Refinancing
There are many reasons why you might want to refinance, or
increase, your existing mortgage - to consolidate non-mortgage
debt, to finance improvements to your home, etc. Let us help you
negotiate with your existing lender or switch to a new lender who
will give you a more favourable rate. There are many factors to
consider when refinancing your mortgage.
Consolidate other debt
Most unsecured debt is priced by your bank at a higher rate than
your mortgage in order to compensate them for the higher risk of
loss if you default. For many people it only makes sense to use
available home equity to pay out this debt, as it typically
reduces interest costs significantly. If the total of the existing
mortgage and the debt to be refinanced is less than 80% of the
value of your home, and you qualify in terms of income and credit
standing, refinancing your first mortgage should be a breeze.
Renovations & home improvements
If you want to spend a significant amount of money on improving
your home, you may be able to take out a lot more equity than you
realized! I can advise you through this process. Both insurers -
Genworth and CMHC, will insure new mortgages which are "topped up"
for this purpose, and the total of your current mortgage and the
new funds exceeds 80% of the current home value. Not all
improvements are eligible, however. Pools and spas are typical
"over-improvements" which may not qualify for a high-ratio equity
take-out. Of course, if the total requirement is less than 80% of
your home's current value, you should have little trouble getting
the "top up" you need - regardless of the degree of luxury you
plan to add.
Combining existing mortgages
Where the combined mortgages result in one "high ratio"
mortgage:
If neither (or none) of the mortgages you're combining was ever
insured, but combining them results in a high-ratio situation,
you'll be required to pay an insurance premium. You need to look
closely at the total savings the combination will give you, in
order to determine whether this is financially worthwhile.
Where the combined mortgages result in a new "conventional"
mortgage:
High ratio insurance is not required. As long as you qualify with
your income and credit standing, I will help you achieve this
quickly and conveniently. In both cases there is one critical
consideration which causes the failure of many such refinances.
The new mortgage often requires a fraction of the cash flow
previously needed to service the now consolidated debt. Many who
go through this process not only absorb the cash flow savings into
an improved lifestyle - they either re-incur debt that they paid
out, or incur debt for which they now qualify - or both. It is
important to approach such a consolidation/re-combination of
obligations with the clear and focused goal of applying all
savings toward paying down the mortgage. Otherwise, the new
mortgage will be a burden, rather than a solution.
Breaking a closed mortgage to transfer to a new lender
Many closed mortgages have the feature that allows the balance to
be paid out with a penalty after a certain time has elapsed on the
mortgage. Check the "prepayment" clause in your mortgage to
determine your own situation, or better still, call your
institution and ask them the cost of paying out in full.
