This Vs That Volume 3
Michael Hallett • November 30, 2015

Trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and that can be seen as a single work of art or as three individual pieces. I pulled this definition from WIKIPEDIA. I wouldn't quite go as far to say this series was 'work of art,' the only thing I did find comparable with the meaning was this could be read as a series or they can stand alone separately. Anyway, You can read Volume 1 here
and Volume 2 here
to complete the trilogy of mortgage terminology.
Consumer Proposal vs Bankruptcy
A consumer proposal is a formal, legally binding process that is administered by a bankruptcy trustee. The trustee will work to develop a plan or an offer to pay creditors a percentage of what is owed, or extend time you have to pay off the debt...or both. The concept of personal bankruptcy in Canada is to assign or surrender everything you own to a Trustee in exchange for the elimination of your debts. This is governed by federal law, the law is designed to permit an honest but unfortunate debtor to obtain relief from his or her debts while treating creditors equally and fairly with a fresh start. Debt must be insolvent; a minimum of $1,000 owing and able to meet ones debts as they are due to be paid. You may be entitled to an automatic discharge from personal bankruptcy in 9 months, the minimum time set by the Court to be bankrupt, provided you have never been bankrupt before and you complete various duties and responsibilities.
Monoline Lenders vs Chartered Banks
A monoline lender is a mortgagee that only processes mortgage applications; mono is the numerical prefix representing anything single, meaning one. Monoline lenders do not have other products that they cross sell and try to bundle with their mortgage product, they only provide financing solutions. Most monolines back-end insure or securitize their mortgages instead of keeping them on their balance sheet. This allows them to sell the asset to an investor. Monoline lenders are quite restrictive because they are back-end insured by CMHC, Canada Guaranty or Genworth therefore their tolerance for exceptions on the debt service ratios is extremely limiting.
Chartered banks are quite the opposite. They are a full-service financial portals offering everything from savings/chequing accounts, to investment opportunities to personal loans and of course mortgage financing. Their mortgage lending services are always cross-sold with other in-house banking products. Another major difference to mention is how each entity calculates the Interest Rate Differential (IRD) penalty.
Monoline lenders utilize the PUBLISHED RATE METHOD and banks use the POSTED RATE METHOD. Be sure to have the mortgage provider explain the IRD penalty calculation in detail. The different calculations can amount to a difference thousands of dollars. Monoline lenders typically offer more competitive rates from the start as their overhead and operating costs are substantially lower than Banks. These lower operating costs are passed onto the consumer as an interest savings. Banks will usually match the rate if challenged, but it's not a profitable.
Conventional vs High Ratio Mortgage
These are 2 terms that Mortgage Brokers and bankers use to categorize 2 types of mortgages, ones that require mortgage insurance and ones that do not. For a mortgage file to be deemed conventional the borrower must demonstrate that they can put a minimum of 20% of the purchase price or 20% of the market value down. Mortgages that fall into the high ratio category are utilizing 19.99% down payment or less to a minimum of 5%. These mortgage applications require a third party to insurance to protect against future potential default. The most recognizable mortgage insurer is CMHC but, there are 2 other privately operated organizations called Canada Guaranty and Genworth.
HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) vs LOC (Line of Credit)
Similar but different, both being securitized by the subject property. The HELOC is described as a multi-segmented mortgage product utilizing various types of mortgages; variable, fixed and line of credit product all registered against title as one charge. For example if one had a $300,000 HELOC product they could slice it up into three different segments, each totaling $100,000. A LOC is a single segment standing on its own as a charge against the title. Both allow for easy access to funds at any given time. An LOC is a great mortgage vehicle for someone in the growth stage of the financial cycle which can be defined as young families with kids in school buying their first home that may require some renovations. As the mortgage consumer progress into stage two and three of our financial life cycle one may want to convert the LOC into a standard mortgage with structured payment amortized over a period of time.
Home Inspection vs Home Appraisal
I often come across clients that use these terms incorrectly, referring to the appraisal as the inspection and vice versa. An inspection is the careful examination or scrutiny of the subject property with the main purpose to uncover defects. An appraisal is used to determine the market value of real estate to lend against. This process involves comparing historical sales of the same product to the subject property.
Reverse Mortgage vs Standard Mortgage
A Reverse Mortgage is a mortgage product that allows any home owner 55 years or older to borrow money against the value of their property. It can be deemed a financial planning tool to assist with retirement or assisting loved ones with their own personal finances. The mortgage payments are 100% deferred until they die, sell or move. Simply put, a standard mortgage is the opposite of the a reverse mortgage. Standard mortgage products require a principle and interest payment on a regular frequency; monthly, weekly, bi-weekly or semi-monthly. Overtime the equity or ownership stake will shift from the lender to the deed holder.
As always, if you are looking for help with your mortgage, I would love to talk, contact me anytime!
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Mortgage Brokering meets mountain biking and craft beer. A couple months ago I set for a bike ride with the intention of answering few mortgage related questions, mission accomplished. Any good bike ride pairs nicely with a tasty beer which we enjoyed @parksidebrewery. Hope you see the passion I have for brokering, biking and beer. @torcabikes #mountainbikingmortgagebroker
TEASER alert...at thats what I think they call it in the business. Years ago a wrote a blog called BEERS BIKES AND MORTGAGES. I some how (in my head) blended all 3 topics into 1 blog. Simply put, I enjoy aspects of all 3 with each of them providing something different. I re-united with the talented Regan Payne on a project that I think will shed a bit more light on who I am and what I do. #craftbeer #mountainbike #mortgagebrokerbc #dlccanadainc
I saw this hat on Instagram, that very moment I knew I needed it. As a BC boy born and bred The Outdoorsman hat needed to be added to my collection. As someone who loves BC and most things outdoor, I’m now glad I have a cool hat to wear and fly the flag of BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA. It will be in my bag for all post-exploration celebratory cold pints. If you want to check them out or add one to your collection go to @nineoclockgun ...and yes my facial hair matches the hat as well.
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Thinking of Buying a Home? Here’s Why Getting Pre-Approved Is Key If you’re ready to buy a home but aren’t sure where to begin, the answer is simple: start with a pre-approval. It’s one of the most important first steps in your home-buying journey—and here's why. Why a Pre-Approval is Crucial Imagine walking into a restaurant, hungry and excited to order, but unsure if your credit card will cover the bill. It’s the same situation with buying a home. You can browse listings online all day, but until you know how much you can afford, you’re just window shopping. Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is like finding out the price range you can comfortably shop within before you start looking at homes with a real estate agent. It sets you up for success and saves you from wasting time on properties that might be out of reach. What Exactly is a Pre-Approval? A pre-approval isn’t a guarantee. It’s not a promise that a lender will give you a mortgage no matter what happens with your finances. It’s more like a preview of your financial health, giving you a clear idea of how much you can borrow, based on the information you provide at the time. Think of it as a roadmap. After going through the pre-approval process, you’ll have a much clearer picture of what you can afford and what you need to do to make the final approval process smoother. What Happens During the Pre-Approval Process? When you apply for a pre-approval, lenders will look at a few key areas: Your income Your credit history Your assets and liabilities The property you’re interested in This comprehensive review will uncover any potential hurdles that could prevent you from securing financing later on. The earlier you identify these challenges, the better. Potential Issues a Pre-Approval Can Reveal Even if you feel confident that your finances are in good shape, a pre-approval might uncover issues you didn’t expect: Recent job changes or probation periods An income that’s heavily commission-based or reliant on extra shifts Errors or collections on your credit report Lack of a well-established credit history Insufficient funds saved for a down payment Existing debt reducing your qualification amount Any other financial blind spots you might not be aware of By addressing these issues early, you give yourself the best chance of securing the mortgage you need. A pre-approval makes sure there are no surprises along the way. Pre-Approval vs. Pre-Qualification: What’s the Difference? It’s important to understand that a pre-approval is more than just a quick online estimate. Unlike pre-qualification—which can sometimes be based on limited information and calculations—a pre-approval involves a thorough review of your finances. This includes looking at your credit report, providing detailed documents, and having a conversation with a mortgage professional about your options. Why Get Pre-Approved Now? The best time to secure a pre-approval is as soon as possible. The process is free and carries no risk—it just gives you a clear path forward. It’s never too early to start, and by doing so, you’ll be in a much stronger position when you're ready to make an offer on your dream home. Let’s Make Your Home Buying Journey Smooth A well-planned mortgage process can make all the difference in securing your home. If you’re ready to get pre-approved or just want to chat about your options, I’d love to help. Let’s make your home-buying experience a smooth and successful one!

If you’re looking to purchase a property, although you might not think it matters too much, the source of your downpayment means a great deal to the lender. Let’s discuss the lender requirements, what your downpayment tells the lender about your financial situation, a how downpayment helps establish the mortgage loan to value. Anti-money laundering Lenders care about your downpayment source because, legally, they have to. To prevent money laundering, lenders have to document the source of the downpayment on every home purchase. Acceptable forms of downpayment are money from your resources, borrowed funds through an insured program called the FlexDown, or money you receive as a gift from an immediate family member. To prove the funds are from your resources and not laundered money from the proceeds of crime, you’ll be required to provide bank statements showing the money has been in your account for at least 90 days or that you’ve accumulated the funds through payroll deposits or other acceptable means. Now, if you’re borrowing all or part of your downpayment, you’ll need to include the costs of carrying the payments on the borrowed downpayment in your debt service ratios. If you’re the recipient of a gift from a direct family member, you’ll need to provide a signed gift letter indicating that the funds are a true gift and have no schedule for repayment. From there, you’ll need to show the money deposit into your account. Financial suitability Lenders care about the source of the downpayment because it is an indicator that you are financially able to purchase the property. Showing the lender that your downpayment is coming from your resources is the best. This demonstrates that you have positive cash flow and that you’re able to save money and manage your finances in a way that indicates you’ll most likely make your mortgage payments on time. If your downpayment is borrowed or from a gift, there’s a chance that they’ll want to scrutinize the rest of your application more closely. The bigger your downpayment, the better, well, as far as the lender is concerned. The way they see it, there is a direct correlation between how much money you have as equity to the likelihood you will or won’t default on their mortgage. Essentially, the more equity you have, the less likely you will walk away from the mortgage, which lessens their risk. Downpayment establishes the loan to value (LTV) Thirdly, your downpayment establishes the loan to value ratio. The loan to value ratio or LTV is the percentage of the property’s value compared to the mortgage amount. In Canada, a lender cannot lend more than 95% of a property’s value. So, if you’re buying a home for $400k, the lender can lend $380k, and you’re responsible for coming up with 5%, $ 20k in this situation. But you might be asking yourself, how does the source of the downpayment impact LTV? Great question, and to answer this, we have to look at how to establish property value. Simply put, something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it and what someone is willing to sell it for. Of course, within reason, having no external factors coming into play. When dealing with real estate, an appraisal of the property will include comparisons of what other people have agreed to pay for similar properties in the past. You’ll often hear of situations where buyers and sellers try to inflate the sale price to help finalize the transaction artificially. Any scenario where the buyer isn’t coming up with all of the money for the downpayment, independent of the seller, impacts the LTV. All details of a real estate transaction purchase and sale have to be disclosed to the lender. If there’s any money transferring behind the scenes, this impacts the LTV, and the lender won’t proceed with financing. Non-disclosure to the lender is mortgage fraud. So there you have it; hopefully, this provides context to why lenders ask for documents to prove the source of your downpayment. If you’d like to talk about mortgage financing, please connect anytime; it would be a pleasure to work with you.