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.
Canadian home sales activity eases in October
Ottawa, ON, November 15, 2018 Statistics released today by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) show national home sales declined between September and October 2018. Highlights:
National home sales fell 1.6% from September to October.
Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity was down by 3.7% from one year ago.
The number of newly listed homes eased 1.1% from September to October.
The MLS Home Price Index (HPI) was up 2.3% year-over-year (y-o-y) in October.
The national average sale price slipped by 1.5% y-o-y in October.
Home sales via Canadian MLS Systems edged back by 1.6% in October 2018. While activity is still stronger compared to the first half of 2018, it remains below monthly levels recorded from early 2014 through 2017. (Chart A) Transactions declined in more than half of all local markets, led by Hamilton-Burlington, Montreal and Edmonton. Although activity did improve modestly in many markets, it was offset by a decline in sales elsewhere by a factor of two.
Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity was down 3.7% compared to October 2017 and in line with the 10-year average for the month. While sales were down y-o-y in slightly more than half of all local markets in October, lower sales in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley more than offset the rise in sales in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Montreal by a wide margin.
This years new mortgage stress-test has lowered how much mortgage home buyers can qualify for across Canada, but its effect on sales has varied somewhat depending on location, housing type and price range, said CREA President Barb Sukkau. All real estate is local. A professional REALTOR is your best source for information and guidance in negotiating a purchase or sale of a home during these changing times, added Sukkau.
National sales activity lost momentum in October, said Gregory Klump, CREAs Chief Economist. In part, this reflects waning activity among some urban centers in Ontarios Greater Golden Horseshoe region and the absence of an offsetting rise in sales in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Even so, the balance between sales and listings in these regions points to stable prices or modest gains. By contrast, the balance between sales and listings for housing markets in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland indicates a weak pricing environment for homeowners who are looking to sell.
The number of newly listed homes edged down 1.1% between September and October, led by the GTA, Calgary and Victoria. The decline in new supply among these markets more than offset an increase in new supply in Edmonton and Greater Vancouver.
As for the balance between sales and listings, the national sales-to-new listings ratio in October came in at 54.2% close to Septembers reading of 54.4% and its long-term average of 53.4%.
Considering the degree and duration to which market balance readings are above or below their long-term average is the best way of gauging whether local housing market conditions favour buyers or sellers. As a rule of thumb, measures of market balance that are within one standard deviation of their long-term average are generally consistent with balanced market conditions.
Based on a comparison of the sales-to-new listings ratio with the long-term average, about two-thirds of all local markets were in balanced market territory in October 2018.
Most First-Time Homebuyers Spending All They Can Afford
Millennials have made up a significant portion of homebuyers in recent years and based on the 2018 Mortgage Consumer Survey, they continue to do so, representing just under half (49%) of first-time buyer respondents. Although this is a decrease from 60% in 2017 and 58% in 2016, Millennials continue to influence and shape the homebuying and mortgage process.
Heres more of what we learned about Millennials and first-time buyers as a whole, powered by the 2018 Mortgage Consumer Survey.
What does the typical first-time buyer profile look like? Forty percent are married, 80% are employed full-time and about one-quarter (26%) have a household income between $60,000 and $90,000. A strong percentage of them were born outside of Canada, with 22% identifying as newcomers to Canada. Mortgage professionals can help meet the unique needs of newcomers with the support of CMHCs homebuying information which is available in 8 different languages.
The top 2 reasons first-time buyers bought a home: they wanted to get a first home and they felt financially ready. Although certain urban markets continue to exhibit high house prices and other barriers to entry, the survey found that 61% of first-time buyers bought a single-detached home. In fact, single-detached home was the top housing type purchased in all regions across Canada, except in British Columbia where condominium apartment was the most popular housing type.
The vast majority (85%) of first-time buyers spent the most they could afford on their home, compared to 68% of repeat buyers. This indicates that first-time buyers, including Millennials, may be stretching themselves financially to purchase their home. When it comes to the down payment, savings from outside an RRSP was the main source for first-time buyers. This suggest there is an opportunity to further educate first-time buyers about other options to help fund their down payment, such as the Government of Canadas Home Buyers Plan (HBP).
To get assistance with the mortgage process, first-time buyers contacted, on average, 2 brokers and 3 lenders. First-time buyer satisfaction levels with mortgage brokers and lenders remains high. However, mortgage professionals could further increase satisfaction levels by conducting more post-transaction follow-up and by providing clients with more information on closing costs, house purchase fees, interest rates, and steps involved in buying a home. CMHCs Step by Step guide is a valuable tool for mortgage professionals to share with homebuyers to ensure they feel confident throughout the entire homebuying process.
https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/housing-observer-online/2018-housing-observer/most-first-time-homebuyers-spending-all-they-can-afford
