14. January 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Mortgages · Tags: ,
The House Team Of Mortgage Intellingence


These are heavy days for Canadian homeowners. If you’ve been in your home even a few years, you’ve probably already enjoyed a modest climb in the value of your home. Even if you don’t intend to sell, it’s good to know that your real estate investment is doing well. But we’re also enjoying an environment in which mortgage rates have reached historic lows.

That combination — strong valuations and low mortgage rates — has an unprecedented number of Canadians looking for ways to capitalize on the great opportunities available to them.

Whether it’s to buy their first home, trade up, or take equity back out of their homes, Canadians are jumping at the opportunity to borrow at today’s rock-bottom rates.

While many homebuyers are reconsidering the value of fixed-rate mortgages to lock in those low rates, you should keep in mind that adjustable-rate mortgages – the darling of the dropping rate trend – can still offer real value to homeowners. It’s a matter of finding the right combination of mortgage features and options.

As banks have been joined by other lending institutions, we have seen our menu of ontario mortgage options grow accordingly – with some innovative new mortgage types now available to help Canadians take advantage of today’s unusual opportunities.

One of the most innovative mortgages we’ve seen in a very long time is a new adjustable-rate mortgage with some very compelling features. First, it’s based on an institutional rate benchmark known as Bankers Acceptance. Most of us are familiar with the rate benchmark known as Canadian Prime – and we are accustomed to assessing mortgage rates based on Prime. The BA, on the other hand, is the rate at which banks will lend money to one another – and it’s typically a lower rate (sometimes much lower) than the prime rate offered to a bank’s best customers. The new BA-based mortgage – compared to the best prime-based mortgage available – could have saved a mortgage client a bundle over the last several years, primarily because the prime rate tends to be “stickier” in an environment where rates are falling. Often, the more fluid, market-based BA rates deliver the rate change more quickly. The BA rate is no trade secret, by the way; pick up a copy of your favourite financial paper and look for the published money rates to find the Bankers Acceptance Rate.

But the attractive rate structure is not the only perk. The same BA-based mortgage – so welldesigned to help clients wring the last quarter point from their mortgage rate – now also comes with a rate cap which guarantees that your rate will never climb higher than 2.15% above the starting base rate – no matter what happens to rates during your mortgage term. There’s no worry about locking in too high because the rate is always adjustable down.

Only the ceiling is fixed. It’s a homebuyers’ dream:

A mortgage with limited upside and unlimited downside. If you’re thinking about buying a home this year, or you haven’t had your mortgage reviewed in the last several months, take the opportunity to get an expert assessment of your many options from a mortgage professional. It could be the best investment you’ll make this year!



Hannah H


I wnat to know why you need a license and what areas you can start in without a license, some good ideas to get my foot in the door. Really I want to start a buisness of Flipping homes, I know all the labor end of the deal I just need help with the paper work end. How do people get home loans for this with not that great credit?

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05. January 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Mortgages · Tags: ,
John Hacking


There are some traps for first-time home buyers need to be aware of in order to avoid them.

A Blogger named Grant, looking for his first home, asked for some pointers so he understands how the process works. “I know about the first home owner grant, that I should organise my finances upfront and about the extra costs,” writes Grant. “What I am unsure about is at what point of the process do I reach the point of no return? That is, where I will lose my deposit if I do not proceed with a purchase? This has made me scared of even making on offer.”

Well Grant, the good news is there is no way an offer is binding unless you make it at auction and it is the winning bid. Generally if you see a home you want you can make an offer with no obligation. You are not at the point of no return until you sign a contract to buy at a specified price.

Some first-time buyers think they have bought when they haven’t. In a competitive market it’s easy to be gazumped by someone prepared to pay more. Even if the vendor has verbally accepted your offer, and you have signed a contract, there is no deal until the vendor also signs and contracts are exchanged.

I sold my previous home in a hot market – my solicitor received three signed contracts from potential buyers. Only when I decided which contract to sign was the deal done. Note that all three potential buyers were locked in the moment they delivered a signed contract to my lawyer, but two did not proceed only because I did not sell my home to them.

So when you find the house of your dreams it’s wise to move fast, but do not neglect to make sure it is a sound building and does not have excessive pest problems.

You can get both building and pest inspections undertaken by the same company. Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Royal Institute of Architects, does both in all states.

The cost varies from about $615 for a one-bedroom unit to $1190 for a six-bedroom home and comes with a $10,000 12-month structural guarantee. You can find a range of other businesses that provide these services on the net and in the phone book.

If your dream home is going to auction you need these reports before that date because if a property is knocked down to you, or sold to you on the day of the auction, there is no cooling-off period.

This means if you do not proceed with the purchase you will lose your 10% deposit. Alternatively, if you buy by “private treaty” most states allow a cooling-off period of five business days.

Changing your mind in this time will mean you only lose a fraction of your deposit. For example, in Queensland it’s 0.25% of the purchase price, equating to $625 on a $250,000 house, much less than the $25,000 deposit. Be aware that vendors often try to have the cooling-off period eliminated from the contract.

You pay the balance of the purchase price on settlement, which is usually several weeks after exchange. Again either the buyer or the seller can seek to have this varied in the contract, so make sure the settlement date suits you and that your finances will be available.



Mary Manteca


We have 2 loans and with the interest rates going down, it may be in our best interest to try and refi and have lower payments though most people would tell us to just walk away and buy a cheaper home….

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