What Is A Mortgage?
Obtaining a loan to finance the purchase of your new home will probably require you to sign a document called a mortgage. This document will set out the terms and conditions for the loan and its repayment. If you fail to meet your debt obligations, the lender may have the right to claim your home to pay off what you still owe.
What Types of Mortgage Loans Are There?
There are two basic types of mortgage loans:
Just as there is a range of mortgage types, there is also a range of repayment schedules. As well as the traditional monthly payment plan, there are now semi monthly, biweekly and even weekly payment schedules. Accelerated repayment options speed up the process even more, paying down the mortgage faster and spending less on interest charges. You may also opt for a shorter amortization period, or mortgage "life". It raises your monthly payments in the short-term, but saves you in the long-term, on the interest you pay.
What is an Amortization Period?
Typically, the size of a mortgage loan payment is calculated as if the loan payments were going to be paid over 20 or 25 years. This is called the amortization period. Each payment will repay the interest due up to the payment date along with some of the principal owed. The longer the amortization period you choose, the lower the regular payment will be. Keep in mind that the faster you repay any money borrowed by choosing a shorter amortization period, the more you reduce the total cost of borrowing.
What is a Term?
Most mortgage loan contracts only permit the regular payments to continue for a specified term which is shorter than the amortization period. The term can be as short as six months or it can be five years or more.
At the end of the term, you are required to repay the full unpaid balance. If you don’t have the cash required to pay the balance, it may be necessary to refinance the loan.
Deciding on the length of term you want will depend partly on whether you think interest rates will go up or down. Keep in mind that the longer the term you choose, the longer your monthly payment remains stable.
CAUTION: The lender is not obligated to renew your mortgage loan at the end of the term.
How Much Can You Afford to Pay in Mortgage Payments?
Based on Your Income:
A general guideline is to allow no more than 30% of your gross monthly income (before deductions) to make your monthly housing payments. This test of your ability to repay a mortgage loan is generally referred to as the Gross Debt Service Ratio.
Complete the following calculation to determine the approximate amount you may be able to afford for the mortgage payment, the property taxes and, where applicable, 50% of the strata maintenance fees. Some lenders will require that this total maximum monthly payment also covers heating costs.
Based on your Other Financial Obligations:
If you have other monthly financial obligations, such as car or credit card payments, the lending institution will also apply the Total Debt Service Ratio test to determine the maximum mortgage loan for which you can qualify.
$ ____ Your monthly housing payment
$ ____ Your calculated monthly debt payments (car, credit card, etc.)
$ ____ Total monthly payment
A general guideline should be that the total of your monthly housing payment added to your other monthly debt payments should not exceed 40% of your monthly gross income.
The Gross Debt Service Ratio and the Total Debt Service Ratio tests protect both you and the lender by ensuring that you do not take on more debt that you can reasonably afford to repay.
Many lending institutions will prequalify you for a specific size and type of mortgage loan before you begin searching for your new home. Taking the time to apply for a pre-approved mortgage will give you the security of knowing how much you can afford to spend.
Before concluding the loan agreement, most lending institutions will require an appraisal of your selected home. The appraised value is a professional opinion of the value of the home and may differ from the purchase price you are willing to pay. The appraised value may affect the approved value of the loan.
Source: The Real Estate Council of British Columbia
What Types of Mortgage Loans Are There?
There are two basic types of mortgage loans:
- A conventional mortgage loan allows you to borrow up to 75% of the purchase price or the appraised value of the home, whichever is less.
- A high-ratio mortgage loan allows you to borrow more than 75% of the purchase price or the appraised value of the home, whichever is less. But the borrower must pay a mortgage default insurance premium to protect the lender if payments are not made. Check with your lender to find out the amount of the insurance premium.
- Vendor Take-Back Mortgages: The seller underwrites part of the purchase, as a loan to be repaid by the buyer. These are often used as second mortgages, to bridge any gaps or to make the property more attractive to the buyer. In some provinces, the seller may also transfer the mortgage to the buyer.
- Open and Closed Mortgages: Open mortgages allow you to make extra payments on the principal, reducing your borrowing costs. Because of this flexibility, interest rates for open mortgages are a little higher. Closed mortgages have no flexibility; you must wait until the term is up to pay your mortgage. However, interest rates for these mortgages are generally lower. In the middle, are the partially open mortgages that have some of the characteristics of both open and closed mortgages?
- Pre-approved Mortgages: Pre-approval means that you as a buyer, have qualified in advance for a mortgage of X dollars, contingent upon the lender approving the property. Many financial institutions offer pre-approved mortgages, with your interest rate guaranteed not to rise for a certain period.
Just as there is a range of mortgage types, there is also a range of repayment schedules. As well as the traditional monthly payment plan, there are now semi monthly, biweekly and even weekly payment schedules. Accelerated repayment options speed up the process even more, paying down the mortgage faster and spending less on interest charges. You may also opt for a shorter amortization period, or mortgage "life". It raises your monthly payments in the short-term, but saves you in the long-term, on the interest you pay.
What is an Amortization Period?
Typically, the size of a mortgage loan payment is calculated as if the loan payments were going to be paid over 20 or 25 years. This is called the amortization period. Each payment will repay the interest due up to the payment date along with some of the principal owed. The longer the amortization period you choose, the lower the regular payment will be. Keep in mind that the faster you repay any money borrowed by choosing a shorter amortization period, the more you reduce the total cost of borrowing.
What is a Term?
Most mortgage loan contracts only permit the regular payments to continue for a specified term which is shorter than the amortization period. The term can be as short as six months or it can be five years or more.
At the end of the term, you are required to repay the full unpaid balance. If you don’t have the cash required to pay the balance, it may be necessary to refinance the loan.
Deciding on the length of term you want will depend partly on whether you think interest rates will go up or down. Keep in mind that the longer the term you choose, the longer your monthly payment remains stable.
CAUTION: The lender is not obligated to renew your mortgage loan at the end of the term.
How Much Can You Afford to Pay in Mortgage Payments?
Based on Your Income:
A general guideline is to allow no more than 30% of your gross monthly income (before deductions) to make your monthly housing payments. This test of your ability to repay a mortgage loan is generally referred to as the Gross Debt Service Ratio.
Complete the following calculation to determine the approximate amount you may be able to afford for the mortgage payment, the property taxes and, where applicable, 50% of the strata maintenance fees. Some lenders will require that this total maximum monthly payment also covers heating costs.
- Your gross monthly income $___
- Co-signor’s gross monthly income (if applicable) $_____
- Other income (monthly) $______
- Total monthly income $______
- Multiply the Total line above by 30% to calculate your: Total monthly maximum housing payment $______
Based on your Other Financial Obligations:
If you have other monthly financial obligations, such as car or credit card payments, the lending institution will also apply the Total Debt Service Ratio test to determine the maximum mortgage loan for which you can qualify.
$ ____ Your monthly housing payment
$ ____ Your calculated monthly debt payments (car, credit card, etc.)
$ ____ Total monthly payment
A general guideline should be that the total of your monthly housing payment added to your other monthly debt payments should not exceed 40% of your monthly gross income.
The Gross Debt Service Ratio and the Total Debt Service Ratio tests protect both you and the lender by ensuring that you do not take on more debt that you can reasonably afford to repay.
Many lending institutions will prequalify you for a specific size and type of mortgage loan before you begin searching for your new home. Taking the time to apply for a pre-approved mortgage will give you the security of knowing how much you can afford to spend.
Before concluding the loan agreement, most lending institutions will require an appraisal of your selected home. The appraised value is a professional opinion of the value of the home and may differ from the purchase price you are willing to pay. The appraised value may affect the approved value of the loan.
Source: The Real Estate Council of British Columbia