Interest Rates And Monthly Payments

So, you have been reading or hearing about rates being lowest in history.  You have been reading or hearing different rates in the news, from banks, from mortgage professionals, from newspapers, etc.  Every week there is a new rate being advertised. It is up , it is down.  It can be just as confusing as the gas prices. 

You may be asking yourself  'where are the best rates'?

Well of course mortgage professionals have the best rates. But, not only the best rates, they have the best products. Our products are the full suite products. Meaning that even if our rates are low, your mortgage comes with many options such as, being able to port your mortgage to another house, if you should want to sell and buy another one.  Each of our Lenders have great products and well as fantastic rates.

If rate is your deciding factor, make sure the rate comes with all the bells and whistles, because you can have both.  The Banks want you to believe that if you are a rate shopper, you do not get the bells and whistles. Not true. That is what most Banks offer, one or the other.  A low rate and nothing else or a high rate and all the bells and whistles.
The Lenders I work with offer one option and that is low rate and all the bells and whistles. 

Now what about rates and payments?

Today is August 1 2012. Today I can offer you 2.99% on a 5 year term. The rate that most Lenders are offering is 3.19% and the Banks are offering 5.24%. Big difference for sure.

I would like to show you the difference in your monthly mortgage payment, to give you an idea of how much you can save.
So imagine you want to buy a house for $300,000.00.
5% down would be                                      15,000.00
                                                                 ------------------
Mortgage is                                               285,000.00    
 I used 25 year amortization as per new Canadian guidelines.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          Unadvertised                    Advertised                            Posted Rate
                          Rate (Lender)                   Rate (Lender)                       Bank
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LOAN                2.99%                                3.19%                                 5.24%
$285,000.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monthly
Payment             $1347.28                           $1376.68                             $1696.72
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, you can see the difference on payments for the same mortgage with the same bells and whistles.
Why would you pay more?
You could save almost $4200.00 per year. That would be a nice vacation during our most darkest, wet and coldest month on Vancouver Island.  A little sun vacation would be good for the soul and family life.

So you think, Wow, I am hooked. But who are these Lenders?
Our Lenders are called Mono Lenders. Why, because all they do is Mortgages. They follow the same rules as our Canadian Banks.  They are regulated by Canada.  They are safe and here to stay.  Also our Lenders can be Credit Unions and Banks, depending on which is the best fit for  your situation.

One thing Canada does have is the best regulated Mono Lenders, Private Lenders, Credit Unions and Banks, probably the best in the world.

My friend got a mortgage with a mortgage professional and the mortgage is with a Bank and a good rate, why can't I get that same rate with the same Bank?  The Banks have a few programs going on. If you are a Bank client, they will offer you their best rate which is today around 5.24%.  But, if you go through a mortgage professional we get better rates. Why? Because the Banks still have to compete with the Mono Lenders.  It doesn't seem fair that you are a client of the Bank, pay lots of service charges just to bank with that Bank and then they give you a higher rate for a mortgage? 

If you have any questions, send me an email at akroemer@mortgagegroup.com
                                                              Phone or text me at  1.250.650.4182

For a great Mortgage

Angela Kroemer, AMP

Mortgage Professional

TMG The Mortgage Group Canada Inc.

TMG Sharie Marie Mortgage Team

Local: 1.250.650.4182

TFP: 1.888.679.0190

Fax: 1.888.679.0192

akroemer@mortgagegroup.com

www.KROEMERmortgages.com

Your Mobile Mortgage Professional in The Comox Valley TM

Why Have Mortgage Brokers If We Have Banks?

The questions below are the questions I get asked most frequently about being a mortgage broker. 

Why have mortgage brokers if we have banks?
Don't the banks do a great job on mortgages?
What is the difference between a bank and a mortgage broker?
I have always had my mortgage at a bank what can you do for me that is different?

Mortgage Brokers have been available to clients for over 30 years. It has changed and evolved in those years to become one the most economical, efficient, flexible way of getting a mortgage.

The History of The Mortgage Broker

When mortgage brokering started in Canada it was primarily for those who only had bad credit. The mortgage broker was able to secure a lender for the mortgage at higher interest rates because of the risks involved with dealing with clients that had bad credit. The Banks would not lend to these clients.
About 20 years ago if someone said that they went through their broker for a mortgage it would be the tell tale sign that they had bad credit. So it was normal to associate mortgage brokers with bad credit.

Fast forward to 2011.

Mortgage Brokers Are Now For Everyone.

Many changes have taken place in the broker channel (network).
The growth of Canada spurred the need for more housing which meant more mortgages. The Banks primarily were the ones lending money for mortgages but without too much competition they could name their rates, policies and the Canadian client was at their mercy.

A basic understanding of what a Lender is:

The term "Lender" means the Lender is a Business that lends money to clients through mortgage brokers. They use mortgage brokers as their sales force, paying the mortgage broker a finders' fee, thus reducing their overhead, allowing for lower interest rates.
The federal government regulates these Lenders the same way they regulate the Banks. Which in Canada is very strict and structured.

As the demand for mortgages grew the Lenders saw the need for improved programs and more choices for the clients that wanted a mortgage. That was the start of what is known as “today's mortgage broker” . With the competition of the Banks and Lenders , the Canadian consumer has a choice like no other choice in history for their mortgage needs.

While the Banks are still pretty rigid on whom they deal with, the Lenders on the other hand have programs in place that just about cover everything imaginable in the world of mortgages. With the Lenders, the better the credit rating and stability of the client the lower the interest rate is charged. Thinking outside the box is one of the great qualities of these Lenders.

Why would a client choose a Mortgage Broker instead of a Bank?

more programs to choose from so the mortgage is tailored to you
fast approvals
usually lower interest rates
flexibility
constant evolving programs to suit you and your needs
peace of mind
mobile service
efficient handling of the mortgage
the choice in not dealing with a loan officer in a bank
over 50 lenders to choose from
friendly and informative advice
we want you to get your mortgage and will work very hard to facilitate that


Thank you
Angela Kroemer, AMP
Mortgage Professional
1.888.679.0190
1.250.650.4182
akroemer@mortgagegroup.com
www.ComoxValleyMortgagesToday.com
TMG The Mortgage Group Canada Inc.

Income to Qualify for a Mortgage

What type of income qualifies for a mortgage is varied and depending on how long you have been receiving a type of income depends whether it qualifies or not.  Below is the different types of income and the documents needed to qualify for a mortgage. Most Lenders require at least 2 years of history of income.
If you have income and are not sure if it qualifies, contact me and we can go through an application and see what the Lenders think.

Salaried Employees
 Usually, 100% of the client’s salary is used as income with the following documents available to support this income:
Employment letter - must be current on company letter head (including full address, contact information phone, fax, e-mail) and be signed and dated confirming salary, employment, and position, and when applicable, overtime, bonuses, pending increases or car allowances should be documented in the letter.
Pay stub – must be current and indicate the rate of pay, pay period, net and gross income, taxes and benefit deductions
Also for salaried employment the following may be  used :
Overtime- Overtime may be used to qualify the borrower provided there is a proven track record and the opportunity for continued overtime exists for the future. At least a 2 year track record .
Car Allowance - A car allowance may be considered as income if it is a “perk” of the job and a car is not needed to perform the job.
Bonuses - same documents needed as overtime

Hourly Employees:
 2 recent pay stubs, job letter and 2 year's notice of assessments are the preferred documents to confirm your client’s income.
The job letter must contain weekly average hours worked, hourly rate,year-to-date-earnings, how long employed,position.
The employment letter must be on company letterhead and signed by an authorized person of the company.

Tips:
Can only be used if you claim them on your income tax returns.  2 years notice of assessment showing income from tips is used.

Seasonal Employees:
Will need a 2 year average with documents supporting that you return each year for employment.
Being a seasonal employee employment insurance payments are also used.

Part Time, Second Job or Work for a Relative :
This income can be used as long as it is backed up with pay stubs, notice of assessment and employment letter and you will be continuing with these  jobs in the future.

Maternity Leave:
100% can be used with a letter confirming that you will be returning to the same pay and position.

Child Tax Credit:
Can be used as long as the children are under 12 years of age.  If you have a child older than 12 and a second child younger than 12 then you can use half of the benefit that your receive. The child tax benefit notice and a bank statement showing it is going into your bank account is required.

-- Universal child tax credit is paid until a child turns 6. If you have a 5 year mortgage term then it may only be used if the child is 1 or less in age. The benefit notice and a bank statement showing it goes into your bank account is required.

Workers Compensation:
Can be used if you have documentation on how long you will be away from work and confirmation you are returning back to work with the same pay and position.

Long Term Disability:
These payments can be used as well.  Documentation needed is 2 years notice of assessment, a doctors note outlining your illness and that it is either progressing or not getting any better , the Lenders may want to see the bank statement to verify that payments are going into your bank account.

Short Term Disability:
Will need a letter from your employer that you will be returning to work at the same position and same pay when your short term disability payments are finished.  Documents to verify that you are receiving short term disability.

Pensions:
Any pensions can be used as income.  Again prove that you are receiving the pensions. So notice of assessment from the last 2 years, copy of bank account, the form that they send you at the beginning of the year stating what your pension will be in monthly payments for the year.

Self employed:
Ideally the lenders would like to see the last 2 years of notice of assessments. But, if you had been employed in a field and then left that employment to start your own business in the same field of work, they would look at your earnings and what you made while self employed. Then decide if you need more documentation for a longer time period.

Rental Income:
More and more Lenders are allowing the rental income.  You will need a signed lease.  The Lenders will look at each case and decide.

Thank you

Angela Kroemer AMP
Mortgage Professional
1.888.679.0190
akroemer@mortgagegroup.com
www.ComoxValleyMortgagesToday.com
TMG The Mortgage Group Canada Inc.