
Luciano Giustini
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Why buying your first home during inflationary times is good
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Are you a first-time homebuyer concerned about rising inflation? It's understandable to have some reservations, but rest assured that there are still plenty of reasons why buying your first home is a great idea, even during inflationary times.
Firstly, Canada's housing market has historically been stable and resilient, even during economic downturns. This means that homeownership remains a reliable investment in the long run, and you can feel confident in your decision to buy a home.
Secondly, the Canadian government offers programs and incentives to help first-time homebuyers get into the market, such as the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive and the Home Buyers' Plan. These programs can help you get a foot in the door and make homeownership more accessible and affordable.
Additionally, as inflation drives up the cost of living, owning a home can provide a sense of stability and predictability in your monthly expenses. Unlike renting, where landlords may increase your rent at any time, owning your home means that your monthly mortgage payment will remain the same for the duration of your mortgage term.
Finally, by owning a home, you can build equity and wealth over time, which can help you achieve your long-term financial goals.
As a mortgage broker, I can help you navigate the Canadian housing market and find the best possible mortgage deal for your unique financial situation., now could be the perfect time to take the leap into homeownership.
So if you're a first-time homebuyer, don't let rising inflation discourage you from achieving your dream of homeownership. Contact me today to schedule a consultation and start your journey towards owning your first home.
Every now and then we see a mortgage stat that’s a jaw-dropper.
This finding from Manulife Bank is one of them. It suggests there are a lot more people with money to burn than one might expect.
Manulife recently surveyed 1,000 Canadian homeowners between the ages of 30 to 59. Among respondents with a mortgage, two-thirds (65%) did not compare mortgages from more than one lender when they last renewed.
More specifically:
20% stayed with their current lender after maturity and did not negotiate
45% stayed with their current lender and tried to negotiate a good deal, but did not shop around
35% compared mortgages from several lenders and choose the best overall lender and product.
The youngest group (ages 30-39) was most likely to shop around (41%), but was also most likely to
accept their current lender’s offer without negotiating (24%).
We asked Doug Conick, President & CEO of Manulife Bank, why on earth people would give so much power to their lender.
"Most people lead very busy lives and may not have the time or expertise to fully investigate their options,” he said.
“Through our debt survey we've found that only about 3 out of 10 Canadians work with a financial adviser to manage their debt more effectively."
“With busy lives and a lack of advice for most, this decision often gets left until very close to the renewal date, causing borrowers to follow the path of least resistance and renew with their current lender.”
“The unfortunate thing,” he added, “is that this could end up costing them a lot of extra money and keep them in debt longer than they need to be.”
That’s for sure.
In our experience, people who auto-renew often pay 1/2%-3/4% more than necessary, or worse! In fact, we’ve seen innumerable people sign renewal letters at their bank’s “special offer” rate, which is usually well above the market. (Example: Today’s 5-year fixed “special offer” bank rates are 3.94% to 4.09%. That’s up to 80 basis points above competitive rates on the street.)
Even a 1/4% rate difference amounts to over $4,000 more in interest over five years, on a $200,000 mortgage with a 20-year amortization. That’s money that could normally go towards prepaying a fat chunk of principal.
pickpocketingIt’s hard to fathom why anyone would let a lender pick their pocket like this. At the very least, folks must find it within their strength to lift up the phone and call an independent mortgage planner.
Even if you’d rather stay with your current lender at renewal, seek out a second opinion. You absolutely owe it to yourself to keep your lender honest by surveying the market.
Of course, this all begs the question of why someone would ever want to deal exclusively with a lender that aims to maximize the interest they pay…but that’s a story for another day.
Sidebar: The report also confirmed, yet again, the various studies which show that people underutilize their prepayment privileges.
In the last year, out of respondents with a mortgage, 70% did not make any extra payments.
By far, the most common reason cited for not making an extra mortgage payment was “a lack of extra money.”