Bank of Canada Qualifying rate has dropped to 5.39%.

NOTE: Rates are subject to change without warning at the lender’s discretion.

The other day we received a phone call from a solicitor to help resolve a legal action initiated by a municipality to collect tax arrears. The owner of this very attractive rural property was one week away from being evicted by the sheriff. Specifically, he owed the municipality five years of property taxes plus penalties, interest charges and legal fees.

Burying his head in the sand in ostrich-like fashion he simply ignored the mail, evidenced by a pile of unopened letters. He came dangerously close to loosing his property before we intervened on his behalf with a private mortgage on his otherwise mortgage free property.

This episode illustrates a lot of leniency and patience by municipalities toward property owners before they finally resort to the cumbersome legal process of judicial sale. Keep in mind that properties are an important source of tax revenues necessary to pay for municipal services. When default occurs on an otherwise debt free property, the government turns to the public with the announcement of their intended judicial sale and rewards the highest bidder with conveyance of ownership. The new owner assumes the obligation to pay property taxes and, hopefully, keeps payments up to date.

If you are interested in cottage country properties this may be an opportunity worthwhile exploring. One of our private investors purchased a small island of Georgian Bay in this way.

If your property taxes are currently in arrears and would like to finance them through a private mortgage or you are a private investor who would like to explore these and other opportunities please give me a call to discuss. Arnold Molder. 416.461.0204 Dedicated to financial sufficiency.

2.90% – 3 Year Fixed

3.89% – 5 Year Fixed (quick close Sept 30th)

2.87% – Merix 50/50 Mortgage (Fixed/Variable hybrid)

P-.70   3 Year Variable

P-.65   5 Year Variable

Prime Rate is currently 2.75%.

Bank of Canada Qualifying rate has dropped to 5.49%.

NOTE: Rates are subject to change without warning at the lender’s discretion.

2.70% – 1 Year Fixed

2.90% – 3 Year Fixed

3.89% – 5 Year Fixed (quick close Sept 30th)

2.87% – Merix 50/50 Mortgage (Fixed/Variable hybrid)

P-.70   3 Year Variable

P-.65   5 Year Variable

Prime Rate is currently 2.75%

Bank of Canada Qualifying rate has dropped to 5.59%

NOTE: Rates are subject to change without warning at the lender’s discretion.

The term judicial sale is a legal notice informing the public of an intended sale of a property to the highest bidder, in an auction environment by a sheriff. The reason for a judicial sale is most commonly for arrears of property taxes owed to a municipality.

The action of resorting to a Judicial Sale occurs only after a municipality has failed to collect tax arrears from the owner, and all other methods of suasion have also failed. In other words, a Judicial Sale is the final legal act to obtain these arrears through a property sale to the highest bidder.

Such notices appear typically in the newspaper column under legal matters/auctions.

Notices of smaller communities and municipalities, especially in cottage country, offer greater opportunities for investors. The first reason is that due to population numbers, there is a smaller interested audience than in a city. Secondly, it requires special geographic knowledge. Finally, it takes a lot less money to be a successful bidder.

If you are patient and interested in cottage country properties, this may be an opportunity worthwhile exploring. One of our clients, a couple, purchased a property for summer vacations under Judicial Sale on Prince Edward Island, where they grew up.

Granted, the pursuit of Judicial Sales opportunities requires effort, but it can be a rewarding experience.

It is highly unlikely in these situations for a Bank to be your financial partner. More often than not, such situations require private mortgage financing and backing of an experienced mortgage broker.

From the Files Of The Broker: Arnold Molder 416.461.0204

This is exactly what one of our clients purchased, where we provided private mortgage financing.  The purchase is even more remarkable when you consider that the jail, fire-hall, town-hall and dance hall are joined as one property, on one deed.

This unique property has an interesting history going back to the early days of Ontario, when towns sprung up around employment opportunities of budding industries. The property is located in a small sawmill town, along a railway line, and developed to serve the needs of the town’s people. Construction of the town-hall was considered for obvious administrative functions with an office on the ground floor, town hall and stage on the floor above to function not only for meetings, but also on weekends for dances, theatre and other festivities.

The fire-hall evolved from the voluntary fire brigade of citizens who were ready to spring into action when needed. But the jail is more intriguing and amusing. Crime was not a big problem but there were plenty of people who liked to have a good time with alcohol. When they became a nuisance they were simply put up for the night in the specifically constructed cell, adjacent to the office on the ground floor. It has three-foot-thick walls of field stones and a solid, heavy wooden door, making escape virtually impossible and muffling any sound such as singing from the intoxicated revelers.

Over the years the building became redundant, not for luck of drunks, but through amalgamation of administrative functions and services with a nearby, larger town. 

In time the building deteriorated and was in need of maintenance and upgrading for which there was no money in the budget. In addition, the lack of income, via property taxes persuaded the Town to sell via a judicial sale.

Our handy purchaser obtained the entire property, bounded by a park on two sides, for less than $100,000 when it was offered for sale to the highest bidder. He now lives there happily after renovating and restoring the property extensively with ‘sweat money’ and converted the jail into a wine cellar.

Such situations require private mortgage financing not only due to the zoning but also in circumstances of judicial sales. Because we are over 30 years in business as mortgage brokers we have come into contact with many situations that require private mortgage financing. Over the years, we forged long term relationships with private investors who approach lending, besides concerns over security, with a lot of common sense.

This story serves to illustrate our pivotal broker-role in transactions. Furthermore, it shows how borrowers can benefit from our experience and connection with private mortgage investors with whom we have developed, over the years, trusted relationships.

If you are a private investor looking for opportunities to invest, or a borrower needing help with your own unique and challenging circumstances, we invite you to call us with your story because we pay attention and above all, we listen to your story.

From the ‘Files of the Broker’

Arnold Molder is dedicated to your financial sufficiency and prosperity. He can be reached at 416.461.0204.

2.80% – 1 Year Fixed

3.75% – 3 Year Fixed

4.25% – 5 Year Fixed

3.13% – Merix 50/50 Mortgage (Fixed/Variable hybrid)

P-.65   3 Year Variable

P-.60   5 Year Variable

Prime Rate is currently 2.50%

NOTE: Rates are subject to change without warning at the lender’s discretion.

The insurance premium is determined by a table depending on how much downpayment you bring to the purchase. http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/moloin/moloin_005.cfm For example:

5% down- 2.75%
10% down - 2.00%
15% down -1.75%

In addition, there is a 0.2% premium that is added for each additional 5 years that is added to the mortgage amount above a 25 year amortization. You should also be aware that included in your closing costs there is the standard Ontario PST.

Sure, it does seem a little discouraging and frustrating to have to pay this premium on top of all the other fees that you incur as a home buyers but it serves a very important purpose to keep the rate low and give you the opportunity to own with less than 20% down. The couple thousand dollars that gets added on top of the mortgage makes a difference of about $20 each monthly payment. In retrospect, it's a small price to pay for the satisfaction and pride of owning your own home.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact me. Chris Molder, Toronto Mortgage Broker. 416.461.0204

5 Year Fixed – 4.54%

Quickclose 5 Year Fixed – 4.39% (must close before June 15th 2010)

3 Year Fixed – 3.84%

1 Year Fixed – 2.65%

Merix 50/50 Hybrid – 3.25% (current effective rate)

3 and 5 Year Variable P-.50% (1.75% current effective rate)

NOTE: Rates subject to change without notice.

Because banks and other financial institutions have strict guidelines for lending that limit their ability to finance certain scenarios and borrower profiles, private mortgages are used to meet those unique needs. Some typical situations where a borrower may need private financing include financing for:

- a cottage or unique property

- renovation projects and construction

- an individual who can’t prove their income by conventional means

- debt consolidation or recovery from a bankruptcy

- individuals who have income tax or property tax arrears

There are several benefits to the borrower and investor alike in this type of mortgage arrangement.

From the borrowers point of view, private mortgages can be an excellent alternative when a suitable bank mortgage is impossible to obtain. Reasons why a borrower may require a private mortgage include; need for a second mortgage, poor credit, income tax arrears, construction financing, financing on properties that institutional banks may not consider prime, cases where an individual has recently gone bankrupt or just can’t prove their income. A private mortgage should never be a long term strategy for a borrower, as the interest rates tend to be higher and do not always have the features and flexibility that institutional mortgages offer.

Anybody can lend money through a mortgage. You don’t have to be a bank to lend money, it is possible for anyone to offer a private mortgage so long as it is arranged through a licensed mortgage broker in Ontario. Private mortgages are a great investment vehicle which provides monthly income. In addition, mortgages are negotiable instruments which can be assumed, renegotiated, and transferred as needed. All the while the investor is protected by the security of the real estate on which the mortgage is registered.

Regardless of whether you are a borrower or an investor a knowledgeable mortgage broker who is specialized in private mortgages is necessary in order to arrange the mortgage and also provide the guidance needed to make informed decisions. If you would like to connect with an expert in the area call Arnold Molder, Toronto Mortgage Broker, at 416.461.0204. Arnold has been arranging and managing private mortgages for the past 30 years.

DISCLAIMER: please note the purpose of this post is to inform. I am in no way offering investment advise, please consult with your investment adviser.

1 year fixed – 2.55%

3 year fixed – 3.35%

5 year fixed – 3.79%

SPECIAL * 5 year fixed – 3.69% (must close by April 26th 2010, purchase & refinance only)

3 year variable – Prime-.50% (1.75% effective rate)

5 year variable – Prime-.40% (1.85% effective rate)

Note: Rates are subject to change without warning at the lender’s discretion.


Toronto Mortgage Rate Summary

Fixed mortgage rates are married to bond yields. To help advise clients, I constantly look towards the 5 year Government of Canada bond yield to forecast where rates are headed. Bond yields and fixed rate mortgages have a positive relationship. Put another way, when the yield on 5 year Canadian Bonds increases, the mortgage interest rate for a fixed 5 year mortgage also increases.

Over the past 3 weeks we have observed an interesting trend. The bond yield has increased from 2.52% to 2.82%, an increase of +0.30% and yet lenders are not budging on their historically low interest rate offerings. If past trends are anything to go by a rate increase is just around the corner.

Christopher Molder, your Toronto mortgage broker.