Every mortgage shopper wants the lowest mortgage rate possible, but be careful; sometimes a low rate comes with unrealistic terms and conditions, or potential future penalties and fees that could nullify your initial savings.
I recently read in the news about a Toronto man who had to shell out $13,000 in fees for breaking his mortgage contract early. Nadim Kara didn’t know homeowners with a fixed term longer than five years can only be charged a penalty of three months’ interest if they break their mortgage after the fifth year. If Nadim had waited 60 more days to break his contract, he would have paid $3000 in fees rather than $13,000. This pertinent information was not in his contract, or explained to him until after the fact.
This story is an example of why having an experienced mortgage broker on your side is so important. Brokers take a forensic approach to examining the details of your mortgage contract to ensure you are protected, and that includes checking that the contract isn’t missing any information. Mortgage contracts must disclose all information on penalties for ending a mortgage early and how they will be calculated. Our brokers have been around the block a few times and won’t let mistakes fall through the cracks.
Many homebuyers can be overwhelmed by the technical language in mortgage contracts and may not pay close enough attention to the details before signing the dotted line. Our brokers are here to answer your questions and explain the fine print, so you don’t have to worry about overpaying on your mortgage, or being taken advantage of later.
We’ve been helping our clients navigate the mortgage industry since 1989. Give us a call at 613-563-3447 and let us take the confusion out of planning your mortgage.
