Ask people this question and you will get a variety of answers. Most home owners will say 10% is what you should put down. However, if you speak with your grandparents, they are likely to suggest that 20% is what you need for a down payment. The truth is 5% is the minimum down payment […]

Are you in a Variable Rate Mortgage? Me too. If you’re in a fixed rate mortgage, this news does not impact you. Mind you ‘impact’ is too strong a word to use for the subtle shift that occurred Jan 17, 2018. Short Version The math is as follows: A payment increase of ~$13.10 per $100,000.00 […]

With 47 per cent of homeowners scheduled to renew their mortgages this year, 2018 is a year of change for lots of Canadians. Here are the top 8 things you can do to get the best renewal: 1. Pull out your mortgage renewal now, and start early. When you are proactive instead of reactive you […]

Mortgage brokers have become an integral part of Canada’s financial landscape. Rather than deal directly with banks, about 30 per cent of Canadians turn to independent brokers to help them secure the best terms for their loan. But as residential real estate markets continue to power ahead at a time of economic uncertainty, government regulators […]

You might think you would be rewarded for toiling away to save a down payment of 20% or greater. Well, forget it. Your only prize for all that self-sacrifice is paying a higher interest rate than people who didn’t bother. Once upon a time we had high ratio vs conventional mortgages, now it’s changed to; […]

SHORT VERSION: Do not rely on your provincial assessment for a fair market value of your property. The value printed on that document was arrived at during a time in the previous year, the market may have changed a bit since then, and not in the direction you might think. Do not rely entirely on the buyer’s opinion or […]

1. Not consolidating high interest debt into low interest mortgage. 2. Paying “fees” to get the lower rate 3. Not looking at their long term forecast 4. Taking a 5 year rate when 3-4 years can be cheaper 5. Having their mortgage with a lender that has high penalties and restrictive clauses. Not consolidating high […]

Documents, documents and more documents. Yes that’s right you will need to provide your Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker with as many documents that we request upfront as possible. Why? Because the more supporting documentation you have available will help us as brokers to find you your best mortgage options. If you don’t have everything […]

          As many of you may remember, this past October the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) issued a revision to Guideline B-20 . The changes will go into effect on January 1, 2018 but lenders are expecting to roll this rules out to their consumers between December 7th – 15th, and will […]

Often, when we talk to you about mortgages, Mortgage Professionals will provide you a set of choices involving banks, credit unions and single service mortgage providers called a “Monoline” and a recommendation. Many times, if it’s a good fit, we recommend a Monoline, as your first option. It’s important to recognize the differences between the […]