You have probably heard the words mortgage stress test in the news over the past couple of years and if you havent needed a new mortgage you may be wondering how this stress test may be affecting you. First of all lets break down what the stress test actually is: Contrary to popular belief the stress test isnt really that NEW, as a form of it has been in place for quite some time. Previously in fall of 2016 the government came out with the stress test for all insured mortgages, meaning mortgages with less than 20% downpayment. Then in January 2018 they rolled it out to all mortgages. Previous to 2016 the lenders had their own stress tests as well, they just werent as steep as the current stress test. Today, November 2019, the stress test is 5.19%. The current 5 year fixed rate is at 2.79%. What this means is that; if you got a mortgage today you would be paying your mortgage based on 2.79% but have to qualify for that mortgage by being able the carry that mortgage as if that rate was 5.19%. In turn this reduces your maximum borrowing power by about 20%. If you are looking to refinance or purchase a new home you will need to qualify based on the new stress test requirements. At this time the stress test only applies to NEW mortgages, so if you renew your mortgage with the same lender or had your mortgage before the 2016 rule changes then the stress test is not applied. Its important you work with a mortgage professionalthat can help you understand thecomplicated world of mortgage financing and make sure you are reaching your financial goals. Thats where I come in! Call or email me, Im always happy to help. Caily MacGregor, Accredited Mortgage Professional 204-954-7693/cailym@onelinkmortgage.com

Most first time buyers have been previously renting or living at home, so buying their first home means having to become accustomed to paying their mortgage and all of the added expenses that come with homeownership (Visit my Blog: Calling All First Time Buyers- Dont Become House Poor).With that said, your next home isnt really front of mind until you decide its time to move. So how are first time buyers preparing themselves to be able to afford their next home? I have a strategy that I have share with my clients that, when used, can really make purchasing a dream home a reality. Heres the strategy: DISCLAIMER:Please keep in mind I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba where we see a steady 1-2% increase in house prices year over year, we have in my opinion, one of the most consistent, affordable, steady markets across Canada. So the numbers I am using are based on this particular market. I am using an interest rate of 3.44% as its just a rate I used to derive a payment and is not best rate today (April 17, 2019). By the way my next blog post will be why its important we need to stop talking about rate (stay turned). The example Im using is a $250,000purchase with 5% downpayment, mortgage payments are based on 3.44% over a 25 year amortization is$624.95 accelerated bi-weekly payments(pays off your mortgage 2 years sooner). In my experience most first time buyers are ready to move up around the 5 year markso I am using that as the timeframe. My strategy is simple, use the lenders pre-payment privileges to create more equity and pay less in interest costs. By increasing your payment you will also limit your payment shock when moving to your next home. Heres the breakdown: A lot of lenders will allow you to increase your mortgage payment up to 20% for no fee. If your mortgage payment is $624 you can add $125 to each mortgage payment, which will make your new payment $749 bi-weekly. That and extra $3000 you are paying your mortgage down per year and $15,000 over the 5 year term. Not only did you just increase the equity in your home but over a 5 year term alone you are saving $3000 in interest costs ($26,389 over the 25 year period). Mortgage Payoff Summary Original loan amount $251,900.00 Original mortgage amortization 25 Years Interest rate 3.44% Normal payment (PI) $624.85 accelerated bi-weekly Additional payment $125.00 bi-weekly Prepayment savings $26,389.37 over 25 yrs *Assuming the interest rate does not change during the amortization period. Payment schedule Regular Payment Schedule Prepayment Payment Schedule Yr Total Payments Interest Paid Ending Principal Balance Total Payments Interest Paid Ending Principal Balance $251,900.00 $251,900.00 1 $16,246.10 $8,470.49 $244,124.39 $19,496.10 $8,416.60 $240,820.50 2 $16,246.10 $8,200.71 $236,079.00 $19,496.10 $8,032.16 $229,356.56 3 $16,246.10 $7,921.58 $227,754.48 $19,496.10 $7,634.40 $217,494.86 4 $16,246.10 $7,632.75 $219,141.13 $19,496.10 $7,222.87 $205,221.63 5 $16,246.10 $7,333.87 $210,228.90 $19,496.10 $6,797.04 $192,522.57 6 $16,246.10 $7,024.67 $201,007.47 $19,496.10 $6,356.46 $179,382.93 7 $16,246.10 $6,704.70 $191,466.07 $19,496.10 $5,900.54 $165,787.37 8 $16,246.10 $6,373.66 $181,593.63 $19,496.10 $5,428.82 $151,720.09 9 $16,246.10 $6,031.14 $171,378.67 $19,496.10 $4,940.75 $137,164.74 10 $16,246.10 $5,676.74 $160,809.31 $19,496.10 $4,435.74 $122,104.38 11 $16,246.10 $5,310.05 $149,873.26 $19,496.10 $3,913.25 $106,521.53 12 $16,246.10 $4,930.55 $138,557.71 $19,496.10 $3,372.54 $90,397.97 13 $16,246.10 $4,537.94 $126,849.55 $19,496.10 $2,813.16 $73,715.03 14 $16,246.10 $4,131.74 $114,735.19 $19,496.10 $2,234.30 $56,453.23 15 $16,246.10 $3,711.44 $102,200.53 $19,496.10 $1,635.41 $38,592.54 16 $16,246.10 $3,276.54 $89,230.97 $19,496.10 $1,015.70 $20,112.14 17 $16,246.10 $2,826.55 $75,811.42 $19,496.10 $374.51 $990.55 18 $16,246.10 $2,360.93 $61,926.25 $992.17 $1.62 $0.00 19 $16,246.10 $1,879.18 $47,559.33 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 20 $16,246.10 $1,380.71 $32,693.94 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 21 $16,246.10 $864.95 $17,312.79 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 22 $16,246.10 $331.29 $1,397.98 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 23 $1,401.04 $3.06 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 24 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 25 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Now lets take into account that Manitoba has a steady 2% increase in house prices year over year for the past few DECADESso its reasonable to say that your $250,000 home would be closer to $275,000 in 5 years time. So in 5 years time you could potentially have close to $83,000 in equity for the purchase of a new house. So lets look at a new purchase and what this could mean so we can talk about the bonus of doing this strategy- Avoiding payment shock! Net sale proceeds(no mortgage penalty for this example) $83,000 Sale Proceeds *sale price of $275,000 $1,000 Legals $12,000 Estimated real estate fees $500 Estimated discharge fee for you current mortgage $69,500 Net Sale proceeds New purchase $425,000 Purchase Price 59,000 Downpayment from sale proceeds $10,500 Closing costs (estimated) from sale proceeds *No cash out of pocket for the new purchase $864 New payment (non accelerated payment/ using same interest rate) $749 Old payment accelerated with extra payments $114 Difference in payment bi-weekly If you did notincrease your mortgage $125 your payments would have been $624 bi-weekly and your downpayment would have been $41,000 compared to 59,000. The difference between your old payment and your your new payments would be $289 bi-weekly THATS A DIFFERENCE OF $22,750 over a 5 year term! By add$125 to your bi-weeklypayment you not only got yourself into a $425,000 home in 5 years but also your lifestyle will remaining the same as your payments will be relatively close to what you were used to paying over the past 5 years. After reading all of this you may be questioning just how you could free up $125 bi-weekly in order to increase your mortgage payments. Not to worry, my next blog will cover this!