To get out of debt, you need a plan and you need to execute that plan. That’s why I’ve created this simple, five-step, get-out-of-debt checklist that can help you leave that financial burden behind you.

As you work on your plan, you’ll need to make all necessary adjustments to your budget along the way so you don’t overspend and slide back into debt. Plus, if you don’t have an emergency fund, consider setting some money aside in savings beforehand.

Keep this checklist someplace where you’ll see it often (like your refrigerator door ), and make it your goal to check a task off the list each day (or each week), depending on how quickly you want to become debt-free.

1- Make a list
Take all your bills and put them in a chart that includes: the name of creditor, interest rate, balance, minimum monthly payment. Figure out how long it will take you to pay the balance down to zero. Many credit card statements now feature this.

2. Lower your rates
This is easier than you think. Call up each of your credit card companies starting with the ones with the highest interest rates and ASK them to lower your interest rate. You can tell them that other credit cards are offering lower rates and you wanted to let them keep your business. They won’t give you an answer on the phone but you should receive a letter with a new lower rate within a couple of weeks. Another possible solution is a balance transfer. Often a credit card company will allow you to transfer your balance from another card to theirs and they charge you 0% for 6 months. They assume that you will see zero being added and will spend more. Show them that you are disciplined and keep paying the balance down as if it was still at 19%. Consider getting a debt consolidation loan. If you have a home with equity you can often get a very good rate and clear up all your debts. Often you can get these loans at considerably less than your credit cards. Once again, keep your monthly payments up as if you were still paying a credit card of 19% interest and your balance will go down quickly.
Next contact your car loan company. If you have been paying your loan on time they may lower your rates. Now you are ready to tackle the utility companies. In Alberta the gas/electric companies really want your business. You can often get a better rate just by threatening to switch. This also works with cellphone companies. They often have better plans than the one you are on but will only offer it when you say you are going to leave.

3. Get your Number
What is the amount you need to pay off all your debts? Now that you have a number in mind you can set a goal. Can you pay this off in six months? 12 months? two years?
Get your credit score number. How much does it have to improve before you can qualify to buy a house? Check with your Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker for help getting this.

4. Make a plan
What will be your target debt? Is it the credit card balance with the highest interest rate? The lowest balance? Set a short term goal to pay one card off in a manageable amount of time. One down and three to go sounds better than tackling all the debt at once. Pay each debt off one by one. Does your community library offer debt counselling financing planning courses? Consider signing up for one.

5 – Monitor your progress
How quickly are the debts coming down? Is your credit score going up? It should if the debts are coming down.
Do you have to adjust your plan to make your deadlines? Don’t be discouraged. Large companies make plans and set budgets and then adjust them quarterly based on how the previous three months performance was.
Stick with your plan and if you show some self-discipline you can achieve your goals in time. Finally, tell your local Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker what your goal is and what your timeline is. They will be happy to help you along the way. Nothing makes them happier than to tell people like you that they are approved for home financing.

Written by David Cooke

There are generally three different situations you can find yourself in when it comes to living situations; living with parents, renting, or owning.

A lot of the times the first decision someone will need to make is whether they buy a home to live in, buy a home to rent to someone else, or buy a home to live in while also renting out a portion of it. There are lots of pro’s and con’s to both. Below are some of the numbers and things to consider when looking at each of them.

Buying with The Intention to Rent
Buying a property for the purposes of renting it out to someone else comes with different qualifying criteria and different mortgage product options. The following are some of the important points to consider:

• The minimum down payment required is 20% of the property price and this down payment must be from your own savings. It cannot be gifted from someone else.
• Only a portion of the rental income can be used for the qualifying of how much of a mortgage you can afford to borrow. Some lenders only use 50% of the income and add it to yours. Others may look at taking 80% of the rental income and subtracting your expenses which can have a much higher impact on how much you can afford.
• Interest rates usually have a premium on them when the mortgage is for a rental property compared to a mortgage being requested for a property someone plans on living in. This premium can be anywhere from 0.10% to 0.20% on a regular 5-year fixed rate.

The following is a typical scenario you can expect to qualify for in a rental situation:

$450,000 purchase price
$90,000 down payment (20%)
$360,000 mortgage
$1,665 monthly mortgage payment

$1,400 in monthly rental income
$66,500 a year in income
$0 month in consumer debt payments

Buying with The Intention to Own
Buying with the intention of living in the property as your primary residence is the most common and the guidelines are well known:

• 5% minimum down payment from own resources or from gifted funds coming from an immediate family member.
• Insurance premium for having less than 20% as a down payment
• Lowest interest rates available for high ratio purchases of home becoming owner occupied (Loan-to-value of more than 80%)
• If first time home buyers, you may be able to utilize grants and avoid property transfer taxes which you will not receive on the purchase of a rental.

The following is a typical scenario you can expect to qualify for in an owner-occupied situation:

$450,000 purchase price
$22,500 down payment (5%)
$444,600 mortgage
$2,039.63 monthly mortgage payment

$97,000 a year in income
$300 in monthly debt payments

Buying with The Intention of Both

Owner-occupied properties with a rental are really the best of both worlds. Only issue is, it needs to be a self-contained suite. Therefore, second bedrooms in town-homes or condos do not qualify. It is typically only detached homes with rental suites that are allowed but the rate premiums and minimum down payments fall under the owner-occupied side. Below is a typical scenario you could expect with this kind of purchase:

$1,000,000 purchase price
$100,000 down payment (10%)
$927,900 mortgage
$4,256 monthly mortgage payment

$1,200 in monthly rental income
$175,000 a year in income
$750 month in consumer debt payments

Please reach out to a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional today if you would like to discuss the different options that are available to you and whether or not any one of these scenarios could potentially work for you.

Written by Ryan Oake

A few years ago, I met with my Home Equity Bank representative. He was trying to encourage me to go visit my financial adviser referral partners to offer the Chip Reverse Mortgage product. I explained that I did not know anyone who had a reverse mortgage so it was hard to promote to financial advisers or anyone.

I asked him to tell me a success story and he came back with a great one that ticked most of the boxes. A couple in their mid-70s had met with a financial adviser to go over their portfolio and financial situation. They wanted to sell some of their investments to get a little cash.

What the adviser saw troubled him. The couple had about $200 a month left over after they paid for their bills and groceries. What’s more , they were driving a 20-year-old car, their home needed repairs and they hadn’t been on a vacation in years. It was a classic case of house rich, cash poor.

The adviser contacted Home Equity Bank and they appraised the house. The couple were eligible for $200,000 based on the value of their home. They took this money and the adviser invested a little more than half in funds that would provide them with $1100 a month in income. They took $25,000 and bought a new car, did some repairs to their home and took a vacation. They took the balance and used it to help out their grandchildren with university with tuition. With one move, they were able to increase their cash flow, make their home more comfortable, do repairs, enjoy their retirement and help out family.

Now that it’s fall and the spring home-buying rush is over, perhaps it’s time for you Dominion Lending Centres mortgage brokers out there to see if you can help out another segment of the population. Contact your financial adviser partners, your certified Seniors Real Estate Specialists and past clients with elderly parents. There are a lot more people out there that could use your help.

Written by David Cooke

The purchase price you negotiate when buying or selling a home is just one part of the total cost for buying a home. In addition to the purchase price there are several other fees – known as closing costs – all of which you need to factor in to your purchase price.

Closing costs tend to be hidden costs when buying a home. It’s not a set number, but a compilation of various administrative, legal fees and other one-time expenses associated with the purchase of a home that are due on the completion date.

These costs can add up, so you’ll need to factor these costs into your cash-on-hand budget.

Many first-time home buyers under estimate the amount of cash they will need for closing costs. Typically, you’ll want to budget between 1.5% and 4% of the purchase price of a resale home to cover closing costs.

Of course, these are estimates — the actual amount you will need could be higher or lower, depending on factors like where you live, the type of home you’re buying, or if it’s a new construction (+5% GST).

To help you plan the purchase of your property, here’s a snapshot of the extra fees you can expect to pay once you’ve settled on the price of your home.
o Legal Fees
o Title Insurance
o Fire Insurance
o Adjustments
o Property Transfer Tax (PTT)
o GST
o and more…

Here’s an overview of what you can expect.

Legal Fees: Legal/Notarial Fees and Disbursements. The lawyer/notary is the person who goes through all the paperwork and makes sure that everything is legitimate and binding. They confirm that all the items that were agreed to by the buyer, seller/builder, and lender are written and worded correctly. Your legal representative should also be able to walk you through each document that you sign so that you understand what you’re agreeing to. Legal fees range from $500 to $2,500. You will also need to reimburse them for their out-of-pocket costs that they incurred while handling the various searches and registrations, including title insurance (see below), property and execution searches, and the registration of the mortgage and deed. These disbursements are repaid to the lawyer on the closing date, as well as incidentals such as couriers, certified cheques, and photocopying, the land transfer tax, the down payment, and any interest adjustments.

Title Insurance: Title refers to the legal ownership of the property. The deed is the physical legal document that transfers the title from one person(s) to another. Both the title and deed of the home must be registered with a land registrar.

Most lenders require title insurance as a condition of granting you a mortgage. Your lawyer or notary helps you purchase this.

Title insurance protects you from title fraud, identity theft and forgery, municipal work orders, zoning violations and other property defects. It can also protect you against fees and costs that were not caught in the searches your lawyer conducted prior to the sale (Yes this can happen!).

Title insurance premiums range from $150-$500 depending on the value of the property.

Fire/Home Insurance: Mortgage lenders require that you have fire/home insurance in place by the time you complete the purchase of your home.

Property insurance protects you in case of fire, windstorms or other disasters. It covers your home’s replacement value. The amount required is at least the amount of the mortgage or the replacement cost of the home. This cost can vary on the property size and extras being insured, as well as the insurance company and the municipality. Home insurance can vary anywhere from $400 per year for condos to $2,000 for large homes.

Adjustments: An adjustment is a cost to you to pay the seller for the seller prepaying for something related to the house including property taxes, condo fees, heat etc. on your behalf.

Simply put, if you take possession in the middle of a month, the seller has already paid for the whole month and you must pay the seller back for what they’re not using. These adjustments are prorated based on the date you complete your purchase of the home. The most common adjustments are for property taxes, utility bills and condo fees that have been prepaid.

Property transfer tax (PTT) in British Columbia, is a tax charged to you by the province. First-time home buyers are exempt from this fee if they are purchasing a property under $500,000. All home buyers are exempt if they are purchasing a new property under $750,000.
• In British Columbia, the PTT is 1% on the first $200,000 of purchase, 2% over $200,000 & 3% on any value over $2,000,000.

GST is a federal value added tax 5% on the purchase price of a new home. If someone has lived in the home, the home isn’t subject to GST.
• There is a partial GST rebate on new properties under $450,000.

Interest Adjustment Costs: Most lenders expect the first mortgage payment one month after completing the purchase of a home. If you close mid-month, please note some lenders expect the first payment, or at least the interest accrued during that time, on the 1st day of the next month. When arranging your mortgage, ask how interest is collected to the interest adjustment date.

Other closing costs: Will your new home need furniture? Carpets? Lighting? Window coverings? Appliances? Do you have the equipment you need to maintain the lawn and gardens? Are you hiring movers or renting a truck? Will you need boxes, bubble wrap and tape for the move?

While these and other out-of-pocket costs aren’t part of the real estate transaction, you still need to budget for them. Plan your expenses as much as possible. If necessary, decide what you can put off buying until later, after you move in and get settled. If you have any questions, a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional can help you out.

Written by Kelly Hudson

The Real Estate Bug is something slowly starting to creep it’s way into the demographic of people in my social circle. Some, not all, are beginning to move on from their “Travel Bug” brought on from graduating high school or post-secondary and onto The Real Estate Bug.

The Real Estate Bug doesn’t mean you are out writing offers on homes, nor does it mean you are about to buy your 4th pre-sale. You might not even be able to buy for another two to three years. It is instead the simple feel of being excited about the idea of owning a home soon and preparing yourself to take that leap.

More and more, people are beginning to reach out to find out what they can afford. They may be three months into their job or five years into their job. Savings have just started, or they have enough to make a down payment in the next couple weeks. Whatever the situation, younger people are becoming more interested in real estate because they know their time to buy is fast approaching.

If you don’t believe me, have a look at the scenarios below. This will show you just how much income you’ll need to afford a typical 1-bedroom condo:

Scenario 1
$300,000 purchase price
$30,000 down payment
$278,370 mortgage

Income: $65,000/yr or $31.25/hr

Scenario 2
$385,000 purchase price
$38,500 down payment
$357,241.50 mortgage

Income: $80,000/yr or $38.46/hr

Scenario 3
$450,000 purchase price
$45,000 down payment
$417,555 mortgage

Income: $91,000/yr or $43.75/hr

Now some of you reading this might be shocked at some of the income numbers thinking “how the heck am I going to buy a place when I make half of what is required?” Let me ask you this… Are you renting with someone? What is their income? Are you in a relationship? Could two of you share a 1-bedroom? Could you afford a 2-bedroom and rent out a room to help with your mortgage? Are parents able to co-sign to supplement income?

Buying with someone else immediately drops those requirements by 50%… If you would like to have a conversation, contact a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional near you.

Written by Ryan Oake

There is a lot of misinformation floating around about credit bureaus, credit reports and credit scores – not only that, but a large amount of the clients I work with have never even seen their credit report or score before!

I’d like to shed a bit of light, as they say, on the importance of your credit score and what does (and does not) affect this ever-changing number.

Keeping Your Credit Score Healthy
There are a few ways that you can actively ensure that your credit score is kept at a nice high number:

• Pay your credit cards and other debts on time – this includes bills like your cell phone!
• Pay your parking tickets on time – many people don’t realize that unpaid tickets will affect your credit score.
• When meeting with your mortgage broker, go over your credit report line by line (a service I offer to every one of my clients). They will be able to help you catch any unsubstantiated credit checks, fraudulent activity, and any mistakes by your lenders – and have them removed from your report.
• Have a couple of credit cards or a line of credit on your report…but! Ensure they have reasonable credit limits for each card, and that are not using your limits to their max. *The unofficial rule is only use about 30% of your available credit.
• Don’t apply for credit too often.

My Score Falls Every Time It’s Checked
Not necessarily true. You can personally check your credit report as many times as you like, and your score will not change. What DOES affect your score is a lender or creditor looking into your credit report. The more times lenders check (especially in a short period of time), the greater chance your score is going to decrease. Research has shown that people who are actively seeking credit tend to be people who are at a greater risk of possibly not repaying their credit, or seeking credit beyond their repayment capabilities. Lenders who see a lot of credit report checks also view this as a potential risk of fraudulent behaviour, and will move (by not extending credit) to protect themselves against it.

Decreasing your credit score also functions as a protective mechanism for YOU if someone is trying to fraudulently use your identity to gain credit (for themselves) on your behalf.

The gist here is that you can apply to have your credit checked a few times a year by lenders, and expect to have little to no affect on your score.

Buying a Home? Use a Broker!
Of course, when you are in the process of applying for a mortgage, some people go to more than one bank; all of which will look into your credit report, all within a short amount of time.

One of the great benefits of using a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker is that your mortgage broker will only check your credit once. One check will negate many lenders checking your bureau because your broker knows which lenders will be the best for your personal situation and we can discuss your different mortgage options without needing to have multiple lenders look into your credit!

Written by Eitan Pinsky

As I’ve said many times, one of the single greatest determining factors in whether you can become qualified for a mortgage and the interest rate at which you do, is your credit history. Many people unfortunately don’t know this, and can be completely blind-sided when it comes time to qualifying.

However, the truly unsettling idea about credit scores and their relation to home financing is the fact that most people do not even know they are extremely important even after you have been approved…

Once your offer on a home is accepted and you remove financing conditions, it is your obligation to secure the money needed to close the sale. There are usually a list of conditions one must meet and satisfy in order to obtain the financing they need from a lender. Once that is done, the mortgage will be sent to a real estate lawyer where they will be instructed to finalize everything. This is where all closing costs will be paid and all corresponding money will be sent to the proper parties involved.

However, before any of this is done, one more thing must happen…

Your credit report can be reviewed once again in order to verify your credit history is the same as it was when you were first qualified for a mortgage, sometimes months earlier.

So what happens if you made an offer on a home, got approved for financing, lifted all conditions, and because you also met all the lenders conditions, went out and bought new furniture for your home on a credit card? Well, you may not be able to receive your loan anymore…

If you increase the amount of money you are borrowing through any credit card or bank, miss payments on existing debt, or for any reason alter your credit history from the day you are approved until the final closing day at the lawyer’s office, you run the risk of not being able to complete your purchase.

If you plan on spending any money that isn’t cash and isn’t in a separate account needed for your down payment or closing costs, you need to talk to your broker because it could end horribly for all parties involved and potentially result in legal disputes.

This is the most important purchase and decision you may ever make, why things like this have never been explained in schooling or anything like that is beyond me. That is why it is important to work with an experienced, knowledgeable Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker and make sure you fully understand the process you are about to embark upon.

Written by Ryan Oake

In a previous post, I discussed interest rates and their effect on real estate values. I argued that they did indeed alter buyer perceptions, and consequently value and price. But what about absolute interest rate levels? Is easy money coming to an end?

Many lack any experience of high interest rates
In a June 5, 2017 Globe and Mail article entitled Remember When: What have we learned from the 1980’s and that 21% interest rate?, author Richard Blackwell quotes CIBC World Markets deputy chief economist Benjamin Tal “We have a generation of Canadians who have never experienced high, or even rising, interest rates,”. He goes on to say “For them, those extremely low interest rates are a given.” Are interest rates likely to test those levels in the future? Likely not, for a host of reasons. First, inflationary pressures seem not to be as prevalent. Yes, you could argue there is price volatility, and a quick trip to the local gas station will confirm that opinion. However globalization seems to have had a positive impact over the past several years. The article states that “Low-priced imports from developing countries have helped keep domestic prices down, and that situation is not likely to change significantly in the next while.” Second is the shifting demographics in Canada, baby-boomers are aging and downsizing and exiting the housing markets. Demand for funds, while still robust, is tapering off.

Is easy money coming to an end?
If inflationary pressures are generally in check, and aging baby boomers are inevitably curtailing spending, are we in for an extended period of low interest rates? Not so fast. In a recent Reuters article entitled Tide about to turn for markets as easy-money decade comes to an end, authors Sujata Rao and Dhara Ranasinghe suggest that “While markets reached dizzying heights during the easy-money era, that flood will dry up the the end of the year. For the first time since 2011, the central banks are expected to suck out more cash in 2019 than they pump in.”

Implications for Property owners
If the era of low interest rates is ending, what will rising rates mean for for commercial real estate buyers? One of the most important considerations in real estate acquisition is cash flow, both current, and anticipated. The absolute level of interest rates, and consequently mortgage rates, speak directly to the performance of commercial real estate. Why? Because of the direct impact on the present value of future cash flows. Your cash flow after debt repayment is eroded by increasing interest rates, and strangled by absolute high interest rate levels. High interest rates lessen future cash flows, which lowers the value of the asset.

Historically inflation rate increases often happen in tandem with interest rate increases. Inflationary pressures seem not to be in evidence, at least not to the degree as we’ve seen previously. One interesting byproduct however, is that while property owner cash flow may erode, inflationary pressures often do increase the value of hard assets. So while increasing interest rates and inflationary pressures erode cash flows, savvy investors often turn to real estate as it has an uncanny ability to whether the storm of inflation.

Written by Allan Jensen

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. You 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 be 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 raises 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? Contact a Dominion Lending Centres Broker-they will be more than happy to help you.

Written by Geoff Lee

A lot of people are getting stressed out by Canada’s new mortgage stress test. In the past, if you had a good sized down payment (ie 20%) someone with a low income could purchase a home even if they did not meet the debt level guidelines for insured mortgages of 32/40 . Later this was changed to 35/44 which made life even easier but – no more.

What is a person with a low income, good credit and a good down payment supposed to do now?

Here’s a solution – get a roommate. If you purchase a home with a friend who is going to share the other bedroom of your condo or take over the basement, the rules do not allow you to include the rent. But there are plenty of homes out in the market with a legal basement suite, a duplex or perhaps a granny suite over the garage. As long as the income portion of your property is zoned for a rental portion, you can claim a portion of the rent as income and qualify for more house.

There are certain minimum guidelines for lenders  – they usually want a separate entrance, kitchen and washroom. They may ask for a separate hot water tank as well. Lenders will credit 50% -85% of the rent towards your annual income. Don’t worry , your Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker knows the rules and can guide you through the process.  Calling us can get you into a home faster than you thought possible.

Written by David Cooke