Richards Mortgage Group Articles

(Last updated 2019) Yes and No. In Canada it is still possible to finance 100% of a property's value if you know the rules and criteria. BUT... you need excellent credit history and reliable employment. Here's how to purchase a home with zero-down payment.

Canada's banking regulator has once again updated its "B20" guidelines for residential mortgage underwriting, this time to include a financial stress test for buyers who don't need CMHC-mortgage insurance. OSFI (the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions) said today that the changes will come into force the first day of January 2018 and will "reinforce a strong and prudent regulatory regime for residential mortgage underwriting in Canada."

In this blog, I provide a refresher on the down payment (equity) requirements for residential mortgages. It is a very common question and the answer depends on many factors. It depends on the property type (house/condo, acreage, vacant lot, farm etc.), who’s going to live in or on the property, how you earn income, and your credit rating. It also depends on whether you are looking for purchase financing or to replace/renew an existing mortgage. In this article, I am going to try and simplify the various ‘lending rule books’ for you in only 600 words!

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.

New housing mortgage policies are coming into effect (again) and leaving many Canadians unclear about how their finances have been affected. The Government of Canada is introducing these new rules in two phases. This article is a quick summation of how you may have been affected. First, however, to understand the new rules it is important to understand the classification of mortgages and the previous rules.

Way back, my first home was a mobile home in Calgary's Greenwood Village mobile home park, out in the northwest part of the city. It was actually a nice park, and the mountains were visible, and lots of places to walk our dog. Our first home is the one in the centre of the picture, and the little shed I built is still standing out back. We couldn't qualify for a mortgage back then for reasons I didn't understand, so we bought it for $22K with a little help from the Bank of Mom & Dad. It was a great home.