what-every-first-time-home-buyer-should-know
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What Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Know

The Recipe You Need to Succeed Attend our seminar where we’ll give you real answers, home-buying strategies, and a recipe for success proven by our clients. We will provide you with a step-by-step guide with everything you need to know when it comes to buying your first home. Even if you are not a first-time buyer, all buyers are welcome! Our First-Time Home Buyer Seminar will offer you the perfect roadmap for your buying journey, where you can expect: In-depth insight into market trends A comprehensive understanding of the buying process, including where to start Clarity on what you can afford and how to prepare your finances At the end of the seminar, you will also connect one-on-one with our award-winning agents. With your dedicated guide, you can ask all your questions and receive valuable tips that reflect your unique circumstances. Whether you are looking to buy a pre-construction or a resale property, our GTA-Homes agents are prepared to walk with you while connecting you with other reliable real estate professionals you will need to have on your team. Decision to Rent or Buy Although buying a home may seem out of reach, most renters don’t realize how much money they’re actually spending each year on someone else’s mortgage and profit. Owning a home almost always comes out ahead because your monthly rental payments could have been helping you build equity in your own home instead! It also helps to factor in tax benefits, property appreciation, and other incentives when you buy. Let’s compare the numbers to give you a clear picture. If you are currently renting at $2,500 per month, plus about $130 in utilities, you’re paying $2,630 monthly or $31,560 a year. This money will only cover your cost of living and won’t do much else for you. It primarily goes toward paying off your landlord’s mortgage. Now let’s look at the monthly carrying costs of owning your own home. Let’s say you purchased a $500,000 home with a 20% down payment to avoid additional mortgage insurance fees and took on a fixed 30-year mortgage at 4% interest. Your monthly payments will need to include your mortgage payments, property taxes (1% of the property’s value annually), home insurance, and utilities.

High Ratio Mortgage
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What Is a High Ratio Mortgage?

What Is a Ratio Mortgage? In the context of conventional and high ratio mortgages, the ratio mortgage refers to the relationship between the size of the mortgage loan and the amount of the down payment the investor is willing to place when purchasing a property. It is also known as the loan-to-value ratio. The down payment is…

Bank Lenders Versus Mortgage Brokers
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Bank Lenders Versus Mortgage Brokers.

Where to Get Your Mortgage Loan When shopping for mortgage options, home buyers mainly choose between a direct bank lender (or another financial institution) and a licensed mortgage broker. These two primary mortgage providers, which account for an almost even split of the market, offer different access to rates, terms, and approvals, which can appeal to…

How Do Mortgages Work
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How Do Mortgages Work? Everything You Need to Know

Why Get a Mortgage? The price of a home is often more than what a single individual or household can save. Therefore, many choose to buy a home or an investment property by putting down a deposit of typically 20% of the home’s purchase price, and obtaining a loan for the remaining amount. This assistance…

What is a Mortgage
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What is a Mortgage? Understanding Payment Structures

What Is the Process of Paying off a Mortgage? When you get a mortgage, you’re not just agreeing to pay back the amount you borrowed (principal). You also agree to pay interest on the money you still owe. How much you’ll pay in interest depends on a variety of factors, including your loan type, how much you borrowed,…

Down Payment Optimization
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Down Payment Optimization: How to Enhance Your Purchasing Power and Improve Your Lifestyle

When it comes to buying a home, most buyers instinctively think the bigger the down payment, the better. It seems logical—reduce your mortgage and pay less interest over time. But what if there’s a smarter way to allocate your down payment? One that enhances your purchasing power and even improves your lifestyle, without costing more…

Understanding Insured, Insurable, and Uninsured Mortgages
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Understanding Insured, Insurable, and Uninsured Mortgages

When shopping for mortgages, you’re likely to come across terms like insured, insurable, and uninsured mortgages.  These classifications impact the type of property you can purchase, how much you need for a down payment, and the interest rates available to you.  Let’s break down what these terms mean, their requirements, and examples to clarify how…

Are you financially ready to own a home
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Are you financially ready to own a home

How to calculate how much you’re spending now, what you can afford and your future expenses. Are you financially ready to own a home? Look into these 5 calculations and questions before you meet with your broker or lender. QUALIFYING FOR A MORTGAGE There are 2 affordability rules that determine how much you can spend on housing without…

I can't pay my mortgage, what are my options?
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I can’t pay my mortgage, what are my options?

Alternative payment arrangements when facing financial difficulties. Unforeseen financial circumstances happen. Sometimes, they affect your ability to make regular mortgage payments. The good thing is that you have options. It’s important for you to take quick action quickly. If you can’t pay your mortgage, you need to get in touch with your mortgage professional at…