Mortgages Lethbridge, Alberta

The Canadian Mortgage Stress Test in 2024

📅 Last Updated: October 4, 2021

✏️ Written By Lisa Rennie

🕵️ Fact-Checked by Caitlin Wood

Table of Contents show

Mortgages Lethbridge - Compare Providers

		Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0	Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
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
15	1695254400	$1250	16.06% (nominal) - 31.99% (effective)	3 - 5	$1250
11	1692748800	Up to $250	0%	Up to 61 days	Up to $250
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 - $10,000	19.9% - 46.9%	-	$1,000 - $10,000
7	1666051200	$150	0%	-	$150
100	1643932800	$500 - $15,000	+18.9% APR	6 - 60	$500 - $15,000
13	1639094400	$1,000 - $15,000	29.9% - 46.9% APR	12 - 60	$1,000 - $15,000
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	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	1593561600	-	0+	2 - 60	-
100	1589155200	$2,500	15.65% AIR	13 - 26	$2,500
100	1582243200	-	-	Up to 60	-
100	1580947200	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	$500 - $5,000	-	12 - 24	$500 - $5,000
100	1580860800	$350 - $1,000	-	2 - 12 weeks	$350 - $1,000
9	1580860800	$1,600 - $25,000	19.99% APR	36 - 60	$1,600 - $25,000
16	1580774400	$1,000 - $25,000	7.5% - 31.5% APR	36 - 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	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
17	1545955200	Up to $20,000	18.99% - 24.99%	36 - 84	Up to $20,000
19	1552262400	$1,000 - $15,000	29.9% or 46.90%	6 - 60	$1,000 - $15,000
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	$5,000 - $35,000	9.9%+	6 - 60	$5,000 - $35,000
15	1551139200	Up to $15,000	19.99% 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	15% - 23%	-	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	1567555200	$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
100	1549238400	$500 - $1,000	28% - 32%	4 - 5	$500 - $1,000
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	Up to $5,000	-	12 - 60	Up to $5,000
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
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 $50,000	19.99% - 39.99%	6 - 120	Up to $50,000
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 $7,000	-	6 – 60	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 $3,500	47.72%	-	Up to $3,500
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
100	1569974400	Up to $1,500	15% - 23%	14 days	Up to $1,500

		Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0	Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
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	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	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	$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	1548720000	Up to $5,000	Prime +7% or 8%	36 - 60	Up to $5,000
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	$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	$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	-	-	-	-
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-$250,000	8% - 29% APR	6 - 18	$5,000-$250,000
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

		Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0	Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
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
17	1607558400	$500 - $50,000	-	24 - 60	$500 - $50,000
100	1594339200	-	-	-	-
100	1582761600	-	-	12 - 96	-
6	1582761600	-	11.9% - 22.9%	Up to 84	-
100	1581033600	-	+ 4.9%	-	-
100	1581033600	-	-	-	-
100	1580688000	-	-	-	-
100	1579478400	-	-	-	-
100	1579478400	-	-	-	-
100	1579478400	-	-	-	-
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	1575590400	-	-	-	-
100	1575504000	-	-	-	-
100	1574985600	-	-	-	-
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	1548720000	-	-	-	-
100	1548633600	-	4.2%+	-	-
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	-

		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	1545264000	Up to $25,000	-	12 - 60	Up to $25,000

		Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
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
100	1627344000	-	1.94% - 2.45%	12 - 60	-
2	1620777600	Up to $35,000	-	-	Up to $35,000
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	1579478400	-	2.74% - 3.70%	6 - 120	-
100	1578873600	-	-	-	-
100	1578873600	-	2.69% - 3.95%	6 - 120	-
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+

		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	Credit Counselling, Debt Management Program
100	1576368000	Credit Counselling, Debt Management Program
100	1576454400	Debt Restructuring, After Care - Credit Rebuilding Program, Corporate Debt Restructuring

Looking to buy a home in Lethbridge in the near future? If so, now would be a great time to start looking into securing a mortgage to help you finance this large purchase. Unless you’re planning to buy the home in an all-cash deal, a mortgage will be a required part of the purchasing process.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about mortgages in Lethbridge.

Get a Mortgage Pre-Approval in Lethbridge

Before you even start the search for a new home in Lethbridge, it’s extremely helpful to start with a pre-approval first. A mortgage pre-approval letter is basically a promise from your lender that you can get approved for a certain mortgage amount based on your current financial and credit situation.

Your lender will require certain information from you in order to get the pre-approval process started and determine whether or not you can secure a home loan, and if so, for how much. Typical documents required may include:

Letter of employment
Banks statements
Pay stubs
List of assets and debts

Your lender will also check your credit score, which is a crucial component of the lending process and provides information about the type of borrower you would be.

Even though a pre-approval is not mandatory, there are a couple of important reasons why you may want to get pre-approved for a mortgage in Lethbridge.

Know how much you can afford. It would be extremely helpful to focus on homes that meet your budget rather than arbitrarily looking at properties that are far more expensive than you can afford. Not only is this a time-saver, but it can also help you avoid disappointment.

Be more competitive in a seller’s market. If you’re competing with other buyers looking at homes in Lethbridge, you want to be able to stand out to sellers and show them that you are a serious buyer who’s also financially qualified to close on a deal. Even if you’re not in direct competition with other buyers, a pre-approval letter will help sellers nudge in your favour and help sweeten the deal.

Keep in mind, however, that pre-approval letters are only good for a certain amount of time – usually from 90 to 120 days. After that, the pre-approval will expire and will no longer apply.

Interested in the cost of buying a house in the rest of Canada? Click here.

Saving For a Down Payment in Lethbridge

While mortgages help you finance a home purchase, you still need to come up with a down payment to get the process started. Depending on the type of mortgage you decide to go with, you’ll have to come up with a minimum amount.

For instance, conventional mortgages require a minimum down payment of 20% of the purchase price of the home you intend to buy, and a high-ratio mortgage requires a down payment minimum of only 5% of the purchase price.

Can you borrow your down payment? Click here to find out.

Of course, depending on the price of the home, the down payment amount will fluctuate from one deal to the next.

That said, you can expect the down payment amount to be a hefty number, especially given the rising prices of homes these days. For instance, a 5% down payment on a $400,000 home purchase would equate to $20,000.

That’s a big number to have to come up with. As such, it’s important to start saving early enough in order to be able to come up with these funds when the time comes to buy a home.

Here are some tips to saving for a down payment in Lethbridge:

Open a dedicated savings account for your down payment
Have your savings automatically deducted from your paycheck and deposited directly into your dedicated savings account
Cut back on spending
Pay down your high-interest debt (such as credit card debt) to free up that money to be used for a down payment
Borrow from family and friends
Borrow from your RRSPs in the form of a First-Time Home Buyer’s Plan

Mortgage Insurance Rules in Lethbridge

Certain rules apply in terms of mortgage insurance depending on how much of a down payment you put toward your home purchase. Conventional mortgages, which require a 20% down payment, do not require additional payments in the form of mortgage default insurance premiums.

On the other hand, high-ratio mortgages require additional mortgage default insurance premium payments. That’s because a lower down payment amount means a higher loan amount required. Any loans that are made for more than 80% of the purchase price of a home place lenders in a riskier position.

In order to compensate lenders in the event that mortgage default occurs – which is more likely with a higher loan amount – mortgage insurance can provide coverage. This unique type of insurance may cover lenders, but it is actually paid for by the borrower.

Types of Mortgages Lethbridge

When it comes time for you to apply for a mortgage in Lethbridge, you have a few options:

Conventional mortgages – as already mentioned, conventional mortgages are those that require a 20% down payment. In exchange for such a high down payment amount, borrowers can avoid having to pay into mortgage default insurance.
High-ratio mortgages – Also explained earlier, these types of mortgages require a minimum down payment of 5% of the purchase price of a home. Because down payment amounts are less than 20% of the purchase price of a home, mortgage default insurance payments are required.
Fixed-rate mortgages – Mortgages come with interest rates. The loan amount taken out will have to be paid back in full at some point in the future, along with interest that the lender charges. These rates can vary depending on the lender, the market, and the borrower’s financial health. A fixed-rate mortgage simply means that the rate remains fixed throughout the mortgage term and won’t change during that time, despite what may happen in the outside market.
Variable-rate mortgages – Unlike fixed-rate mortgages, a variable-rate mortgage comes with an interest rate that may fluctuate at different intervals. They usually come with an “introductory period” in which the rate is typically lower than that of a fixed-rate mortgage. Once that period ends, the rate can change in either direction.
Open mortgages – These mortgages allow borrowers to increase their outstanding principal amount sometime in the future. Borrowers can then borrow more money from their lender, though there is usually a cap on any additional loan amounts borrowed.
Closed mortgages – These mortgages feature a prepayment limit, which means borrowers are only permitted to pay up to 15% of the mortgage original principal amount every calendar year.
Second mortgages – Homeowners who have built up at least 20% equity in their homes (which is the market value of their home minus any principal balance outstanding) may be eligible to secure a second mortgage, or a home equity loan. These types of loans use the equity in a home to be used as cash to cover any type of large expense.

Did you make any of these common mortgage application mistakes?

Credit Score Needed to Secure a Mortgage in Lethbridge

One of the most important factors involved in assessing a borrower’s ability to get approved for a mortgage in Lethbridge is their credit score. This number – which is valued from anywhere between 300 to 900 – measures a borrower’s credit health and paints the picture of a borrower’s past financial activity.

Generally speaking, a financial past that includes making bill payments on time and not spending too much in credit card expenditures will translate into a higher score. On the other hand, a history of missed payments and spending up to the limit on credit cards will have a negative effect on a credit score.

Generally speaking, a credit score of at least 680 is required to get approved for a traditional mortgage, though this may depend on other factors, including the lender, the borrower’s income, assets, debt load, and down payment amount.

For more information about minimum credit score requirements, click here.

What if You Have Bad Credit?

If your credit score is less than 680, you may have other options available to you:

Work with an alternative lender – Rather than applying for a mortgage with a conventional lender in Lethbridge, consider working with a private alternative lender who has experience dealing with bad credit borrowers. These lenders will focus less on your credit score and more on your income, assets, down payment amount, and most recent payment activity.

Get a cosigner – If you know anyone close to you who has good credit and is willing to back you up, consider asking them to cosign on the loan with you. If they do, they will be responsible for taking over your mortgage payments in the event that you default on your mortgage.

Make an effort to fix your credit score – If your credit score is lagging, consider holding off on buying a home for now and take some time to improve your score. You can do this by taking any one of the following steps:

Make timely bill payments
Don’t spend any more than 20% to 30% of your credit card limit to keep your credit utilization ratio low
Make more than just your minimum credit card payment amounts
Avoid applying for new loans or credit
Keep your old credit accounts open (especially those with a remaining balance)

Check out this infographic for more information about credit scores in Canada.

Hidden Costs of Buying a Home in Lethbridge

The purchase price of a home itself is already a huge expense. But there are other expenses related to buying a home that you should be aware of:

Mortgage interest
Appraisal fees
Lender fees
Underwriting fees
Attorney fees
Title fees
Home inspections
Property taxes
Home insurance
Utilities
Maintenance
Repairs

To learn more about the hidden cost of buying a house, check this out.

Comparing Different Mortgage Products in Lethbridge

Just like you would probably shop around to compare prices for different consumer goods, you should also comparison shop for different products with different lenders to find the best (and cheapest) mortgage product available. Some of the things to look at among different mortgages include:

Interest rate
Term
Amortization period
Penalty fees
Prepayment options

Mortgage Payment Options

A mortgage in Lethbridge is a type of installment loan, which means the entire loan amount is gradually paid off in full by making installment payments. But the frequency with which you make your payments will depend on your needs and what your lender is able and willing to offer. Payment frequency options include:

Weekly
Accelerated bi-weekly (payments every two years)
Semi-monthly (two payments per month)
Monthly

Mortgage Amortization Periods

Eventually, the full loan amount will need to be repaid. When you take out a mortgage, the maturity date will be specified in your contract. This is the date that the entire loan amount will need to be paid off in full, which is also known as the amortization period.

There are different amortization period lengths, which range from short-term to long-term. Short-term amortizations require the loan amount to be repaid in a shorter amount of time, which means bigger payments will need to be made. But lots of interest can be saved since the loan amount will be paid off a lot sooner.

Long-term amortization periods are popular because the payment amounts are much smaller, making them more affordable for many borrowers. But they take longer to pay off and require more to be paid in interest overall.

Looking to Apply For a Mortgage in Lethbridge?

If you’re considering buying a home in Lethbridge in the near future and are in need of a mortgage, call Loans Canada. We can connect you with a reputable lender in the mortgage sphere who can offer you the ideal mortgage product for you. Call Loans Canada today!

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