3 Apr

LESSONS IN LINES OF CREDIT

Debt Consolidation

Posted by: Tracy Luciani Price

Think you own your home free and clear and without a mortgage? If you have a Secured Line of Credit (SLOC) also known as a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), think again. SLOCs/HELOCs are registered against your property, just like a mortgage. However, unlike a standard mortgage, you’re typically only required to pay the interest every month, and thus the principal never decreases.

Rates on HELOCs are always variable rates at a minimum of Prime + 0.50% and often Prime + 1.00% + (4.45% as of today). If you know you are going to max out your line of credit or carry a balance long-term, you are doing yourself a disservice. A Variable Rate Mortgage (VRM) can be as low as Prime – 0.95% (2.5% as of today). We can look at transferring your HELOC to a VRM, saving you oodles of money and paying it down faster. Contact us today for a consultation.

We see it often. Young homebuyers are forced to need co-signers due to stringent qualification rules. They often turn to parents who are happy to help, only to find out a high-balance HELOC prevents them from doing so.

First time homebuyers Joanne and Jordan had diligently saved 20% for the down payment on their first home (this used to be the magic number for max borrowing power). However with the new qualification rules, they needed a co-signer to afford the home they wanted. Jordan’s parents seemed to be ideal co-signers but it turned out they had a $200,000 HELOC. Their minimum required interest-only monthly payments were only $652.98 however mortgage qualification rules force us to input a payment of $2500/month (1.25% of the balance). This meant they could not co-sign. We were able to switch them into a mortgage at 0.95% below Prime with a reasonable monthly payment, enabling them to co-sign and pay down this debt much more quickly.

We also see retired people on fixed income thinking they’re mortgage free, but saddled with large balance HELOCs, barely able to keep up with monthly payments. Contact us about the possibility of a reverse mortgage. You could be free and clear of payments for the rest of your life!

To re-cap, here are the pitfalls of a Line of Credit secured against your property:

  1. Higher Variable interest rates than standard mortgages
  2. Interest-only payments, never paying down principal
  3. Maxed out balances hurt credit scores
  4. Restricts ability to co-sign and to purchase other properties
  5. Rates and terms can change at any time *always read the fine print

We are consumer advocates and advise the best solutions for your individual needs. Contact us today, we can help.

info@priceteammortgages.ca
www.pricteammortgages.ca
866-244-3289

Written by Jennifer Price

16 Jan

FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR 55+

Success Stories

Posted by: Tracy Luciani Price

More and more retired couples are coming to us to explore their options as they settle into this new stage of life. Struggling with reduced cash flow, forced to put home repairs on lines of credit and credit cards, they just don’t feel very secure about their so-called ‘golden years’. Many couples have strived for decades to become mortgage-free, yet, are saddled with high-interest consumer debt. The truth is, you cannot take your equity to Zehrs to buy groceries! They key is to unlock YOUR equity and make it work for you. We can help. Sound familiar? Call us now!

Here’s an excerpt from a spunky retired couple that recently refinanced with us. They now have complete peace of mind and are ready to rock their retirement.

“We are so grateful to our dear friends for referring us to Price Team Mortgages. They pulled off what we thought would be the impossible and at the end of the day, we now have a savings account like never before. Today we have no outstanding bills, just a small increase in our mortgage payment, but we also have a large amount of money in savings that allows us to live day to day with no financial worries or concerns about the future.  We still can’t believe what an amazing difference this has made to our monthly budget, we actually are ahead every month by over $1500, a big WOW for The Price Team.”

This couple has enough income to support mortgage payments and they wanted to maximize their borrowing power at 80% of the appraised value of their property. We made it happen.

Here is another excerpt from a testimonial from a sweet retired couple that we helped pay off all of their debts, with a strategy that leaves them with NO monthly payments.

“Thanks to Price Team Mortgages, we have been able to relax and feel assured that the rest of our retirement years will be secure. We no longer have to worry about struggling to make monthly mortgage payments, nor do we have any outstanding debts to pay down. We will be able to get our new roof and have a savings account for rainy days. We cannot express our gratitude enough.”

If this sounds like you or anyone you know, please get in touch with us today! You have more options than you think and WE WILL HELP!

 

1-866-244-3289

info@priceteammortgages.ca

24 May

COTTAGE DREAMIN’… THE DOMINO EFFECT OF A REFI

Success Stories

Posted by: Tracy Luciani Price

Cottage season has finally arrived and the appetite of wishful cottage owners is hot. We recently helped a couple turn their dream of owning a cottage into a reality, and then some.

Long-term clients Al and Lydia approached us a few months ago with their desire to buy a cottage. They had seen our signage stating “Buy a Cottage for 5% Down”, deemed a second home. They had been working hard over the past couple of years to save an extra $16,000 for 5% down payment and closing costs for the purchase of their dream cottage. They were excited about an affordable $250,000 waterfront property they had found, which was being sold privately.

We sat down, ran some numbers and the initial appointment resulted in some disappointing news. Despite their strong incomes, they couldn’t qualify for the second home purchase because they had two sizeable mortgages in their names. Their primary residence, and, they had also co-signed for their son’s first matrimonial home a couple of years ago. With the new ‘stress test’ in effect, they had to qualify at 4.64% and the ratios just didn’t work.

However, we found a way to make it work… that’s what we do! As it turned out, their son and daughter-in-law now had enough work history and high enough incomes to qualify for their own mortgage. We were able to refinance John and Sally’s house and remove Al and Lydia from title, freeing up enough room in their debt service ratios to enable them to afford the cottage with a high-ratio mortgage. Success #1!!

John and Sally were pleasantly surprised by the appraised value of their home and we were able to get them enough money to finally finish their basement and backyard. This saved them from having to put these expenses on a high-interest Line of Credit. Success #2!!

Given the massive increase in property values in Centre Wellington lately, we took a look at what else we might be able to do for Al and Lydia. They had always wanted to own a property that they can earn income from, but they didn’t know how they would ever be able to do that. Turns out, their property value had appreciated very nicely and it made sense for them to refinance their principle residence as well. We were able to get them enough money to purchase an additional cottage for $300K with 20% down, which they will be renting out starting this summer. Success #3!!

They were able to debt-service the three mortgages and are thrilled about achieving this type of property ownership, which will play a large part in their retirement security as they approach their golden years.

With some creative thinking, passion and dedication, we were able to help these two families achieve their dreams and beyond! Contact us to see how we can help you achieve your aspirations of cottage and/or rental property ownership. We love what we do, and it shows!

2 May

PROPERTY GOES UP 100K IN 1 YEAR!

Success Stories

Posted by: Tracy Luciani Price

Leon bought a year ago.  It was tough for him to break into the market with a sole income, existing debt and a wife and three kids to support.  But with a lot of grit, a great realtor and a very good mortgage broker he found a house that no one wanted.  It was priced well below market value because it needed work.  Mostly garbage removal, paint and some new floors.  Leon and his wife were motivated to improve the property and spent a few thousand dollars for improvements on a credit card.

When Leon called for help with his debt (carrying approximately $30 000), being only a year living in the property, we thought it was doubtful there would be enough equity to qualify for more money.  It used to take almost five years for homeowners who purchased with 5% down to qualify for more money under a refinance.  You can now only refinance 80% of your property value, so for the longest time it was impossible for most people to pay off the debt by taking equity out. Leon had only scraped together 5% of the purchase price or about $10,500.  He asked a friend to help him with the legal fees and borrowed $3,000 from him.  So his value would have to go up substantially in order for him to get the money he needed.

Leon trusts us implicitly because we worked so hard to get him into a house.  I told him, the only way out likely was a private mortgage for a few years until his value was high enough.  He needed money for a new roof so we both agreed the best course would be some private money to get his payments under control.  We ordered the appraisal and imagine our complete shock that the value of Leon’s property had gone up $105,000 in one year.  So under the 80% rule, he could borrow $248,000.  That meant a prime mortgage at best rates and not a private 2nd mortgage.

What an amazing solution which surprised all of us.  After a year of purchase, Leon was able to pay off his entire debt load of $30,000, pay back his friend the $3,000 and put a roof on with some cash to spare.  We will be breaking his current mortgage with a minimal penalty (again good mortgage broker) and because he will now qualify under refinancing rules for a 30 year amortization, his mortgage payment is staying the same.  Leon now only has a mortgage to pay and he vows not to get into debt again.

We have never seen spikes in values year over year in our entire 25 years in business.  If you are in debt and stressed about it, call us now for an analysis of your situation.

8 Mar

OUR WHY

Success Stories

Posted by: Tracy Luciani Price

Ron and I are celebrating our 15th anniversary as mortgage professionals, together.

We started in Mount Forest and moved to Fergus/Centre Wellington seven years ago and have never looked back. We love this sweet, safe, simple, lifestyle in this wonderful thriving growing community so close to everything.

We so love the people, the locals who look you in the eye and smile as they say hello. And we love the free parking too.

Our business has grown leaps and bounds each and every year. We have built a presence and reputation for really helping people.

Jim and Laurie our original employees have been with us for over ten years and have grown into the largest mortgage source in the region. We are also so fortunate that our business has evolved into a family business with the addition of two of our daughters Jennifer and Melanie who recently joined us bringing with them three wonderful grandkids.  Our team of seven dedicated and caring professionals are here to help you daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m on Saturdays.

Our national affiliation with Dominion Lending Centres, is now the largest national franchise with a mortgage portfolio bigger than RBC is a plus.

Our reality is a dream come true for us. We now have deep roots here in beautiful Centre Wellington and we are recognized as a business that cares, that helps and that puts people first!

From the beginning we realized that there was a great need to help people solve their financial problems that the banks would not.

Today our we help Canadians from all walks of life. Factory workers, self employed, single parents, first time buyers, separated and divorced couples, investors with property portfolios, teachers, doctors, lawyers, commercial pilots, CEO’s etc. We witnessed first hand how we were changing homeowners lives for the better and it feels so good.

Our business has matured and we have become top brokers in Canada.  Last year, our little mortgage company with heart was lucky #13 out of 2500 mortgage agents.  That means we always get the very best rates and terms.  We are proud of this accomplishment and look forward to serving Centre Wellington for many years to come.

13 Feb

WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Success Stories

Posted by: Tracy Luciani Price

It’s more common than we realize and it’s very difficult to talk about. While most victims of domestic abuse are women, we acknowledge that this does happen to men as well. In this article, we will be sharing our experiences from a woman’s point of view. This is a highly emotional topic and one that our team has seen all too often, both through our business and also personally.

Domestic abuse. It’s highly likely that someone you know has been or is a victim of domestic abuse in some way, shape or form. Maybe that someone you know is you.

Whether it’s physical, verbal, emotional, financial or a combination of many, there are some common emotions victims share: fear, shame, guilt, lack of self-esteem and helplessness.

What you might be shocked to learn, is that if you are on title for your home, there is hope and we can find solutions you might not have dreamed of.

For instance, Ingrid had been making all payments on the home that she owned with her husband. For many reasons, she finally left him. She took on a rental payment for an apartment while she sought help for how to keep her home.

In the meantime, her credit suffered as she struggled to pay her monthly (mostly joint) consumer debts – credit cards, lines of credit, and vehicle loans etc. It was impossible for her to keep up. The stress of this on top of her personal situation was too much to handle.

She came to us for mortgage advice and we helped her to devise a plan for her finances, which helped give her a sense of empowerment. With these tips, she managed to find the confidence and strength to negotiate a legally binding agreement that enabled her to keep the equity in her home.

We found an alternate lending solution to help for the short-term while she rebuilds her credit. With steady payments and stable employment, the goal is to get her into a prime mortgage within 3 years.

Ingrid was committed and willing to do the work, and that’s what is making her case a success story. To quote Ingrid, “The Price Team was able to perform a miracle that has me keeping my home. I highly recommend them.”

No matter how dire your situation is, there is help. We can provide you with financial guidance if you have ownership in a home. Reach out if you are in need. We truly care and are here to help.

16 Nov

DROWNING IN DEBT? EQUITY IN YOUR HOME? CALL US FIRST.

General

Posted by: Tracy Luciani Price

Sometimes terrible things happen to wonderful people. Life has a funny way of throwing a curveball when we least expect it, and sometimes, unforeseen circumstances mean that incurring huge expenses and not being able to keep up with the payments.

We see this scenario all too often. Recently, two sets of clients came to us for help with similar stories, at different stages of their stressful ordeal. In each case, a spouse fell sick and had to stop working. Treatment and medical supplies put them into debt, which was way over their heads. Neither couple had Mortgage Protection Insurance or Critical Illness Insurance. Had they been covered, they would have been able to stay above board financially.

John and Nancy came to us for help, not knowing what their options might be. They were current clients of ours and we had arranged their mortgage on their home just 3 years ago. Luckily, with property values up, they had a good amount of equity in their home. Their credit beacons had taken a hit because of some missed credit card payments, but luckily, they had never missed a mortgage payment.  We were able to find a prime lender that empathized with their story and refinance them so that they could pay off the medical debts and re-build their credit. THEY GOT TO KEEP THEIR HOME BECAUSE THEY CAME TO US FIRST.

Moyra and Hugh read one of our articles in the Welly and decided to call us to see if we could help them. They thought it was likely too late, but they called anyway. When Moyra had become ill and their debt load was out of control, they thought their only way out was to sell the home they’d been in for 30 years. They stopped the bleeding, but they had lost their home. Again, luckily, they had never missed a mortgage payment. We were able to find a lender who empathized with their situation and extended a short-term mortgage with a slightly higher interest to them. This will allow them to rebuild their credit and then move back into a prime mortgage in a couple of years. They had unnecessarily endured the stress of selling their home, and moving twice, while Moyra was ill and recovering. At least we were able to help in the end.

Make sure you do everything you can to make every single mortgage payment and make sure you call us FIRST. We can find a way to help get you through this rough patch.