Tag Archives: Online Mortgage Broker

Alternative Down Payment Funding Sources

The theme for 2012 mortgage rules was pretty obvious: crack down on homebuyers who were looking to purchase a home with little money down. Changes barring cash-back mortgages by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. made it clear that regulators wanted to dissuade cash-poor consumers from taking on more debt. Yet, even despite these changes, first time homebuyers can still manage to enter the real estate market with as little as 5 percent down.

Is this the best way to take your first step onto the real estate ladder? Not necessarily. However, if you’re well-qualified, (aside from the down payment), and have enough potential resources to withstand a loss of income along with the ever present threat of falling real estate prices, you might be better off borrowing to buy instead of throwing your money away on rent.  Continue reading →

Avoid Homebuyer’s Regret With These Tips

While buying a home is the biggest investment the average Canadian will ever make, many first-time home buyers still don’t take the time to perform sufficient financial due diligence before signing their offer to purchase. A recent survey commissioned by TD Canada Trust has found that the two biggest regrets include not saving for a larger down payment and not doing enough research into the actual costs of maintaining a home.  Continue reading →

Understanding Amortization

A shorter amortization period can help you pay off your mortgage faster and save you money. Obvious? Perhaps. So why are more and more people choosing to stretch their amortization as long as possible? The recent changes to Canadian mortgage regulations that limit amortization periods to 25-years have caused a bit of tension across the country as families scramble to manage increased payments.

However, at the end of the day, this restriction will go a long way to improving the pocketbooks of families from coast-to-coast. It wasn’t long ago that home hunters strove for shorter amortization periods in order to pay off their mortgage as soon as possible. As mortgage rules relaxed, so too did our dedication to frugality. Continue reading →

The Ripple Effect: How the European Financial Crisis Will Impact Canadians

News of increased financial strain in Spain today has caused the Bank of Canada to brace for a ripple effect on the other side of the ocean. Any spillover from the increasingly vulnerable European market is expected to carry over to North American, rocking the fragile U.S. banking sector before it lands on the doorstep of Canadian homeowners.

Households with high debt will be the first to feel the impact. Already debt-burdened households could begin defaulting on their mortgages as historically low rates begin to rise and  banks begin to tighten their lending restrictions in response to growing uncertainty. From there, it’s a domino effect of job loss, a housing freeze and decreased market action. Continue reading →