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WHY CAN’T YOU PORT YOUR MORTGAGE?

General Angela Calla 7 Nov

Policies are always changing, and when you port a mortgage, a FULL application must be approved and completely underwritten with full, credit, income, property and policy review.

It’s a mistake to believe that just because you already had a mortgage, you will easily get a new one. Policies and rates are changing rapidly and you need a strategy to stay informed. SO BEFORE you consider a move, understand the worst case scenario of what you qualify for without porting your mortgage so you avoid disappointment of falling into the 70% of people that don’t end up porting. Mortgages can be made simple, when you are empowered with relevant information relating to the current market and your life stage. Depending on those factors, you might be happy to get rid of your old mortgage and get in with the new! We have a mortgage for that, and can help. On average less than 3% of mortgages are portable.

Let me list a few of the reasons why:

1. Dates– most lenders have a different policy on the dates that will allow to port the mortgage; it can be weeks or months. Your closing date will determine that.

2. Amortization– porting a mortgage means you port the same amortization, so if you are moving up the property ladder, that may mean your payments are significantly increased making it less affordable or meaning you can’t qualify with your income.

3. Amounts– some have a 10% variance limit up or down, where the penalty will trigger or it’s no longer a fit within the policy.

4. Change in credit– depending on the credit score and outside debts you have will determine if you still fit the credit profile your previous mortgage had.

5. Income– if there has been a change in your income type or amount this will also impact the options.

6. Property type– some lenders only lend on single-family homes, or a particular zoning, or don’t do private sales- even if they did when you originally got your mortgage with them.

7. Rate– maybe the change in rates either way of the product type you took doesn’t allow for a port due to one or a few of the combined factors. For example, going from insured to uninsured comes with different policies.

8. Product– maybe the product you had no longer exists for your particular profile.

9. Inspections – maybe the lender approved it initially but after your inspection just as you wanted a reduction in price, they decide they are no longer going to lend on it or decide it doesn’t fit the profile or they wont do it under that program (instead you need a purchase plus improvements or a hold back they may or may not participate in and maybe want a different fix that you or a strata council agree on).

10. Bridge – if you want to buy before you sell, all the above factors come into play. Maybe the original lender doesn’t allow the length of time you need, there cost to bridge is much higher, or maybe they don’t approve that portion of the loan, which puts you back at square one.

Purchasing a home is complex, with many moving parts and needs to be understood as such. When you have The Angela Calla Mortgage Team by your side while lots of things can come up, we can guide you through what is best for your family, which is why we encourage you to be educated, and empowered so you are ready for your next part of your ownership journey.

Angela Calla is a 14 year award-winning woman of influence mortgage expert. Along side her team, passionately assisting mortgage holders get the best mortgage, and educating them on The Mortgage Show on CKNW for over a decade and through her best selling book The Mortgage Code available on Amazon. To purchase the book click here: The Mortgage Code. Proceeds from a sales will help build a new emergency room at Eagle Ridge Hospital. Angela can be reached at callateam@dominionlending.ca or 604-802-3983.

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