Take your pick!

The worst kinds of calls to get as a mortgage broker is when someone calls and asks for your best 5 year fixed rate. My answer typically is that it depends. Although I know what the rock bottom 5 year fixed rate is for that particular day, there is no guarantee that is what they will get.

You see after 30 seconds of being on the phone with someone I don’t know their credit, weather they are buying or refinancing, if the transaction would be high ratio or not and if they are self employed and require a stated income mortgage. All these things are required to determine what rate you will eventually receive.

Judging a mortgage by it’s rate is like shopping for a vehicle based solely on the horsepower. There is so much more to consider. This is why when working with a client I need all the documents upfront upon application so we can together find the best mortgage product that meets their needs.

The best rate comes with the best product that meets my clients particular needs at this particular time in their life. Sometimes is 12% , or 4.99% or even better 1.54%. Every situation is different so it’s best to get to know you so together we can find what works best.

I look forward to hearing from you in regards to your mortgage needs.

Pat

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

Just good enough is NOT good enough!

Sure just getting a passing grade will probably mean that you will graduate high school but just scraping by is not a recipe for success in life. I am sure there are many careers for you if you just want to put in your time, get a pay check and drink with your buddies.

You wouldn’t want the doctor who barely passed med school to operate on you. The lawyer who squeaked by the bar exam to represent you in court. The accountant did the minimum requirements for their CA designation to prevent you from getting audited.

Let’s face it if you have a tooth ache you don’t try to do your own dental work. We all know what it looks like if you cut your own hair ( for those lucky few who still have lots of hair). There are many back yard mechanics out there but I wouldn’t go to them if my vehicle needed serious repairs.

The same applies to your mortgage. It’s because there are lots of brokers and lenders out there that you need to work with someone who will help you sort through it all and find the best product that meets your particular needs. Be aware that shopping for rate alone may come back to haunt you when you find out your lender doesn’t have a portability clause, or calculates your penalty on posted rates or that your mortgage is locked in and closed and you can only break it with the power of sale.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit” Will Durant 1926 ( Sorry not Aristotle folks)

I look forward to hearing from you in regards to your mortgage needs.

Pat

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

One of “Those” Days!

Let’s face it we all have one of those days where we just have to put on our big boy or big girl pants and put one foot in front of the other and just keep moving forward. It happens to the best of us. Just know that I am right there with you.

Together we will get there.

‘Vires adquirit eundo’ from Latin meaning we gather strength as we go.

I look forward to hearing from you in regards to your mortgage needs.

Pat

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

It’s all either marketing or sales

If you really think about it, everything you do is either marketing or sales. If you are married, you have made a sale. If you are single and on a dating platform then you’re marketing. If you employed for someone else then you have made a sale to get hired. If you are self employed then you are marketing for new business.

We are either selling our selves or our services. But when you actually come to think about it, it is much more enjoyable buying than being sold. When you know exactly what you want it is so much easier to say no to everything that is not in alignment with your goal.

My goal is to provide my clients with the information that they require so they can make their own informed decisions about one of the biggest commitments of their lives. There are hundreds of lenders and thousands of different mortgage products available to choose from. So it’s safe to say that together we can find a solution that is as unique as you are.

I look forward to hearing from you in regards to your mortgage needs.

Pat

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

Best Real Estate Apps for 2021

If you are in the market to buy your next home there is a very good chance that you also have a smart phone in your pocket. So here is a list of the apps that you should have to make your house hunting a little bit easier.

Let’s start with the most popular app Realtor.ca. It will help you whether you are looking for your dream home, next home or your investment property. This app with help you with your real estate search from coast to coast.

This one is pretty cool. Try Zolo.ca. It says that it is powered by MLS and that it’s listings are updated every 15 minutes so you will know when that hot property hits the market. Experience is similar to Trulia & Zillow which are huge in the US. However if you live in Manitoba or in Quebec you will be out of luck for the moment.

This one is my personal favourite, Viewpoint.ca. Everything you wanted to know about finding the perfect home in Nova Scotia. Sorry rest of Canada. I have used this app to look up comparable sales, to tax assessed values and previous sales prices. Find your perfect neighbourhood and the map will tell you what’s available and what has sold recently and for how much.

My go to app for calculating mortgage payments on fly is Canadian Mortgage App. If I am not in front of my computer then this what I use. Pre qualify ( not the same as a pre approval) for the property that you looking at based on your debts & income. Find out what your payments would be on the house you just looked at or the new listing that just popped up.

Let’s just face it we don’t all have the same sense of style regarding interior design. That’s why Houzz is great. They are billed as the social networking site for home improvement, interior design & architecture. Lots of great DIY ideas and tips to improve that house to make it your dream home.

Last but not least, you are going to need to sign some documents to close on your property. I will give you three options here. I use Zoho Sign, as the rest of my business is run on Zoho. Other brokers I know use Sign Now and then there is Docusign.

I look forward to hearing from you in regards to your mortgage needs.

Pat

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

Not created equal

Sometimes when things appear similar on the surface are in fact vastly different. My twin daughters for example, both extremely smart but couldn’t be more different. My 5K run vs your 5K run, yes the distance may be the same but you could be training hills while I am running flats. My Nissan Pathfinder vs my friends Pathfinder, same vehicle but two different dealership experiences and reliability histories.

The same can be said about your mortgage experience. Even when rates are similar, lenders can vary widely with pre payment privileges, qualifications and credit guidelines. This can also apply between brokers and with the same lender. This will all have to do what process they use.

If the bank and or broker that you are using has gotten you approved without requesting your income confirmation or reviewing all your documents then they have given you a disservice. There is a reason why I don’t post rates on my website it’s because every situation and every client is different. The best way to ensure that they’re no surprises for myself or the client is to obtain all the potential documents upfront and throughly review them prior to submission.

I like to have as little stress as possible in the whole transaction for all involved. So going over everything upfront prevents that from happening and provides a much simpler funding for clients, brokers and lenders.

I look forward to hearing from you in regards to your mortgage needs.

Pat

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

The path of least resistance

I just love this quote, and really rings true when we are talking about your mortgage renewal. This is because it is so easy just to sign the mortgage renewal from the big 5 bank and get back to your day. Other than signing the renewal statement you don’t have to do anything else. However what you don’t realize is that you will be paying through the nose. The banks are counting on you to take the avenue of least resistance as this is how they will make the most money.

Here is the thing, the big 5 banks are very competitive with the broker channel when it comes to you taking out the initial mortgage in most cases. However when it comes to your mortgage renewal they are counting on you being lazy and just signing the renewal statement and returning it to them. In fact they get between 80-90% of the renewals back to the because people are lazy and also because they don’t know any better.

However there is a better way. The big 5 banks are going to send you a renewal statement at posted rates. As of today this means 4.79% for 5 years, 3.49% for 3 years or 2.79% for 1 year. Now depending on whether your mortgage was insured (CMHC or similar) or not, this could mean a rate from 1.84% 5 year fixed ( uninsured) or 1.59% (insured) through the broker channel.

Let’s use an example, say that your uninsured mortgage is coming up for renewal with one of the big 5 banks. Your balance after 5 years is 225K. So at 4.79% 5 year fixed your monthly payment will be $1,453.13 on a 20 year amortization. Now with one of my monoline ( that is what they call non bank lenders) can do it at 1.84% over 5 years, this will give you a payment of $1,120.53 on a 20 year amortization. Now here is the fun part, this will save you $332.60 a month or $19,956 over 5 years.

Now isn’t a little upfront work worth a possible savings of almost 20K over the next 5 years. Now the work is nothing strenuous, it’s just a little paperwork and possibly an appraisal if needed, but this is hardly anything compared to your potential savings over 5 years.

I look forward to hearing from you in regards to your mortgage needs.

Pat

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

Words to live by

I would also add to this, before you purchase get pre approved.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Pat

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

Stock up on the #Stormchips

According to Enviroment Canada we are in for a good old fashioned winter storm tomorrow. We could have up to 40cm. Check out this link from the Red Cross to make sure that you are prepared. Also when it comes time to shovel, make sure that you do it safely and these tips from the Mayo Clinic may help.

Also there is talk about a big sporting event later today, but I have to say I am more interested in what we will be eating than the actual event.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Pat

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

Mom’s Favourite Mortgage Broker

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