More Property Tax Deferment Programs

Property Tax Deferment – 55 & older, surviving spouse, Person with a Disability

In the last couple of years taxes, gas, groceries and everything else has taken a huge jump and there is less money at the end of the month.

If you find that you are unable to come up with the money to pay your property taxes then one avenue you can follow is to defer them until you can make payments or until you sell your house. As always interest is added to the amount you owe. Below is more information:

http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/individuals/property_taxes/property_tax_deferment/about.htm

Property Tax Deferment – 55 & older, surviving spouse, Person with a Disability

The British Columbia Property Tax Deferment Program is a loan program that allows you to defer your annual property taxes on your home if you meet certain criteria.

To qualify, you must meet certain criteria as outlined below:


You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who has lived in British Columbia for at least one year immediately prior to applying for tax deferment benefits and be:
55 years or older during that calendar year (only one spouse must be 55 or older),
a surviving spouse, or
a person with a disability as defined by regulation:
To be considered for eligibility as a person with disabilities you are required to provide either:


a copy of either a recent letter confirming your Persons with Disability designation or your Release of Information Form from the Ministry of Social Development confirming you have the designation OR
a Physician Certification Form, completed and signed by your physician. The form explains the disability eligibility criteria for the Property Tax Deferment Program. The definition of "spouse" includes:


a marriage partner
a person who has lived with the owner as common-law husband or wife, including same-sex partners, for a continuous period of not less than two yearsYou must have, and maintain, a minimum equity of 25% of the current BC Assessment value (other appraised values are NOT accepted), after deducting the UPPER limit of all outstanding mortgages, lines of credit and other charges on your home.

There is a one-time administration fee of $60 for a new approved agreement and a $10 annual renewal fee for approved renewals. You do not need to send payment with your application - these fees are added to the deferment account.

Thank you

Angela Kroemer, AMP

Mortgage Professional

1.888.679.0190
akroemer@mortgagegroup.com
www.ComoxValleyMortgagesToday.com

TMG The Mortgage Group Canada Inc.

Canadians Realistic About Household Debt

In the past decade consumer confidence in Canada was much higher than what would be expected based on certain household fundamentals including Real Disposable Income Growth, Debt-to-Income Ratios and Consumer Capability Indices. It appears that pre-2008, consumers were confident they could increase and manage their household debt when indicators pointed against this.

Then, since the global financial crisis of 2008, Canadian consumers have become more realistic about their debt. Yes, they continue to borrow; however, the pace of that borrowing has slowed down. This change in mindset is happening during a time when their capacity to manage their debt has increased.

A recent report by economist Benjamin Tal of CIBC, analyzed this new trend on seven household fundamentals. He found that as of the second quarter of 2011, the Consumer Capability Index was back to the level seen before 2008, with the gap between confidence and capability narrowing notably, relative to the wide gap seen during most of the decade. This improvement in the capability index was not due to a strong growth in income but reflects the fact that while the level of the debt-to-income ratio is still rising, the speed at which it is, in fact, slowing.

"The key here", Tal wrote, "is the notable softening in the pace of growth in personal non-mortgage credit which is currently expanding at the slowest pace since the early 1990s. In fact, the ratio of consumer credit to disposable income has been stable over the past year."

According to the report, other factors contributing to the recent improvements include:

1. A higher savings rate which, while easing lately, is still double the rate seen before 2008
2. Personal bankruptcies are down
3. Relatively low and stable debt service costs
4. A stabilizing long-term unemployment rate at a relatively low level

"While consumers will continue to take advantage of historically low borrowing costs," Tal said. "The practical implication of their more realistic approach is that spending in the near future will be slower but more balanced growth as it will be based on fundamentals as opposed to wishful thinking."

as per TMG website

What About Insurance?

What about Insurance--- I have my mortgage now should I also get insurance to cover me if I should get sick or have an accident.

Well the stats are
Almost half of all the mortgage foreclosures in Canada occur because of an accident, illness or death. Consider these statistics in Canada:

A life threatening cancer is diagnosed every four minutes

Someone dies of heart disease or stroke every seven minutes

Every day 144 people suffer a stroke - 21 of them will die and 110 will be left with some form of permanent damage


For an item as expensive as a house, insurance can make a lot of sense. Somethings are just out of your control.

As a mortgage professional, I offer you advice, competitive rates, and  tailor your mortgages to fit your unique situations.


And because my goal is to build long term relationships with my you, it makes sense for me to advise you on how to protect your home in  case of accident, illness or death.  As I do for your mortgage I will give you all the information about the insurance we are offering , including a 1-800 number for questions related to health so you can make an informed decision.

The TMG Mortgage Insurance product is 100% portable!

Where other insurance products may not be portable and that becomes a problem when you want to refinance or do a switch. The insurance may be cancelled which means you must reapply. What if your health has deteriorated? Can you still get coverage? Will the premium be higher?

Contact me to discuss your insurance needs.

Angela Kroemer Mortgage Professional
1.888.679.0190
akroemer@mortgagegroup.com