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Honoured to be rated among Top 3 Best Mortgage Brokers in Burlington!

mortgage_brokers-burlington-2018-drk

I truly love what I do, so being recognized as a top performer is just icing on the cake for me!

I’m honoured to be named among the Top 3 Mortgage Brokers in Burlington by Three Best Rated®, which identifies a city’s top three local businesses, professionals, restaurants and health care providers.

Continue reading “Honoured to be rated among Top 3 Best Mortgage Brokers in Burlington!”

Credit counselling, Consumer proposal or Bankruptcy… Which option is most favourable?

Debt Image, March 2018

A couple in their 30s contacts me for a mortgage. They want to buy a new home. She’s a high school teacher and he’s a computer firm manager. Incomes are good. I check their credit.

Let’s stop here for a minute… If they have good credit, an approval is simple and we can provide the clients with several mortgage options.

But let’s assume that this couple ran into some debt and credit issues three years ago… and they made three different choices about how to resolve those credit problems: 1) Credit Counselling; 2) Consumer Proposal; or 3) Bankruptcy. I want to take you through each scenario and show you how long each of these three options affects your ability to finance a home. I bet the results will surprise you! Continue reading “Credit counselling, Consumer proposal or Bankruptcy… Which option is most favourable?”

Mortgage Brief… Homebuyer of the future.

the futureThis is the homebuyer of the future…

This past June, Mortgage Professionals Canada published their survey results on the Next Generation of Homebuyers.

Take note: Adults under the age of 40 who don’t currently own a home but expect to own in the future, if you are planning on buying, or help a child get into homeownership, these results can be an interesting comparison to your own situation. Here are some of the key findings:

  • 52% are under 30 years old, 48% aged 30 to 39
  • 55% single, 39% married/living with a partner
  • 81% have no children
  • 72% agree that mortgages are good debt, and 76% agree real estate is a good long-term investment. 58% are optimistic about the economy in the next 12 months.
  • The decision to buy is often influenced by key life events – start a family (33%), getting a promotion/raise (30%), getting married (29%), inheritance (8%).
  • Primary downpayment sources are personal savings (73%), gift/loan from a family member (36%), TFSA (33%) and RRSP (29%).
  • Average downpayment savings is $37,000 among imminent buyers.
  • Neighbourhood (61%), safety (58%), and potential for increase in value (50%) are the most important home features. Features that are considered to be worth a premium are nice neighbourhood (33%), short commute (31%) and safety (29%).

Continue reading “Mortgage Brief… Homebuyer of the future.”

It’s September, sharpen your pencils!

Sharpen pencil

It’s September…and as green turns to gold we return refreshed to the rhythm of our daily routines. It’s our seasonal cue. Autumn is the perfect time to “get back to business” with a fresh look at your finances. Maybe you spent a little extra on that summer vacation, or the little home reno job that grew. That’s okay. Get out your calculator and get back on track.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RECORD LOW RATES!

Mortgage rates have hovered around historic lows for longer than anyone thought they would or could. That’s created a golden moment of opportunity for Canadian homeowners. In fact, the right mortgage can build your wealth… and save you thousands of dollars.

Thinking about a cottage or investment property? Wondering if it’s the right time to expand your space… or find a new one? Looking at ways to reduce your debt? Talk to an experienced Mortgage Broker.  A good broker will provide a free, no-obligation review of your situation – wherever you are in your current mortgage journey.

Your best interest is my only interest.   I reply to all questions and I welcome your comments.  Like this article?  Share with a friend.

Steve Garganis 416 224 0114 steve@mortgagenow.ca

Bond Yields are up… will Fixed Mortgage rates follow?

graph trend upFixed mortgage rates are tied closely to the Govt of Cda bond yields.   And bond yields are up…  Since mid April, the 5 yr Gov of Cda bond yield has gone from 0.75% to 1.07%.   That’s a 0.32% jump.   Normally, we would see fixed mortgage rates go up.

So far, no increase.  But that’s probably more to do with a competitive Spring housing market.   This is when most house sales and mortgage transactions take place.   The Banks need to maintain certain market share levels in order to keep shareholders happy.    They are willing to sacrifice a little profit margin (and I do mean little… they seem to make up for this with higher service fees as was recently reported, but let’s not get into that now…).

If the bond yields continue to increase, we will see fixed mortgage rates rise.  That’s an automatic.   The real question is how long will the bond yields continue their climb?   It will be interesting to watch the next few months.   We can expect to see some rate increases as the Spring market ends and Banks look to increase their profit…. A pattern that repeats itself year after year..   but here’s what you can do to protect yourself… Continue reading “Bond Yields are up… will Fixed Mortgage rates follow?”