The decision to choose a fixed or variable rate is not always an easy one. It should depend on your tolerance for risk as well as your ability to withstand increases in mortgage payments.

YOU CAN SOMETIMES EXPECT A FINANCIAL REWARD FOR GOING WITH THE VARIABLE RATE, ALTHOUGH THE PRECISE MAGNITUDE WILL EBB AND FLOW DEPENDING ON THE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT.

Fixed rate mortgages often appeal to clients who want stability in their payments, manage a tight monthly budget, or are generally more conservative. For example, young couples with large mortgages relative to their income might be better off opting for the peace of mind that a fixed-rate brings.

A variable rate mortgage often allows the borrower to take advantage of lower rates – the interest rate is calculated on an ongoing basis at a lenders’ prime rate minus or plus a set percentage. For example, if the current prime mortgage rate is 5.5 percent, the holder of a prime minus 0.5 percent mortgage would pay a 5.00 percent variable interest rate.

As a consumer, the best option is to have a candid discussion with your mortgage professional to ensure you have a full understanding of the risks and rewards of each type of mortgage.

If you are looking for a new home, be sure you are pre-approved. With a mortgage pre-approval, a licensed mortgage professional can do a more complete verification prior to sending you shopping for a home, and with that done, the dollar figure you are going shopping with is actually what you can spend.

The mortgage professional that you work with to get pre-approved will let you know for certain what you can afford based on lender and insurer criteria, and what your payments on a specific mortgage will be.

Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professionals can lock-in an interest rate for you for anywhere from 60 – 120 days while you shop for your perfect home. By locking in an interest rate, you are guaranteed to get a mortgage for at least that rate or better. If interest rates drop, your locked-in rate will drop as well. However, if the interest rates go up, your locked-in interest rate will not, ensuring you get the best rate throughout the mortgage pre-approval process.

In order to get pre-approved for a mortgage, a mortgage professional requires a short list of information that will allow them to determine your buying power. A mortgage professional will explain to you the benefits of shorter or longer mortgage terms, the latest programs available, which mortgage products they believe will most likely meet your needs the best, plus they will review all of the other costs involved with purchasing a home.

Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is something every potential home buyer should do before going shopping for a new home. A pre-approval will give you the confidence of knowing that financing is available, and it can put you in a very positive negotiation position against other home buyers who aren’t pre-approved.

Mortgage Insurance Provides a Quick, Easy And Affordable Solution to Protect Your Investment.

Buying a home is one of the single largest purchases you will make in your lifetime. At Dominion Lending Centres we also believe it is an investment in you and your family’s financial future… an investment that needs to be protected.

45% of uninsured Canadians included life insurance among their top five financial priorities and 21% ranked it in their top three – yet they still have no coverage.

76% of parents said they worry about their family’s financial situation in case of their death according to a recent Ipsos Reid report.

What would your family do if something unfortunate happened and they were left to make the mortgage payments on their own?

Mortgage Protection Insurance protects your investment while helping secure your family’s financial well being in the event of death of you and/or your spouse. Should something tragic result in the passing of you or your spouse, the mortgage on your home would be paid off, allowing surviving family members to use other existing insurance to carry on with life, maintain their lifestyle and recover from your loss.

The mortgage insurance offered through Dominion Lending Centres has some great features that traditional bank mortgage insurance doesn’t provide. That includes portability – so when it is time to renew your mortgage you won’t lose your coverage (or have to re-qualify) no matter how many times you change homes or lenders in the future – and premiums don’t increase with changes in health or as you get older.

In addition, Mortgage Protection Plan includes two vital insurance products for your mortgage protection: Life Insurance and Total Disability Insurance.

With this coverage in place, your mortgage is protected not just in the event of death, but also if a serious accident or illness leaves you unable to work. Most traditional term life policies only cover you in the event of death.

HOW TO APPLY

Your Dominion Lending Centre mortgage professional can walk you through the ins-and-outs of mortgage life insurance, the applicable costs, as well as provide you with instant coverage and a money back guarantee, just in case you choose alternative coverage and cancel your policy within 60 days.

Talk to your Dominion Lending Broker or Agent today, and make the simple choice to protect your mortgage with life and disability insurance today.

Many people find that one of the easiest and most affordable ways to access money is through the equity that they have accumulated in their home. This is a very popular option, especially when you have an excellent first mortgage in place.

Using home equity to your advantage

Canadians purchase homes for a variety of reasons. Some want the stability of owning their own home, while others also look at home ownership as an investment vehicle. No matter what the reason, the truth is that home ownership has proven itself to be a good stable investment over time, and one which many Canadians are profiting from.

While many people have chosen to purchase their first home during these times of lower interest rates, there has also been a large movement to refinance home loans and pull out equity for home improvements, investments, college expenses, and even high interest debt consolidation. Canadians have been borrowing against their home’s equity in record numbers, taking out billions of dollars in cash each year.

In years past, many saw their homes as a shelter of safety, yet today, they are more than ever before, willing to borrow against the equity owned in their homes to further their investment portfolios, get out of debt, send their children to university, make improvements to their home, or even boost their RRSP contributions. Where home equity was once sat upon, today it is often used to one’s advantage.

While removing equity from your home can be a good idea, you should do so with caution and fully understand the benefits and possible risks. The best thing you can do is to consult a licensed mortgage professional and financial planner to discuss opportunities to make your home’s equity work for you

While most Canadians spend a lot of time, and expend a lot of effort, in shopping for an initial mortgage, the same is generally not the case when looking at mortgage term renewals.

By omitting proper consideration at the time of renewal, this practice costs Canadian citizens thousands of extra dollars every year. Nearly 60% of borrowers simply sign and send back their renewal that is first offered to them by their lender without ever shopping around for a more favourable interest rate.

Homeowners should never accept the first rate offer from their existing lender. Without any negotiation, simply signing up for the market rate on a renewal is unnecessarily costing the homeowner a lot of money on their mortgage.

Generally it is a good idea to start shopping for a new term between four and six months before your current mortgage term expires. Many lenders send out your renewal letter very close to the time that your term expires and this does not give you ample time to arrange for a mortgage term through a different lender. This means that you need to be tracking your own mortgage term timeframe and know when it is time to start shopping for a good mortgage renewal rate.

Before you ever hear from your lender about renewing your mortgage term, have a licensed mortgage professional shop around for you, you will be amazed at what they can accomplish on your behalf!

Your mortgage is one of your biggest expenses. For this reason it is imperative to find the best interest rates and mortgage terms you possibly can. By shopping around at renewal time you can save substantial amounts of money over the life of your mortgage loan. Don’t be one of the 60% who just simply sign their renewal letter and send it back. Use the services of a licensed Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional to ensure the lenders compete for your business.

Mortgage professionals work for you, and not the banks; therefore, they work in your best interest.

From the first consultation to the signing of your mortgage, their services are free.

A fee is charged only for the most challenging credit solutions, and it’s especially under those circumstances that a mortgage professional can do for you what your bank cannot.

There are generally two ways to get a mortgage in Canada: From a bank or from a licensed mortgage professional.

While a bank only offers the products from their particular institution, licensed mortgage professionals send millions of dollars in mortgage business each year to Canada’s largest banks, credit unions, trust companies, and financial institutions; offering their clients more choice, and access to hundreds of mortgage products!

As a result, clients benefit from the trust, confidence, and security of knowing they are getting the best mortgage for their needs.

Whether you’re purchasing a home for the first time, taking out equity from your home for investment or pleasure, or your current mortgage is simply up for renewal, it’s important that you are making an educated buying decision with professional unbiased advice.

Antonietta is your experienced mortgage broker in Campbell River, Courtenay, and Comox Valley.

The First-Time Home Buyer Incentive helps qualified first-time homebuyers reduce their monthly mortgage carrying costs without adding to their financial burdens. Click on above link to find out more.