Know your Mortgage ABCs

[Joe Crawford]

There's a lot to consider when choosing a mortgage to finance your
home and as your Coldwell Banker (R) real estate professional will tell
you, making the right choice can save you thousands of dollars over
the life of your loan. Here are some Mortgage ABCs that you should
consider, including some key factors in determining how quickly you
can pay down your mortgage and at what cost.

A Amortization period - the term, or length, of the actual loan;
the shorter the amortization period, the higher the payments, but the
faster you pay off the loan.

B Buyer pre-approval - you can be pre-approved for a mortgage
before you even start looking for your dream home; this takes away the
guesswork of how much you qualify for and strengthens your negotiating
position with the seller.

C Conventional or high-ratio -The amount of your down payment
determines whether yours is a conventional or high ratio mortgage.
High risk loans require that you buy mortgage insurance to protect the
lender if you don't make your payments, so you'll have to allow for
this added expense.

D Down Payment - You'll need to have money available for a down
payment when you ask your lender for a mortgage. The larger the down
payment, the smaller the mortgage and the less interest you'll pay in
the long run. The CMHC says down payments generally range from 5 to
25% of the purchase price.

E Equity - The value that's present in your home; this amount is
generally represented by the current market value, less any
outstanding loan amounts.

F Frequency - How often you pay your mortgage can have a
significant impact on how fast you build equity and retire your loan.

G Government programs - Under certain conditions, first time home
buyers can withdraw RSP funds to use as a home down payment; the money
can be used without tax penalty if the funds are replaced within a
specified time period.

H How repaid - the method of loan repayment can also have a
significant impact on what a loan ultimately costs you; open mortgages
have better pre-payment privileges, but a closed mortgage may offer a
better interest rate.

I Interest rate - The interest rate is of vital importance and
you'll also need to establish whether that interest rate is fixed or
variable

There are other factors to consider too, such as refinancing,
repayment penalties and more. Why not talk to your local Coldwell
Banker real estate professional to discuss some of the many mortgage
options available to you? Through their many connections, Coldwell
Banker professionals can offer creative financing solutions that you
may not have ever considered. Why wait? It could be the best call
you'll ever make!