Click on each Mortgage Calculator from the Major
Canadian Banks
Useful Mortgage Info (Clicking on an open title
closes it)
Basic
Definitions
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Mortgage
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A long-term loan primarily for the
purpose of buying a home. A mortgage is
a legal agreement in which the borrower
pledges the property being purchased as
security for the loan.
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Principal
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The amount of the loan - the cash you
actually borrow.
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Term
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The number of months or years the
mortgage covers. Normally, it will be
anywhere from six months to five years.
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Amortization
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The actual number of years it will take
to repay the mortgage in full. This is
usually much longer than the term of
the mortgage.
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Equity
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The difference between the amount for which the property could be sold and the amount you still owe on the loan. |
Types
of Mortgages
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Pre-Approved Mortgage
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Preliminary approval is given by the
lender of the borrower's application
for a mortgage to a certain maximum
amount and usually with a guaranteed
rate for a set period of time.
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Conventional Mortgage
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A loan for no more than 75 per cent of
the appraised value or purchase price
of the property, whichever is less.
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High Ratio Morgage
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A mortgage usually for more than 75 per
cent of the appraised value or purchase
price of the property. Such a mortgage
is often referred to as an NHA mortgage
because it is granted under the
provisions of the National Housing Act.
These mortgages must, by law, be
insured through GE Mortgage Insurance
Corporation or the Canada Mortgage and
Housing Corporation (CMHC).
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First Mortgage
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The debt registered against your
property that has to be paid first in
the event of sale or default.
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Second Mortgage
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A mortgage granted when there is
already one other mortgage registered
against the property. If the borrower
defaults and the property is sold, the
second mortgage is paid after the first
mortgage.
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Leasehold Mortgage
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A mortgage on a home and/or
improvements where the land is rented
rather than owned.
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Collateral Mortgage
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A mortgage backed by a promissory note
and the security of a mortgage on real
property. The money borrowed is usually
used for other purposes, such as home
improvements, a vacation or a business
investment.
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Bridge Financing
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A special, short-term loan needed to
cover the time gap between completing
the purchase of a property as agreed
and finalizing arrangements to pay.
This usually occurs when two properties
are involved and the closing dates do
not match.
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Terms
and Conditions
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Fixed Rate Mortgage
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A mortgage for which the rate of
interest is set for a specific period
of time (the term of the mortgage). The
regular payment of the principal and
interest remains the same throughout
the term.
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Variable Rate Mortgage
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A mortgage for which the rate of
interest changes from time to time as
money market conditions change. The
amount of the regular payment of a
variable rate mortgage does not change.
The difference lies in the way the
payment is applied. If interest rates
go up, more of the regular payment will
be applied toward interest. If interest
rates go down, more of the regular
payment will be applied toward the
principal.
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Open Mortgage
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A mortgage which allows the borrower to
repay the loan more quickly than
agreed, usually with prepayment
charges.
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Closed Mortgage
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A mortgage that generally does not
allow the borrower to repay the loan
more quickly than agreed.
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Portable Mortgage
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A mortgage where the principal balance,
the term remaining and the interest
rate are transferred to a mortgage on
your new property.
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Blended
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Occurs when you combine the mortgage
balance outstanding on the home you are
leaving and adding additional financing
to purchase your new home. The interest
rate will change to one that combines
the rate on your old mortgage with the
rate in effect at the time you add
additional financing.
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Compound Interest
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Interest charged on interest owing. The
more frequent the compounding, the more
interest will be paid.
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Buying Down
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A term used when quoting interest
rates. It means that someone, usually
the vendor or seller, has arranged with
the mortgage lender to prepay a portion
of the interest owing on the mortgage.
This allows you, the new borrower, to
assume a mortgage debt at an interest
rate lower than the current or stated
rate.
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