| Acceleration |
Increase the frequency of your mortgage payments - Most lenders will offer a variety of mortgage payment options from monthly, bi-monthly, bi-weekly accelerated, and weekly. |
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| Adjustments on Closing |
There are two types of adjustments for which a buyer can be charged on closing;
- Prepaid services. Where the sellers have prepaid property taxes or certain utilities, the buyers can be charged for the amount of prepayment on a pro-rata basis, depending on the date of occupancy. For example, if the sellers have paid the property taxes to the end of the year, and the sale closes on October 15th, the purchasers will be charged with an adjustment of 77 / 365'ths (the number of days remaining in the year) of the total paid for the year.
- Interest. This is the amount of interest required to be prepaid up to the Interest Adjustment Date (IAD). IAD is the point at which the mortgage interest starts accumulating "in arrears". In Canada all mortgage interest is calculated and paid after the period to which it applies. This differs from the way in which rental and lease payments are calculated, which is "in advance". The good news on this one is that if you prepay for say 3 weeks you won't have to make your first payment for almost two months. Also, if you take a biweekly payment term, the longest interest adjustment period is less than two weeks, by definition.
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| Amortization |
Paying off the principal balance of the mortgage, usually by a combination of equal periodic payments and extra payments of principal at irregular intervals. Usually associated with a target period (the standard being 25 years) over which the initial blended payment is calculated. The maximum amortization available in Canada is 40 years. |
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| Appraisal |
This is an estimate of the current value of the property (the 'subject property'), using one or both of the following techniques;
- The majority of residential appraisals use the market value comparison approach, comparing recent sales of similar properties ('comparables' or 'comps' in real estate jargon) and adding and subtracting the differences in value of the same features in the subject property. For example, if a house of the same size on the same street and in the same condition as the subject property recently sold for $200,000, but this 'comparable' had a triple garage and a finished basement and the 'subject' does not; the appraiser calculates the market value of these features (say, $12,000 in total) and deducts this amount from $200,000, giving an 'adjusted value' of $188,000. This is usually done with at least three 'comparables' and either averaged or the middle ('median') value used.
- A supporting measurement of value used by many appraisers is the "depreciated cost" approach, whereby the land value is estimated and added to an estimate of the depreciated building value. Where there are few comparables available, relatively more weight might be given to this method.
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| Assessment |
The "assessed" value of a property is a historical, static estimate of the value of your property used by a municipal (local) government as a basis for calculating annual property taxes. An "assessment notice" from the municipality contains the "assessed value" and when multiplied by the current "mill rate" the property taxes for the year can be calculated. In some municipalities, the mill rate is provided on the assessment notice and in others it is provided separately. |
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| Assignment of Interest |
Most Provinces allow a legal assignment of interest in a mortgage to have full legal effect without having to discharge and re-register the existing one. This is particularly useful in:
- Switch situations, where the costs of transferring lenders would otherwise be very high.
- Second mortgage situations where a postponement may be difficult to obtain.
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| Assumable Mortgage |
A mortgage which a qualified buyer can take over from the current owner of a property upon its sale. Assuming a mortgage can provide a buyer with a below market interest rate, (if rates are now higher), as well as saving on the legal costs of creating and registering a whole new mortgage. "Assumption" entails a simple amendment to the mortgage document registered on title (see "switch"). |
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| Blend and Extend |
A closed mortgage can often be "opened" for the purpose of extending the term. Most lenders will blend the penalty for breaking (usually an Interest Rate Differential) with the rate for the new extended term. The idea is to get a lower rate and protect against rate increases in the future. |
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| Buy-down |
"Paying down" the mortgage rate by paying the lender a premium at time of funding. This is often used as a marketing feature by new home builders, particularly on high ratio second mortgages. |
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| Buyer's Agent |
A Realtor who acts contractually on behalf of the buyer. Traditionally, and still in most cases, the Realtor is the Agent of the Sellers and is paid by them out of the proceeds of the sale. A Buyer's Agency Agreement allows a Realtor (with full disclosure to the sellers or their agent) to negotiate on behalf of the buyer, with no legal conflict of interest. The seller still pays the Buyer's Agent fees, but this is always spelled out and acknowledged in the Offer to Purchase. |
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| Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation |
A federal crown corporation which administers the "National Housing Act" (NHA), and through which all federal housing policies and programs are implemented. |
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| Cap Rate |
The highest rate that a borrower will pay within a defined time period. Examples are; the rate committed on a commitment letter or a mortgage pre-qualification (also known as a "rate hold"); or the maximum rate that will be paid by the borrower during the term of a "protected variable rate mortgage". A lender will usually have to incur a cost to insure against rate increases during the capping period. This insurance is called a "hedge". |
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| Closed Mortgage |
A mortgage whose terms state that it cannot be paid out, even with a penalty, unless the lender agrees. In some cases, a closed mortgage may be discharged at a defined cost, usually Interest Rate Differential (IRD), but sometimes with a punitive penalty such as full interest to maturity. |
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| Closing |
The final exchange of consideration and legal completion of a transaction, involving either a house purchase, a mortgage registration, or both. |
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| Commitment Letter |
A written commitment from a lender to lend mortgage funds to specific borrowers as long as certain conditions are met within a specified time period before closing. A key component of the commitment, particularly in a period of volatile interest rates, is the "rate hold", where a lender may "cap" a rate for a defined period, such as 60 days or 90 days. Commitments on financing for new homes, which usually have longer closing dates, can be negotiated between the lender and the builder and be held for as long as 6 months, and even a year. |
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| Compliance Letter |
Required in many municipalities throughout Canada before a property transfer can take place. This is an acknowledgement from the building department that the property either has, or is clear of outstanding work-orders. Work-orders are specific clean-up or fix-up requirements that the owner must complete, particularly before a transfer of ownership. |
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| Connection Charges |
Some local utility companies (hydro, gas, oil) charge a fee on closing to connect new buyers up to their service. More normal, however, is an extra charge on the first billing. |
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| Conventional Mortgage |
A mortgage usually amounting to 75% (Loan to Value ratio) or less of the value of the property. |
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| Credit Report |
A record of an individual's payment history available at a credit bureau. Individuals can order a copy of their own report by contacting their local bureau. |
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| Default |
Failure to make monthly mortgage payments as agreed, or to meet certain other terms of a mortgage agreement. |
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| Double-Up |
This feature (not offered by all lenders) allows you to double up your mortgage payments anytime without penalty. This feature is often associated with the ability to "skip" an equivalent number of payments. This can be used either to accelerate the pay-off of a mortgage (as it is an enhanced prepayment privilege) or to manage a volatile cash flow. For example, commission-based individuals such as Realtors could "double-up" with each commission cheque, and "skip" during low cash flow periods. |
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| Down Payment |
The amount of cash paid towards the purchase transaction by the buyer of a home. This is also known as the purchaser's initial "equity" in the property, but is used by a lender to judge the personal commitment to the property. For example, a lender considers that, if a buyer saved the down payment, or received it as a gift from a loved one, they will be far more committed to maintaining the property value and making the mortgage payments than if they acquired it for "no money down". |
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| Equity |
The difference between the value for which you could sell your property and what is owed against it. There is an important distinction from "down payment" to a lender. For example, if a buyer purchases a home without a down payment, he/ she can have "equity" if the value of the property quickly goes up. |
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| First Mortgage |
Gives the lender a primary lien/charge against your house and property which has precedence over all other mortgages. Priority is determined by the date and time registered, so a first mortgage was literally and legally registered "first". A new first mortgage can therefore only be registered as a "first" mortgage upon the discharge of an existing one if the holder of a second mortgage "postpones" (i.e., "puts back in time") to a time immediately following the registration of the new first mortgage. |
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| Five-Percent Down Program |
This allows buyers to obtain up to 95% financing on properties up to a certain value. The loan must be insured against default by CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) or GE Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation. This maximum home value will vary according to location (local Realtors should know the applicable limit) and eligibility can vary with personal circumstances. |
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