12 Oct

THE DOWNSIZING DILEMMA

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

With almost 50% of homeowners ready to retire and wishing to stay in their home and 30% of those people with most of their money tied up in home equity, the downsizing dilemma is real. Can they afford to stay in their home or is downsizing the better option. In the past, retired couples or […]

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10 Oct

FIXED-RATE MORTGAGE: WHAT LENDERS YOU SHOULD DO IT WITH AND WHY

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

25-year amortization or 30 years? Insured or Uninsured? With an A Lender or B Lender? These are just a few of the questions people have to decide on when they are pursuing a mortgage. But the biggest question of all: Fixed Rate or Variable Rate? With the instability of the market, and the Bank of […]

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9 Oct

CASH BACK AND DECORATING ALLOWANCES ON NEW BUILD OR PRE-SALE PURCHASES

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

As the market shifts, developers will increase their incentives to buyers with cash back and decorating allowances on new build or pre-sale purchases. It is very important to review those options with your real estate agent representative and vital to consult with your Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker. Although these offers may seem attractive, they […]

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5 Oct

WHAT SHOULD COME FIRST, THE HOUSE OR THE CAR?

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

So you just got a shiny new car, and now you want a shiny new home to go with it. Will that new car payment affect your mortgage pre- approval? The short answer… absolutely it will. Recently, I have encountered many people looking to pre-approve for a home purchase that do not qualify. While it […]

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4 Oct

MORTGAGE INSURANCE 101

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

For a first-time home buyer, the types of insurance surrounding a mortgage can be confusing, so it’s important to know what insurance covers what. There are 3 main types of insurance to know about when buying a home. Mortgage Default Insurance – If you put less than 20% down on a home you are buying, […]

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3 Oct

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A MORTGAGE BROKER

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

Are you on the hunt for a mortgage broker? Or you need a mortgage broker but just don’t know it yet! Either way, this article is for you! First up, where do you find a Mortgage Broker? The easiest (and one of the best places to start) is with referrals from a realtor, family, friends, […]

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2 Oct

THE PROS AND CONS OF CO-SIGNING FOR A MORTGAGE

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

If you keep up on the news you know that qualifying for a mortgage is getting tougher and tougher. Someone who would have sailed through the application process 10 years ago could find themselves declined for a mortgage today. Often I find applicants can afford the monthly payments but they can’t prove that their income […]

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1 Oct

THE MORTGAGE INSURANCE MARKET & WHOLESALE LENDERS

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

The Canadian mortgage market used to be very simple. We had the big banks, credit unions, and trust companies. However, almost 20 years ago, the Canadian government made three major changes to the Canadian mortgage industry. First, the government and CMHC put their weight behind Canadian mortgages by guaranteeing an insurance payout to lenders in […]

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27 Sep

ALL ABOUT PRE-APPROVALS

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

Are you in the market for a new home? That’s great – but if you’re not already pre-approved from your mortgage broker, be sure to read on. Pre-approvals are very important for two reasons. They give you confidence in knowing that a specific amount of financing is available for you. A pre-approval can put you […]

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