You’ve been offered an amazing rate and you just can’t believe how much you will save. You’re super excited and getting ready to go sign off on the papers when you randomly run into a mortgage broker and mention the deal you scored. The broker says to you that’s an awesome rate, any idea what the penalty calculation is if you need to refinance in the future?. Wait what…isn’t it the same as the last mortgage I had?

Maybe but maybe not. There are a lot of new mortgage products available on the market that offer lower rates while giving up other benefits. These mortgage options may have higher penalties, lower prepayment privileges or even worse they could have a bone fide sale clause.

I don’t blame a consumer for always thinking rate first. The industry as a whole is guilty of shoving rates in our face anytime they possibly can. It’s the easiest part of a mortgage to compare and easiest to advertise. But definitely not the most important part.

Being aware of all the terms and conditions is the key to finding your best mortgage option. You should be aware that there are mortgages that may come with one or more of the following terms:

* Sales only clause, meaning you may not be able to refinance your mortgage until your term is up

* A higher set pay out penalty. Meaning you may have to pay more than the standard 3 months interest or Interest Rate Differential penalty.

* Smaller prepayment options

* and more!

Always ask these 5 Questions when offered a mortgage:

1. How is the pay out penalty calculated if I break the mortgage?

2. Can I refinance with another lender before my term is up?

3. Is the mortgage registered as a Standard or Collateral charge on my land title?

4. What are my prepayment privileges?

5. Is the mortgage portable and assumable?

Bottom line is that knowing all the fine print is essential in making an educated mortgage decision. We never know what is going to happen in life and saving a little bit on your mortgage rate may cost you more in the long run.

Contact your local Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional today to discuss your mortgage options!

Get pre-approved today!

Shari Letsos
Mortgage Professional
Cell: 604-723-7721
Sletsos@dominionlending.ca
Dominion Lending Centres Mountain View

The fast pace of buying and selling real estate is daunting. Throw in trying to manage closing dates, possession dates and access to the proceeds for the purchase and you have a recipe for disaster.

I recently received an email from a potential client asking these very questions:

“I was wondering how the process usually goes, for looking at a new place. We had planned to use our equity in this home as the down payment for a new place. But if we can’t unlock that equity until the closing date, what usually happens in the interim?  Do we have to find a place to rent?…a month or longer? When we bought this place, it was our first home purchase, so moving to a new one is new to us. I don’t understand how we are supposed to start looking for a place after subject removal (which is 30 days after tomorrow), when we can’t access the equity to make a down payment.”

This scenario happens much more often than one thinks. In order for sellers to access their equity to become buyers they are required to utilize a bridge loan to transition into their “next” home. The bridge loan allows you to purchase a new property before the sale completes on the existing or current residence.

Most lenders have a 45 – 60-day window to exercise this option, with a range of daily rates and admin fees. The four vital components to a mortgage application are income, credit worthiness, the subject property and down payment.

The first three have been approved; now how does one unlock the down payment? Easy. The borrower is required to supply the fully executed purchase and sale contract, subject removal addendum and the current mortgage statement for the existing property. This provides confirmation that you have sold the property on X date as well it confirming the sale price less the possible real estate commission fees and closing costs. Once the current mortgage amount is subtracted the net proceeds are yielded, leaving you your down payment amount.

As mentioned above, there are fees to access bridge financing, as well as a daily interest rate. If the purchase of the next property completes the same day as the sale, then it is handled at the lawyer’s office internally and the funds are transferred accordingly.

The equity is yours to access right now. The lenders verify your equity with the conditions provided.

Here is an example of the timeline and fees of how the bridge loan scenario can be utilized:

Existing home sold, completing December 14, 2016 $600,000

Current outstanding balance $400,000

Equity remaining $200,000

New home purchase, completing November 30, 2016

The lender has approved the down-payment amount. Because the proceeds are still secured against the existing home we had to provide confirmation that the funds were available. We determined there was $200,000 by way of sales contract, subject removal addendum and the current mortgage statement.

The second layer to the bridge loan is the cost of borrowing the $200,000. Bear in mind the funds are still tied up in the existing property. The cost to borrow the $200,000 temporarily is Prime + 2% (daily rate) plus an administration fee of $250.

$200,000 x 4.70% / 365 (days) = $25.76 per day to borrow $200,000

There is a 14-day completion difference. The total cost to utilize a bridge loan is $360.64 (in interest) + $250 (admin fee) = $610.64.

All-in-all this is a very inexpensive and easy way to access the equity you have built up in your current home. Remember, lenders are in business of making money…this is simply a cost of doing business.

Be sure to surround yourself with industry professionals (like the mortgage brokers at Dominion Lending Centres) to make sure nothing is overlooked or miscalculated.

Get pre-approved today!

Shari Letsos
Mortgage Professional
Cell: 604-723-7721
Sletsos@dominionlending.ca
Dominion Lending Centres Mountain View