Moving to YYC: How to buy ASAP
Moving to Calgary and Buying a Homes As Soon As Possible
This is a common question, and as usual, the way the banks / lenders want things done is exactly the opposite of what works in real life, for real people, like you.
RBC: Mortgage Mistakes
RBC made what I think are some some pretty serious – and costly – mistakes for their customers and it is too bad … for the customers!
My 2 favorite quotes from this article are:
“My husband and I both felt pretty robbed,” she said. “I feel … it was deceptive.”
How the Big-5 Banks Trap You in Their Mortgages
- what your credit score is
- your pay and income going into your accounts
- your debt payments
- other debt balances on your credit report
- your home/ rental addresses so they can accurately guess at your home value.
Highlights of the article link below are:
Canada’s biggest banks are tightening their grip … as new rules designed to cut out risky lending make it harder for borrowers to switch lenders … the country’s biggest five banks … are reporting higher rates of renewals by existing customers concerned they will not qualify for a mortgage with another bank.
Inverted Yield Curves, Impacts on Prime Rate Changes and Variable Rate Mortgages
Summary:
For the 2nd time in 50 years the “Yield Curve” has inverted – meaning that long term rates are now lower than short term rates. This can signal a recession is on the way.
This Means …
- Alberta will look better comparatively to Canada’s hot housing markets which should finally cool down.
- Canada’s Prime rate increases look to be on hold until Spring. This makes the variable rates now look MUCH Better. There were 3 rate increases expected and these may not materialize – making the VARIABLE rate look better.
- Broker lender’s have VARIABLE rates that range between .1% and .65% BETTER than the banks do. If you are looking at variable rates we should look further into this in more detail.
DATA BELOW …
- More on the predictions on rate increases
- WTF is an inverted Yield Curve – lifted from “the Hustle”
Predictions on Prime
Three interest rate hikes in 2019 — that’s what economists have been predicting for months, as part of the Bank of Canada’s ongoing strategy to keep the country’s inflation levels in check. But, according to one economist, that plan may have changed.
The BoC held the overnight rate at 1.75 percent yesterday, and released a statement a senior economist at TD, believes hints that the next hike may not come until next spring.
“We no longer expect the Bank of Canada to hike its policy interest rate in January,” he writes, in a recent note examining the BoC’s decision. “Spring 2019 now appears to be the more likely timing.”
Meanwhile the Canadian rates and macro strategist at BMO, puts the odds of a rate hike in January at 50 percent.
“While the Bank reiterated its desire to get policy rates to neutral, the path to neutral is clearly more uncertain than just a couple of months ago,” he writes, in his most recent note. “Looking ahead to January, the BoC will likely need to be convinced to hike (rather than not).”
A VIDEO ON WHY VARIABLE RATE MAY BE THE WAY TO GO FOR YOUR PLANS
- https://vimeo.com/279581066
- This video is from my colleague Dustin Woodhouse and he perfectly presents the story on the variable. He also ONLY works in the BC Lower Mainland; if you live there HE should be doing your mortgage, if you don’t WE should be.
2. WTF is an ‘inverted yield curve,’ and what does it mean for the economy?
Your Banking Relationship: They leverage your mortgage to rake in credit cards profits.
Below is part of an article where the bank is sad their mortgages are down 500% from last year. At the same time they made 16% more from ramming credit cards and Lines of Credits down their mortgage customer’s throats so it’s all okay in the end. For them… and how about for you?
The blue part shows that mortgage is the key to create what customers feel is a “relationship” with the bank so they can then sell you all their high margin products.
Broker lenders only “sell” 1 thing, mortgages, so consider separating your banking and your mortgage and get the best mortgage possible – through a broker lender.
“Having your mortgage at your bank is only convenient for them to rake it in off of your credit card fees.”
Mark Herman, top Calgary mortgage broker
Here is the article:
Bloomberg News, Doug Alexander, August 23, 2018 …
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce’s prediction of a mortgage slowdown has come true…
Despite the mortgage slowdown, CIBC posted a 16% jump in Canadian personal and commercial banking earnings due to a “significant” expansion … and growth in credit cards and unsecured loans amid rising interest rates, Chief Financial Officer Kevin Glass said.
“Those would be the major offsets in terms of mortgage growth declining,” Glass said in a phone interview.
“Mortgages are a key product for us — it’s very important from a client relationship perspective — but it’s not a high margin product,
Brokers vs. Banks – The Differences
Almost 40% of all mortgages are via brokers now. Up from 25% 15 years ago. There is a reason to use a broker that has been in business for 15 years or longer, like Mortgage Mark Herman of Mortgages Are Marvellous.
https://www.thestar.com/life/advice/2018/07/31/mortgage-brokers-vs-banks-the-pros-and-cons.html
Prime rates should go up in July
This only affects variable rate mortgages and there are 2 increases to Prime expected for 2018, this one and one in December – depending on how the economy goes.
Should you look at 7 and 10 year terms?
Data:
Collateral Charge Mortgage – a big deal
Collateral charge mortgage registration … is a big deal in most circumstances.
Short Version
- This is a method of registering your mortgage currently used by nearly every Chartered Bank / Big-6 Banks at this time.
- You are unlikely to avoid it if you are at a Big-6 Bank so it is important to understand the ramifications.
- Avoiding having your mortgage held by the same institution as the balance of your debts such as; credit cards, over drafts, unsecured credit lines, car loans, etc. This is worth serious consideration. See the bold summary in the last paragraph below.
- Have your mortgage as a stand alone piece of a bank-relationship if you must place it with a Bank
- Ask about more information re ‘Monoline‘ lenders; broker lenders that do not register this way.
Long Version
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada website provides the following definition;
Collateral Charge (a.k.a ‘All-indebtedness’) – A type of mortgage whose features may include the ability to potentially borrow additional funds, subject to your lender’s approval, without the need to discharge your mortgage, register a new one and pay legal fees. If you want to switch your existing mortgage to a different lender at the end of your term other lenders will not accept the transfer of your mortgage. This means you may/ probably will need to pay fees to discharge your existing mortgage and register a new one in order to change lenders. The fee for this is the lawyer charge incurred.
The 1 Benefit:
The (potential) win for the client is avoiding new legal fees for securing a line of credit or increasing the mortgage balance in the future. This assumes the choice was made to register the mortgage for either the ‘125% of the value‘ option or a maximum amount greater than the actual mortgage amount. If that was not the case and you chose to register the mortgage with a collateral charge lender for ONLY the mortgage amount then the upside is actually quite limited.
Some Of the Negatives:
The ‘all indebtedness’ mortgage brings any other debts held by that specific lender under the umbrella of the registered security against the Real Estate. In other words co-signing a credit card or car loan for somebody (who then stops making payments) carries a risk of a foreclosure action against your property as a remedy for what was perceived to be an unrelated debt. Read that last sentence again. Yes, your home is on the line for any other form of debt held by the same institution as your mortgage.
It is also (potentially) costly to transfer the mortgage to a new lender come renewal, in particular if the mortgage balance is under $200,000. However the topic of transferring 2, 3, or even 5 years down the road is less pressing. I would suspect most readers are still wrapping their heads around the concept of a $5,000.00 Visa balance potentially triggering a foreclosure action – which it very well can. (I have seen this occur in the case of two clients, admittedly, also rare.)
Transfer costs are becoming less of an issue as we currently have at least two lenders stepping up to offer a ‘no-fee switch’ program for collateral charge mortgages at renewal time. Your choice of lenders is limited and the rate for this is not “best rates” as the new lender is paying for the cost of the change “under the covers.”
Following is the key point around this topic, in my opinion;
Yes, this is a far reaching method of registration with serious ramifications. However as nearly all institutions (most likely the clients current bank as well) now register in this fashion it is perhaps a key consideration that one should in fact not have all their banking, credit cards, and small loans with the same institution as their mortgage=&0=&
