Richards Mortgage Group Articles

In this blog, we are going to talk about how a client of mine was able to rearrange her finances such that she and her partner could mortgage qualify for a $400K target house in their neighborhood.

Last updated September 22, 2023 The current law in Canada requires residential mortgages with less than 20% down payment be CMHC-insured against borrower default. The insurance premiums can be in the tens of thousands of dollars, and many prospective buyers wonder how to or if they can avoid CMHC fees. This article explores the costs and benefits of CMHC mortgage default insurance to determine its significance. In summary, mortgage default insurance allows you to stop dreaming and start doing!

Death of a loved one brings about many changes not to mention strong emotions. Often the kids are thrust into uncharted territory when a potential property inheritance or residual debt is involved. Whether a cottage on the lake, farm land, or a house in the city, this article is about how to best view the budding situation, dissect the issues, and how mortgage financing can potentially help out. It can apply where there is one party to many.

A reverse mortgage is a viable money strategy that allows some retirees to age-in-place, deferring the need to move to an expensive seniors living complex. As a senior, is your home equity really the sacred cow you have grown up to believe or can it be a tool to allow you to age-in-place, with dignity and in the comfort of your own home? Besides falling, the number one fear for many seniors is not having enough money to pay their day-to-day living expenses as they grow older. For those who still own homes, likely 90% of your net worth is the equity in your house while investments, RRSPs and TFSAs will make up the last 1/10th. The fear is real - only 30% of seniors have some sort of pension plan to fall back on, and CPP/OAS pays only about $1200/mo.

In Canada, a 5-year mortgage contract term is very common. But is it still the best choice? While it used to be the easiest term to qualify for, especially for first time buyers, that all changed on Oct 17, 2016 when the Government changed the rules again. When applying for a mortgage, it is important to think about contact term and how to reduce the size of mortgage payout penalties if you have to break your term early.

I received a call from a prospective client the other day trying to figure out how to purchase and mortgage finance a property in Tulum, Mexico. He and his wife's goal was to purchase a property just south of Cancun for their ultimate retirement in 15 years. Meanwhile, they would rent it out and the question was, can the mortgage interest be tax deductible on a foreign investment property?