I am constantly looking for a way that I can serve my clients the best.  It is a wonderful place to be when you can help your client through every step of the buying and selling process from beginning to end.  This is why I have chosen to be a mortgage broker and a realtor. 

You may be wondering why I chose to do this.  Well, honestly, the reason was you!!  I have noticed in the past few years that the people I have been dealing with are suffering from great frustration of not knowing what is happening with their mortgage, what the process is, and how to be able to buy the home they really want.

I feel being able to help with the mortgage aspect will allow you the peace of mind to be able to deal with one individual, who will be able to guide you from preapproval to handing you the keys to your new home.

For sellers it will allow you the ability to have a realtor who can help keep a deal together if financing is an issue.  Plus, the buyers I show your property to will be properly qualified.

I plan to be a mortgage broker like we used to have in the old days.  Ask me anything, I will be sure you get the right answer and you understand the answer.  Mortgages are complex, you don't need to know it all, you need to know what applies to you. I want to be able to bring mortgages back to the consumer and make them easier to understand. If you have a question you should not be afraid to ask it.  Ask anything, there is no such thing as a silly question.

If you would like to refinance, I can help with that too.  Looking for an equity mortgage, secured line of credit, debt consolidation. Let me help.  I understand the real estate market and the mortgage market.  Together we can find the best options for you.

Bad credit? I am able to help with that too.

Call or email for a private consultation.  

General Information for Everyone Thinking of Buying a Property

Why should you use a Mortgage Broker?

A Mortgage Broker can offer you a lot of advantages over your bank.  As a Mortgage Broker, we will take all of your information once, pull your credit bureau once and offer it out to numerous financial institutions for approval.  We have the opportunites to go to over 60 financial companies to get you the best rate, terms and conditions.  You are probably thinking, "Well, I could do that by myself, why would I use a broker?"  Well first, this is my job,  you already have one, so it will save you time and inconvenience in your life.  Secondly, every bank or credit union you will go to will pull your credit bureau.  Everytime they do an inquiry, it lowers your credit score just a little bit more.  Thirdly, How many mortgages will you place in your lifetime?  I will place literally hundreds, even thousands, who is going to be able to get favors with a financial institute.  I have relationships with many banks and if we are looking for something special, chances are, we are going to get it.

Best of all, it is FREE to use a mortgage broker. We are paid by the bank.  In a few cases, there are times when you will charged a fee.  That will only happen if you have a huge credit problem or there are some special circumstances in you case.  Remember, we are working for you, not a bank, it is our pleasure to take your interests to the bank.  Let's get them fighting for your business.

Preapproval vs. Prequalification

One of the most important things you have to do in this process is to find out what you can afford to buy.  Not getting pre-qualified or pre-approved is like going to the mall to buy new clothes and not knowing how much money you have in your wallet.  It is just something you woud not do!

The question is.....What is the difference?

Pre-qualification is when we just ask a few general questions,(usually over the phone or on-line) to see how much you could possibly afford...How much do you earn?...What is your debt load?... etc. I can take this information and give you a rough estimate of how much of a loan you might qualify for.

Pre-approval is a more in-depth process.  Most of this can still be done over the phone or on-line, but at this time we will perform a more extensive check of your financial standing.  We will do a credit rating check, a debt load check and will want to know how much you are putting as a down payment.  At this time we will usually lock you into a interest rate hold.  This way you will get locked in at today's rate.  It can be held anywhere from 90 to 120 days.  The rate is reviewed just before you pay for your property purchase.  If the rate has gone down you will get the better rate, if the rate has gone up you keep the rate that we have locked you into already.

With rates on the upward swing it is advisable that you lock into a rate as soon as possible.

In most markets, someone who is pre-approved will get more interest at the offer presentation time when the realtor can be sure you will get the financing.

The extra advantage of having your realtor as your mortgage broker is that I can assure the seller you are totally qualified as I have done it myself.  You now have the biggest advantage!!

Get  FREE no-obligation pre-approval e-mailed to you today:

FREE Mortgage Application delivered to your Inbox:

Totally private and confidential

Click here to start the process:

First Time Buyers

Are you a first time buyer? Are you confused yet?  If you are I don't blame you.  This is one of the biggest financial decisions you are going to make in your life.  I would like to guide you through a few steps that will help you along the way.

Using your RRSP Money

You can use your money from your RRSP's, if you are a first time buyer.  You can withdraw up to $25,000 from your RRSP account.  It is like an interest-free loan to yourself.  You do have to re-pay the money.  It is repaid over a 15 year period in equal payments per year.  Should you have a year that you do not repay the money to the account, you will add the amount due that year to your income. 

You must live in the home as your principal residence for one year from the completion date.

A contract of Purchase and Sale nust be entered into before the funds can be withdrawn from the RRSP.

You may be able use your RRSP if you are not a first time buyer, but you will have to pay income tax on the amount that you have withdrawn and you will have to check with your bank to make sure you can withdraw the monies.

Property Purchase Tax Exemption

As a first time homebuyer you are exempt from Property Purchase Tax with the following conditions: 

• You can not put more than 30% of the purchase price down. (ie, you must finance more than 70% of the purchase.)
• You must not buy anything over $425,000.00.  The government figures if you can afford to spend that amount then you can afford to pay the taxes.
• You ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT have owned any property or a portion of a property anywhere in the world.
• You must reside in the home for one year following completion.
• You must have lived in BC for at least 1 year immediately prior to purchase and are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada
• The amount borrowed must have a term of at least one year
• During the year following the registration of the property, you must not repay more than $11,000.00 of the principal amount

There are a few other rules and regulations, but these are the most prominent ones.

Out of Country Buyers

Are you planning on immigrating to our beautiful city?  I can help with this too.

There are some general things you have to know if you are planning to purchase a property in our province.

• You can purchase with as little as 5% Down
• You need to be able to prove that the funds are from your own resources
• You must have a job contract to prove you have a job or a source of income, you can not have a probation period in your contract.
• You must be able to prove that you have 6 months to a year worth of payments
• If you are coming from the States, we should be able to get a credit report.  If you are coming from Europe we need to have a Letter from your bank to prove history with the bank.

These are very basic outlines to give you a general idea of what is needed.  If you are in this category, please contact me directly or by email and we can start putting your package together.

Investors

GREAT NEWS for investors!  You can now purchase a rental property with 20% down payment.

Refinancing

Are you thinking of refinancing?  I can help with that too.  Debt consolidation, pulling a little equity to upgrade your home or upgrade your lifestyle.  There are literally hundreds of different options availalble.  Let's sit down and figure out the option best for you.

Zero Down  Mortgages

In this day and age saving for a down payment can take a long time.  With a rising market, it makes sense to consider zero down payment programs because it is sometimes impossible to save faster than the market is rising.  With a variety zero down mortgages to choose from this may be your time to enter the real estate market.

Your credit score will influence whether you can qualify for a zero down payment program.  To get the best rates, your score should be 680 or higher. Don't worry there are also options if your credit is less than perfect.