We are all familiar with the banks and local credit unions, but what are monoline lenders and why are they in the market?

Mono, meaning alone, single or one, these lenders simply provide a single yet refined service: to fulfill mortgage financing as requested. Banks and credit unions, on the other hand, offer an array of other products and services as well as mortgages.

The monoline lenders do not cross-sell you on chequing/savings account, RRSPs, RESPs, GICs or anything else. They don’t even have these products and services available.

Monolines are very reputable, and many have been around for decades. In fact, Canada’s second-largest mortgage lender through the broker channel is a monoline lender. Many of the monoline lenders source their funds from the big banks in Canada, as these banks are looking to diversify their portfolios and they ultimately seek to make money for their shareholders through alternative channels.

Monolines are sometimes referred to as security-backed investment lenders. All monolines secure their mortgages with back-end mortgage insurance provided by one of the three insurers in Canada.

Monoline lenders can only be accessed by mortgage brokers at the time of origination, refinance or renewal. Upon servicing the mortgage, you cannot by find them next to the gas station or at the local strip mall near your favorite coffee shop. Again, the mortgage can only be secured through a licensed mortgage broker, but once the loan completes you simply picking up your smartphone to call or send them an email with any servicing questions. There are no locations to walk into. This saves on overhead which in turn saves you money.

The major difference between a bank and monoline is the exit penalty structure for fixed mortgages. With a monoline lender the exit penalty is far lower. That is because the banks and monoline lenders calculate the Interest Rate Differential (IRD) penalty differently. The banks utilize a calculation called the posted-rate IRD and the monolines use an IRD calculation called unpublished rate.

In Canada, 60% (or 6 out of every 10) households break their existing 5-year fixed term at the 38 months. This leaves an average 22 months’ penalty against the outstanding balance. With the average mortgage in BC being $300,000, the penalty would amount to approximately $14,000 from a bank. The very same mortgage with a monoline lender would be $2,600. So, in this case the monoline exit penalty is $11,400 less.

Once clients hear about this difference, many are happy to get a mortgage from a company they have never heard of. But some clients want to stick with their existing bank or credit union to exercise their established relationship or to start fostering a new one. Some borrowers just elect to go with a different lender for diversification purposes. (This brings up a whole other topic of collateral charge mortgages, one that I will venture into with another blog post.)

There is a time and a place for banks, credit unions and monoline lenders. I am a prime example. I have recently switched from a large national monoline to a bank, simply for access to a different mortgage product for long-term planning purposes.

An independent mortgage broker can educate you about the many options offered by banks and credit unions vs monolines

For many people, a home will be the largest purchase of their life. It stands to reason then, that when you are shopping around for your mortgage you will want to take certain steps to ensure you are getting the sharpest rate and best product. We have a few pointers to make you a savvy shopper when you are out looking at different mortgages—get ready to take a few notes.

1. Do not always rely on the bank for the sharpest rates
Mortgage Brokers can often beat the bank rates by using different lenders. They can also often get you a SHARPER rate at your own bank simply because of the high volume that they do with them. Brokers have access to a number of different lenders giving you more options for not only the best rate, but also the best product for YOU.

2. Know your credit score
Your credit score is a large factor in your mortgage application. You need to know where you stand with your credit BEFORE you begin the process of shopping. All lenders will look at your credit history and score first then they build a file around that. A mortgage broker can obtain your credit score in mere minutes-all you have to do is ask.

3. Make it a one-stop shop
Avoid shopping from institution to institution. You may think that more options lead to better rates, but in fact lenders will frown upon you having your credit score pulled multiple times. This is where the benefits of using a broker come into play. They will pull your score ONE time only and use that to shop around with lenders for you. Really, it’s like having your own personal shopper!

4. Understand that the market will change.
Starting the shopping process knowing that the market you qualify in TODAY will adjust is key. Rates might be low right now, but new rules and implications can change things when you are up for renewal. Understand that you MUST be able to carry your mortgage payment on at a higher rate if new laws are put in place.

Keeping these 4 Savvy Shopper tips in mind when you are shopping for a mortgage can help set you up for success not only today, but for the future as well. Mortgages are not only about finding the best rate-but finding the best product too. A Dominion Lending Centres mortgage specialist can work with you and your unique situation to find you the best product for you—and as an added benefit do the shopping for you!

Mortgage brokers have a reputation as superheroes. Although we cannot leap tall buildings in a single bound we can do extraordinary things.
Is the down payment money coming from outside of Canada? I had a client who had a joint account with her father in Japan. She showed me bank statements with the money in the account and leaving Japan. I had another bank statement showing the funds coming into her Canadian account. Finally I showed the foreign exchange rate for that day from Yen to CAD. The bank accepted this as a suitable paper trail.
An unusual down payment source? I had a client who sold his vintage Cadillac for his his down payment. A copy of the registration, the bill of sale and a bank statement showing the funds going into his account was deemed fine by the bank.
Is your down payment coming from multiple sources? I recently had two brothers purchasing a home together. They both had their money in RRSP’s and TFSAs. It took some explaining but we were able to show all the down payment and closing costs coming from four different sources.
Several years ago I had a client defaulting on two mortgages. Foreclosure was just days away.
I was able to consolidate the two mortgages, pay them out and get a reasonable payment schedule for one year. After the year , I moved him to a regular lender and arranged for a line of credit so that he could pay for some home renovations with a low interest rate secured against his home.
I had a couple who wanted to buy a home. The husband had had a business failure and it had affected his credit. I could only use the wife’s credit and her income for this purchase. She was a foster mother with six children. Her income was good but not high enough. I was able to get the lender to gross up her income by 25%, as her income was tax free. This was enough for them to buy a large home for the couple and their foster children.
Small towns can also pose unique problems. I had a client who wanted to refinance his home. I checked his credit report and found a credit card that he did not have. He told me that there were five people with his name in this small town. He also revealed that he had an account at Home Hardware that was not reporting on the credit bureau. The manager was a friend and thought that the loan would hurt his credit so they made an informal arrangement to pay it off.
Did I mention that he had three jobs? He worked as a tire installer, and invoiced the company from his firm. I was able to get a lender to accept this client his varied income and got the mortgage . Come to think of it , perhaps mortgage brokers are superheroes. If you have a difficult situation the best person to speak to is a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional, if it can be done legally, a broker can do it.

This is the fourth part of a series by Pam Pikkert of things the average mortgage professional wished people knew so that they would not be held back by inadvertent missteps.

Life can go sideways and that is a fact. Illness, divorce, death, longest recession in 30 years or whatever the cause is, before you know it you can find yourself with an awful credit rating and are unsure of what to do. These are the things we mortgage professionals wished you knew.
1. Even though a company has written off a debt, you still have to clear it up. You will be unable to get a mortgage in place until all outstanding debts show as settled with a balance of $0. That can happen through negotiations and payment directly with the company, through an orderly payment of debts or through bankruptcy. We would advise extreme caution when it comes to anyone promising they can rebuild your credit immediately for a price.

2. You need to re-establish your credit as soon as you can. The magical number in the mortgage universe is 2. You need to get two types of credit for two years with each a minimum balance of $2,000. The clock starts counting on the date of bankruptcy discharge or OPD settlement.

3. If there was a foreclosure in your past, you are going to have a very hard time getting a mortgage. No mainstream or near prime lenders will consider this type of an applicant anymore which would leave your only option a private lender where you will pay higher interest rates. If you think you are heading towards this, then call a mortgage professional ASAP. There are investors out there willing to buy you out and wait to turn a profit when the market turns. Alternately, you could work out a deficiency sale with your mortgage lender and/or mortgage insurer which will allow you to purchase in the future.

4. After a bankruptcy or OPD, you cannot have ANY late payments. Not a single one. The lenders will accept that you were hit with a life event but you have to prove it will not happen again. Even one late payment on your cell phone is reason for a decline. The onus is on you to show them it will never happen again.

5. You can purchase a home with 5% down after you have properly established your credit again. Make sure you have the two credit types reporting as above first of all. The next step is to save. You are going to need the 5% to put down plus be able to show you have 1.5% for the closing costs and then you should also have an additional 3.5% in savings to show you have a fallback position in case you are struck by life again. The lenders and mortgage insurers really like to see that.

So it will not be easy but it is possible and the sooner you start the sooner you can buy a new home. Call your Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional today to get an action plan in place.

If I had a dollar for anytime I’ve heard the phrase “but I’m only co-signing right, they can’t come after me for the money or touch my house?” I’d be rich!

There are many common myths around co-signing. Here’s only a few and the truths associated with each one…

• I’m only co-signing for my family member to get the mortgage and that I won’t have to ever make payments. False: You are equally responsible for making the payment on the mortgage. If the borrowers default, you will be required to pay.
• I can’t be sued for non-payment since it’s not my mortgage. False: The lender has all legal collection methods available to them to collect payment from you, including obtaining judgment in court and possible garnishment of wages and bank accounts.
• The bank can’t take my house if the borrower loses theirs. False: As per the second myth above, judgment action can also involve seizure and sale of any of your assets including and not limited to your own home.
• I’m only a co-signor or a guarantor so I’m protected from not having to pay. False: Whether you are the borrower, co-signor, or guarantor, you are fully responsible for the debt.
• Co-signing on this debt won’t affect my ability to obtain credit in the future. False: Not only will you legally have to declare the co-signed debt when you apply for credit, but also most lenders in Canada are now reporting to the credit bureau and it will appear when you apply. Either way, the mortgage payment must be factored into your debt service ratio.
• Since this is only a five-year term, I am automatically released from this mortgage in five years. False: Regardless of term, you remain on the mortgage until it is paid in full or released only with approval from the lender.

Here’s a few tips and questions to ask before agreeing to co-sign on a mortgage…

• Know the borrowers’ situation. What is there credit like? Are they drowning in debt? Why exactly is a co-signor required?
• Is there an exit strategy to have your name released and how long will that take?
• Add your name to title of the property so that the borrower cannot add a second mortgage to it. This is an asset that you have an interest in and therefore should protect it.
• Get independent legal advice about your obligations as a consignor.
• Be prepared to make the mortgage payments of the borrower doesn’t.
• Don’t be afraid to say no to co-signing if it doesn’t feel right.

Knowledge of the borrowers situation, your obligations, and potential ways to protect yourself (and of course setting emotions aside) is the best advice for anyone co-signing. And if you have any questions, please contact your local Dominion Lending Centres mortgage specialist.

With low rate offerings over the past several years and a struggling economy, some homeowners chose to lock into a longer term mortgage even if the interest rate was a bit higher. If you are one of those people who feel stuck in a high rate 10 year fixed mortgage you may be wondering if you have options. The answer is YES.

Let’s consider the case of Dan and Anita who own a home and refinanced their mortgage 8 years ago into a 10 year term. They wanted to consolidate their high interest credit cards and their mortgage into one lower monthly payment and be secure with that monthly payment for as long as possible.

The news was painting a picture of doom and they wanted to take advantage of the “record low” rate of 5.25% for 10 years. Over the past few years they have watched the shorter term rates for 5 year term mortgages continue to drop to under 3% and they feel they may have made a poor decision. But since they feel they are stuck in a high rate 10 year fixed mortgage with the potential of a high penalty to get out of the mortgage they have chosen to stick it out. The monthly payments are $1,644 which they can afford but the potential of payments at under 3% for the remaining 5 years would be $1,304 (based on the remaining amortization) which is hard to pass on.

A friend told them to talk to her mortgage broker to see what real options they had. After talking to the broker they learned the penalty for terminating a 10 year mortgage after 5 years is only 3 months interest or $1,200 in their case (and legal fee of about $600). Dan and Anita were stunned they had missed this in the fine print of their mortgage agreement. And to top if off this policy is determined by law and not by the lender. This was great news for the happy couple. The broker also ran numbers to show them how they could further take advantage of the lower interest rate and increase their monthly payments to pay off their mortgage faster.

By increasing the payment by 20% – which was still lower than what they were paying before and paying bi-weekly instead of monthly, they lowered their interest costs by $20,000 over the next 5 years and reduced their amortization from 25 years to 12 years!

The morale of this story is, if you are stuck in a high rate 10 year fixed mortgage and you are close to the 5 year mark, you should talk with your Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker (I and see what options you have to save yourself some money on your mortgage. What would you do with a savings of over $20,000?