Refinancing
is the process that pays the existing mortgage and/or any other legal
claims against the property and sets-up a completely new mortgage(s).
There are many reasons as to why you should consider refinancing your
mortgage:
Consolidate debts:
If
your monthly bills have gotten out of control, you might be able to
refinance your home and pay them off. The advantage of doing this is
to lower your total monthly payments. You should have a mortgage
specialist review your situation and make a recommendation.
Refinance a First & Second Mortgage into a new First:
If you have two mortgages on the same property, you can combine them into
a new first mortgage, as long as the total amount does not exceed 90%
of the value of the property. If the new mortgage is over 75% of the
value of the property, normal CMHC/GE Capital premiums and guidelines
apply, and one thing to remember here is that only outstanding amounts
can be combined - any discharge penalties and costs must be paid
separately at closing (please note that we have cash-back programs to
help with these penalties).
Financing a Renovation:
If you are doing major renovations (spending over $15,000), it could be
less painful monthly with a mortgage as opposed to a loan or line of
credit.
Financing the purchase of other investments:
You can use the equity in your home to finance the purchase of
investments, and also benefit from the lower carrying costs of a
secured line of credit or mortgage and also write-off the interest
costs against the taxable incomes.
Financing the purchase of investment property:
If you have the equity and have a desire to be a landlord, you could take
equity out of your property by refinancing the mortgage to use towards
the purchase of an investment property. This is also called leveraging
of your assets.
Financing children's education:
The
best thing we can do for our children is be good role models to them,
teach them to be responsible citizens, and give them a good base with
a good education. With the high cost of many things nowadays, as well
as education, it is sometimes difficult to have that kind of money in
the bank, but you many have it in the form of equity in your home.
Education is something they will never lose on.
To refinance your mortgage today to your advantage, simply APPLY ONLINE
NOW with no obligation whatsoever.
Closing Costs related to Refinancing:
The regular costs related to the refinancing process are: appraisal
($150-$214), legal fees & disbursements ($700-$1000), title
insurance if survey not available ($225), CMHC/GE Capital Premium if
mortgage is high-ratio (this cost can be added to mortgage), PST when
CMHC/GE Capital premium is required, and any discharge penalties.
You should review your
mortgage on a regular basis and keep up with new products and offers
that are available - they may save you a bundle. When you break your
mortgage contract to renew your mortgage at a new rate and a new term,
you are faced with a prepayment charge to reimburse your financial
institution for the lost interest income. Typically, this prepayment
charge is based on the greater amount of either 3 months interest or
the interest rate differential (IRD).
Early Renewal
Whether or not you
should early-renew your mortgage depends on several factors. If the
current rates are lower than the rate you have, compare the prepayment
charge against the savings by having the lower rate, and this will
point the way. Or, if you believe that interest rates will be higher
at your existing renewal date, you can renew early to protect yourself
from higher rates.
One thing to remember
if you decide to early renew, is the prepayment charge will have to be
paid up front. If there is room, you can add it to your mortgage, but
you will have to go through a lawyer to redo the mortgage, and this
cost will have to be taken into consideration when deciding which way
to go. Some financial institutions will blend both rates for the new
term.
Remember that we have
the CASH-BACK programs that could pay for your prepayment charge. The
savings in some situations run into the thousands of dollars.
Re-examine your
mortgage from time to time, and at least once a year. There are
thousands of dollars that could be saved in many situations, but they
go unnoticed.
Switching / Renewing
When the mortgage is about to mature, most lenders will mail out their
renewal agreements around 30 days before the mortgage matures. Often,
this causes a lot of grief for many people, especially if rates start
to climb just before the mortgage comes due.
We can guarantee your rates up to 120 days (4 months) before your
mortgage comes due, and this service is free and with no obligations.
Just this protection could and has saved thousands of dollars for our
clients. Let's get it working for you, too.
When your mortgage is due for renewal, it's a great opportunity to
make sure that you've got the right mortgage for your present needs.
Since the mortgage is fully open at this time, this is the perfect
opportunity to pay down your mortgage. Whatever you can afford, even a
small amount, will have a significant impact in terms of interest you
will save over the life of the mortgage. It is also a great
opportunity at this time to consider a more frequent payment method,
such as bi-weekly or weekly, if you are not already doing it. And of
course, choosing the new term is important.
Another step you can take to save thousands of dollars in interest is
if at renewal the rates are lower than the rate you just had, and you
are comfortable with making those payments, keep the payments the same
at the lower rate and start planning for the mortgage-burning party.