25 Sep

Turn the house you like into the Home you will buy!

General

Posted by: Tina Card

Government restrictions on refinance guidelines have reduced the equity homeowners can access for renovations. High ratio buyers especially, in a flat market, may wait years before the house has appreciated enough that an 80% LTV refinance provides any money. If home buyers want to do upgrades, the time of purchase may be the only opportunity, for years they can add the cost of the renovations to the mortgage.

Use the Purchase plus Improvements to:

• Add a new or updated kitchen
• Develop the basement for more living space or visiting friends & relatives
• Update or replace the carpeting or maybe adding hardwood
• Add a garage or workroom
• Add a media room or “man cave”
• A new additional bathroom with maybe a jetted tub
• A new roof
• A more efficient central air or furnace system
• Add new siding, eaves or fascia
• Replace or updating doors and windows
• Add major landscaping

If the property isn’t exactly what they want: renovate, add, or upgrade it!

There are specific requirements for the purchase plus improvements program, please call to learn the details. Exceptions to the generally understood parameters are available.  Renovating up front may be your buyers best option.

25 Sep

7 sure-fire ways to grow your credit score

General

Posted by: Tina Card

Have you ever wished for a simplified guide on how to actually GROW your credit score? Well, today is your lucky day! We have had years of experience working with individuals who come to us with poor or damaged credit and we have found 7 steps that prove to be tried and true in fixing it. 

First off though—why are we so focused in on credit scores? Simply put, your credit score details your history of borrowing money. It shows how timely you are on payments; how responsible you are with it and how you manage it.

In a Nutshell: Your credit score represents to the lender that you have proven yourself capable of paying your bills on time and are responsible when managing credit. Your credit score will also impact the interest rate that you receive. So, when we are talking about mortgages, your credit score=very important.

Now that we have that covered, here are our 7 sure-fire ways to grow your credit and make the mortgage application process, a breeze:

1. Have at least 2 credit lines at all times
This means that you should always have 2 “tradelines” going. Whether this is 2 credit cards, a credit card and a line of credit and a car loan etc. You want to show that you can manage credit, and this is one easy way to do it. As an added note, the limit on the credit lines will need to be set at a minimum $2,000.

2. Make your payments on time each and every month
No skipped payments! You should ALWAYS make the minimum payment required on all your lines of credit each month.

3. Do not let your credit be pulled too often.
This one is something people often forget about. Having your credit pulled for new credit cards, car loans, and other things frequently raise a red flag for lenders and can significantly lower your credit score

4. Do not exceed 50% of the available credit limit on your credit card or credit line.
We know this one can be hard to do. One easy way to monitor this is to only use a credit card for certain fixed bills; such as a cable/internet bill, cell-phone bill, etc. This way you can easily keep track of what credit you have used and what is available still.

5. If you have missed a payment, get back on track right away.
If you did, by chance, miss a payment, do not fret. Instead, get back on track with your month by month payments. Lenders would look at the one missed payment as an abnormality versus a normal occurrence if you are back on track by the following month.

6. Make sure each partner has their own credit.
We cannot tell you how frustrating it can be for couples when they realize that all their credit cards and lines of credit are only under one name…leaving the other person with no proven track record of managing credit! We advise clients to both grow their credit by making sure all joint accounts report for you both.

7. Do not exceed the Credit limit.
It is important to not go over or exceed the credit limit you have been given. Having overdrawn credit, shows the lender that you are not able to responsibly manage credit.

If you follow these 7 steps and are responsible with your credit, you will have no problem when it comes time to purchase a home! In need of more advice? Please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime!

25 Sep

5 Things to Consider When Buying an Acreage or Country Property

General

Posted by: Tina Card

HOW MANY ACRES ARE YOU PURCHASING? 

For conventional mortgages,  lenders will finance a certain number of acres, a house & a garage. The number of acres that they will consider can vary based on the property location and the norm for that area. The minimum down payment can also vary based on the size and location of the land.  For example, a property that is close to a major urban area and under 10 acres would most likely be approved with 20% down payment. If it is a larger acreage 30+ acres and not within an hour of a major urban area, the minimum down payment will likely increase.

For high-ratio / CMHC insured mortgages with a minimum of 5% down,  they will approve and insure the value of the house, garage and the `residential component` of the land. If the norm / average acreage size for the area is 20 acres, this is what they will approve in land value. If it is 160k – then this is what they will approve. However, if you purchases a 160 acre acreage and all of the acreages surrounding it are only 20 acres – CMHC will likely only give value to the first 20 acres of land and the buyers will have to pay out of pocket for the value of the remaining land as determined by an appraisal.

It is typically easier to secure financing on CMHC insured Mortgages and it is not uncommon for lenders to require the mortgage is insured even if the buyers have a 20% down payment based on the purchase price. If it is a large acreage, has outbuildings of major value or is a mobile or modular home – these are all things that could result in either a larger down payment requirement and / or mortgage default insurance.

If there is no home on the property a mortgage is not available and one would require a land loan. Land loans typically start at a minimum of 25% down payment and go up from there based on the location, size and value of the property, they also often come at slightly higher interest rates.

WHAT ABOUT No mortgage unless there is good water! Potability reports are needed for all well water and flow rate, this will be requested either upfront with the lender approval or at the lawyers before closing. Some insurers will also request a copy of the Septic Inspection report.POTABILITY? 

WHAT ABOUT ZONING? Country residential is the easiest to finance. However, if the land is zoned Agricultural, but used as residential (no farming or commercial component) the lenders and insurers will consider this as well. Agricultural & Farmland that derives income is more difficult to finance. Lenders are wary as it is difficult to foreclose on agricultural land and if the Agricultural land has a farming component or income lender options become much more limited and down payment requirements increase.

WHAT IF THE PROPERTY HAS OUT BUILDINGS? Mortgages are for a house, garage and land – and that’s all. If the property has an outbuilding of value the effective value of the property will often be reduced by the lender or insurer, and this will affect the down payment requirements.

For example, if a client is purchasing a small acreage for 800k , and there are a brand new large heated shop, horse corrals and an arena on the property that the appraiser values in total at $ 160k, this would be deducted from the purchase price in the lenders eyes bringing the effective value down to 640k (800k-160k). The buyer would then need to have a minimum 6.1% down payment based on the 640k effective value ($39k) PLUS 160k to make up the difference (value of outbuildings) for a total of $ 199,000. Even though the buyer is technically putting more than 20% down based on the contract purchase price, the lender and insurer would consider this to be financed at 94% of the value of the home, garage and land and a CMHC premium would apply.

OTHER FINANCING FACTORS TO CONSIDER: You may need to allow extra time for conditions to be removed on acreage purchases as  CMHC appraisals and well water testing can cause delays.

As always with mortgage financing, the buyer plays an important role. For strong clients, the lender may make an exception to their policies. 

Article was written by Corey Lewis, Jencor Mortgagee