The Canadian mortgage industry has never been more confusing. Do I use a broker? Do I go straight to my bank? Who can get me the best rate? Who can give me the best independent advice?
Alma Pasic has been helping clients navigate the confusing World of mortgages and financing in Canada for almost 20 years. Using her expert knowledge of the industry and relationships with leading financial institutions, Alma gets her clients the approvals needed with the best terms.
As well as being the coauthor of “Complete Home Buyer’s Guide for Canadians”, available on amazon.ca, Alma is also a leading provider of real estate investment seminars throughout the Lower Mainland.
She offers a full service financial platform across a wide range of products and options by working with a range of realtors, accountants, builders, developers and financial planners.
Alma has the resources and relationships to access the complete range of mortgage options.
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Are Reverse Mortgages a Good Idea?
Are Reverse Mortgages Ever a Good Idea?
Home equity is a tempting source of capital or income for older investors but what are the hidden catches? Gordon Powers of RateSupermarket.ca offers advice
November 18, 2014
By
Gordon Powers RateSupermarket.ca
This article originally appeared on financial advice website RateSupermarket.ca. To read the original article, click here.
Ask advisors whether the money tied up in your home should be counted as an asset that you can tap in retirement and youll get a wide variety of opinions.
Most financial planning software programs dont consider home equity when tallying potential retirement income. In looking at the few that do, its clear that theres no agreed-upon method for calculating its impact on your financial future.
Despite this, home equity remains a tempting target for older investors to tap. Dont forget that close to three quarters of Canadians over age 60 are homeowners, not renters a considerably higher rate than for most other age groups.
You can always downsize, of course, and invest the difference. But, other than that, there really arent a lot of options when it comes to wringing money out of your home.
HELOCs Not Generally Available
A home equity line of credit (HELOC) secured against the value of your property is likely your best bet. But these are typically less useful for many older homeowners since they often have a harder time qualifying unless they already have some regular income.
Thats why a growing number of baby boomers exiting the workforce, or in the midst of a grey divorce, are looking to mine the value of their homes through a reverse mortgage.
A reverse mortgage allows you to borrow from your homes equity while not having to make any monthly payments. Unlike most mortgages, theres no credit check, no income confirmation, and no insurance requirement. Approval is based only on your age and home equity.
Another major attraction is that the payments you receive arent considered taxable income and thus wont affect any government retirement benefits.
Qualify As Young As Age 55
All this anticipated demand has prompted HomEquity Bank, the countrys sole provider of reverse mortgages, to recently lower the minimum age threshold for its CHIP Home Income Plan from 60 to 55.
But, before you rush in, understand this: The amount you owe increases over time, while the amount of equity in your home likely decreases. Whats worse, the younger you are, the more the compound interest will grow, and the more you will owe.
And there are a few upfront fees to consider as well.
Watch For Additional Costs
First, youll need a home appraisal which will cost $200 to $400, depending on location. On top of that, lawyers fees, required by law on all reverse mortgage transactions, can range from $300 to $600.
The third setup cost is closing and administrative fees, which amount to $1495 a charge HomEquity has waived during past promotions, at least for buyers willing to lock in for a three or five-year term.
But, even then, this is still an expensive option. Right now, for instance, HomEquity is charging 4.75 per cent on a variable-rate mortgage which is 1.75 percentage points above prime. Five-year terms are available at 5.69 per cent. That compares with rates as low as 3.19 per cent for conventional five-year mortgages.
Debt Doubles Every 11 Years
Going this route means that your debt level is going to double about almost every 11 years at todays interest rates, all the while eroding the value of your estate.
But older Canadians are definitely buying, largely because theyve seen the rates on their fixed-income savings fall significantly while their houses have at least maintained their value or better.
In a world where people are living longer and spending more, the attraction is obvious. Still, tread carefully before you sign up.
Copyright 2015 - See more at: http://www.rew.ca/news/are-reverse-mortgages-ever-a-good-idea-1.1591812#sthash.WmD0dlm9.dpuf
CANADA: Home sales declined in March. Beginning of a downward slide?
By Daren King
On a seasonally adjusted basis, home sales decreased 5.4% from February to March, a first monthly decline in three months. Despite this decline, the resale market remained very active on a historical basis, standing above the historically high level of 45K now for 21 consecutive months. Is this the beginning of a downward trend in the Canadian real estate market? In our opinion, the housing market should remain active during the spring due to many people who have secured advantageous interest rates and will want to act before the end of their interest rate guarantee. However, with the recent increase in mortgage interest rates and the worst affordability conditions on record, we expect the residential market to slow down in the second half of the year.
According to CREA, new listings decreased by 5.5% during the month. However, the reduction in sales compensated for the decrease in new properties for sale, so that the number of months of inventory rose from its historical low of 1.6 to 1.8 months in March. Based on the active-listings-to-sales ratio, the housing market continued to be tight in 9 of the 10 provinces, with only Saskatchewan indicating a balanced market. These market conditions should continue to support prices in the coming months.
On a year-over-year basis, home sales fell 16.3% compared to the most active month ever recorded for any period of the year that was March 2021. Nevertheless, it remains the second most active month of March on record.
Housing starts decreased by 4.0K in March to 246.2K, a slide of 1.6% m/m from 250.2K in February and below consensus expectations calling for a 250K print. Although housing starts in March were slightly below consensus expectations, they remained high on a historical basis. The trend in housing permits continues to suggest a higher level of starts at this time. Moreover, with the tight conditions in the resale market, the willingness of various levels of government to build more and the resumption of immigration, housing starts should remain high for some time. That being said, we are entering the building season in Canada with elevated commodity prices and renewed supply chain challenges. Combined with more restrictive monetary policy by the Bank of Canada, we expect housing starts to taper in 2023.
The Teranet-National Bank Composite Notional House Price Index increased 1.7% in February compared to January after seasonal adjustment. On a year-over-year basis, home price increased by 17.7% in February. All 11 markets of the composite index were up in the month. The March Teranet-National Bank HPI will be published on April 20.
Source: National Bank of Canada https://www.nbc.ca/content/dam/bnc/en/rates-and-analysis/economic-analysis/economic-news-resale-market.pdf
Bank of Canada increases policy interest rate by 50 basis points, begins quantitative tightening
The Bank of Canada today increased its target for the overnight rate to 1%, with the Bank Rate at 1% and the deposit rate at 1%. The Bank is also ending reinvestment and will begin quantitative tightening (QT), effective April 25. Maturing Government of Canada bonds on the Banks balance sheet will no longer be replaced and, as a result, the size of the balance sheet will decline over time.
Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine is causing unimaginable human suffering and new economic uncertainty. Price spikes in oil, natural gas and other commodities are adding to inflation around the world. Supply disruptions resulting from the war are also exacerbating ongoing supply constraints and weighing on activity. These factors are the primary drivers of a substantial upward revision to the Banks outlook for inflation in Canada.
The war in Ukraine is disrupting the global recovery, just as most economies are emerging from the impact of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. European countries are more directly impacted by confidence effects and supply dislocations caused by the war. Chinas economy is facing new COVID outbreaks and an ongoing correction in its property market. In the United States, domestic demand remains very strong and the US Federal Reserve has clearly indicated its resolve to use its monetary policy tools to control inflation. As policy stimulus is withdrawn, US growth is expected to moderate to a pace more in line with potential growth. Global financial conditions have tightened and volatility has increased. The Bank now forecasts global growth of about 3% this year, 2% in 2023 and 3% in 2024.