REVERSE MORTGAGE – THE PROS AND CONS

You may be seeing and hearing a lot more regarding the Reverse Mortgage in today’s marketplace. I have taken the time to get familiar with the program here in Canada and have been quite surprised by how it’s changed and how different it is to its counterpart in the U.S. and how relevant it has become given our aging population in Canada.

Who are they best suited for? People age 55+ that own a house, townhouse, or condo and want to either increase their cash flow, or access equity without making a monthly payment. The older the client, the higher the approved limit.

Here is a list of PROS and CONS of the Reverse Mortgage.

Pros

• Funds can be advanced as needed such as a line of credit with interest only accruing on the money advanced.
• No income debt servicing like other ‘standard’ mortgages. Retirees with fixed incomes can qualify for much more money as our approvals are based on age and property.
• No payments required. Borrower can retain more of their income and never worry about default or foreclosure.
• Changes in interest rates don’t affect the client’s monthly cash flow since there no payment required.
• Clients can pay up to 10% towards the loan if they choose each year, but there is no obligation.
• Prepayment penalties are waived upon death and reduced by 50% if the borrower(s) are moving into a care home.
• Borrowers will never owe more than the fair market value of the home at the time it is sold
• There are no changes to the mortgage amount and no payments required if one spouse passes or moves into a care home.
• With conservative house appreciation of just 2.5% to 3% per year over time will typically make up for the accruing interest on the reverse mortgage leaving clients with plenty of equity in the end.

Cons

• Client are choosing to have more income/cash flow TODAY, in return for having less savings in the home TOMORROW.
• All clients are required to obtain independent legal advice, which is a good thing. But there is a small extra cost. Total one-time set up and legal fees run approximately $2,500.
• Rates are approximately 1.5% to 2% higher than a best rate secured line of credit.
• If the housing market never goes up, and the client lives in the home long enough, there is a chance the client could exhaust all the equity in the home to fund their retirement.

If you, a family member, or a contact of yours could benefit from a reverse mortgage or want to learn more, please contact me George Macris Mortgage Broker with Dominion Lending Centres at 514 651-2395 or email me at gmacris@dominionlending.ca

CMHC CHANGES TO ASSIST SELF-EMPLOYED BORROWERS

As a self-employed person myself, I was happy to hear that CMHC is willing to make some changes that will make it easier for us to qualify for a mortgage.
In an announcement on July 19, 2018, the CMHC has said “Self-employed Canadians represent a significant part of the Canadian workforce. These policy changes respond to that reality by making it easier for self-employed borrowers to obtain CMHC mortgage loan insurance and benefit from competitive interest rates.” — Romy Bowers, Chief Commercial Officer, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. These policy changes are to take effect Oct. 1, 2018.

Traditionally self-employed borrowers will write as many expenses as they can to minimize the income tax they pay each year. While this is a good tax-saving technique it means that often a realistic annual income can not be established high enough to meet mortgage qualification guidelines.
Plain speak, we don’t look good on paper.

Normally CMHC wants to see two years established business history to be able to determine an average income. But the agency said it will now make allowances for people who acquire existing businesses, can demonstrate sufficient cash reserves, who will be expecting predictable earnings and have previous training and education.
Take for example a borrower that has been an interior designer with a firm for the past eight years and in the same industry for the past 30 years, but just struck out on his own last year. His main work contract is with the firm he used to work for, but now he has the ability to pick up additional contracts from the industry in which he has vast connections.
Where previously he would have had to entertain a mortgage with an interest rate at least 1% higher than the best on the market and have to pay a fee, now he would be able to meet insurance requirements and get preferred rates.

The other change that CMHC has made is to allow for more flexible documentation of income and the ability to look at Statements of Business Professional Activity from a sole-proprietor’s income tax submission to support Add Backs of certain write-offs to support a grossing-up of income. Basically, recognizing that many write-offs are simply for tax-saving purposes and are not a reduction of actual income. This could mean a significant increase in income and buying power.

It is refreshing after years of government claw-backs and conservative policy changes to finally see the swing back in the other direction. Self-employed Canadians have taken on the burden of an often fluctuating income and responsible income tax management all for the ability to work for themselves. These measures will help them with the reward of being able to own their own home as well.

REFINANCES, RENEWALS & TRANSFERS

After you have purchased your new home, closed on your new mortgage, and are all moved in, what comes next?

Well, when it comes to your mortgage, the next step is to either refinance, renew, or transfer your mortgage. This decision can be made one month into your new mortgage or one month before your new mortgage is set to mature. Below is a break-down on what a refinance, renewal, and transfer mean.

Refinance
Refinances are when you decide to access the equity in your home. When your home rises in value, say $400,000 in 2016 to $500,000 in 2021, you can request your current lender, or a new lender, to pay you a portion of that increase in cash and they will in turn add that same portion to your mortgage for you to pay back- with interest.

There are many reasons to refinance; for home repairs, purchasing second properties, financial assistance with other outstanding loans or to have access to cash for larger purchases. It is only a refinance when you change the amount of your mortgage and borrow against the equity you have in your home.

Renewal
Renewals are quite straight forward. At the end of your mortgage term, your lender will offer you a renewal letter stating the remaining balance on your mortgage, what the remaining amortization is, and what interest rate options they can offer you.

The term can be 5-years for example, but most mortgages are on what’s called a 25-year amortization- the length of time it takes to pay off the entire mortgage. The 5-year term is just a length of time you are guaranteed a certain rate before you need to renew it. Renewals generally do not require any re-approval, documents, or applications as no new money is being added, the property is the same, and so is the lender. It is straight forward and allows you to continue paying your mortgage, just on a different interest rate.

Transfers
Transfers are a lot like renewals, the one difference is you are switching lenders. You are not adding more money, selling or buying a new home, everything is remaining the same except who you are paying interest to. One reason someone may want to transfer their mortgage from one lender to another is bad customer experience. Another could be to take advantage of a lower interest rate. Another reason could also be to take advantage of a lender’s product like a Home Equity Line of Credit or high pre-payment privileges.

Transfers are becoming more and more common as lenders are constantly looking to add clients and customers to their brand, being able to take advantage of interest payments as well as offer other products.

If your mortgage is up for renewal or you have been thinking about what kind of options may be available to you with your current mortgage, please reach out to me George Macris Mortgage Broker at 514 651-2395 or email me at gmacris@dominionlending.ca

by: Ryan Oake

5 REASONS WHY EVERY REALTOR NEEDS A MORTGAGE BROKER AT THEIR OPEN HOUSES

Realtor Safety – While we do not have the safety issues that realtors experience south of the border, there have been incidents involving female realtors being assaulted or feeling uncomfortable being alone with strangers walking around the house.

Property Safety – Did you know that when a realtor is holding an open house they are liable for any losses or damage to the property? It’s pretty easy to have one person distract the agent upstairs while their partner runs off with the flat screen TV or the silverware. Another person in the property discourages theft and can make the realtor feel safer.

Snagging new clients – sometimes people show up at open houses without any preparation. They may like a home but they have no idea whether they could afford it. Enter the mortgage broker- by being on the premises you can quickly pre-approve these prospective buyers giving the realtor an opportunity for a quick sale and to double end the deal.

Third Party Feedback – sometimes visitors are reluctant to say anything negative about a property to a realtor but are more open with their financial partner. The realtor can benefit from both the mortgage broker’s opinion and anything that they hear from visitors.

Programs that can help sell a home – some municipalities offer subsidized down payments for first time home buyers, others offer tax incentives . If a prospective buyer comments on the worn carpeting or the lack of a garage, it’s a good time for the mortgage broker to mention Purchase Plus Improvements programs available. The realtor may be aware of the programs but unaware of the program rules. The realtor will be really happy to have a mortgage broker find a solution to one sales objection and help them sell the house.

BREAKING A MORTGAGE – CAN YOU DO IT?

Do you have a mortgage? So do I! Looks like we have something in common. Did you know that 6 out of 10 consumers break their mortgage 38 months into a 5-year term? That means that 60% of consumers break a 5-year term mortgage well before it’s due…but do you also know what the implications are of this? Let’s take a look!

People need to break a mortgage for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common include:

· Sale and purchase of a new home *without a portable mortgage
· To take equity out/refinance
· Relationship changes (ex. Divorce)
· Health challenges or life circumstances are altered

And a whole other variety of reasons. So what happens if you have one of the above reasons, or one of your own occur and you have to break your mortgage? Here is an example of what would happen:

Jane and John Smith have lived in their home for 2 years now. When they bought the home, they recognized that it would need some major renovations down the road, but they loved the location and the layout of the home. They purchased it for $300,000 and have 3 years left but would like to access some of the equity in their home and refinance the mortgage to afford some of the bigger home renovations. This refinancing would be with 3 years left on their current mortgage. So, what are Jane and John looking at for cost? There are two methods that are used to calculate the penalty:

POSTED RATE METHOD (used by major banks and some credit unions)
With this method, the Bank of Canada 5 year posted rate is used to calculate the penalty for Jane and John. Under this method, let’s assume that they were given a 2% discount at their bank thus giving us these numbers:

Bank of Canada Posted Rate for 5-year term: 5.14%
Bank Discount given: 2% (estimated amount given*)
Contract Rate: 3.14%

Exiting at the 2-year mark leaves 3 years left. For a 3-year term, the lenders posted rate. 3 year posted rate=3.44% less your discount of 2% gives you 1.44% From there, the interest rate differential is calculated.

Contract Rate: 3.14%
LESS 3-year term rate MINUS discount given: 1.45%
IRD Difference = 1.7%
MULTIPLE that by 3 years (term remaining)
5.07% of your mortgage balance remaining. = 5.1%

For the Smith’s $300,000 mortgage, that gives them a penalty of $15,300. YIKES!

Now, Jane and John were smart though and used their Dominion Lending Centres broker to get their mortgage. Because of this, a different method is used.

PUBLISHED RATE METHOD (used by broker lenders and most credit unions)

This method uses the lender published rates, which are generally much more in tune with what you will see on lender websites (and are generally much more reasonable). Here is the breakdown using this method:

Rate when you initially signed: 3.24%
Published Rate: 3.54%
Time left on contract: 3 years

To calculate the IRD on the remaining term left in the mortgage, the broker would do as follows:

Rate when you initially signed: 3.24%
LESS Published Rate: 3.54%
=0.30% IRD
MULTIPLE that by 3 years (term remaining)
0.90% of your mortgage balance

That would mean that the Smith’s would have a penalty of $2,700 on their $300,000 mortgage

A much more favourable and workable outcome! Keep in mind that with the above example is one that works only if the borrower has:
· Good credit
· Documented income
· Normal residential type property
· Fixed rate mortgage

For Variable rates mortgages, generally the penalty will be 3 months interest (no IRD applies).

If you find yourself in one of the scenarios that we listed at the start of this blog, or if you just need to get out of your mortgage early, be smart like Jane and John—review your options with me George Macris Mortgage Broker today call me at 514 651-2395 or email me at gmacris@dominionlending.ca

PORTING A MORTGAGE?

Porting a mortgage is something similar to transferring a mortgage. Transfers are when you move your current mortgage to a different lender in order to take advantage of different interest rates or mortgage products.

Porting a mortgage is when you keep your lender, but move your mortgage to a different property. Now, not every lender allows you to port a mortgage, and not every property can qualify for a port.

One of the other things to keep in mind with porting a mortgage, you are generally only porting the balance remaining on your mortgage. If you need more money, you will need to re-qualify to blend your mortgage. If you do not want to blend and extend your mortgage term, you will need to come up with the additional funds on your own.

The ability to port a mortgage is really important, especially if you are in a fixed mortgage with a big bank, as it can be used to avoid paying a pre-payment penalty to break your mortgage early.

If you are curious to hear more about portability options and whether or not you could qualify, please reach out by email at gmacris@dominionlending.ca today!

MORTGAGE PROTECTION PLAN

Insurance coverage is something that everyone is “pitched” at some point or another in their life. Unfortunately, a lot of us have a negative attitude towards insurance or warranty as it is perceived as being a cash grab. Yes, if you are purchasing a flat screen T.V., that extra 2-year warranty for $100 might be a little excessive. However, when it comes to covering monthly mortgage payments or the outstanding balance of your mortgage upon death or injury, yes, it is important to have.

Every single person is offered life and disability insurance when applying for a new mortgage. As a mortgage broker, it is our obligation to offer you Manulife’s Mortgage Protection Plan. Even if it is something you do not want or do not have a need for- we still require a signature confirming it was offered. Reason being, is when John Smith breaks his foot two years down the road and can’t work to cover his mortgage payments, Manulife needs to confirm that the client passed on the opportunity to have their payments covered.

Now, is Manulife’s mortgage Protection Plan, or, MPP as it is known, the most comprehensive coverage out there? No.

Is MPP better than any coverage you are ever going to receive from a bank directly? Yes.

Manulife’s MPP is a 60-day money back guarantee, with coverage that follows you lender to lender. It will cover disability injuries preventing you from work, and is underwritten before your coverage begins, not when a claim is made.

Most banks do not allow you to take their mortgage insurance to another lender. So, if after 10-years of paying your premiums you decide to leave your bank and go to a credit union, your coverage is no longer in affect and all that money you spent on your monthly premiums is now worth nothing. Scariest part about bank coverage, is the health evaluation is done when a claim is made, not when you sign up. Can you imagine not making a claim for 20-years and then being declined on coverage because you have developed health issues not relevant when you signed up in your 20’s?

If Manulife Mortgage Protection Plan is not for you, there are insurance brokers out there we have access to who can offer alternative solutions. The biggest thing though is to make sure you have SOME coverage, because you won’t know you need it until you do. If you have any questions, contact a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional for help.

DON’T FORGET THE CLOSING COSTS WHEN YOU PURCHASE A HOME

The purchase price you negotiate when buying or selling a home is just one part of the total cost for buying a home. In addition to the purchase price there are several other fees – known as closing costs – all of which you need to factor in to your purchase price.

Closing costs tend to be hidden costs when buying a home. It’s not a set number, but a compilation of various administrative, legal fees and other one-time expenses associated with the purchase of a home that are due on the completion date.

These costs can add up, so you’ll need to factor these costs into your cash-on-hand budget.

Many first-time home buyers under estimate the amount of cash they will need for closing costs. Typically, you’ll want to budget between 1.5% and 4% of the purchase price of a resale home to cover closing costs.

Of course, these are estimates — the actual amount you will need could be higher or lower, depending on factors like where you live, the type of home you’re buying, or if it’s a new construction (+5% GST).

To help you plan the purchase of your property, here’s a snapshot of the extra fees you can expect to pay once you’ve settled on the price of your home.
o Legal Fees
o Title Insurance
o Fire Insurance
o Adjustments
o Property Transfer Tax (PTT)
o GST
o and more…

Here’s an overview of what you can expect.

Legal Fees: Legal/Notarial Fees and Disbursements. The lawyer/notary is the person who goes through all the paperwork and makes sure that everything is legitimate and binding. They confirm that all the items that were agreed to by the buyer, seller/builder, and lender are written and worded correctly. Your legal representative should also be able to walk you through each document that you sign so that you understand what you’re agreeing to. Legal fees range from $500 to $2,500. You will also need to reimburse them for their out-of-pocket costs that they incurred while handling the various searches and registrations, including title insurance (see below), property and execution searches, and the registration of the mortgage and deed. These disbursements are repaid to the lawyer on the closing date, as well as incidentals such as couriers, certified cheques, and photocopying, the land transfer tax, the down payment, and any interest adjustments.

Title Insurance: Title refers to the legal ownership of the property. The deed is the physical legal document that transfers the title from one person(s) to another. Both the title and deed of the home must be registered with a land registrar.

Most lenders require title insurance as a condition of granting you a mortgage. Your lawyer or notary helps you purchase this.

Title insurance protects you from title fraud, identity theft and forgery, municipal work orders, zoning violations and other property defects. It can also protect you against fees and costs that were not caught in the searches your lawyer conducted prior to the sale (Yes this can happen!).

Title insurance premiums range from $150-$500 depending on the value of the property.

Fire/Home Insurance: Mortgage lenders require that you have fire/home insurance in place by the time you complete the purchase of your home.

Property insurance protects you in case of fire, windstorms or other disasters. It covers your home’s replacement value. The amount required is at least the amount of the mortgage or the replacement cost of the home. This cost can vary on the property size and extras being insured, as well as the insurance company and the municipality. Home insurance can vary anywhere from $400 per year for condos to $2,000 for large homes.

Adjustments: An adjustment is a cost to you to pay the seller for the seller prepaying for something related to the house including property taxes, condo fees, heat etc. on your behalf.

Simply put, if you take possession in the middle of a month, the seller has already paid for the whole month and you must pay the seller back for what they’re not using. These adjustments are prorated based on the date you complete your purchase of the home. The most common adjustments are for property taxes, utility bills and condo fees that have been prepaid.

Property transfer tax (PTT) in British Columbia, is a tax charged to you by the province. First-time home buyers are exempt from this fee if they are purchasing a property under $500,000. All home buyers are exempt if they are purchasing a new property under $750,000.
• In British Columbia, the PTT is 1% on the first $200,000 of purchase, 2% over $200,000 & 3% on any value over $2,000,000.

GST is a federal value added tax 5% on the purchase price of a new home. If someone has lived in the home, the home isn’t subject to GST.
• There is a partial GST rebate on new properties under $450,000.

Interest Adjustment Costs: Most lenders expect the first mortgage payment one month after completing the purchase of a home. If you close mid-month, please note some lenders expect the first payment, or at least the interest accrued during that time, on the 1st day of the next month. When arranging your mortgage, ask how interest is collected to the interest adjustment date.

Other closing costs: Will your new home need furniture? Carpets? Lighting? Window coverings? Appliances? Do you have the equipment you need to maintain the lawn and gardens? Are you hiring movers or renting a truck? Will you need boxes, bubble wrap and tape for the move?

While these and other out-of-pocket costs aren’t part of the real estate transaction, you still need to budget for them. Plan your expenses as much as possible. If necessary, decide what you can put off buying until later, after you move in and get settled. If you have any questions, a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional can help you out.

MORTGAGE BROKERS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

Nearly half of all existing mortgage in Canada will be up for renewal in 2018. CIBC Capital Markets estimates 47% of all existing mortgages will need to be refinanced in 2018. All of this coming on the heels of rising interest rates and changes to key mortgage regulations.

With this renewal number hovering around 50%, almost double from previous years, big banks will be fighting hard to keep their clients and handle their mortgage- as they should. However, is staying with the bank you got your mortgage with 1, 2, 3, even 5-years ago in your best interest?

Think of the rising housing prices, the rule changes to back-end insured mortgages, the multiple stress tests as well as the implementing and removing of programs such as the B.C. Home Partnership Program. All of which has just happened in the past couple of years.

With all these changes, should you not be speaking with a licensed mortgage broker to determine what is in your best interest?

The options that are available through other lenders can be quite advantageous. From opening up Home Equity Line Credits with a big bank, to Manulife One Account access and the lowest interest rates available on Switch Mortgages where lenders will help compensate the administrative costs.

One of the more common scenarios we are seeing is people upgrading their homes with marriage, children, or promotions/relocation with work. Clients know it is happening in the near future but do not have an exact timeline. Wanting a 5-year fixed mortgage but worried about the possibility of upgrading after just 2-years, we usually suggest working with a Monoline Lender. Sticking with a Big Bank like CIBC or RBC and having this scenario happen could potential result in penalties of $10,000-$15,000 where that same penalty might only be $3,000 with a Monoline Lender.

It is always best to consult with a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker before signing your bank’s renewal letter. We offer free pre-qualifications, no client-relationship contracts, and credit assessments to see your eligibility on receive A-Rates, all without your credit score taking a hit.