Glossary of Terms

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | O | P | R | S | T | V |

A

Agreement of Purchase and Sale – A legal agreement that offers a certain price for a home. The offer may be firm (no conditions attached), or conditional (certain conditions must be fulfilled before the deal finalized).

Amortization Period – The assumptive number of years it will take to pay back your mortgage loan, or the time over which all regular payments would pay off the mortgage. This is usually 25 years for a new mortgage, however can be greater.

Anniversary Date – Many mortgage products allow you to make payments against the principal on the anniversary of the mortgage.

Appraisal – The process of determining the value of property, usually for lending purposes. This value may or may not be the same as the purchase price of the home. Some Lenders will have specified approved appraisers for their loans.

Appraisal Value – An estimate of the market value of the property.

Arm’s Length Transaction – A Real Estate transaction between 2 or more parties who act independently of one another and are not influenced by each other. Related parties cannot complete this type of transaction. A related party can be individuals but can also include corporations. 

Assumability – Allows the buyer to take over the seller’s mortgage on the property. Most Lenders now require full qualification for assumption to take place.

B

Blended Payments – Payments consisting of both a principal and an interest component, paid on a regular basis (e.g. weekly, biweekly, monthly) during the term of the mortgage. The principal portion of payment increases, while the interest portion decreases over the term of the mortgage, but the total regular payment usually does not change.

C

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) – A Crown corporation that administers the National Housing Act for the federal government and encourages the improvement of housing and living conditions for Canadians. CMHC is one of two sources for high-ratio mortgage insurance. The National Housing Act (NHA) authorized Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to operate a Mortgage Insurance Fund which protects NHA Approved Lenders from losses resulting from borrower default.

Capped Rate – An interest rate with a pre-determined ceiling, usually associated with a variable-rate mortgage.

Caveat – A notice of a claim to land.

Certificate of Lis Pendens – A Certificate of Lis Pendens must be filed in Court and registered in the Land Titles Office to notify interested parties about a pending litigation which involve the land in question, such as a foreclosure or divorce action.

Certificate of Location or Survey – A document specifying the exact location of the building on the property and describing the type and size of the building including additions, if any.

Certificate of Search or Abstract of Title – A document setting out instruments registered against the title to the property, e.g. deed, mortgages, etc.

Closed Mortgage – A mortgage agreement that cannot be prepaid, renegotiated or refinanced before maturity, except according to its terms. A closed mortgage locks you into a specific payment schedule. A penalty usually applies if you repay the loan in full before the end of a closed term.

Closing Costs – Various expenses associated with purchasing a home, payable on the closing date. These costs can include, but are not limited to, legal/notary fees and disbursements, property land transfer taxes, as well as adjustments for prepaid property taxes or condominium common expenses, if any.

Closing Date – The date on which the sale of a property becomes final. In the case of a purchase this is when the new owner usually takes possession.

CMHC or Genworth Financial Canada Insurance Premium – Mortgage insurance insures the lender against loss in case of default by the borrower. Mortgage insurance is provided to the lender by CMHC or Genworth and the premium is paid by the borrower.

Conditional Offer – An offer to purchase subject to conditions. These conditions may relate to financing, or the sale of an existing home. Usually a time limit in which the specified conditions must be satisfied is stipulated.

Condominium Fee – A fee paid by the condo owner that is allocated to pay building expenses.

Conventional Mortgage – A mortgage that does not exceed 80% of the purchase price of the home. Mortgages that exceed this limit must be insured against default, and are referred to as high-ratio mortgages (see below).

Convertible Mortgage – A mortgage that you can change from short-term to long-term.

D

Deed (Certificate of Ownership) – The document signed by the seller transferring ownership of the home to the purchaser. This document is then registered against the title to the property as evidence of the purchaser’s ownership of the property.

Default – Failure to abide by the terms of the mortgage; may result in legal action such as foreclosure.

Deposit – A sum of money deposited in trust by the purchaser when making an offer to be held in trust by the vendor’s agent, broker, lawyer or notary until the closing of the transaction.

Down Payment – The buyer’s cash payment toward the property; the difference between the purchase price and the mortgage loan. Down payment may come in different forms such as gifted, borrowed (i.e.loan). Each Lender will have their guidelines and restrictions pertaining to down payment.

E

Easement – The right to use another’s property for a specific purpose (e.g. a shared driveway).

Encroachment – A physical intrusion from one property to an adjoining property.

Equity – The interest of the owner in a property over and above all claims against the property. It is usually the difference between the market value of the property and any outstanding encumbrances.

F

Fire Insurance – Before a mortgage can be advanced, the purchaser must have arranged fire insurance. A certificate or binder from the insurance company may be required on closing.

Firm Offer – An offer to buy the property as outlined in the offer to purchase with no conditions attached.

Fixed-Rate Mortgage – A mortgage for which the rate of interest is fixed for a specific period of time (the term).

Foreclosure – A legal procedure whereby the lender eventually obtains ownership of the property after the borrower has defaulted on payments.

G

Gifted Down Payments – from immediate family members can be used provided they are verifiable and non-repayable. Gifted down payments are non required until closing date. Some exceptions do apply to lender specified programs.

Gross Debt Service (GDS) Ratio – The percentage of gross income required to cover monthly payments associated with housing costs. Most conforming lenders recommend that the GDS ratio be no more than 32% of your gross (before tax) monthly income. Same does not always apply with non-conforming, Private, or MIC Lenders.

Gross Household Income – Gross household income is the total salary, wages, commissions and other assured income, before deductions, by all household members who are co-applicants for the mortgage.

H

High Ratio Mortgage – If you don’t have 20% of the lesser of the purchase price or appraised value of the property, your mortgage must be insured against payment default by a Mortgage Insurer, such as CMHC.

Holdback – An amount of money required to be withheld by the lender during the construction or renovation of a house to ensure that construction is satisfactorily completed at every stage.

Home Equity – The difference between the price for which a home could be sold (market value) and the total debts registered against it.

Home Insurance –Insurance to cover both your home and its contents in the event of fire, theft, vandalism, etc. (also referred to as property insurance). This is different from mortgage life insurance, which pays the outstanding balance of your mortgage in full if you die.

I

Inspection – The process of having a qualified home inspector identify potential strengths and weaknesses in the property you are interested in so that you may have a good idea of its functional condition.

Interest Adjustment – The amount of interest due between the date your mortgage starts and the date the first mortgage payment is calculated from. Avoid it by arranging to make your first mortgage payment exactly one payment period after your closing date.

Interest Rate – The value charged by the lender for the use of the lender’s money, expressed as a percentage.

Interest Rate Differential Amount (IRD) – An IRD amount is a compensation charge that may apply if you pay off your mortgage principal prior to the maturity date or pay the mortgage principal down beyond the prepayment privilege amount. The IRD amount is calculated on the amount being prepaid using an interest rate equal to the difference between your existing mortgage interest rate and the interest rate that we can now charge when re-lending the funds for the remaining term of the mortgage.

Interim Financing – Short-term financing to help a buyer bridge the gap between the closing date on the purchase of a new home and the closing date on the sale of the current home.

Interim occupancy – Refers to a period of time between the buyer taking possession of a unit and final transfer of the property.  Terms of interim occupancy are established by legislation in some jurisdictions. In Alberta they are established by agreement between developer and buyer.

Investment Income – 100% can be used if the last two years T5’s confirm receipt. If some or all of the funds are liquidated for down payment, the income must be reduced accordingly.

L

Land Transfer Tax, Deed Tax, or Property Purchase Tax – A fee paid to the municipal and/or provincial government for the transferring of property from seller to buyer.

Lease-to-Own – An arrangement where an individual enters into a lease agreement with an owner with the inclusion of a clause that typically gives the individual the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the item leased at a predefined price and time. More often than not, a portion of the total rental payment goes toward paying down the value of the item leased in the event that the renter wishes to exercise the option

Legal Fees and Disbursements – Some of the legal costs associated with the sale or purchase of a property. It’s in your best interest to engage the services of a real estate lawyer

Lien – A claim for money owed by a property owner to a supplier or contractor.

Listing Agreement – A legal agreement between the listing broker and the seller describing the property for sale and stating the services to be provided and the terms of payment. A commission is generally payable to the broker upon closing.

Lump-Sum Payment – An extra payment that you make to reduce the amount of your mortgage. This is the same as pre-paying, which you cannot do if you have a closed mortgage.

M

Maturity Date – Last day of the term of the mortgage agreement, at which time you can pay off the mortgage or renew it.

MLS® – Multiple Listing Service®, trademarks owned by the Canadian Real Estate Association. They are used in conjunction with a real estate database service, operated by local real estate boards, under which properties may be listed, purchased, or sold.

Mortgage – A loan that uses real estate as collateral is considered a mortgage. Some types of mortgages are high ratio, conventional, collateral, Line of Credit, Reverse, Private, etc. Multiple mortgages can be registered on a single or multiple properties.

Mortgage Broker – A person or company offering mortgage products from several financial institutions.

Mortgage Critical Illness Insurance – Mortgage Critical Illness Insurance is available as an enhancement to Mortgage Life Insurance. Mortgage Critical Illness Insurance is underwritten by the Canada Life Assurance Company. Complete details of benefits, exclusions and limitations are contained in the Certificate of Insurance. It is recommended for all mortgagors. It can pay off your mortgage if you are diagnosed with life-threatening cancer, heart attack or stroke.

Mortgage Insurance – Applies to high-ratio mortgages. It protects the lender against loss if the borrower is unable to repay the mortgage.

Mortgagee and Mortgagor – The lender is the mortgagee and the borrower is the mortgagor.

Mortgage Life Insurance – A form of reducing term insurance recommended for all mortgagors. If you die, have a terminal illness, or suffer an accident, the insurance can pay the balance owing on the mortgage. The intent is to protect survivors from the loss of their homes.

Mortgage Rate – The percentage interest that you pay on top of the loan principal.

Mortgage Term – The number of years or months over which you pay a specified interest rate. Terms usually range from six months to 10 years.

Moving expenses – The cost of hiring packers, movers, or renting a van.

O

Offer to Purchase – A legally binding agreement between you and the person who owns the house you want to buy. It includes the price you are offering, what you expect to be included with the house, and the financial conditions of sale (your financing arrangements, the closing date, etc.).

Open Mortgage – A mortgage which can be prepaid at any time, without penalty.

P

Payment Frequency – The choice of making regular mortgage payments every week, every other week, twice a month or monthly.

P.I.T.H – Principal, interest, taxes, and heat. Together, these make up the regular payment on a mortgage if you elect to include property taxes in your mortgage payments

Porting – This allows you to move to another property without having to lose your existing interest rate. You can keep your existing mortgage balance, term and interest rate plus save money by avoiding early discharge penalties.

Pre-Approved Mortgage –Qualifies you for a mortgage amount before you start shopping.

Pre-Approved Mortgage Certificate – A written agreement stating that you will get a mortgage for a set amount of money at a set interest rate. Note: A mortgage certificate is not a final approval, as standard or requested conditions still must be satisfied.

Prepaid Property Tax and Utility Adjustments – The amount you will owe if the person selling you the home has prepaid any property taxes or utility bills.

Prepayment Charge – A fee charged by the lender when the borrower prepays all or part of a closed mortgage more quickly than is set out in the mortgage agreement.

Prepayment Option – The ability to prepay all or a portion of the principal balance. Prepayment charges may be incurred on the exercise of prepayment options.

Principal – The amount of money borrowed for a new mortgage.

Property Survey – A legal description of your property and its location and dimensions (usually required by your mortgage lender).

R

REALTOR® –Trademark identifying real estate professionals in Canada who are members of the Canadian Real Estate Association, and as such, who subscribe to a high standard of professional service and to a strict code of ethics.

Refinancing – Renegotiating your existing mortgage agreement. May include increasing the principal or paying out the mortgage in full.

Renewal – At the end of a mortgage term, the mortgage may “roll over” on new terms and conditions acceptable to both the lender and the borrower. This is known as renewing a mortgage. Otherwise, the lender is entitled to be repaid in full. In this case, the borrower may seek alternative financing.

S

Sales Taxes – Taxes applied to the purchase cost of a property. Some properties are exempt from sales tax and some are not. For instance, residential resale properties are usually GST exempt, while new properties require GST.

Service Charges – Extra costs incurred when hooking up hydro, gas, phone, etc. to a new address.

Second Mortgage – Additional financing, which usually has a shorter term and a higher interest rate than the first mortgage. Note: Some lenders will offer 3rd, and sometimes 4th mortgages providing there is enough equity.

Security – In the case of mortgages, real estate offered as collateral for the loan.

T

Term – The length of the current mortgage agreement. A mortgage may be amortized over a long period (such as 40 years) with a shorter term (six months to five years or more). After the term expires, the balance of the principal then owing on the mortgage can be repaid or a new mortgage agreement can be entered into at the then current interest rates.

Title Insurance (Lender) – This Insurance will protect the Lenders against unknown issues related to the property. Issues are both title-related and non-title-related. The policy provides coverage against losses due to title defects, liens, errors, and fraud; even if they existed before the policy was issued. It also covers the legal costs associated with correcting the issue. This is a mandatory on Private Mortgages.

Total Debt Service (TDS) Ratio – The percentage of gross income needed to cover monthly payments for housing and all other debts and financing obligations. The total should generally not exceed 37% of gross monthly income.

V

Variable Rate Mortgage – A mortgage for which the rate of interest may change if other market conditions change. This is sometimes referred to as a floating rate mortgage.

Vendor Take-Back Mortgage – When the seller provides some or all of the mortgage financing in order to sell the property.
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