Competition = Lowest Mortgage Rates in Alberta

Who should be Involved When Purchasing a Home?

Buying a home is not simply a transaction between the buyer and the seller. While the process can be some what complex, there are a number of professionals that can help make the purchase of your new home go as smoothly as possible.

For example, you can enlist the services of the following professionals to help you when purchasing your new home:

• Realtor
• Lawyer
• Mortgage Broker / Mortgage Lender
• Home/Property Appraiser
• Home Inspector
• Builder's Representative (if building a new home)

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?

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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.

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.

Buying Your First Home

One of the most important investments for anyone is the purchase of a home.

There are many important questions that must be answered when it comes to buying your first home. Many new buyers do not understand the home buying process and may become anxious when it comes to making an offer on a property. Alberta Equity is well versed in the first home purchase process, providing information for approvals and walking through the process of completing your first home purchase. Learn More