So whether you're buying a home, renewing your mortgage, refinancing, renovating, investing, or consolidating your debts — I’m the VERICO Mortgage Advisor who can help you get the right financing, from the right lender, at the right rate.
What You need to Know about a Reverse Mortgage for Seniors
If you are a homeowner or aspiring to be one in the coming months, then the term mortgage may not be a new concept to you. It is a form of a loan that is mainly issued to either buy or construct a home whose ownership entirely passes to you after you have paid to your last installment. A reversed mortgage in Canada is no different, only that it comes with some exceptions that make it somehow different. Some of these exceptions include no monthly installments which mean that no credit or income/debt requirements, only accessible to seniors ( 55 years and above) and the borrowers ability to settle the loan are not a primary concern. Lets take a closer look at the requirement of a Reverse Mortgage and emphasize on what you ought to know.
Monthly repayment of mortgage: The Canadian law on a reverse mortgage is very clear, no monthly payments of the mortgage. Nobody should mislead you out there, not even the internet that most people trust to give them perfect information. Note that in Canada, we deal with reverse mortgage differently from other countries. Therefore, if you have to do any research or seek clarification on the same, ensure you base your findings within the Canadian context to avoid getting the wrong information. Unlike other forms of mortgage, with a conventional mortgage on your home, the borrower owes more that he initially borrowed as the interest is added back to the outstanding amount. If you are willing, you have the option of paying some or all interest once in a year; although it is not a MUST.
What makes reverse mortgages attractive is its flexible requirement. Where else will you find a mortgage that allows you to hold it for 5 to even 25 years without any monthly installments? The good thing about such terms is that in as far as the reverse mortgage in Canada loan accrues over time, the value of the house in Canada also tends to increase with time which gives you a win-win situation.
Apart from that, we all know that the Canadian money market is subjected to a lot fluctuation in interest rates which may end causing the borrower to spend more than the fair market value of the common loans but not with Canada reverse mortgage. Therefore, as a senior, you dont have to worry about your debt exceeding the fair market value in future due to such external factors which are very normal.
Finally, reverse loan mortgage in Canada is only given by one institution in Canada which means that there will be no need for the rate on shopping. However, note that unlike in regular mortgage, the rate in reverse mortgage is slightly higher due to the long duration involved.
Canadian home sales fall further in July
According to statistics released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national home sales declined further in July 2017. Highlights:
National home sales fell 2.1% from June to July.
Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity in July stood 11.9% below last Julys level.
The number of newly listed homes edged back by 1.8% from June to July.
The MLS Home Price Index (HPI) was up 12.9% year-over-year (y-o-y) in July 2017.
The national average sale price edged down by 0.3% y-o-y in July.
Julys interest rate hike may have motivated some homebuyers with pre-approved mortgages to make an offer, said CREA President Andrew Peck. Even so, sales activity continued to soften in the Greater Golden Horseshoe region. Meanwhile, sales and prices in Montreal continue to strengthen. All real estate is local, and REALTORS remain your best source for information about sales and listings where you live or might like to.
July marked the smallest monthly decline in Greater Golden Horseshoe home sales since Ontarios Fair Housing Plan was announced in April, said Gregory Klump, CREAs Chief Economist. This suggests sales may be starting to bottom out amid stabilizing housing market sentiment. Time will tell whether thats indeed the case once the transitory boost by buyers with pre-approved mortgages fades.
Click here to continue reading
Decline in single-family component moderated by gain in multi-family dwellings
Canadian municipalities issued $8.1 billion worth of building permits in June, up 2.5% from May and the second highest value on record. Higher construction intentions for multi-family dwellings and commercial buildings were mainly responsible for the national increase. All building components reported gains in June, except for single-family dwellings.
The value of residential building permits fell 0.9% in June to $5.0 billion, the fourth decrease in five months. The decline was mainly the result of lower construction intentions in four provinces, notably Ontario.
In June, the value of permits for single-family dwellings decreased 12.5% to $2.4 billion. Seven provinces registered declines, with Ontario being the main contributor to the decrease.
Conversely, construction intentions for multi-family dwellings rose 12.5% in June to $2.7 billion, marking a third consecutive monthly increase. Seven provinces registered gains, led by Ontario and British Columbia.
Click here for more information
