MORTGAGE BROKERS ARE SUPER HEROES

General Michael Distefano 13 Dec

Mortgage brokers have a reputation as superheroes. Although we cannot leap tall buildings in a single bound we can do extraordinary things.
Is the down payment money coming from outside of Canada? I had a client who had a joint account with her father in Japan. She showed me bank statements with the money in the account and leaving Japan. I had another bank statement showing the funds coming into her Canadian account. Finally I showed the foreign exchange rate for that day from Yen to CAD. The bank accepted this as a suitable paper trail.
An unusual down payment source? I had a client who sold his vintage Cadillac for his his down payment. A copy of the registration, the bill of sale and a bank statement showing the funds going into his account was deemed fine by the bank.
Is your down payment coming from multiple sources? I recently had two brothers purchasing a home together. They both had their money in RRSP’s and TFSAs. It took some explaining but we were able to show all the down payment and closing costs coming from four different sources.
Several years ago I had a client defaulting on two mortgages. Foreclosure was just days away.
I was able to consolidate the two mortgages, pay them out and get a reasonable payment schedule for one year. After the year , I moved him to a regular lender and arranged for a line of credit so that he could pay for some home renovations with a low interest rate secured against his home.
I had a couple who wanted to buy a home. The husband had had a business failure and it had affected his credit. I could only use the wife’s credit and her income for this purchase. She was a foster mother with six children. Her income was good but not high enough. I was able to get the lender to gross up her income by 25%, as her income was tax free. This was enough for them to buy a large home for the couple and their foster children.
Small towns can also pose unique problems. I had a client who wanted to refinance his home. I checked his credit report and found a credit card that he did not have. He told me that there were five people with his name in this small town. He also revealed that he had an account at Home Hardware that was not reporting on the credit bureau. The manager was a friend and thought that the loan would hurt his credit so they made an informal arrangement to pay it off.
Did I mention that he had three jobs? He worked as a tire installer, and invoiced the company from his firm. I was able to get a lender to accept this client his varied income and got the mortgage . Come to think of it , perhaps mortgage brokers are superheroes. If you have a difficult situation the best person to speak to is a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional, if it can be done legally, a broker can do it. Call toll free 877 357 5366

Big Mortgage Changes COMING Jan. 1, 2018

General Michael Distefano 11 Dec

Big Mortgage Changes COMING Jan. 1, 2018

There has been significant press coverage around upcoming changes to mortgage lending rules that will take effect Jan. 1, 2018. These rules will affect many more people than most realize. They will affect people seeking a mortgage most obviously, but they will also affect those with a mortgage in many ways as well. Let’s take a look at some key areas of concern for both groups, those with a mortgage, and those without (but seeking) a mortgage.

What is the impact?

A reduction of 20 per cent-plus in maximum borrowing power for those with a 20 per cent or GREATER down payment. You read that correctly, a big reduction for the group with the bigger down payments.

The Have Nots

You don’t have a mortgage yet, but you have a Pre-Approval, so you think you’re safe with that Pre-Approval…you may be and also you may not be. A select group of lenders have confirmed they will grandfather existing Pre-Approvals under the 2017 lending rules for up to 120 days. However many lenders will not; for them Jan. 1, 2018 is a hard stop on the old lending rules. Still others are already enforcing the new rules. The questions is; what is your lender going to do? Not all lenders have announced their policies yet either.

The best advice; pick up the phone and call your mortgage broker and get an answer from them as to where you stand.

Question#1; Do the new guidelines affect you?

Question#2; If Yes to Q #1 – Is your Pre-Approval going to be grandfathered with the lender that holds it?

The Have’s

You already have your mortgage, so everything is all cool right? Maybe.
Are you thinking of increasing your mortgage amount by even just $1?
Are you thinking of adding on a secured line of credit for even just $1?

And most importantly of all:

Are you thinking of moving your mortgage to a new property in 2018?

To add new money, or to move the mortgage to a new property, will trigger a re-evaluation under the new rules, and many Canadians will not qualify for the very mortgage they currently have if they try to move it to a new property.

Sure your mortgage is most likely portable, but re-qualification could mean a big reduction in the size of it.

Who is safe?

Those who are simply renewing their current balances.

None of these changes impact you if you are renewing your mortgage for the same amount with the same lender. But, before you do that, read the ‘Did You Know’ footnote below, and as always pick up the phone can give me a call before you do anything else.

If you have any questions about refinancing, reducing debt or paying down your mortgage quicker, I’m here to help!

CALL US TODAY 905 357 5366 TOLL FREE 877 357 5366
www.beatthebankmortgage.ca