If your discount from Prime is 0.25% or less, then depending on which lender you are with you may consider converting to a fixed rate, BUT…

Keep in mind the penalty to prepay (i.e. refinance or sale of property) a variable early is ~0.50% of the mortgage balance, whereas if in a (4yr/5yr or longer) fixed rate mortgage the penalty can be closer to 4.5% of the mortgage balance ***depending upon which specific lender you are with and how long of a term you lock in for.

It is usually to the lenders greater benefit that you lock into a fixed rate, rarely is it to your own benefit.”

I could not have summarized it any better myself, so I won’t try.

So what should you do?
The first thing that you should be doing is avoiding the immediate draw or feeling of “I need to lock in”. There are several different aspects of your mortgage and personal financial situation that should be considered prior to locking in. There are many questions to ask yourself prior to locking in and most of which the lenders are unlikely to ask you. Your lender is re-active, not pro-active – you need to be pro-active. And sometimes being pro-active results in no action being taken at all.

Simply because the Bank of Canada increased interest rates twice, this does not immediately mean that they will do it again. There are many economic factors outside of their control that will impact their decisions regarding future potential increases.

Presently, the key is not to react quickly. If you have questions about your specific situation and how the increase may impact you, feel free to give Dominion Lending Centres mortgage specialist a call to chat about things in more detail. Allow us the opportunity to ask the questions that need to be asked prior to making a quick switch.

Food for thought…
Back in 2010 rates increased 0.25% three times, and that sat stagnant for nearly five full years before two 0.25% decreases back downward.

In other words the last time Prime was pushed as high as it stands today, it sat there for five full years. And was then cut.

The next Bank of Canada meeting is October 25, 2017.

Courtesy of Nathan Lawrence, AMP – DLC Lakehead Financial

26 Sep

CREDIT SCORES: HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

The interest rate you pay on loans for every major purchase you make throughout your lifetime depends on various factors, and is dependent on your creditworthiness – everything from the mortgage on your home to your car loan or line of credit.

And, given today’s ever-changing mortgage requirements and rising interest rate environment, your credit score has become even more important.

Your first step towards credit awareness and well being is to know where you stand. Request a free copy of your credit report online from the two Canadian credit-reporting agencies – Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada – at least once a year.

This will also help verify that your personal information is up to date and ensure you haven’t been the victim of identity fraud.

Newly established credit

If you’re new to credit, you may wonder why your credit score pales in comparison to your friend’s.

Payment history is a key factor for both Equifax and TransUnion. As well, if you don’t talk to your friends about money, you may not realize that their financial situations are different from yours. Your friend with the better credit score may carry less debt than you, for instance.

Using credit properly helps keep your credit score healthy, as well as comes in handy when you don’t have the cash immediately on hand to pay for an expense. Planning for expenses helps alleviate reliance on credit – and the payment of interest.

If you use credit cards and lines of credit to your full advantage, you’ll never have to pay interest on these revolving credit products. In fact, you can use the borrowed money for free if the full amounts are paid on time.

Forgot to pay a credit card bill?

Your credit generally only takes a hit after you miss two consecutive payments.

You’ll likely see a drop of 60-100 points on your credit score instantly, and your credit card provider may end up increasing your interest rate.

Every point counts, however, so you obviously don’t want your credit score to take a hit, particularly if you plan on applying for a major loan – such as a mortgage or car loan.

Know your creditworthiness

Following are some key components that help determine your credit score.

  • Credit card debt. Aside from paying bills on time, the number one way to increase your credit score is to pay down your credit cards so they’re below 70% of your limits. Credit card usage has a more significant impact on credit scores than car loans, lines of credit and so on.
  • Credit history. More established credit is better quality If you’re no longer using your older credit cards, the issuers may stop updating your accounts. If this happens, the cards can lose their weight in the credit formula and, therefore, may not be as valuable. Use these cards periodically and pay them off.
  • Credit reporting errors. Always dispute any mistakes or situations that may harm your credit score. If, for instance, a cell phone bill is incorrect and the company will not amend it, you can dispute this by making the credit bureau(s) aware of the situation.

Do you have questions about your credit score or creditworthiness?

Courtesy of Tracey Valko, AMP – DLC Forest City Funding

25 Sep

BRIDGE FINANCING – HOW DOES IT WORK?

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

Rarely in life do things go as planned, especially in real estate.
In a perfect world, when buying a new home, most people want to take possession of their new house before having to move out of the old one. This makes moving a lot easier and allows you time for painting or renovations prior to moving into your new home.

Where it gets complicated; most people need the money from the sale of their existing house to come up with the down payment for the new house!!
This is where bridge financing comes in.

Bridge financing allows you to bridge the financial gap between the firm sale of your current home, and the firm commitment to purchase your new home.

Bridge financing allows you to access some of the equity in your existing property, which you can use towards the down payment on the new property you are buying.
Where many people get confused is that in order to secure bridge financing, you must have a firm sale on your existing house. That means all subjects have been removed!!
If you haven’t sold your home, you won’t get the bridge financing, because there is no concrete way for a lender to calculate how much equity you have available and if you can afford your new home.

For most people, unless you can qualify and pay for two mortgages, you should always sell your existing home before purchasing a new one. Why?
• With today’s property values constantly changing, you won’t know how much money you have until you sell your home. Your home is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it NOW! Past sales and future guesses don’t count!
• You need the proceeds from your existing home to help pay for your new home’s down payment, renovations, moving costs and (if required) how much mortgage you qualify for.

If you have sold your existing home but your closing date is after the closing date of the new property you just purchased, then bridge financing is your best option:
• Your new lender must allow for bridge financing (not all banks allow bridge financing as an option). Your mortgage broker can work with you to find a lender who offers bridge financing.
• Bridge financing costs more than your traditional mortgage (i.e. Prime + 2-4% plus an administration fee).
• Typically bridge loans are restricted to 90 days.
What happens if I don’t sell my home?
Banks will not provide you with a bridge loan if you don’t have a firm sale agreement for your home since the loan can’t be open-ended. If you don’t have a firm selling date you may need to consider a private lender for the bridge loan.

Private Financing

If you have purchased your home and it is closing and your existing home has not sold, then you may have to take out a private loan:
• This option is expensive and is based on you having enough equity in your current property to qualify.
• Typically, private financing comes with a high interest rate 7-15% plus an upfront lender fee + broker fee. These amounts will vary based on your specific situation, such as time required for loan, loan amount, loan to value, credit bureau, property location, etc.
• Private financing is expensive, but it could be cheaper than lowering the purchase price of your existing home by tens of thousands of dollars to sell your existing home quickly.

Your bank doesn’t do this type of financing. You must use a specialized mortgage broker who has access to individuals that lend money out privately.
Bridge financing & private financing are solutions when your buy and sell days don’t work.

Don’t waste your time trying to sort all this out on your own.

Courtesy of Kelly Hudson, DLC Canadian Mortgage Experts

22 Sep

MORTGAGE CHANGES ARE COMING—ARE YOU PREPARED?

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

We know – more changes?! How can that be! With this ever-changing landscape, mortgages continue to get more complicated. This next round of changes is predicted to take affect this coming October 2017 (date not yet available). These new rules contain three possible changes, the most prominent being the implementation of a stress test for all uninsured mortgages (those with a down payment of more than 20%). Under current banking rules, only insured mortgages, variable rates and fixed mortgages less than five years must be qualified at a higher rate. That rate, of course, is the Bank of Canada’s posted rate (currently 4.84%, higher than typical contract rates). Going forward, it will be replaced by a 200-basis-point buffer above the borrower’s contract rate. (source)

The other proposed changes include:
• Requiring that loan-to-value measurements remain dynamic and adjust for local conditions when used to qualify borrowers; and
• Prohibiting bundled mortgages that are meant to circumvent regulatory requirements. The practice of bundling a second mortgage with a regulated lender’s first mortgage is often used to get around the 80%+ loan-to-value limit on uninsured mortgages.
These two proposed changes are minor, and would only affect less than 1% of all mortgages in Canada. The main one, the stress testing, will have a far greater impact.

Why is this happening?

You may recall that the stress test requirements were announced by OSFI in October of 2016. This rule followed a long string of new rules that occurred in 2016. At the time, they primarily affected First Time Home Buyers and those who had less than 20% down to put towards a home. Now, those who are coming up to their renewal date or wishing to refinance may find that this will have an impact on them. They may not qualify to borrow as much as they once would have due to the stress testing implication. For example:

A dual-income family with a combined annual income of $85,000.00. The current value of their home is $610,000.00.

Take off the existing mortgage amount owing and you are left with $145,000.00 that is available in the equity of the home provided you qualify to borrow it.

Current Lending Requirements

Qualifying at a rate of 2.94% with a 25-year amortization and with a combined annual income of 85K you would be able to borrow $490,000.00. Reduce your existing mortgage amount of 343K and this means that you could qualify to access the full 145K available in the equity in your home.

Proposed Lending Requirements

Qualify at a rate of 4.94% with a 25-year amortization and with a combined annual income of 85K you would be able to borrow $400,000.00. Reduce your existing mortgage amount of 343K and this means that of the 145K available in the equity in your home you would only qualify to access 57K of it. This is a reduced borrowing amount of 88K.

They have a mortgage balance of $343,000.00. Lenders will refinance to a maximum of 80% LTV (loan to value). The maximum amount available here is $488,000.00

As you can see, the amount this couple would qualify for is significantly impacted by these new changes. Their borrowing power was reduced by $88,000-a large sum of money!

With the dates of these changes coming into effect not yet known, we are advising that clients who are considering a renewal this fall do so sooner rather than later. Qualifying under the current requirements can potentially increase the amount you qualify for—and who wouldn’t want that?

For more information on how these changes affect you specifically, or to refinance your mortgage, get in touch with your local Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Professional-they are well-versed in these changes and are ready to help you navigate through the complexities!

Courtesy of Geoff Lee, AMP – DLC GLM Mortgage Group

20 Sep

MORTGAGE BASICS- MORTGAGE TYPES AND PENALTIES

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

This is part two of our mortgage basics series. It is a good idea to revisit the basics when looking at a complex thing like a mortgage. There can be misunderstandings which crop up. The mortgage process can be very stressful as you wait for some anonymous entity top decide whether or not you are able to buy the home of your dreams. It is no wonder that things can get missed. Fear not! We will take a look at some of the basics so you can avoid things best avoided.

There are three types of mortgages in Canada, so we will take a look at each in detail so you can decide which the best is for you and your situation.

1. Fixed Rate – You can choose anywhere from a six month through a 10-year term. The term is generally a piece of the larger amortization of your mortgage. The longer period is called the amortization and in most cases is a max of 25 years. Choosing the fixed rate gives you the peace of mind that you know exactly what your mortgage payments will be for that time. Most of people choose the 5 year, which is interesting as the average mortgage in Canada is broken at 38 months. The penalty for breaking a fixed rate mortgage is either 3 months interest or the Interest Rate Differential, whichever is greater.
Each bank and mortgage provider is required to inform you at the time you accept the mortgage of how they calculate their penalties. In my experience, there is a significant difference between them. It is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with your chosen mortgage provider as to what their policy is. I have long maintained that banks are a business with the mandate of making money and that is a good thing overall. The good thing is that you are often able to port this mortgage with you to a new property without penalty.

2. Variable or Adjustable Rate – The variable rate is where your interest rate is based on the prime lending rate with either an ongoing premium or discount. As of today the prime lending rate is 2.95% and the ongoing rate discount is averaging at -.40% which makes your interest rate 2.55%. The prime lending rate can and does fluctuate. It is set by the Bank of Canada who meet 4 times a year. Your mortgage payments can increase or decrease according to the decisions made. A common misconception with the variable rate is that it is open or without penalty if it is broken and that is not the case. Most of the time the penalty is 3 months interest. Another consideration for the variable is that it is generally not portable to take with you to another property. Many people prefer the stability of the fixed rate, though if you were to do a look back, you would see that variable rates have historically proven to be the best way to save money in the long term. You are fully able to change your variable rate into a fixed rate without penalty.

3. Home equity lines of credit – An interesting misconception I have run into is that a home equity line of credit is not in fact a mortgage. If a loan has been secured against your property, you my friend have a mortgage. The advantages of the HELOC is that you do not pay any interest unless you carry a balance, you can make interest only payments and that you can pay it out in full at any time without penalty. The downside is that if you are not careful and manage your finances well, you will owe the exact same amount in 25 years that you did at the beginning. The interest rate on the HELOC will depend on your overall credit and generally set at a prime plus a percentage. The government made some change a ways back and the maximum HELOC you can have is 65% of the appraised value of your home. You cannot port a HELOC from one property to another and this type of a mortgage allows you to change it to a fixed or variable or a combination of all 3 with some lenders.

And there you have mortgage types available to you here in the great white north.

Courtesy of Pam Pikkert, AMP – DLC Regional Mortgage Group

19 Sep

MORTGAGE BASICS – TYPES OF INSURANCE

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

In part one of this two-part series, we will look at the types of insurances you will hear about during the mortgage process. Sometimes it is a good idea to revisit the basics when looking at a complex thing like a mortgage. There can be misunderstandings which crop up. The mortgage process can be very stressful as you wait for some anonymous entity to decide whether or not you are able to buy the home of your dreams. It is no wonder that things can get missed. Fear not! We will take a look at some of the basics so you can avoid things best avoided.

1. Mortgage Default Insurance – There are three mortgage default insurance providers in Canada. CMHC, Genworth and Canada Guaranty. If you are purchasing a home with less than 20% down you will have to be approved by both the lender and the default insurance provider for the loan. They are looking at your credit, employment stability and the property itself to make their decision. If you default on the mortgage, the bank or mortgage provider is made whole on any shortfall. The cost is a set amount based on how much you are putting down and will be added to your mortgage so you do not have to worry that you need to come up with extra funds for it. As of today based on a standard borrower the premiums are shown in the following table though it is an important note that the premiums are higher in certain cases.
LTV Ratio Premium Rate
Up to 65% 0.60%
65.01% – 75% 1.70%
75.01% – 80% 2.40%
80.01% – 85% 2.80%
85.01% – 90% 3.10%
90.01% – 95% 4.00%

2. Title Insurance – This is required on most mortgages these days. The cost is around $250 and will be collected from you at the lawyer’s office. Title insurance is often used instead of a Real Property Report as it is quicker and less expensive. If for example, the garage on your new home had been constructed offside of where it should be, it is the responsibility of the title insurance to make it right. This could happen by getting the city to allow it or in the worst case, to cover the cost to move the garage.

3. Home Insurance – You have a legal responsibility to make sure you have property insurance. This protects you against things like fire, flood or theft. You will be required to provide verification of the insurance when you meet with the lawyer. You will probably want to do a bit of research before choosing your company. Not all insurance policies are equal and a truly awful time to find that out is after a horrible event.

4. Life Insurance – You will be offered life and disability insurance with your mortgage. Most of us assume that we have sufficient coverage through work but the protection of your family and their home should be given serious consideration. You are not obligated to accept the insurance provided to you but please factor the cost of sufficient coverage into your budget when you are thinking of buying your home. A few things to consider:

– The younger you are when you get insurance the cheaper it is.
– If you leave your current employer or get laid off and have developed a health concern it can be problematic to find affordable if any coverage.
– If you choose the insurance from the mortgage lender or bank you may find yourself tied to them indefinitely if you experience a change in your health. This could mean higher rates at renewal.
– Disability is the number one reason for foreclosure in Cana which goes to show that it can and does happen too many of us.
And there you have the four types of insurance which will be discussed around your mortgage.

Courtesy of Pam Pikkert, AMP – DLC Regional Mortgage Group