Second Mortgages in Canada: When & How?
A second mortgage is a loan you get in addition to the first mortgage that you have already registered for your home.
Second mortgage rates are generally higher because second mortgages are relatively riskier for the lenders. In order for you to understand why it is so, and decide whether or not a certain second mortgage rate is reasonable, let’s have an example of a second mortgage.
Imagine the value of your home in Canada is $350,000 and you have already got a $200,000 mortgage for your home through a mortgage company In Canada. The remaining will be $150,000 ($350,000 minus $200,000). This is your home equity. In other words, this is the part of your home value that you have not received a mortgage for. Therefore, you don’t owe this much of your home value to a mortgage company.
Now imagine that you need $100,000 for a reason. Because your home equity is $150,000, you can then ask for a $100,000 loan, which is less than $150,000. This new amount that you get as a loan is called a 2nd mortgage. Sometimes second mortgage might be also called home equity line of credit or home equity loan, but they are second mortgages if they are taken in addition to your first mortgage.
In Canada, in order to get a better interest rate, your second mortgage must be insured and the mortgage default insurance premium will be then added on top of your basic loan amount. Although it may first seem that the amount of your second mortgage has been increased, you will usually have lower rates for you mortgage with lower monthly payments when you insure your second mortgage.
In a fixed rate mortgage, as the name suggests, the interest rate for your mortgage is fixed for an appointed period of time which in Canada is usually between 6 months to 25 years. The good thing about a second mortgage with a fixed rate is that you know how much you are paying for a set period of time which is technically called ‘term’.
In contrast, you may want to go for a second mortgage with a variable rate. This means that the fluctuation in the interest rate will determine how much your monthly payment will be appointed for the principle of your mortgage and what portion to be appointed for the interest. If interest rates go down, more of your payment will help reduce the principal of your second mortgage; if rates go up, a larger portion of your monthly payment will be appointed to cover the interest rather than the principle. Although interest rates may fluctuate from month to month depending on market conditions in Canada, the payments of your second mortgage are fixed for a period of one to two years.
Because second mortgage rates, and generally mortgage rates, change quite frequently, you many want to choose a longer-term mortgage if you don’t want to involve yourself with the rate changes. But if you want to choose a more flexible option, a shorter-term mortgage then allows you to potentially take advantage of lower rates.
By: Arash Svd
It’s the Best Time for a Second Mortgage Refinance
Its good news for those who are looking for a second mortgage refinance, as this is probably the best opportunity for you. You can refinance and choose a fixed rate 2nd mortgage, variable equity line of credit or a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. This is a very good time to go in for a mortgage refinance as the interest rates on second mortgages are on an all time low! There is still time to lock in a great home mortgage refinance rates that can potentially save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. With the low interest rates and reduced monthly payment, you will finally have the opportunity to use the money you save to make your financial dreams come true.
By getting a second mortgage loan gives you the freedom to change your adjustable rate mortgage into a fixed rate equity loan with fixed mortgage terms. When you refinance, it can save you thousands of dollars a year in interest if you choose to refinance and get cash out with a FHA mortgage that lets you to borrow up to 95% of loan to value. Make sure that you don’t miss this golden opportunity as interest rates could shoot up any time. Out of the extra cash that you save with a cash out refinance you can go in for consolidating all your credit card debt or make home improvements in order to add more beauty and value to your home. A Refinance Second Mortgage could prove to be your ultimate home financing solution which can help release all your financial tensions. Following are some essential points through which a 2nd mortgage refinance can assist your financial conditions:
Lower your interest rates Reduce your monthly payments Save Money and use it for paying your other financial obligations Switch to a Fixed Rate Mortgage from an Adjustable Rate Mortgage and vice versa Reduce Mental Stress
So, make a wise decision and go in for a refinance to lead an anxiety free life. There are also options like bad credit mortgage refinance if you have imperfect credit or a mortgage loan modification if you are looking to modify the terms of your loan, just make sure that you don’t take too long as interest rates might start shooting up any time soon.
By: Anthony Russell
The Many Mortgage Loan Types and There Fixed Rates
There are many types of mortgage loans. The two basic types of amortized loans are the fixed rate mortgage (FRM) and adjustable rate mortgage (ARM).
In a FRM, the interest rate, and hence monthly payment, remains fixed for the life (or term) of the loan. In the U.S., the term is usually for 10, 15, 20, or 30 years. The only increase a consumer might see in their monthly payments would result from an increase in their property taxes or insurance rates (paid using an escrow account, if they’ve opted to use an escrow). But payments for principal and interest will be consistent throughout the life of the loan using an FRM.
In an ARM, the interest rate is fixed for a period of time, after which it will periodically (annually or monthly) adjust up or down to some market index. Common indices in the U.S. include the Prime Rate, the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), and the Treasury Index (”T-Bill”). Other indexes like 11th District Cost of Funds Index, COSI, and MTA, are also available but are less popular.
Adjustable rates transfer part of the interest rate risk from the lender to the borrower, and thus are widely used where unpredictable interest rates make fixed rate loans difficult to obtain. Since the risk is transferred, lenders will usually make the initial interest rate of the ARM’s note anywhere from 0.5% to 2% lower than the average 30-year fixed rate.
In most scenarios, the savings from an ARM outweigh its risks, making them an attractive option for people who are planning to keep a mortgage for ten years or less.
Additionally, lenders rely on credit reports and credit scores derived from them. The higher the score, the more creditworthy the borrower is assumed to be. Favorable interest rates are offered to buyers with high scores. Lower scores indicate higher risk to the lender, and lenders require higher interest rates in such scenarios to compensate for increased risk. Mortgage Info at Blogspot.com
A partial amortization or balloon loan is one where the amount of monthly payments due are calculated (amortized) over a certain term, but the outstanding principal balance is due at some point short of that term. This payment is sometimes referred to as a “balloon payment”. A balloon loan can be either a Fixed or Adjustable in terms of the Interest Rate.Mortgage Info at Blogspot.com Many Second Trust mortgages use this feature. The most common way of describing a balloon loan uses the terminology X due in Y, where X is the number of years over which the loan is amortized, and Y is the year in which the principal balance is due. A contract could be written up so there would be more than one “balloon payment” required to be paid during the life of the loan.
By: Adam Archer