Mortgages Hamilton

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		Provider	Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0		Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
9	1718582400		$100 to $1500	24%	Next payday	$100 to $1500
100	1709683200		up to $1,250	12%-32%	90 - 150 days	up to $1,250
23	1700524800		$5,000 - $25,000	24.99% - 29.99%	30 or 60	$5,000 - $25,000
21	1700524800		$1,000 - $5,000	46%	9-24	$1,000 - $5,000
15	1695254400		$1250	16.06% (nominal) - 31.99% (effective)	3 - 5	$1250
3	1692748800		Up to $350	0%	Up to 65 days	Up to $350
8	1688083200		$150 - $1,600	10 - 35%	3 - 6	$150 - $1,600
100	1686182400		$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
100	1686182400		$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
100	1686182400		$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
6	1683676800		$15,000	6.7%	Up to 60 months	$15,000
1	1670889600		$1,000 - $15,000	19.9% - 34.9%	-	$1,000 - $15,000
7	1666051200		$250	0%	-	$250
100	1643932800		$500 - $15,000	+18.9% APR	6 - 60	$500 - $15,000
100	1642723200		up to $1,500	-	-	up to $1,500
100	1734611700			29.9% - 46.9% APR	12 - 60
30	1637280000		$5,000 - $50,000	5.75% - 22.99%	Up to 84	$5,000 - $50,000
100	1623369600		Varies	0%	6 or 8 weeks	Varies
2	1620777600		Up to $35,000	9.99% - 46.96%	6 - 60	Up to $35,000
17	1607558400		$500 - $50,000	6.99% - 46.99%	12 - 36	$500 - $50,000
100	1600646400		$1,000-$7,500	12.99% - 29.99%	24 - 60	$1,000-$7,500
100	1598918400		$1,000 - $15,000	-	-	$1,000 - $15,000
100	1598832000		$500 – $15,000	+ 25.99%	9 - 60	$500 – $15,000
100	1595980800		$200 - $1,200	25% - 32%	-	$200 - $1,200
100	1551830400		Up to $500,000	5.75% – 9.9%	negotiable	Up to $500,000
100	1594684800		$100 - $2,000	0%	-	$100 - $2,000
100	1593561600		-	0+	2 - 60	-
100	1589155200		$2,500	15.65% AIR	13 - 26	$2,500
100	1582243200		-	-	Up to 60	-
100	1581033600		$5,000+	-	Up to 60	$5,000+
100	1580947200		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		$500 - $5,000	-	12 - 24	$500 - $5,000
100	1580860800		$350 - $1,000	-	2 - 12 weeks	$350 - $1,000
16	1580774400		$1,000 - $25,000	8.99% - 34.99% APR	36 or 60	$1,000 - $25,000
100	1579478400		$100 - $1,500	-	-	$100 - $1,500
100	1579478400		Up to $5,000	29.78% - 44.8%	36 months	Up to $5,000
100	1579219200		$100 - $25,000	+4.9%	-	$100 - $25,000
100	1579219200		-	15% - 19%	-	-
100	1576713600		-	Up to 35%	-	-
18	1576713600		$500 - $100,000	6.99% - 14.99%	12 - 240	$500 - $100,000
100	1575590400		1800- 2900	15.99%	23 - 36	1800- 2900
100	1562198400		$500 - $15,000	15.99 - 39.99%	6 - 60	$500 - $15,000
100	1560124800		Up to $15,000	29.99% - 46.96%	9 - 60	Up to $15,000
19	1552262400		$1,000 - $15,000	29.9% or 46.90%	6 - 60	$1,000 - $15,000
100	1551830400		$100 - $1,000	546% APR	14 days	$100 - $1,000
100	1569974400		$500 - $50,000	15 - 30%	-	$500 - $50,000
100	1551830400		$1,000 - $15,000	19% - 46.95%	6 - 60	$1,000 - $15,000
100	1551398400		Up to $1,500	15% - 19%	14 days	Up to $1,500
100	1551398400		$100 - $1,500	15% - 17%	14 -31 days	$100 - $1,500
100	1551398400		$500 - $1,000	28% - 32%	-	$500 - $1,000
100	1551398400		-	-	14 days	-
18	1546128000		Up to $5,000	19.9% - 45.9% APR	6 - 36	Up to $5,000
100	1551139200		$250 -$1,250	29%	3 - 6	$250 -$1,250
100	1551139200		$5,000 - $35,000	9.9%+	6 - 60	$5,000 - $35,000
15	1551139200		Up to $15,000	29.99% to 46.93% APR	Open-end	Up to $15,000
100	1550534400		$300 - $25,000	7.95%+	36 - 60	$300 - $25,000
100	1550534400		$100 - $1,500	-	14 days	$100 - $1,500
100	1569974400		Up to $1,500	Varies by province	up to 62 days	Up to $1,500
100	1550534400		Up to $1,500	Up to 59% APR	14 days	Up to $1,500
19	1550534400		$2,500 +	-	-	$2,500 +
100	1550534400		$500 - $1,000	28% - 32%	3 -5	$500 - $1,000
100	1550534400		$300 - $1,000	38% APR	3 - 4	$300 - $1,000
100	1549411200		$100 - $1,000	546% APR	14 days	$100 - $1,000
100	1549411200		$1,000 -$15,000	46.93%	12 - 60	$1,000 -$15,000
100	1567555200		$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
100	1549238400		$500 - $1,000	28% - 32%	4 - 5	$500 - $1,000
100	1549238400		$100 - $1,500	90% - 390% APR	14 days	$100 - $1,500
100	1549238400		$250 - $1,000	29% APR	3 - 4	$250 - $1,000
20	1548720000		$500 - $1,000,000	7.9%	12	$500 - $1,000,000
100	1548720000		$1,000 - $50,000	4.6% – 49.96%	3 - 60	$1,000 - $50,000
100	1548633600		$300 - $7,500	29.9% - 39.9%	6 - 60	$300 - $7,500
100	1548633600		$50 - $1,500	-	14 days	$50 - $1,500
100	1545955200		Up to $20,000	19% - 49%	36 - 48	Up to $20,000
16	1545264000		$2,000 - $10,000	18.9% - 54.9%	12 - 60	$2,000 - $10,000
5	1545264000		$500 - $10,000	12.99% – 39.99%	9 – 36	$500 - $10,000
100	1545264000		$500 – $10,000	Starting at 9.90%	12 - 36	$500 – $10,000
2	1543622400		Up to $60,000	19.99% - 39.99%	6 - 120	Up to $60,000
100	1545177600		$2,000 – $10,000	34.9% - 43%	12 - 60	$2,000 – $10,000
10	1545264000		$500 - $12,500	19.99%+	12 - 60	$500 - $12,500
100	1545350400		Up to $1000	30%	3 - 5	Up to $1000
100	1545350400		Up to $5,000	60%	6 - 60	Up to $5,000
100	1545350400		Up to $3,000	22% - 35%	3 - 4	Up to $3,000
100	1545350400		Up to $7,000	-Up to 48.99%	Up to 60 months	Up to $7,000
100	1545350400		$500 - $2,500	29% - 46.95%	6 - 36	$500 - $2,500
5	1545350400		$500 - $1000+	28%-32%	3	$500 - $1000+
100	1545350400		$500 – $750	28% – 34.4%	3	$500 – $750
100	1545350400		$500 – $750	23% - 34.4%	3 – 12	$500 – $750
100	1545350400		$300 - $1500	27% - 35%	3 - 4	$300 - $1500
4	1545264000		$500 - $100,000	Starting at 29.99%	9 - 84	$500 - $100,000
3	1545264000		Up to $5,000	47.72%	-	Up to $5,000
4	1568937600		$1,500 – $10,000	Varies by province	Varies	$1,500 – $10,000
10	1545177600		$1,000 - $35,000	5.99% - 29.19%	36 - 60	$1,000 - $35,000
18	1545177600		$100 - $20,000	Up to 46.8%	Up to 60	$100 - $20,000

		Provider	Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0		Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
3	1725321600		up to $40,000	-	-	up to $40,000
8	1714089600		$10,000 +	4%-45%	90 days+	$10,000 +
7	1714089600		$10,000 to $2,000,000	10%+	Up to 36	$10,000 to $2,000,000
3	1697414400		Up to $800,000	9% - 49.99%	3, 6, 9, or 12	Up to $800,000
2	1669852800		$5,000 - $300,000	-	3 - 24 months	$5,000 - $300,000
100	1648512000		$10,000 - $250,000	Varies	6-12	$10,000 - $250,000
100	1620345600		-	-	12 - 60	-
100	1611878400		$5,000 - $30,000,000	-	Up to 18	$5,000 - $30,000,000
17	1607558400		$500 - $50,000	6.99% - 46.99%	6 - 36	$500 - $50,000
100	1603756800		-	-	-	-
100	1598918400		-	-	-	-
100	1592438400		-	-	-	-
100	1585612800		-	0.9% - 12%	6 months - 5 years	-
100	1581984000		$10,000 - $10,000,000	6% - 12.5%	-	$10,000 - $10,000,000
100	1581292800		-	-	-	-
100	1581033600		-	-	-	-
100	1581033600		-	-	-	-
100	1581033600		-	-	-	-
100	1580947200		-	-	-	-
100	1580947200		$10,000 - $1,000,000	-	-	$10,000 - $1,000,000
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		$5,000 - $1,000,000	-	-	$5,000 - $1,000,000
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		up to $250,000	-	-	up to $250,000
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580688000		Up to $10,000	-	-	Up to $10,000
100	1580256000		$5,000 - $500,000	-	6 - 18 months	$5,000 - $500,000
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		$10,000- $30,000,000	Min 4.95%	-	$10,000- $30,000,000
100	1579478400		-	-	12 - 120	-
100	1579478400		-	-	24 to 60	-
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579046400		-	-	-	-
100	1578873600		-	-	-	-
100	1577059200		-	-	-	-
100	1577059200		-	-	-	-
100	1577059200		-	-	-	-
100	1575849600		$5,000 - $150,000	15% +	6 - 24	$5,000 - $150,000
100	1575849600		Up to $250,000	-	-	Up to $250,000
100	1575590400		-	-	-	-
100	1575590400		-	-	-	-
1	1545955200		$5,000 - $150,000	Fee-Based: Starting at 9%	12 - 60	$5,000 - $150,000
100	1552262400		$500,000 - $10,000,000	-	-	$500,000 - $10,000,000
100	1552262400		-	Competitive	-	-
100	1552262400		-	-	-	-
100	1552262400		Up to $250,000	-	Up to 10 years	Up to $250,000
100	1552262400		-	-	-	-
100	1552262400		Up to $1,000,000	-	-	Up to $1,000,000
100	1551830400		Up to $100,000	-	-	Up to $100,000
100	1551830400		$10,000+	-	Up to 15 years	$10,000+
100	1551830400		Up to $1,000,000	-	Up to 15 years	Up to $1,000,000
100	1551830400		Up to $500,000	-	Up to 10 years	Up to $500,000
100	1551830400		$5,000 - $10,000	-	Up to 7 years	$5,000 - $10,000
100	1551398400		$3,500+	-	-	$3,500+
100	1551398400		$5,000+	4.9% - 24.99%	18 - 48	$5,000+
100	1551398400		$10,000 - $1,000,000	4% - 14%	12 - 84	$10,000 - $1,000,000
100	1551139200		Up to $75,000	-	Up to 18	Up to $75,000
100	1550534400		$500-$50,000	0.5% weekly	12 week cycles	$500-$50,000
100	1550534400		$1,000 - $1,000,000	6% - 20%	-	$1,000 - $1,000,000
100	1550534400		Up to $5,000,000	4.5%	24 - 72	Up to $5,000,000
100	1550534400		$5,000 - $200,000	-	-	$5,000 - $200,000
100	1549411200		$50,000 - $12,000,000	-	24 - 96	$50,000 - $12,000,000
100	1549411200		$5,000 - $1,000,000+	-	1 - 60	$5,000 - $1,000,000+
100	1549238400		$5,000 - $1,000,000	-	3 - 24	$5,000 - $1,000,000
100	1548720000		$5,000 - $5,000,000	-	4 - 18	$5,000 - $5,000,000
100	1548720000		Up to $100,000	6.05% +	60	Up to $100,000
100	1548720000		$10,000+	18% - 22%	-	$10,000+
100	1548720000		$10,000 - $300,000	4.70% - 5.45%	-	$10,000 - $300,000
100	1548633600		Up to $5,000,000	5% - 10%	12 - 60	Up to $5,000,000
10	1545177600		$1,000 - $35,000	5.6% – 25.5%	36 – 60	$1,000 - $35,000
100	1545264000		$5,000 - $250,000	-	3-18	$5,000 - $250,000
100	1545264000		$5,000 - $150,000	-	3 - 24	$5,000 - $150,000
6	1545350400		$5,000 – $100,000	15% +	12 – 18	$5,000 – $100,000
100	1545264000		$5,000 – $100,000	Starting at 6.87%	3 – 18	$5,000 – $100,000
5	1545177600		$5,000-$300,000	15% - 25%	4 - 24	$5,000-$300,000
4	1545177600		$5,000 – $500,000	Starting at 5.9%	3 – 60	$5,000 – $500,000
5	1545264000		$500 - $10,000	12.99% – 39.99%	9 – 36	$500 - $10,000
100	1561507200		Up to $300,000	-	-	Up to $300,000

		Provider	Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0		Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
2	1679529600		Varies	varies	24 - 96 months	Varies
100	1643846400		up to $10,000	19.99%	12 - 36	up to $10,000
3	1632960000		Up to $50,000	15.99% +	12 -72	Up to $50,000
8	1624233600		Up to $50,000	29.99% – 46.96%	12 - 96	Up to $50,000
100	1610409600		-	-	-	-
17	1607558400		$500 - $50,000	-	24 - 60	$500 - $50,000
7	1606435200		$500 - $10,000	starting at 0%	3 - 48	$500 - $10,000
100	1600646400		$1,000-$7,500	12.99% - 29.99%	12 - 84	$1,000-$7,500
100	1594339200		-	-	-	-
100	1582761600		-	-	12 - 96	-
6	1582761600		-	11.9% - 22.9%	Up to 84	-
100	1582761600		-	0% - 29.5%	-	-
100	1581033600		-	+ 4.9%	-	-
100	1581033600		-	-	-	-
100	1580688000		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		-	-	-	-
100	1579219200		-	-	-	-
100	1578873600		-	+8.99%	-	-
100	1578873600		-	-	-	-
100	1551830400		$5,000 - $10,000	-	up to 84	$5,000 - $10,000
100	1552262400		Up to $250,000	-	12 - 60	Up to $250,000
100	1552262400		Up to $1,000,000	-	up to 96	Up to $1,000,000
100	1551830400		Up to $100,000	-	6 - 96	Up to $100,000
100	1551830400		$10,000+	-	12 - 96	$10,000+
100	1551830400		Up to $1,000,000	-	up to 96	Up to $1,000,000
100	1577059200		-	-	up to 72	-
100	1577059200		-	-	-	-
100	1575849600		-	Starting at 4%	Up to 84	-
100	1575849600		$5000 - $45,000	4.90 % - 29.95% APR	36 - 72	$5000 - $45,000
100	1575849600		-	-	-	-
100	1575590400		-	-	-	-
100	1575504000		-	-	-	-
6	1569974400		$7500 - $59,995	3.95% +	12 - 96	$7500 - $59,995
100	1562112000		-	Up to 49.9%	-	-
100	1561507200		-	-	-	-
100	1561507200		-	-	Up to 84	-
1	1560124800		Up to $100,000	3.99% - 19.9%	24 -96	Up to $100,000
100	1551830400		Up to $30,000	-	-	Up to $30,000
100	1551830400		Up to $500,000	5.75% – 9.9%	negotiable	Up to $500,000
100	1550534400		-	-	-	-
100	1548720000		-	-	-	-
100	1548633600		-	4.2%+	-	-
100	1545955200		Up to $20,000	19% - 49%	36 - 48	Up to $20,000
5	1545264000		$500 - $10,000	12.99% – 39.99%	9 – 36	$500 - $10,000
100	1545177600		Up to $50,000	-	-	Up to $50,000
100	1545177600		$5,000 – $40,000	-	12 – 72	$5,000 – $40,000
100	1545177600		-	-	Maximum 84	-

		Provider	Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0		Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
100	1578873600		$1,000 - $35,000	-	24 - 60	$1,000 - $35,000
100	1545955200		Up to $20,000	19% - 49%	36 - 48	Up to $20,000
100	1545264000		Up to $25,000	-	12 - 60	Up to $25,000

		Provider	Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
3	1726531200		$15,000 +	6% - 16%	12 - 60	$15,000 +
7	1708473600		Varies	Varies	1 - 10 years	Varies
5	1700524800		-	-	-	-
6	1696377600		-	5.69% +	-	-
100	1695945600		-	-	-	-
100	1695772800		-	-	-	-
4	1690934400		Varies	5.54%+	Varies	Varies
2	1688601600		Min $100,000	5.34%+	2 - 10 years	Min $100,000
3	1679616000		$100,000 - $2 million	Fixed, variable, or adjustable rates	1 - 5 years	$100,000 - $2 million
4	1541030400		-	Varies	6 months - 5 years	-
100	1627344000		-	1.94% - 2.45%	12 - 60	-
100	1551830400		Up to $500,000	5.75% – 9.9%	negotiable	Up to $500,000
100	1581033600		-	2.74% - 6.30%	12 - 120	-
100	1580947200		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	2.64% - 4.45%	12 - 120	-
100	1580860800		$50,000+	2.74% - 3.49%	12- 120	$50,000+
100	1580860800		-	-	36 - 60	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580860800		-	-	-	-
100	1580688000		-	2.79% - 6.00%	6 - 60	-
100	1580688000		-	2.74% - 4.45%	12 - 120	-
100	1580688000		-	-	-	-
100	1579478400		-	2.74% - 3.70%	6 - 120	-
100	1579132800		-	2.79% - 4.45%	-	-
100	1578873600		-	-	-	-
100	1578873600		-	2.69% - 3.95%	6 - 120	-
100	1578268800		up to 4,000,000	3.49% - 5.49%	12 - 300	up to 4,000,000
100	1577059200		$25,000 - $800,000	4.59% - 5.64%	6 - 60	$25,000 - $800,000
100	1577059200		-	-	-	-
100	1577059200		-	--	-	-
100	1577059200		-	2.84% - 7.30%	-	-
100	1574985600		$100,000 - $750,000	-	12 - 120	$100,000 - $750,000
100	1574899200		min 25,000	3.89.% - 4.84%	12 - 60	min 25,000
100	1574899200		-	2.23% - 4.45%	-	-
100	1560124800		-	2.89% - 3.79%	-	-
100	1548806400		$10,000 - $1,500,000	Varies	12 - 24	$10,000 - $1,500,000
100	1548720000		-	2.41% - 3.84%	-	-
100	1548720000		-	-	-	-
1	1517097600		$10,000+	Based on equity	-	$10,000+

		Provider	Services	Rating
0	0		Debt Consolidation Program, Debt Settlement Program, Consumer Proposal, Bankruptcy Consultation	N/A (Referrer)
100	1576540800		Credit Counselling, Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal
100	1576540800		Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal
100	1576540800		Credit Counselling, Debt Management Program
100	1576368000		Credit Counselling, Debt Management Program
100	1576454400		Debt Restructuring, After Care - Credit Rebuilding Program, Corporate Debt Restructuring

If you’re planning to buy a home in Hamilton, odds are you’ll need the help of a mortgage to finance such a large purchase. Mortgages make it possible for Canadians to realize their dreams of homeownership.

But mortgages themselves can be expensive. Depending on the price of the home you plan to buy, among other things, a mortgage is a hefty bill that will be adding to your other monthly obligations.

Before you take out a mortgage, be sure to find out all the ins and outs of these types of loans to make an informed decision. In this article, we’ll discuss applying for a mortgage in Hamilton, to help you determine what type of mortgage is right for you.

Get Pre-Approved For Your Mortgage in Hamilton

You may want to consider getting pre-approved for your mortgage before you start your search for a new home in Hamilton. A pre-approval is a promise from your lender that you can get approved for a specific loan amount to finance a home purchase.

There are a couple of reasons why you may want to take this extra step before you start looking for a new home.

Should you spend your entire preapproval amount? Find out here.

Find out how much you can afford. Rather than looking at all sorts of homes in different price ranges, you should be focusing on properties that match your budget. But you won’t truly know how much you can afford and how much you can get approved for without getting pre-approved first.

A pre-approval will tell you what loan amount you can get approved for and will help you narrow your focus, save time, and avoid disappointment.

Show sellers you’re serious. Sellers want to know that the buyers they strike deals with can actually afford to pay for the home and get final approval for a mortgage.

And going into a deal with a pre-approval letter in hand will show sellers that you’re serious and will make you more competitive, especially in a seller’s market.

Just keep in mind that pre-approvals expire after 120 days. Once they expire, you will have to get pre-approved again.

Interested in buying a house in another Canadian city? Check out this infographic.

How to Save For a Down Payment in Hamilton

A down payment is a necessary part of securing a mortgage. In Canada, the lowest down payment amount accepted by traditional lenders is 5% of the purchase price of a home. That means a home that costs $500,000 would require a minimum down payment of $25,000 to secure a mortgage.

Considering how large down payments need to be, it can be difficult for many potential homebuyers in Hamilton to come up with that amount of money. As such, saving up for a down payment requires some diligence, sacrifice, effort, and time.

But saving up for a larger down payment is beneficial for a few reasons.

For instance, a larger down payment amount will reduce the loan amount you need to take out, making your mortgage smaller and easier to pay down. Further, if you’re able to come up with at least 20% of your purchase price, you can eliminate additional payments for mortgage default insurance, which we’ll get into later.

Here are some tips to help you save for your down payment:

• Open an account dedicated solely for down payment savings
• Have a certain amount automatically deducted from each paycheck and deposited into your down payment savings account
• Cut down on your spending
• Pay down your high-interest debt to free up more money for your down payment savings
• Borrow from friends and family
• Borrow from your RRSPs (Home Buyers Plan)

For more information about the Canadian Home Buyers Plan, click here.

Mortgage Insurance Rules in Hamilton

Certain types of mortgages require default insurance. More specifically, your down payment amount will dictate whether or not mortgage default insurance is required.

For example, any down payments that are less than 20% of the purchase price of the home will require an additional insurance premium to be paid on top of the regular mortgage payments. These are considered to be “high-ratio” mortgages.”

If borrowers in Hamilton are able to come up with at least 20% of the purchase price in the form of a down payment, mortgage default insurance is not required. These are considered “conventional mortgages.”

The purpose of mortgage default insurance is to protect the lender in case a borrower stops making payments and defaults on their home loan.

Types of Mortgages Available in Hamilton

There are several types of mortgages available in Hamilton, including the following:

Open mortgages. An open mortgage allows borrowers to increase the principal amount outstanding at some point in the future. These mortgages then let borrowers go back and borrow more money from the lender. There’s typically a cap on any additional amount that can be borrowed.

Closed mortgages. A closed mortgage comes with a prepayment limit, meaning you’re only allowed to pay up to 15% of the original principal balance of the mortgage each calendar year.

Fixed-rate mortgages. A fixed-rate mortgage has an interest rate that remains the same throughout the mortgage term. As such, mortgage payments stay the same, making them easier to budget for.

Variable-rate mortgages. A variable-rate mortgage comes with an interest rate that fluctuates at certain points throughout the term. The “introductory period” typically comes with a rate that’s lower than a fixed-rate mortgage, though when that period ends, the rate can go up (or down).

Conventional mortgages. A conventional mortgage requires a down payment of at least 20% of the purchase price of the home. As such, no mortgage default insurance is required.

High-ratio mortgages. A high-ratio mortgage is one in which a down payment of less than 20% is made. As such, mortgage default insurance premiums are required.

Second mortgages. Homeowners with at least 20% equity in their homes (the value of their home, less any outstanding principal balance remaining on the mortgage) may be eligible for a second mortgage, which allows them to borrow against the equity in their home to be used to cover large expenses.

Credit Score Required For a Mortgage in Hamilton

Before a lender in Hamilton approves a mortgage application, they’ll want to assess the borrower’s credit score. Generally speaking, lenders want to see a credit score of at least 680 before they agree to extend a home loan to a homebuyer.

Your credit score dictates what type of borrower you would be. A high credit score generally means that you’ve been diligent with your loan payments over the past, while a low score probably means you’ve missed a payment here and there.

If you want to get approved for a mortgage without any trouble, make sure your credit score is at least 680 or higher.

For even more information about credit scores, take a look at this.

Alternative Mortgage Options For Hamilton Borrowers With Bad Credit

What if your credit score is less than 680? Will you be out of luck when it comes to securing a mortgage?

If you’re applying with a conventional lender, you might find trouble getting approved for a mortgage Hamilton. But, there may be other options for you if you have a bad credit score.

Work with an alternative lender. Instead of seeking a mortgage with a conventional lender, consider applying for a home loan with an alternative lender in Hamilton (click here for more information). These lenders place less emphasis on a borrower’s credit score and more emphasis on their income, assets, down payment amount, and most recent payment history.

Just keep in mind that if you are approved with this type of lender, you’ll be paying a higher interest rate compared to a conventional loan.

Take out a bridge loan. You may be able to make your dreams of homeownership come true by taking out a customized short-term solution such as a bridge loan. These types of loans can help you take advantage of the borrowing potential of your current home to help cover an expense if you have trouble getting similar financing from a traditional lender.

A bridge loan is similar to a regular mortgage loan but is used to get access to

loans at a lower rate in the future while helping to improve your credit score.

Get a cosigner. If you know someone who you trust and has a good credit score, ask them if they would be willing to cosign your home loan with you. If they assume this position, they would be responsible for taking over the mortgage payments if you are no longer able to make them yourself.

Take time to improve your credit score. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to give yourself some time to improve your credit score to increase the chances of getting approved in the future.

The following steps can help your credit score increase:

• Pay all bills on time
• Use less than 20% to 30% of your limit on your credit card every month
• Make more than your minimum credit card payments
• Don’t apply for new credit card or loans
• Keep old credit accounts open
• Don’t close any accounts that still have a balance remaining

Do you know how the mortgage stress test is going to affect your approval? Learn more here.

Hidden Costs of Buying a House in Hamilton

Buying a house in Hamilton is obviously a huge purchase and a big expense to add to the books. But in addition to the mortgage payments that must be made to pay down the loan, there are several other expenses that many buyers – especially first-timers – may not be aware of.

It’s important to get familiar with all expenses related to buying and paying for a home before getting into this large financial commitment:

• Closing costs, such as appraisals, lender fees, underwriting fees, lawyer fees title fees
• Mortgage interest
• Home inspections
• Property taxes
• Property insurance
• Utilities
• Maintenance
• Repairs

For more information about closing costs in Ontario, click here.

Comparing Different Mortgages in Hamilton

You’d be well-advised to shop around for a mortgage before settling on one. To do this effectively, you’ll want to make sure that you compare key components of each mortgage product to choose the one that’s best for you. Here are the components that you’ll want to compare between mortgages:

• Interest rate
• Term
• Amortization period
• Prepayment options
• Penalty fees
• Variable- versus fixed-rate

Mortgage Payment Options

Mortgages are types of installment loans, which means the entire loan amount is repaid in installments over time. The frequency in which the payments are made to pay back the loan can vary based on what your lender offers and what you’re most comfortable with.

The most common payment frequency is monthly, which means payments are made once a month. But other payment options are also available, including:

• Semi-monthly – two payments a month
• Accelerated bi-weekly- payment every two years
• Weekly – one payment per week

Did you know that you could be charged a penalty for prepayment? Check out this article.

Amortization Periods

The amortization period of your mortgage refers to the entire length of time that you have to repay the loan amount in full. You have a few options, including short or long-term amortizations.

Short-term amortizations are attractive because they allow mortgages to be repaid sooner than long-term amortizations. And as such, much less is paid toward interest, making them more affordable overall. But because you have less time to pay off the mortgage, the monthly payments will be much higher.

Long-term amortizations tend to be more popular among borrowers because the monthly payments are much smaller as a result of having much more time to fully repay the loan. That said, it will cost the borrower much more in interest as a result of the long time period to repay the loan.

Which amortization length is best for you? Check out this article to find out.

Need a Mortgage in Hamilton?

If buying a home in Hamilton is on the agenda for you sometime soon, then it may be time to start looking into applying for a mortgage, and Loans Canada can help connect you with a third-party mortgage professional in your area.