Finance For Us

When it comes to mortgage financing, more and more Canadians are choosing to work with a professional mortgage broker. According to a recent study by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), 23 per cent of mortgages written were arranged through a broker.

Canadians are just catching up with their American neighbors, who are far less likely to simply walk into their home bank for a mortgage. In 2000, almost 70 per cent of all U.S. mortgages were arranged through mortgage brokers.

If we follow the U.S. model – and it seems that we are — then we’re in for a sea of change in the way Canadians manage their most significant personal asset. It makes sense. After all, investment returns aren’t as lucrative as they were five years ago, and investors are seeking out ways to make financial gains through avenues they may have overlooked.

Jumbo mortgages are not so different from standard mortgages but there are a few key things that are worth looking in to.

Jumbo Mortgage Loans

A jumbo mortgage loan is a loan taken for property that is high-priced.. In Colorado, as in most of the U.S., a jumbo mortgage loan is any mortgage that exceeds $417,000 – the limit set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for conforming loans.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two agencies that buy the majority of real estate mortgages, will not finance loans greater than $417,000 in most states; however Alaska, Hawaii, and a couple others are exceptions. Therefore, the large jumbo mortgage loans are sold to other investments, often banks and insurance companies, and so a jumbo mortgage loan falls into a different category. Rates for a jumbo mortgage are also higher than conforming loans because there is more risk involved.

If you are looking for a Colorado mortgage rate quote for a Colorado mortgage loan, then there are many places to go. Of course there are many ads for different Colorado mortgage lenders that are based in the state and around the country. But for a better, more personal Colorado mortgage, it is best to go with an in-state Colorado mortgage lending professional.

Getting a Colorado mortgage loan from an in-state Colorado mortgage lending company has advantages, the key being that Colorado mortgage lending institutions know Colorado the best.

Question: “What’s the biggest financial investment most Canadians will ever make?”

Okay, that may have been an easy one if you read the headline of this column. For most Canadians, their home is their biggest investment – and their most powerful financial tool.

It’s odd – given the importance of the mortgage decision – that many homebuyers will spend much more time deciding on which mutual funds they should invest in… or even which sofa to buy… than on which mortgage will best meet their needs.

Times are changing though. Mortgage options are exploding, and Canadians have begun to demand – and receive – better rates, more flexible products and more personal service than ever before. And to get a better look at their growing range of options, more homebuyers than ever are going to a mortgage “store” – and to the professional mortgage brokers who run them.