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CategoryMortgage Tips

Posted Money saving tips

Is there a better mortgage rate out there?

where to invest You’re 2 years into your mortgage term.  You got a great rate… or so you thought…? But now you aren’t sure.   So much talk about record low interest rates…  You begin to question..  Maybe there’s a better deal out there?   Did you choose the right product and Lender?  Has your mortgage advisor or broker contacted you during those two years?  Does this sound familiar?

We’ve all heard of buyer’s remorse….    That’s when you make a purchase, only to regret spending the money days or weeks later.    I’m seeing a lot of people second guessing their mortgage decision recently.   And I have news for you… RELAX! There is a way to check to and see if you made the right choice, and better still, there is a way to see if you can do better today. Continue reading “Is there a better mortgage rate out there?”

Posted 2 Comments on Another US Govt shutdown… could mean lower mortgage rates for Canada. Interest rates

Another US Govt shutdown… could mean lower mortgage rates for Canada.

debt ceilingRemember the U.S. Debt ceiling crisis in the summer of 2011?   Panic was an understatement.   That story dominated headlines for close to 2 months.   Stock markets dropped, but mortgage rates dropped, too.  In fact, fixed wholesale mortgage rates dropped 0.50% in the months leading up to the Debt Ceiling deadline, from June to August….  And continued to drop another 0.70% into 2012.

Mortgage rates hit all-time lows in the fall of 2011 and just kept right on dropping.  We hit our the all-time low in May 2013 before rates jumped almost 1.00% to our present 3.69%.  (This is for 5 year fixed mortgages.  Variable rates did not budge… Bank Prime rate has changed since Sept 2010…that’s important to remember as I will explain later) Continue reading “Another US Govt shutdown… could mean lower mortgage rates for Canada.”

Posted 1 Comment on Credit counselling, Consumer proposal or Bankruptcy? I only like one of these options. Case study

Credit counselling, Consumer proposal or Bankruptcy? I only like one of these options.

debt aminationA couple, in their 30’s, contacts me for a mortgage.  They want to buy a new home.  She is a teacher, he is a Manager at a computer firm.  Incomes are good.  I check their credit.  Let’s stop here for a minute..   If they had good credit, an approval is simple and we would provide the clients with several mortgage options.

But let’s assume that this couple ran into some debt and credit issues 3 years ago… and they made 3 different choices about how to resolve those credit problems.  Credit counselling, Consumer Proposal and Bankruptcy.  And I’ll bet the results will surprise you…I want to take you through each scenario and show you how long each of these 3 options affect your ability to finance a home.. Continue reading “Credit counselling, Consumer proposal or Bankruptcy? I only like one of these options.”

Posted Interest rates

Choose short term money for long term gains.

short termOnly recently has 5 year fixed rate become a product worth considering when it comes to paying the least amount of interest on your mortgage.   Studies prove that short term mortgage funds are the cheapest way to finance a house.. this includes Variable rate mortgages.

Historically, Variable rate and short term fixed rates have had lower rates than long term rates.   And yet, the BIG SIX BANKS, the Federal govt, and several popular finance experts have preached 5 yr fixed.  ‘You must take 5 year fixed so you know what your rate is.’   That’s a load of nonsense.   It’s true, that over the past 2 years, 5 yr fixed did make more sense given that the spread between Variable and Fixed was less than my target of 1.00%.  (I like to see a 1.00% spread between Variable and 5 yr fixed before recommending Variable).    Continue reading “Choose short term money for long term gains.”

Posted Case study

Looking back 5 years.. which mortgage product did your Banker recommend in 2008?

greedy bankerRemember 2008?  It was almost 5 years ago that the U.S. sub-prime mortgage scandal erupted.   October 2008, to be exact.  That’s almost 5 years ago…  And with October and November 2013 renewals being less than 120 days away, we can now lock in some rates for those upcoming renewals.  So I thought this would be a great time to see what sort of advice and recommendations the Banks were giving to their mortgage customers.

THE BANK’S ADVICE

The funny thing is, Banks have never changed their advice or strategy.  ‘Take a 5 year fixed rate’.  That’s all the Banks seem to want to promote.  And with good reason… it’s the most profitable product FOR THE BANKS.   But historically, it’s NOT the best product to take.   There is no historical data that I am aware of that shows taking a 5 year fixed is the best strategy.  But I’ll get into that in more detail later. Continue reading “Looking back 5 years.. which mortgage product did your Banker recommend in 2008?”