Competition = Low Mortgage Rates

Before Looking to Purchase Get Pre-Approved!

It is always a good idea to get pre-approved (or pre-qualified) for a mortgage before you decide to look at a new home.

A pre-approval will not only let you know if and for how much you are approved for, but also gives you better negotiating power and will to keep you within your budget.

Knowing that you are a serious buyer because you have already made that first important step, many home sellers will consider reducing a listed price to match your approved budget.

And by knowing how much your monthly payments are, you can then easily factor in additional cost like property taxes, utilities and insurance.

Another major advantage to pre-qualification is the rate hold. A rate hold means that you can secure an interest rate at today's current rates and keep these rates for up to 120 days or a full year on new construction. Even if interest rates drop during that time, you will still automatically qualify at the new lower rates. And, if the rates should ever go up, you would then get the secured rate.

Fixed Rate vs. Variable Rate

FIXED RATE
A "fixed rate" mortgage simply means that the interest rate on the money you borrow stays at a locked or "fixed" rate. This means that your interest rate is not subject to change and the rate at which you pay back your loan is always the same. There are some advantages to having a fixed rate when you consider the nature of the inflation rate. The value of your home should continue to increase year to year while the principle amount will continue to decrease.

VARIABLE RATE
A "variable rate" mortgage or below prime rate mortgage is a mortgage where the interest rate is subject to change depending on the prime rate. Most of these mortgage products are based on a formula using the prime interest rate less a discount. For example, if you choose a below prime rate mortgage with a rate of Prime minus 0.5% then your rate would be calculated at any given time using this formula. So if prime were 4% then the interest rate on your mortgage would be 3.5%.

Stop! Don't Renew Your Mortgage...

Have you received your mortgage renewal in the mail? Don't just sign the form and send it back to the lender.

Over 70% of mortgage holders in Calgary and Edmonton do just that, and what is the usual result — a higher mortgage rate and a product that might not be best suited to their needs.

Make sure you are getting the best mortgage renewal rate in Alberta. Learn More

Recognizing the Danger Signs

You may have a debt problem if:

• you are feeling stress and anxiety over money situations and finding it difficult to sleep at nights.
• your monthly bank statements are in the negative.
• you're only able to pay the interest and service charges on your credit cards.
• you are afraid to open your mail or answer unknown phone numbers.
• your services have been cut off such as hydro or telephone.
• you're always borrowing money from family and friends and then find yourself avoiding them because you cannot afford to re-pay them.
• creditors are pressuring you and threatening to sue.
• you have received notification in the mail from a collection agency.
• your wages have been garnisheed.