Canada Mortgage Blog » Mortgage Calculator

Mortgage Refinancing in Canada

Mclaughlan — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:25:54 +0000

Everything is looking good, you’ve got your new home, thanks to that mortgage loan, life could not be better, till the rising interest rates start getting to you. However all is not lost, you don’t have to bear the brunt of it, there are options that could help you out. One such option is, refinancing your mortgage, which means you use your existing property for a new mortgage to pay off the existing one. To pay off your high interest bills, mortgage refinancing is one of the best options that you, if you don’t mind making a single payment each month, due to combing both the old and the new mortgage. The primary reason why most people desire refinancing is the low mortgage interest rates and lower monthly payments. In this scenario, you can lower your monthly payments only if you don’t go in for a higher mortgage principal amount. Building equity faster on your property is another reason why refinancing is preferred. This is feasible only for those who can afford to a higher monthly mortgage payment. Some part of this goes toward the interest and the remaining is applied to the principal. You could even change the type of the mortgage loan by refinancing.

There are many people who are enjoying the benefits of refinancing. They are paying lower monthly benefits thanks to the low mortgage rates. For an ARM mortgage borrower, it maybe better to opt for refinancing and change to a fixed rate loan, according to real estate experts in Canada. Lower monthly payments will definitely reduce your monthly expenses. You could benefit from the flexible terms and amortization periods. The fixed stable installments definitely bring you peace of mind. Under refinancing, you could borrow up to 100% of the loan (OAC) and you also know the exact terms of your mortgage loan. However, you need to see if this scheme would be suitable for you, after understanding the risks involved. Speak with a few mortgage loan officer and shop for the best rate and package. Get the best deal possible and with the way the real estate market is spiraling downwards, refinancing could be considered, say mortgage lenders in Canada.

Live a blessed life through reverse mortgage Canada

Jack Sternberg — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:48:05 +0000

Well, as everyone knows that reverse mortgages are a kind of loan, where the lender pays the monthly installments to the loan seeker, instead of letting the seeker pay the amount to him. Studies show that over two hundred thousand people have already used reverse mortgage Canada to elevate their life after retirement. It is a government sponsored and insured loan that requires no payments until the person is residing in his or her house. Moreover, this loan enables homeowners to access the money they have built up as equity in their houses. Hence, the name reverse mortgage is aptly adopted by various financial agencies as the payment stream is reversed. It enables senior citizens to convert their home equity into tax-free income. However, the reverse mortgage Canada is designed to strengthen seniors’ personal and financial independence by offering funds without a monthly payment during their lifetime in their homes.

The lender pays the amount of the home equity in a form of a lump sum, in a stream of payments, or as a supplement to social security or other retirement funds. However, not every senior citizen is eligible for reverse mortgage Canada. The applicant must be at least 62 years of age, owns, and occupies a home as their personal residence. The owner should have a single-family residence, town home, condominium, multiple unit building, or mobile homes with a permanent foundation. However, unlike a conventional home equity loan or second mortgage, no repayment is required for the reverse mortgage until the borrowers no longer use the home as their principal residence. The other basic difference between a reverse mortgage in Canada loan and a bank home equity loan is that with a traditional second mortgage or a home equity line of credit, the debtor should have sufficient income to qualify for the loan and he or she is required to make monthly mortgage payments.

Getting a mortgage for self-employed/commission workers in Canada

Bram — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:36:33 +0000

Getting a mortgage to buy a home for self-employed workers and those who work strictly on commission poses particular challenges.

In a survey of self-employment, Statistics Canada reports that nearly one worker out of six in Canada in 2000 was self-employed and most of these became, and remained, self-employed by choice.

Self-employed borrowers and commission sales people normally do not have the same income stability that regular salaried workers in Canada have. This segment of the Canadian labor force can apply for a regular mortgage to finance or refinance a home but the process is onerous and typically may result in higher interest rates.

Genworth Financial Canada has developed a specialized mortgage insurance program, available through financial lenders and mortgage brokers, to help self-employed and wholly commissioned workers receive a high, loan-to-value mortgage at regular interest rates, quickly and easily, to either purchase or refinance a home.

Who qualifies

Self-employed persons must prove they have been in self-employment for at least three years by supplying at least two forms of written, third party documentation such as a business credit report, business license, GST tax returns or articles of incorporation, or advertising material.

Self-employed applicants do not need to disclose the nature of their business but must show a strong credit rating with no mortgage, installment or revolving credit delinquencies and no reported defaults on residential mortgages in the past seven years.

Commission sales applicants are defined as someone who receives 100 per cent of their income from commissions.

Commissioned applicants must supply one form of written third party documentation through letters of employment, T4 or income tax returns (T1 General) showing at least two years of commission sales income as defined above.

What qualifies

The program will fund up to 90 per cent of the purchase price or 85 per cent of an existing property for refinance purposes, to a maximum loan amount of approximately $450,000.

Eligible properties include existing and new construction properties with a maximum of two units where at least one unit is occupied as the principal residence.

To qualify, all applicants must occupy the property. Spousal guarantees are also acceptable provided they occupy the property.