5 Oct

First-time Home Buyer Incentive

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Kim Seifert

First-time Home Buyer Incentive

The First-Time Home Buyer Incentive helps qualified first-time homebuyers reduce their monthly mortgage payments without adding to their financial burdens.

What does the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive offer? The incentive is a shared-equity mortgage with the Government of Canada.

  • 5% or 10% for a first-time buyer’s purchase of a newly constructed home
  • 5% for a first-time buyer’s purchase of a resale (existing) home
  • 5% for a first-time buyer’s purchase of a new or resale mobile/manufactured home

The Incentive’s shared-equity mortgage is one where the government has a shared investment in the home. As a result, the government shares in both the upside and downside of the property value.

By obtaining the Incentive, the borrower may not have to save as much of a down payment to be able to afford the payments associated with the mortgage. The effect of the larger down payment is a smaller mortgage, and, ultimately, lower monthly costs.

The homebuyer will have to repay the Incentive based on the property’s fair market value at the time of repayment. If a homebuyer received a 5% Incentive, they would repay 5% of the home’s value at repayment. If a homebuyer received a 10% Incentive, they would repay 10% of the home’s value at repayment.

The homebuyer must repay the Incentive after 25 years, or when the property is sold, whichever comes first. The homebuyer can also repay the Incentive in full any time before, without a pre-payment penalty.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER INCENTIVE

Looking for homebuying tools and resources?

Knowing what to expect throughout the entire homebuying process can lead to more well-informed decisions, and a better homebuying experience overall.

Check out all the homebuying tools and resources below to help you make your homebuying decisions with confidence.

 Guides

First-time Homebuyer Mortgage Process

Calculators

Other useful information

  • Your Credit Report – Learn more about the simple steps you can take to maintain a good credit history and improve your chances of being approved for a mortgage.
  • Mortgage Planning Tips – See how planning your mortgage in advance can help you save money in the long run.
  • Mortgage Fraud – Read these valuable insights that can help protect you from mortgage fraud.

Ready to Apply for a Mortgage? Apply Now

Mortgage Broker Regina

 

 

Kim Seifert
Mortgage Broker  lic# 316147
M 306-533-4492 | F 306-545-7446| kseifert@dominionlending.ca  
The Mortgage Firm  lic# 315912
3889 Arcola Ave E, Regina, SK S4V 1P5

30 Mar

Mortgage Rule Changes – Canadian History

General

Posted by: Kim Seifert

History of Mortgage Rule Changes over the last 13 years.

The History of Canadian Mortgage Rule Changes are listed below. It’s not as easy as it once was to obtain a mortgage in Canada with the history of Mortgage Rule Changes implemented over the last decade plus. Government has imposed over 60 housing finance restrictions since 2008. These policies shrank the number of qualified borrowers and inflated mortgage costs. And yet, far from collapse, the market is up 64%+ since the changes began.

Mortgage Rule Changes Affect on Mortgage Rates:

Below is what the Canadian government has thrown at the mortgage market over the last decade. Mortgage rule changes have not affected Record Low Mortgage rates. Fixed and Variable rate mortgages are well below 2% (latest rates here). So, even though it has become more difficult to obtain a mortgage in Canada people have stayed interested in becoming homeowners.

Year

Entity

Mortgage
Rule Changes

The Details
July 2008 Department of Finance Amortization reduction The maximum amortization period is shortened from 40 years to 35 years.
July 2008 Department of Finance Minimum down payment The requirement for a 5% minimum down payment is established.
July 2008 Department of Finance New loan documentation standards New minimum documentation requirements are introduced. Lenders are required to ensure sufficient evidence of a property’s value and the borrower’s sources and level of income.
July 2008 Department of Finance Establishment of minimum credit score The new mortgage rule changes establish a credit score floor of 620, but allow for some limited exceptions.
February
2010		 Department of Finance Qualification change for terms under 5 years Variable and fixed rate mortgages with terms less than five years are required to be qualified using the 5-year posted rate (qualifying rate).
February
2010		 Department of Finance Reduction of insured refinancing The maximum amount for insured refinances is reduced to 90% from 95%.
February
2010		 Department of Finance Rental property down payments A 20% down payment is implemented for small rental properties.
January
2011		 Department of Finance Amortization reduction The maximum amortization period is shortened to 30 years from 35 years on insured mortgages.
January 2011 Department of Finance Reduction of insured refinancing The maximum amount for insured refinances is reduced to 85% from 90%.
January 2011 Department of Finance HELOC insurance removal Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOCs) no longer qualify for government mortgage insurance. This rule took effect on April 18, 2011.
June 2011 OSFI Reduction of insured refinancing The maximum amount for insured refinances is reduced to 80% from 85%.
June 2012 OSFI Mortgage insurance restriction The government announces mortgages of more than $1 million are no longer eligible to be default-insured.
June 2012 OSFI Amortization reduction The maximum amortization period is shortened to 25 years from 30 years on insured mortgages.
June 2012 OSFI Minimum credit scores New gross debt service (GDS) and total debt service(TDS) limits of 39% and 44%, respectively, are implemented for borrowers with a credit score of 680+.
August
2013		 CMHC Securitization changes CMHC introduces a new allocation procedure for market NHA-MBS. Issuers are required to file quarterly allocation requests as the new procedure is determined quarterly based on available capacity for new guarantees.
August
2013		 OSFI Securitization changes OSFI announces that federally regulated lenders who securitize mortgages to third-party investors will be granted off-balance sheet treatment. This allows OSFI-regulated lenders to increase their origination capacity.
November
2013		 CMHC Insurance changes CMHC announces it will start paying a risk fee of 3.25% of all insurance premiums written, as well as 0.10% of bulk, portfolio, and low-LTV insurance premiums. The change took effect January 1, 2014.
December
2015		 CMHC CMHC changes to securitization program CMHC announces changes to its securitization programs (NHA-MBS and Canada Mortgage Bond):
* For 2016 CMHC increased the amount of mortgages it will provide its guarantee of timely payment of interest and principal on insured mortgages to $145B, up from $120B in 2015.
*CMHC also increased government guarantee fees under the NHA-MBS and CMB programs.
December
2015		 Department of Finance Minimum down payment changes The government announces that for homes priced above $500,000, a 10% down payment is required for the portion of the mortgage above the half-million mark. The rule took effect February 15, 2016.
OSFI OSFI capital requirement changes OSFI releases proposed changes to its regulatory capital requirements for mortgages. The new requirements introduce risk-sensitive floors on capital for mortgages and apply to new originations, renewals and refinances.
B.C. Government B.C. Foreign Buyers Tax The British Columbia government announces new housing measures, the most notable being the introduction of a 15% foreign buyers tax. The tax is applicable on real estate purchases by foreign nationals or foreign-controlled corporations within the Greater Vancouver Area.
September
2016		 OSFI OSFI capital requirement changes OSFI releases its draft advisory regarding revised capital requirements for mortgage insurers, which came into effect January 1, 2017. The new requirements increased the amount of capital required to be held by mortgage insurers due to more drivers involved in the required capital formula. Some of the key determinants of the new capital requirements are:
* LTV and type of mortgage
* Credit score
* How long it has been since the credit score was last pulled
* The likelihood of a borrower’s credit score moving materially up or down
* Amortization period
* How long the mortgage insurance policy has been in force
* Which region the underlying home is located
October
2016		 Department of Finance Mortgage qualification change All insured mortgages must now be stress tested using the 5-year posted rate (qualification rate). This includes low-ratio portfolio insured mortgages. This came into effect October 17, 2016.
October
2016		 Department of Finance Elimination of low-LTV insurance for certain mortgages The Government of Canada eliminates the availability of low-LTV insurance for certain types of mortgages (e.g., borrowers taking equity out of their home; mortgages with amortization periods over 25 years; home purchase prices over $1 million; borrowers with credit scores under 600; investment properties, etc.). Low-LTV mortgages must also meet the same eligibility requirements as high-LTV mortgages. This took effect November 30, 2016.
October
2016		 Department of Finance Capital gains exemptions The government introduces a principal residence capital gains exemption. Any individual who was not a resident in Canada in the year the property was acquired will no longer be able to claim the exemption. Effective October 2, 2016, taxpayers claiming the exemption must also file the claim through the CRA (previously documents were only produced if audited).
October
2016		 Department of Finance Mortgage insurer-lender risk sharing exploration The government launches a public consultation on the potential to introduce some form of mortgage insurer-lender risk sharing. A consultation paper was released in late October 2016.
November
2016		 Ontario Government Ontario government’s land tax rebate changes The Ontario government proposes to double the maximum Land Transfer Tax refund for eligible first-time homebuyers to $4,000, effective January 1, 2017.
November
2016		 City of Vancouver Vancouver vacant homes tax Vancouver city council approves a 1% tax on vacant homes that are not principal residences or are not rented for at least six months of the year. The tax was implemented in 2017 with the first payments due in 2018. Home owners are required to self-report vacant homes.
December
2016		 B.C. Government Vancouver first-time homebuyers assistance The B.C. government announces the B.C. Home Owner Mortgage and Equity (HOME) Partnership program. The program aims to assist first-time homebuyers by matching the buyer’s down payment contribution to an amount up to 5% of the home’s purchase price (maximum purchase price of $750k). The matching contribution comes in the form of a 25-year second mortgage, which is interest-free and payment-free for the first five years.
January
2017		 CMHC CMHC fee increases New OSFI Capital Requirements for Federally Regulated Mortgage Insurers takes effect January 1. Soon after, CMHC announces premium price increases for borrowers with down payments between 5% and 25%, effective March 17, 2017. These mortgage insurance price increases reflect OSFI’s significantly higher capital requirements for mortgage insurers. The price changes represented an approximate 12%–15% increase to high-LTV mortgage insurance. Genworth MI Canada and Canada Guaranty followed suit and matched CMHC’s price increases.
April
2017		 CMHC CMHC introduces new fee CMHC introduces a 0.01% administration fee that will be assessed against a portion of an issuer’s unused NHA-MBS guarantee allocations beyond a specified threshold.
April
2017		 Ontario Government Ontario announced Fair Housing Plan The Ontario government announces the “Fair Housing Plan” that includes measures to cool the housing market, contain rent increases, curb speculative practices and increase housing supply. The two key changes implemented included a 15% foreign buyer’s tax and an expansion of rent controls. The measures took effect immediately.
October
2017		 OSFI OSFI announces final B-20 guidelines OSFI unveils its final B-20 guidelines regarding residential mortgage underwriting practices and procedures for federally regulated financial institutions. It includes a new stress test that would require potential borrowers to qualify for underwriting using the higher of their contracted mortgage rate + 200 bps or the 5-year benchmark fixed rate published by the Bank of Canada.
October
2017		 OSFI OSFI announces final B-20 guidelines As part of OSFI’s final B-20 guidelines, federally regulated financial institutions are disallowed from arranging (or appearing to arrange) a mortgage or combination of mortgages secured by the same property that would circumvent the maximum LTV ratio as defined in a lender’s underwriting policies or legal requirements.
October
2017		 OSFI OSFI announces final B-20 guidelines Finally, OSFI’s new B-20 guidelines introduce greater due diligence, including: intended use of loan (e.g., purchase, refinancing), type of purchase (owner-occupied, recreational, investment, etc.), and type of refinancing (if applicable).
November
2017		 B.C. Government Vancouver unveils 10-year housing strategy Vancouver releases its 10-year Vancouver Housing Strategy and three-year action plan in November 2017, which includes references to a desire to introduce and/or work with other levels of government to potentially introduce more changes to the housing market (e.g., tax reform relating to real estate, restrict property ownership by non-permanent residents, etc.).
January
2018		 OSFI New Stress Test Begins OSFI’s uninsured mortgage stress test begins January 1.

History of Mortgage Rule Changes Continues:

February
2018		 B.C. Government Speculation tax  A tax of 0.5% of a home’s value was introduced to target foreign and domestic speculators. The tax is exempted on homes that are an owner’s primary residence and on those that are rented out for at least six months of the year (in addition to other examptions). The tax came into effect in select regions and municipalities.
March
2018		 B.C. Government Changes to B.C.’s Speculation tax  Responding to criticism over its speculation tax, the government reduced the number of geographic areas affected by the new tax and introduced a new rate system that distinguished between B.C. residents, out-of-province Canadians and foreign buyers.
March
2019		 Department of Finance Higher RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) Limits Announced in the Liberal government budget of 2019, the RRSP withdrawal limit under the Home Buyers’ Plan was raised to $35,000 from $25,000. It took effect March 20, 2019.
March
2019		 CMHC First-Time Home Buyer Incentive Announced in the Liberal government budget of 2019, this plan will provide down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers by way of a shared equity program, in which CMHC will provide 5% of the purchase price for existing homes and 10% for new builds. For default-insured purchases only; annual household income must be less than $120,000; the insured mortgage plus incentive amount cannot exceed four times the participants’ annual household income. The official launch was September 2019.
February
2020		 Department of Finance New insured stress-test qualifying rate The Department of Finance announced changes to Canada’s benchmark
qualifying rate, a key component used in stress-testing insured
mortgages. Under the new formula, insured borrowers will have to prove  they can afford a monthly payment based on a rate that equals the weekly median 5-year fixed insured mortgage rate, plus 2%. The change was set to come into effect on April 6, 2020.OSFI announced that it was considering using the same revised benchmark rate for uninsured
mortgages, or the borrower’s contract rate plus 2%, whichever is greater. It will confirm its new rule after a public comment period, saying it aimed to revise its stress test on the same April 6 date as the Department of Finance. 

Note: Due to extreme events related to COVID-19, the government announced in March 2020 that it will shelve this proposal for now.
March
2020		 Department of Finance, CMHC, Bank of Canada

Measures to Support Continued Lending

The Bank of Canada, Department of Finance and CMHC announced several mortgage measures to support liquidity in the mortgage market and those facing hardship related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Among them:
Launch of a $150 billion Insured Mortgage Purchase Program (IMPP).
Eligibility criteria for portfolio insurance were temporarily relaxed to help mortgage lenders access the IMPP. The change allows previously uninsured mortgage loans (e.g., those with 30-year amortizations and refinances) that were funded before March 20, 2020, to be eligible for mortgage insurance and to be included in future NHA MBS issuance, including:
1. Low loan-to-value mortgages with a maximum amortization term 
up to 30 years commencing from when the loan was funded.
2. Low loan-to-value mortgages whose purpose includes the purchase of a property, subsequent renewal of such a loan, or refinancing.
Canada Mortgage Bonds Buyback: The BoC said it “stands ready, as a proactive measure, to provide support to the Canada Mortgage Bond (CMB) market so that this important funding market continues to function well. This would include, as required, purchases of CMBs in the secondary market.” (Source)
The Bank of Canada also said it would broaden eligible collateral for its term repo facility to include the full range of collateral eligible under the Standing Liquidity Facility, with the exception of the non-mortgage loan portfolio.
OSFI relaxes the capital buffer required for domestic systemically important banks from 2.25% of risk-weighted assets to 1%. This results in an estimated $300 billion in added lending capacity.
June
2020		 CMHC Stricter Underwriting Rules for CMHC-Insured Mortgages CMHC announced the following underwriting changes for CMHC-insured mortgages that took effect July 1, 2020:
1. Lowering the maximum gross debt service (GDS) ratio from 39 to 35
2. Lowering the maximum total debt service (TDS) ratio from 44 to 42
3. Raising the minimum credit score from 600 to 680 (for at least one household borrower)
4. Banning several types of borrowed down payments
June
2021		 OSFI Higher minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages In April 2021, OSFI unveiled a proposed higher minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages. Starting in June 2021, borrowers will be stress tested at the higher of their contract rate plus 2% or a 5.25% floor rate, up from a minimum rate of 4.79% at the time. OSFI also announced it will revisit the calibration of the qualifying rate each December, at a minimum, “to ensure it remains appropriate for the risks in the environment.”
June
2021		 Department of Finance Higher minimum qualifying rate for insured mortgages In May 2021, the Department of Finance announced it would
implement a stricter stress test for insured mortgages, identical  to the stress test changes announced by OSFI for uninsured mortgages. As of June 1 2021, borrowers will be stress tested at the higher of their contract rate plus 2% or a 5.25% floor rate, up from a minimum rate of 4.79% at the time. The DoF said it will revisit the calibration of the qualifying rate each December,  at a minimum.

Mortgage Rule Changes Source:  Department of Finance, CMHC, RBC, BMO, National Bank

We can guarantee that more Mortgage Rule Changes will come as the Canadian economy finds its path through this COVID pandemic.

Mortgage Broker Regina
Kim Seifert
Mortgage Broker lic# 316147
M 306-533-4492 | F 306-545-7446| kseifert@dominionlending.ca

The Mortgage Firm lic# 315912
3889 Arcola Ave E, Regina, SK S4V 1P5

13 Sep

Bikes For Kids

General

Posted by: Kim Seifert

Bikes For Kids 2017

Bikes For Kids

 Bikes For Kids – 900 bikes and counting…!

It’s time for a new Bikes for Kids campaign, and 2017 is going to be another great year! The website to donate www.bikesforkids.com is up and running. Bikes for Kids was created by Dominion Lending Centres to provide underprivileged children with the joy of their first bike. Since 2014, Bikes for Kids has helped raise and distribute 5,000+ bikes throughout Canada. Now, we want to do MORE!

This year, we aim to raise an additional 2,000 bikes across the country. Events will be held in eight cities – Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Bikes for Kids has partnered with the fire fighters across the country and will be holding most of the events in inner-city schools (more information on the events to follow). We will also continue to work with the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau in Vancouver. This way, we help make Christmas a little brighter for kids throughout Canada.

So….how do I buy or “raise” the bikes? Simple!

The bikes can be purchased through our website – www.bikesforkids.com. We have partnered with Canadian Tire Canada and Runners Crafted Bikes – both these companies have given us special pricing AND will include a helmet for all bikes and a lock for all pedal bikes. Anyone can purchase a new bike from any store of your choosing but please consider including a helmet for safety reasons.

If you or your friends wish to donate cash and we purchase the bikes on their behalf, we can do that too! Just visit our website – www.bikesforkids.com – click on the give or donate button and donate the amount of your choice. We will purchase bikes with your generous donation for kids in your area.

Rib Night – October 16th!

Come and join us on Monday October 16th at the Press Box Sports for our 2nd annual DLC Bikes for Kids Rib Night Fundraiser! We are raising funds to purchase brand new bikes, helmets, and locks from Canadian Tire for the underprivileged children of Regina. Through our partnership with the United Way Regina and their Attendance Matters campaign kids at four community schools in Regina will have the opportunity to receive a new bike in December.

Tickets are only $30 and are going fast! Please contact me for your tickets.

Also consider visiting  http://bikesforkids.com/shop/ to buy a bike for a child in Regina or to donate funds to our campaign. This year we are in particular need of people to purchase boys and girls bikes in the 18″, 24″, and 26″ sizes.

Check out the Bikes For Kids FAQs by clicking here! Thank you for taking part in this AMAZING endeavor and should you have any questions, please let me know.

Kim Seifert
Mortgage Broker
(306) 533-4492
kseifert@dominionlending.ca

Bikes For Kids