Today’s blog is brought to you by our colleague Ryan Oake. Reverse Mortgages are becoming more and more popular among retirees. It is a great way for retirees to stay in their home and supplement their retirement income. Ryan is going to go into more detail below.

Enjoy the BLOG….

REVERSE MORTGAGE – NEED TO KNOW
HomeEquity Bank is the only bank in Canada that currently offers the CHIP Reverse Mortgage as well as a secondary product, Income Advantage. These two products are options for homeowners unlike anything else out there. Instead of borrowing money to purchase a house, they will lend you money if you already have purchased one (as long as you qualify).

Recently I finished a half-day seminar where I was educated on the different HomeEquity Bank offers through the CHIP Reverse mortgage and their Income Advantage products. Below I would like to share with you some of the key benefits and summarize the different ways you can potentially use these products.

CHIP Reverse Mortgage

Loan-to-Value:

55% maximum (dependent on property and applicant age)

Mortgage Amount:

Min. $25,000 initial advance

Min. $10,000 for subsequent advance

Terms:

6 month fixed, 1-yr fixed, 3-yr fixed, 5-yr fixed

5-yr variable rate

Amortization:

None

Payments:

No regular monthly payments required

Debt Servicing:

None required (Just max. 55% LTV)

Credit Bureau:

None

Now obviously there are other items such as appraisals, property taxes that need to be paid regularly, document requirements, and prepayment privileges as well as fess. However, the information listed shows you the vast differences between a traditional mortgage and a CHIP reverse mortgages.

If an applicant is over the age of 55, lives in their own home as well as owns it (at least the majority), and their property meets all the age and locations requirements, they can apply to have access to this product. Refinance, home improvements, in home medical care, gifting money to child or grand-child, supplemental income, all of these things can be achieved with a CHIP Reverse Mortgage.

Income Advantage

Loan-to-Value:

40% maximum (dependent on property and applicant age)

Mortgage Amount:

Planned advances from $500/month or $1,500 a quarter

Min. $10,000 for subsequent advance

Terms:

Planned advance: 5-yr variable rate

Lump-sum: 5-yr fixed, 3-yr fixed, 1-yr fixed, variable rate

Amortization:

None

Payments:

No regular monthly payments required

Debt Servicing:

None required (Just max. 55% LTV)

Credit Bureau:

None

The Income Advantage program is a lot like the CHIP Reverse Mortgage program, however, the Income Advantage is geared more towards people who want a stream of income they can rely upon every month. You can still do lump-sum advances but the main difference is it allows you to set-up planned advances.

Using HomeEquity bank can be extremely advantageous for a lot of people in Metro Vancouver. It allows people to access the cash in their home without being burdened by any lack of financial income and it can allow people to help their children or grandchildren by advancing the money and gifting it to them for their own home purchase.

When it comes down to it all, there are really two main things these two products do. One, is it allows for an income stream based on the home you live in and age, regardless of employment or credit history. Two, it allows parents or guardians to provide money from the equity in their home now, to the beneficiaries who would one day in the future be recipients if included in an estate will- an advance on an inheritance.

There are many things to consider with HomeEquity’s CHIP Reverse Mortgage and Income Advantage Program, if you or someone you know may benefit from secondary or primary income, support for medical expenses, home renovations, travel, or wanting to help family members with their financial needs, please do not hesitate to contact a Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Broker.

Ryan Oake

Today’s blog come from David Cooke from Alberta. Using a mortgage broker is usually better in the short term because we can save you money immediately, this can come in the form of lower interest rates and/or fees. Where we really add value is in the future. We are always working in YOUR best interest.

Enjoy the BLOG,

4 REASONS WHY MORTGAGE BROKERS ARE BETTER THAN BANKS

I am often asked if it’s hard to compete with the banks. While they may offer competitive rates at times, right now we have much better rates than the banks. However, we have certain advantages which allow us to blow them out of the water most of the time.

More Choice – banks are limited to around 5 products that they can offer you. They will try to fit you into one of their products even if the financial institution next door has a better one for you. Brokers have access to banks, credit unions, trust and mortgage companies as well as private lenders.
Better Representation – Brokers are your champions bankers are employees. They put their employer first . They won’t offer you the best rates unless you are a good negotiator. Brokers are licenced by provincial organizations and have to follow a code of ethics which requires that we put the consumer first. We also negotiate the best rate, terms and conditions for you. If you need to break the mortgage before the end of the term, we can assist you with that and perhaps help you to avoid paying a penalty.
More Benefits – If you are moving into a home that is more than one year old, you probably do not have a home warranty. Brokers have 3 lenders who offer home warranties, which can cover repairs to the plumbing, heating and electrical systems with a small deductible. Two of the lenders even offer this as a complimentary service for the first year while the third lender offers it for the length of the mortgage. As Dominion Lending Centre brokers, we also have discounted rates for moving services and boxes from a large national moving company .
Better Protection – I saved the best for last. We offer portable mortgage life and disability insurance.
It may not sound like much but we have the same coverage as the banks offer with one important difference – portability. While we take care to place you with a good lender, circumstances change and lenders may not offer favourable terms on renewal. If you try to leave a bank after developing a condition like high blood pressure or having a heart attack, you will have to re-apply for insurance coverage and may be denied. There are hundreds if not thousands of unhappy bank clients who are stuck paying high interest rates because they are forced to stay with a lender. Broker insurance gives you the independence to move from lender to lender depending on who is willing to offer you the best rates and terms. This may not sound like much to you now but it’s a real game changer for anyone who knows someone who have had this happen to them.

Is it difficult to compete with the banks? No – we have them beat hands down.

David Cooke

Today’s blog is brought to you by our wonderful Colleague in BC Angela Calla. Mortgage rule changes has been tough as our government braces for future economic recessions. We cannot stress enough the importance of at least getting an opinion from a qualify mortgage professional. Many times we have better rates, terms, policies and strategies that can save your and your family $1000s in unnessary interest and fees.

Enjoy today’s BLOG.

WHY CAN’T YOU PORT YOUR MORTGAGE?

Policies are always changing, and when you port a mortgage, a FULL application must be approved and completely underwritten with full, credit, income, property and policy review.
It’s a mistake to believe that just because you already had a mortgage, you will easily get a new one. Policies and rates are changing rapidly and you need a strategy to stay informed. SO BEFORE you consider a move, understand the worst case scenario of what you qualify for without porting your mortgage so you avoid disappointment of falling into the 70% of people that don’t end up porting. Mortgages can be made simple, when you are empowered with relevant information relating to the current market and your life stage. Depending on those factors, you might be happy to get rid of your old mortgage and get in with the new! We have a mortgage for that, and can help. On average less than 3% of mortgages are portable.
Let me list a few of the reasons why
1. Dates– most lenders have a different policy on the dates that will allow to port the mortgage; it can be weeks or months. Your closing date will determine that.
2. Amortization– porting a mortgage means you port the same amortization, so if you are moving up the property ladder, that may mean your payments are significantly increased making it less affordable or meaning you can’t qualify with your income.
3. Amounts– some have a 10% variance limit up or down, where the penalty will trigger or it’s no longer a fit within the policy.
4. Change in credit– depending on the credit score and outside debts you have will determine if you still fit the credit profile your previous mortgage had.
5. Income– if there has been a change in your income type or amount this will also impact the options.
6. Property type– some lenders only lend on single-family homes, or a particular zoning, or don’t do private sales- even if they did when you originally got your mortgage with them.
7. Rate– maybe the change in rates either way of the product type you took doesn’t allow for a port due to one or a few of the combined factors. For example, going from insured to uninsured comes with different policies.
8. Product– maybe the product you had no longer exists for your particular profile.
9. Inspections – maybe the lender approved it initially but after your inspection just as you wanted a reduction in price, they decide they are no longer going to lend on it or decide it doesn’t fit the profile or they wont do it under that program ( instead you need a purchase plus improvements or a hold back they may or may not participate in and maybe want a different fix that you or a strata council agree on.)
10. Bridge – if you want to buy before you sell, all the above factors come into play. Maybe the original lender doesn’t allow the length of time you need, there cost to bridge is much higher, or maybe they don’t approve that portion of the loan, which puts you back at square one.

Purchasing a home is complex, with many moving parts and needs to be understood as such. When you have an experienced Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker by your side while lots of things can come up, we can guide you through what is best for your family, which is why we encourage you to be educated, and empowered so you are ready for your next part of your ownership journey.

Angela Calla
ANGELA CALLA
Dominion Lending Centres – Accredited Mortgage Professional

Getting a mortgage these days is a very document intensive endeavour. As new mortgage regulations are mandated, it is our job as mortgage professionals to ensure that all of our clients documentation is in order. This includes verifying income, down payment, ID and Credit to new federal standards.

Our colleague Kiki Berg goes into more detail in today’s BLOG,

Enjoy!

DOCUMENTS YOU NEED FOR YOUR MORTGAGE PRE-APPROVAL
Being fully pre-approved means that the lender has agreed to have you as a client (you have a pre-approval certificate) and the mortgage broker has reviewed and approved ALL your income and down payment documents (as listed below) prior to you going house hunting. Many bankers will say you’re approved; you go out shopping and then they say ‘sorry you not approved’ due to some factor. Get a pre-approval in writing!
Excited! Of course. You are venturing into your first or possibly your next biggest loan application and investment of your life.

What documents are required to APPROVE your mortgage?
Being prepared with the RIGHT DOCUMENTS when you want to qualify for your mortgage is HUGE; just like applying for a job or going for a job interview. Come prepared or don’t get hired (or in this case, declined).
I assist all my clients along the way to ensure any questions are asked and YOU are prepared UPFRONT and fully PRE-APPROVED before you go house hunting.
No stress, no running around, no surprises.

Why is this important?
You can have a leg up against the competition when buying your dream home as you can have a very short timeline (ie: 1 day to confirm vs 5-7 days) for “financing subjects”.
Think? You’re the seller and you know the buyer doesn’t have to run around finding financing and the deal may fall apart. This is the #1 reason deals DO fall apart. You will likely get the home over someone who isn’t fully approved and has to have financing subjects. The home is yours and nobody’s time is wasted.
If you just walked into the bank, filled an application and gave little or no documents, and got a rate – you have a RATEHOLD. This is NOT a pre-approval. This guarantees nothing and you will be super stressed out when you put an offer in, have 5-7 days to remove financing subjects and you need to get any or all of the below documents. That’s not fun is it? Use a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker ALWAYS. We don’t cost you anything!
When you get a full pre-approval, you as a person(s) are approved; ie: the broker did their work of reviewing (takes a few days) to call your employer, review your documents, etc. All we have to do is get the property approved, which takes a day or two. Much less stress, fastest approval…faster into your home!

Here is exactly the documents you need MUST have (there is NO negotiation on these) to get your mortgage approved with ease. Keyword here is EASE. Banks/Lenders have to adhere to rules, audit files and if you don’t have any of these or haven’t been requested to supply them…a big FLAG that your mortgage approval might be in jeopardy and you will be running around like a crazy person two days before your financing subject removal.
Read carefully and note the details of each requirement to prevent you from pulling your hair out later.
Here is the list for the “average” T4 full-time working person with 5-15% as their down payment (there is more for self-employed, and part-time noted below):

Are you a Full-time Employee?
Last 2 paystubs: must show all tax deductions, name of company and have your name on it.
Any other income? Child Support, Long Term Disability, EI, Foster Care, part-time income? Bring anything that supports it. NOTE: if you are divorced/separated and paying support, bring your finalized separation/divorce agreement. With some lenders, we can request a statutory declaration from lawyer.
Notice of Assessment from Canada Revenue for the previous tax filed year. Can’t find it? you can request it from Rev Can to send it to you by mail (give 4-6 weeks for it though) or get it online from your CRA online Account.
T4’s for your previous 2 years.
90 day history of bank statement showing the money you are using to put down on your purchase.
Why 90 days? Unless you can prove you got the money either a sale of a house, car or other immediate forms of money (receipt required)…saved money takes time and the rules from the banks/government is 90 days. They just want to make sure you aren’t a drug dealer, borrowed the money and put it in your account or other fraud issues. OWN SOURCES = 90 days. BORROWED is fine, but must be disclosed. GIFT is when mom/dad give you money. Once you have an approval for “own sources” you can’t decide to change your mind and do gifted or borrowed. That’s a whole new approval.
Down Payments
Own Sources: For example “own sources” include if you are a first time buyer and your money is in RRSP’s then, have your last quarterly statement for the RRSP money. If your money is in three different savings account, you need to print off three months history with the beginning balance and end balance as of current. The account statements MUST have your NAME ON IT or it could be anyone’s account. I see this all the time. If it doesn’t print out with your name, print the summary page of your accounts. This usually has your name on it, list of your accounts and balances. Just think, the bank needs to see YOU have X$ in your (not your mom’s or grandparents) account.

GIFT: If mom/dad/grandparents are giving you money…then the bank needs to know this as the mortgage is submitted differently (this is called a GIFT).

If you are PART-TIME employee? All of the above, except you will need to bring three years of Notice of Assessments. You need to be working for two years in the same job to use part-time income. You can have your Full-time job and have another part-time gig… you can use that income too (as long as it’s been two years).

If you are Self Employed?

two years of your T1 Generals with Statement of Business Activities
Statement of Business Activities.
3 years of CRA Notice of Assessments
If incorporated: your incorporation license, articles of incorporation
90 day history of bank statement showing the money you are using to put down on your purchase.

KIKI BERG
Dominion Lending Centres – Accredited Mortgage Professional
Kiki is part of DLC Hilltop Financial based in Langley, BC.