| Mortgage |
Also known as the "lender" - the funder and holder of the mortgage. |
| Mortgage Broker |
A registered agent who negotiates with lenders on behalf of a borrower to obtain the best overall mortgage for that borrower's circumstances. Mortgage Brokers are particularly useful in financing "non standard" situations which cannot be funded by a major national lender. This is possible because a Mortgage Broker has access to lenders who do not advertise nationally or operate retail locations. |
| Mortgage Insurance |
If your down payment is less than 25% of the purchase price of the property, the lender is going to require either private mortgage insurance or public mortgage insurance through Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) or GE Capital. The fee is calculated as a percentage of your mortgage. This is known as default insurance. (Please note that we calculate this amount for you automatically if your mortgage falls into this category.) |
| Multiple Listing Service (MLS) |
A service of a local Real Estate Board which publishes and exchanges details of properties registered with them. While this used to be for the exclusive use of registered Realtors, it is now possible for a private individual to "list" a property without committing to pay a Realtor a "listing commission" if the property sells. The majority of properties sold in Canada are sold through the local MLS. |
| Municipal Levies |
Special levies can be charged by municipalities to recover the cost of special services, if these services cannot, for some reason, be funded out of general revenues, or apply primarily to homebuyers. Examples: Water meter installation; road improvements, sewer improvements. |
