Don't let fear guide you into costly mortgage mistakes

Fear of rising interest rates is causing more Canadians to opt for fixed-rate mortgages over variable-rate alternatives that could save them thousands of dollars in payments, according to a leading expert.

Justin Thouin, CEO and co-founder of LowestRates.ca, is calling for consumers to base their mortgage decisions on 30 years of downward trending rates, rather than locking in on a guess about what the Bank of Canada will do during the life of a mortgage.

“Canadians have become more concerned about not being able to pay their mortgage. They want to lock their mortgage rate in so they know the amount they have to pay in interest,” he told CTVNews.ca. “It’s a fear-based response.”

The Bank of Canada cautiously held its key interest rate at 1.25 per…

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What to do about your debt and mortgages after the interest rate hike

Many consumers will soon find their debt loads heavier now that Canada’s central bank and the country’s biggest commercial lenders have raised their benchmark rates by one-quarter percentage point.

Personal finance expert Laleh Samarbakhsh shares her advice on the best ways to take advantage of the increased rates.

The country’s biggest banks raised their prime rates after the Bank of Canada hiked its overnight lending rate earlier this month by a quarter of a percentage point to 1.25 per cent.

It’s a challenge for Canadians still struggling to cope with the record amounts of consumer debt they amassed after the 2008 financial crisis because lenders use their prime rate as a benchmark for setting some other short-term rates including…

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5 Reasons to Offer Owner Financing

Owner Financing good or bad?

It would seem a bit counter intuitive for someone to allow a buyer to pay over time for their property. After all, wouldn’t it be better to get all the money in one go thereby requiring the buyer to get financing from a bank? Well, sometimes it’s more lucrative for the seller if they can make it work to offer financing. As always TAKE ADVICE when it comes to anything to do with finance and assets. This is a huge undertaking for anyone to make and without the proper fiscal and legal mechanisms in place could be a risk that you would not want to take. There are obviously good reasons to offer owner financing as detailed below.

1. Better Selling Price

In a buyer’s market, it can take a while for a property to sell,…

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To rent or buy? That is the question

Most Canadians dream about buying and owning their first home

A significant rite of passage, buying a home is not only a big financial deal, it's a big life deal.

Most people assume it's better to buy a home than to rent, and to be honest, I have a bias toward home ownership, too. That being said, I have counseled people on the merits of renting. But there are circumstances where renting maybe better for you.

RENT OR OWN

Every new homebuyer should first understand the differences between "renting and saving" and "buying and owning."

For most people, renting is better on cash flow, not just because mortgage payments are often higher (although with the current interest rates that may not be the case) than rent but because of all the other…

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Home Appraisal Tips for Refinancing

When you refinance your mortgage, a very important stage in this process is getting a great home appraisal.

This can make the difference between getting a good deal or losing even more money. While your home’s location is something that can add up value (or not) to the final price, there are many things you can do to drive the price up.

Here are few home appraisal tips

Do your homework

Don’t let the appraiser do all the ‘digging‘ (especially if he’s not from the area). Even if you get to work with a very well prepared professional, knowing the price for similar houses in your area and what’s cool and new in the neighborhood, can set you up for a better appraisal. It all matters: housing prices, a new restaurant, a great high-school etc. Make…

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Failed the mortgage stress test? Alternative lenders await — at a price - BEWARE

On Monday the 17th of October, stricter new federal rules about who can qualify for an insured mortgage took effect across the country.

Now, all new mortgage applicants have to pass a ‘stress test,’ which tries to predict whether they can keep up with mortgage payments, at their current salary levels, if interest rates were to rise.

Low interest rates have fueled red-hot real estate markets in south-central Ontario and, especially, Vancouver. As real estate values have skyrocketed in both places, uneasiness has grown about affordability and whether real estate has become a bubble economy. Because of mortgage insurance guarantees, Ottawa has a stake in home buyers not buying more than they can afford (leaving aside risks to the wider economy).

“I…

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Are the new changes in Canadian mortgages affecting the wrong people?

Housing policy is being created for the whole country based on markets in Toronto and Vancouver

They are Canada’s two hottest housing markets, and even some in the real industry don’t question the need to cool prices in both Toronto and Vancouver, but that opinion changes once you get beyond the orbit of those two cities.

There is almost a sense of bewilderment in places like Halifax and Edmonton or Montreal, where people wonder what overheated housing market anyone is talking about, because it’s not happening in their jurisdiction. DBRS Inc. said this week that from July 2015, to July 2016 prices across the country are almost flat once British Columbia and Ontario are excluded.

“It’s raining in Vancouver, but first-time home buyers need an…

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Mortgage rules: What do the changes mean?

There are new changes that are going into effect this month surrounding Mortgage Guidelines in Canada.

A major shift in mortgage rules announced by the federal government this week will drive up rates for consumers and cut competition in the lending sector, say some in the industry.

The Liberal government has announced sweeping changes aimed at ensuring Canadians aren’t taking on bigger mortgages than they can afford in an era of historically low interest rates.

Mortgage expert Robert McLister says Ottawa is cracking the housing market with a “sledgehammer.”

He predicts consumers will bear the brunt of the blow and that housing prices will tumble because a “sizable minority” of first-time and high-ratio buyers will no longer qualify for the…

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Feds’ Strict New Mortgage Rules - Target First-Time Buyers and Millennials

Finance minister announces new “stress test” on applicants for all insured mortgages, which will “take lots of people out of the housing market,” according to local mortgage expert

Canadians applying for a mortgage that requires CMHC insurance will have to qualify under higher interest rates under a new “stress test” announced October 3 by federal finance minister Bill Morneau.

The tougher mortgage rules were announced as part of a wider series of "preventative measures" aimed at “ensuring the long-term stability of the market” and reducing risk, according to Morneau.

Under the proposed new mortgage qualification rules, the current “stress test” that currently applies to some insured, variable-rate mortgages and insured mortgages with terms of…

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Starting from scratch an immigrants guide to getting started in Canada

Millions of immigrants come to Canada and quickly discover that getting established financially isn’t easy

Overview

Last year, Canada welcomed more than half a million newcomers to our country as immigrants, international students and temporary foreign workers. The number one source for new permanent residents is now the Philippines, followed by India, China, the U.K. and the States. Canada may be the best country in the world to live in, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to get established. People come to Canada dreaming of obtaining greater financial security and opportunities for themselves and their families, but they often spend years struggling to build up credit, find a decent job and grow their wealth.

In the pages that follow, we…

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