Competition = Low Mortgage Rates

Should I Purchase a New Home or a Re-Sale?

First-time home buyers have many decisions to make after deciding to purchase a new home. These decisions can be overwhelming and even frustrating if they do not have all the facts.

A common question for many first-time home buyers is whether or not to build brand new or to purchase a re-sale. Let our professional mortgage brokers at Alberta Equity Mortgages ease your frustration by offering solid advice while providing both the pros and cons of building brand new or purchasing re-sale.

Deciding what you Want in a New Home

It is important to clearly define what is important to you and your family to have in a new home. Most people focus on how much they can afford to spend, but there are other things to also consider.

Before shopping for that new home, write down a list of things you would like to have in your new home and divide them by essential items and nice-to-have items.

Ask yourself questions such as:

• What area of the city is desirable?
• What style of home is preferred?
• How many bedrooms are required?
• What amenities are in the area?
• Is a garage important?

Things to Consider When Building a Brand New Home

If you decide to build a brand new home instead of purchasing a re-sale, it is extremely important to carefully assess the following pros and cons before purchasing:

• You are the first occupant meaning no one else has lived in the home
• You get to decorate as you wish by selecting your colors, design features, and other various upgrades
• You are protected from construction deficiencies by Provincial Law

• The area is not established and is often still under construction causing excess traffic, noise, dust, etc.
• Landscaping, driveway paving, and other finishing touches might take extended periods of time to have completed due to other construction in the area
• The timely completion and occupancy of your new home can be delayed for any number of builder related reasons
• There are some closing costs that apply to new homes

Lender vs. Broker...

Many people have asked us what the difference is between a mortgage broker and a mortgage lender. A mortgage broker is a trained professional that has access to loan products of different lenders and is licensed to provide you with the best advice for your mortgage needs. Mortgage brokers do not lend money. Most brokerages are small firms providing expertise services and counseling rather than loans. The lender is the one who provides the money to the borrower at the closing table. The lender also makes the final decision regarding loan approval.

So why can't you skip the middle man and go straight to the lender? Many lenders will not deal with the public for a number of reasons. For one, the cost in promoting would be too great. For example, there are many mortgage lenders based in Calgary, Alberta alone. Resmor Trust, Bridgewater, MRS Trust, Gibraltar Mortgage just to name a few. But how many of those have you actually heard of? Another reason is administration. There is a lot of paperwork involved when you close a mortgage agreement, and it just makes sense dividing up the work amongst the brokers.

Is Mortgage Insurance Required?

First time home buyers are generally required to have mortgage insurance if their down payment is less than 25% of the purchase price for the property. The home buyer can either get private or public mortgage insurance through the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation known as CMHC or through GE Capital.