Canadian Funding Corp Reviews CMHC Affordable Housing Reports

CMHC Reports on Affordable Housing in Canada, Reviewed by the Canadian Funding Corp.

by Sheldon Moylan of Dominion Lending Centres

Canada has of course also been going through a real estate crisis, just as the United States has. However, it’s perhaps worth noting that the Edmonton banks are once again beginning to offer mortgages. Of course, it is only to be expected that they are now a little more cautious than before with regards to the way they view a property as well as the borrower. Nonetheless, this is an ideal time to apply for a mortgage given that the interest rates are incredibly low. Furthermore, it is said that the housing market has by all accounts bottomed out, so if this is the first time you’re contemplating purchasing a property, you’ve come along at just the right time in order to get the lowest possible price, together with the lowest interest rates.

Surprisingly enough, even though the government phased out 100% loans, providing you have a good credit history, you can still obtain 95% financing. What this means is; apart from attorney fees, you will only be required to make a down payment of 5%.

Government guaranteed mortgages are still out there too for Edmonton mortgages. A few of the rules have changed, but they are not deal breakers by any means. For instance, the maximum amortization period has changed slightly moving down from 40 years to 35 years. Government backed mortgages will now require that a 5% down payment needs to be paid now, and there is a minimum credit score requirement now.

These steps have essentially been taken in order to safeguard Canadian citizens from witnessing the same mess as is being seen by U.S. citizens. Unlike the current feeling in the United States, the housing bubble in Canada has not yet burst so to speak, particularly in Edmonton because of conservative mortgage lending in the past.

The Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC) mortgages offer many flexible financing tools and options, such as extended amortization periods, and the single advance plan as well as progress advances are available. Also do not ever forget that those mortgages offer portability for your next home should you have to move! Also, remember that you will be given a break for purchasing an energy efficient home in Edmonton.

Other good news circulating in the mortgage market is that as from June, 2009 residential starts actually saw an increase for the second consecutive month, whereas in the United States, residential housing starts are all but non-existent.

The Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation recently reported that the overall vacancy rate regarding senior housing in standard units has remained steady at 5.9% since the beginning of the year. Additionally, the average rent for a standard retirement home unit has remained at approximately $2,334 per month in Alberta.

We do however have one thing in common with our southern neighbors in that we also have access to hard money lenders in Edmonton. In fact, it is common knowledge that these lenders have been freeing up a considerable amount of cash in recent times and as a result, mortgages are now available but they come with a loan to value ratio of approximately 70/30 which of course is quite expensive, both in terms of interest and points. For this reason, unless you have been refused a mortgage by the banks, you would be well advised to avoid such private lenders altogether.

http://firstforextrading.com/mortgages-in-edmonton-3643

brought by Moishe Alexander, CFC canadian funding corp CEO

CMHC and
the Canadian
Housing Bubble

The key difference between Canada and other markets is that in Canada
the cost of bad home loans have been socialized in advance. In Canada, we didn’t need to disguise our sub-prime excesses within dubious mortgage-backed securities. Why create an alphabet soup of bogus AAA paper when our government provides seemingly limitless quantities of underpriced mortgage insurance? As a formula for creating housing froth it has been virtually unbeatable. Housing markets may be cratering throughout the world, yet one observes a perverse new high in Canadian real estate prices in May of 2009.

The key to Canada’s bubbly housing success been the CMHC . The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation writes guarantees on most Canadian mortgages originated at greater than 80% Loan-to-Value. This agency has been on a massive expansion binge of late. In 2008, a year of synchronized global recession, the CMHC expanded its
mortgage insurance
in force by a whopping 18%. CMHC now guarantees $407.7 Billion of high loan-to-value

mortgages
and an additional $233.9 Billion of securitized
mortgages
.

In all, the CMHC mortgage guarantees are equal to slightly more than half of Canada’s GDP. Against this total, CMHC has miniscule equity capital of $8.1 Billion. How is it that more than $630 Billion of dodgy
mortgages
can be guaranteed by an entity posting just over 1% in equity? This is a question that curiously appears to have escaped the notice of Canada’s top notch financial regulators.

The role of
the Canadian
banks has been to commit capital to CMHC-insured

mortgages
as quickly as they receive applications. It is not mortgage lending in the traditional sense, more like underwriting government bonds and taking a 150 basis point spread as compensation. In this way, the Canadian real-estate bubble looks a lot like its American cousin. Home loans are being written for those who likely cannot pay by lenders who pass through the credit risk to a third party. However, in the case of Canada, the third party is our own government and not the Chinese or Saudis who snapped up American mortgage paper.

http://thecomingdepression.blogspot.com/2009/07/canadian-real-estate-and-banks-ready-to.html

bad news reviewed by Moishe Alexander, CFC CEO

We’ve seen several articles over the last week or so that point to positive developments in the Palm Springs area housing market. Here’s a summary of what we’re experiencing. We’ve also included a link (found on our Facebook business page, “Palm Springs California Real Estate: Love of the Desert”) to a Desert Sun article that was quite comprehensive and well done.

Median prices for single-family homes in California have risen for the third straight month, reaching $267,570, up 4 percent from April, according to a report from the California Association of REALTORS®. This despite median prices falling 30.4% (sales increased 35.2%) compared to the same time a year ago for California statewide.

Locally, although median price fell 46.1% ( sales rose by 38.2% from a year ago), the median price is up slightly for the month of May ‘09 over April ‘09, confirming the upward trend. The inventory declined from the prior month for the fourth straight, as year over year sales remain brisk. The inventory of homes continues to drop, falling to a 4.2-month supply in May, compared to 8.7 month supply in May 2008.

California’s real estate market always has been seen as a leading indicator for the rest of the country. What is happening in California bodes well for the rest of the nation, observers say.

We are beginning to see signs of a price stabilization and even a small upward tick as inventory continues to trend downward.

“With affordability for first-time home-buyers at a record high, sales of existing single-family homes continued to remain above the 500,000 level for the ninth consecutive month,” said James Liptak, president of the California Association of Realtors.

“Buyers are beginning to realize that the combination of favorable home prices, historically low mortgage rates and first-time home buyer credits may not align again for many years.”

Greg Berkemer, executive vice president of the California Desert Association of Realtors, said, “Certainly, the housing market is affected by what goes on in the economy,” he said. “But in the housing sector alone, the last three to four months have been encouraging: We’re starting to see some price stabilization.”

That is the result of four months of slightly declining inventory, historically low interest rates, tax credits and price points, Berkemer said.

Unsold inventory tracked by more than 90 local Realtor associations statewide also fell to 4.2 months in May, the report noted, compared with the 8.7 month it would have taken to deplete the supply of homes on the market in May 2008.

“Inventory levels are well below the long-run average of seven months, which may account for the increase in median price,” said Leslie Appleton-Young, the association’s chief economist.

Capitalizing on these encouraging developments, we are also seeing the return of the Canadians, who are snapping up property in the United States. The Canadian “Loonie” is at par with the U.S. dollar for the first time since 1976-an exchange rate that makes homes and condos in the U.S. look like a real deal.

Canadian investment in U.S. real estate more than doubled in one year, from 11 percent in 2007 to 23.5 percent in 2008, making Canada the largest foreign real estate investor in the U.S., according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Mark Dziedzic, a former financial planner from Toronto, currently living in Arizona, says, “When the Loonie hit a $1.10, it created a real buzz for Canadians, not only those looking to buy second homes, but we’re also seeing them buying purely from an investment standpoint.”

Need More Incentive to Buy?

Use Tax Credit for Downpayment

As we discussed in our last post, the tax credit can be used as additional down payment Qualified, first-time home buyers using a Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured mortgage now can apply the $8,000 federal tax credit toward their down payments, the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today. Currently, borrowers applying for an FHA-insured mortgage are required to issue minimum down payments of 3.5 percent. Previously, FHA-approved lenders were not allowed to monetizethe tax credit as part of the 3.5 percent; however, under the new guidelines announced this afternoon, borrowers now can use the tax credit as additional down payment, or for other closing costs. For more information, please visit: www.hud.gov and www.car.org.

C.A.R. launches Mortgage Protection Program

To help provide first-time home buyers with peace of mind when purchasing a home, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) Housing Affordability Fund is offering a new mortgage protection program to first-time home buyers. Through the C.A.R. Housing Affordability Fund’s Mortgage Protection Program, first-time home buyers who lose their jobs due to layoffs may be eligible to receive up to $1,500 per month, for six months, to help make their mortgage payments. A qualified co-buyer also can participate in the program, and receive a monthly benefit of $750 per month for up to six months. Program benefits also include coverage for accidental disability and a $10,000 death benefit.

This program can provide an important safety net for first time buyers. But what about everyone else who fear sudden unemployment? Contact us to learn about other possibilities.

 Sources: Daily Real Estate News: The Wall Street Journal, and California Association of Real Estate and The Desert Sun

http://lovepalmspringshomes.com/?p=316

reviewed by Moishe Alexander