It PAYS to shop around.
Many Canadian homeowners pay too much for their homes because they are not getting the best mortgage financing available in the market.
The mortgage process can be intimidating for homeowners, and some financial institutions don't make the process any easier.
But I’m here to help!
I’m a VERICO Mortgage Advisor and I’m an independent, unbiased, expert, here to help you move into a home you love.
I have access to mortgage products from over forty lenders at my fingertips and I work with you to determine the best product that will fit your immediate financial needs and future goals.
VERICO mortgage specialists are Canada’s Trusted Experts who will be with you through the life of your mortgage.
I save you money by sourcing the best products at the best rates – not only on your first mortgage but through every subsequent renewal. 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.
Darcie B: I had an excellent experience with Shelley. She was knowledgable, informative, efficient, and easy to contact. I am happy with my mortgage and would recommend Shelley to family and friends.
Dave M: I was completely satisfied with Shelley’s expertise, knowledge, and know that our best interests were of primary importance to her. I would recommend her to family and friends. I appreciated how she researched our requirements, provided us options, and explained those options to us in a very understandable way.
Judith V: We are happily settling into our new home and we really can’t thank Shelley enough for helping us navigate such a crazy, hectic time. Shelley is well knowledgeable of the available products and processes and if she isn’t sure, she always spends the time to do the research. We appreciate that she gives us all the options available to us and is very honest, even if it means that we won’t be able to use her services at that time. We have never felt like she was trying to sell us something for the sake of selling us something. Her friendly, approachable personality makes us feel like one of the family. Shelley has taken care of our family for a number of years and we will continue to be her clients for the duration of her career. We are very fortunate to have Shelley working for us.
Margaret M: I was completely satisfied with Shelley’s service. She kept me well informed throughout the whole process and handled everything; I just showed up and signed paperwork. Shelley was very professional, knowledgeable and had my best interests in mind. I would not hesitate to recommend Shelley and her services to one and all!
Suzanne M: I was completely satisfied with every aspect of Shelley’s services and appreciate how she met all my needs!
Michael P: Overall, we were completely satisfied with Shelley’s services and would not hesitate to recommend her. She was able to get financing in place when others could not.
K Friesen: Shelley clearly understood and met our needs. We have no hesitation in recommending Shelley. She assured us that we were set up in a strong financial standing to go through the process of building, and ultimately has our dream house build in progress! Shelley was amazing and handled everything extremely fast!
Zaneta O: Shelley was able to get me the house I really wanted and exceeded my expectation in all that she did for me. I highly recommend her!
A New Year-Time for a Mortgage Check Up?
The new year is a time for making personal resolutions, writing business plans, evaluating your involvement in memberships and affiliations, and getting back on track with health and fitness. It is also a great time to book a mortgage checkup, and make sure your mortgage is working for you the way it should be.
How do you know if a mortgage checkup will benefit you? Heres a few questions to ask yourself. If the answer is yes to one or more, then its time to book an appointment with your mortgage professional:
Is my mortgage renewing this year?
In our constantly changing mortgage environment, earlier contact regular communication is always better. Keep your mortgage professional up to date on your current situation and plans moving forward so she/he can work ahead and ensure you are in the best situation for your next mortgage term.
Am I considering buying a new home, cottage or investment property this year?
Fully underwritten mortgage pre-approvals with interest rate holds are more important than ever when considering a new purchase this year, even for well qualified applicants.
What is the best source of funds to complete my home renovations/upgrades?
Cash savings, secured or unsecured lines of credit, mortgage refinance, personal loan-your mortgage professional can advise your best, lowest cost options.
How can I be mortgage free faster?
An annual mortgage review can track your progress and encourage you to make small changes that can save thousands of dollars. Your mortgage professional can play an integral part in your plan to pay off your mortgage.
How can I eliminate or reduce higher interest debt?
A review of your assets, debt, costs and cash flow can allow your mortgage professional to help with a plan to pay down debt and reduce costs with manageable monthly cash flow.
Life changes have occurred-is my current mortgage still the best fit?
Your current mortgage may no longer be the best fit if youve experienced a major life change. Even if your mortgage is still mid-term and not up for renewal, youll benefit from a visit with your mortgage professional to update your details, discuss options and formulate a plan moving forward.
Is there a better, lower cost mortgage option in the market that I qualify for?
Your mortgage professional can compare the costs of your current mortgage with what is available today (even mid mortgage term) and advise if its in your best interest to make changes. She/he can also provide peace of mind when you are currently in the best, lowest cost product in the market.
Should I consider locking in my variable rate mortgage?
If you are in a variable rate mortgage product, its important to keep in touch with your mortgage professional on a regular basis and have a plan moving forward in the event of rising mortgage rates.
How do I reduce/improve monthly cash flow?
A review of your assets and debts can allow your mortgage professional to help with a plan to ensure your monthly cash flow is manageable.
In 2018, you have the benefit of choice. Even if youve had a long-term relationship with a financial institution, seek others, get more opinions and be open to other options. Get good advice from someone you like and trust. Look ahead and start early.
For a free, no obligation mortgage checkup, please contact me by phone @ 204-479-6064 or email @ shelleys@onelinkmortgage.com.
National house price index rises again in August
The national HPI has grown at a below-inflation rate of 0.6% over the last 12 months. However, the weakness is not regionally broad-based. The national HPI has been depressed by 12 consecutive months without a rise in Vancouvers index, which dropped a cumulative 6.6%. Other Western metropolitan areas (Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg) also contributed to slow the national HPI. At the opposite, annual growth has been decent in most of the regions located in the central and eastern part of the country. That being said, home sales in August were up 55% from March in Vancouver, where market conditions went from favorable to buyers to balanced. Over that period, home sales rose 19% in Calgary and 12% in Edmonton. These improvements, if sustained, will sooner or later help limit home-price deflation in this region.
The TeranetNational Bank Composite National House Price IndexTM increased 0.4% in August, a fourth gain in a row after an eight-month string without a rise.
On a monthly basis, the index rose in 8 of the 11 markets covered: Victoria (+0.2%), Calgary (+0.6%), Hamilton (0.7%), Winnipeg (0.7%), Toronto (+0.8%), Montreal (1.1%), Ottawa-Gatineau (1.7%) and Halifax (1.8%). The index was down in Vancouver (-0.8%), Quebec City (-0.4%) and Edmonton (-0.1%).
From August 2018 to August 2019, the Composite index rose 0.6%. Over the period, the HPI declined in Vancouver (-6.6%), Edmonton (-3.1%), Calgary (-2.3%). It was marginally up in Quebec City (0.1%), Victoria (0.7%) and Winnipeg (1.1%). It grew more convincingly in Toronto (+3.8%), Hamilton (+4.4%), Halifax (5.5%), Montreal (+5.7%) and Ottawa-Gatineau (+6.4%).
Source: National Bank, Marc Pinsonneault
CREA Updates Resale Housing Market Forecast
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has updated its forecast for home sales activity via the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) Systems of Canadian real estate boards and associations for the rest of 2019 and looking ahead to 2020.
Economic fundamentals underpinning housing activity remain strong outside of the Prairies and Newfoundland and Labrador. Population and employment growth have both remained supportive and the unemployment rate remains low. At the same time, expectations have become widespread that the Bank of Canada is unlikely to raise interest rates over the rest of the year and into next.
More importantly for home buyers and housing markets, longer-term mortgage rates have been declining. Among those that have declined is the Bank of Canadas benchmark five-year rate used by banks to qualify mortgage applicants.
Additionally, the Federal Government has recently launched its First-Time Home Buyer Incentive, a shared equity program in which the federal government finances a portion of a home purchase in exchange for an equity share of the homes value.
Of these factors supporting Canadian housing activity, the decline in mortgage rates is arguably the most important development since the release in June of CREAs most recent forecast. The decline in the benchmark five-year mortgage rate has marginally relaxed the B-20 mortgage stress-test, which has dampened housing activity more than other policy changes made in recent years.
Home sales have improved by more than expected in recent months and there are early signs that home price declines in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and across the Prairies may be abating. Meanwhile, home prices are re-accelerating across Ontarios Greater Golden Horseshoe region.
Strong economic fundamentals, previously unexpected declines in mortgage interest rates and stronger than previously expected housing market trends in British Columbia and Ontario have resulted in CREA upwardly revising forecast home sales in 2019 and 2020. Nonetheless, the overall level of national sales activity this year and next is anticipated to remain below levels recorded prior to the implementation of the B-20 stress test.
National home sales are now projected to recover to 482,000 units in 2019, representing a 5% increase from the five-year low recorded in 2018. While this is an upward revision of 19,000 transactions compared to CREAs previous forecast (85% of which is due to upgraded British Columbia and Ontario forecasts), it represents a return of activity to its 10-year annual average. It also remains well below the annual record set in 2016, when almost 540,000 homes traded hands. Notwithstanding the upward revision, the forecast for 2019 on a per capita basis remains the second weakest since 2001.
