How to "shop around" for best mortgage rate

Get pre-approved with your local bank.

Once you have an accepted offer, you can shop around. Currently best rates start at Prime -1.24% 5-year variable and 2.94% 5-year fixed.

LexT05 wrote: ↑ I am planning to buy my first house in the near future....have a few questions about the buying process. From my understanding, the pre-approval rate that you get may not be the same as the rate you get when you are actually approved. You may receive a lower rate once your offer on a house is accepted and you are applying for a mortgage.

Yes, this is true. Pre-approval rates are almost always higher than approval rates unless interest rates take a sudden jump during the time you got pre-approved and the time you actually buy and close.

So, do you apply for a few mortgages after your offer has been accepted by the seller? Would you just contact a few mortgage brokers and ask them the best rate they can give you after your offer on the house is accepted?

Contacting a few mortgage brokers would be the easiest thing to do. Just give them a call and see what they offer.

Are there any penalties if you are already approved from one lender but don't go through with it because you found a lower rate elsewhere?

Generally no, but some mortgage brokers do have representation agreements that will require a penalty should you not go through with it.

Is there any point in going to multiple brokers for pre-approval?

No, just make sure that what you obtain is an actual pre-approval. Some brokers and bankers will simply do a quick calculation based on whatever income you tell them and what debts you have while others will actually request your credit report and provide a more accurate pre-approval. It depends on how strong of an pre-approval that you want.

Also, would pre-approval have a hit on your credit score, and then another hit when you are actually approved?

This will depend upon the time that elapses from your pre-approval to your closing. There can be multiple credit hits during that time. A person who gets a pre-approval today and buys in 2 weeks may not have as many hits as a person who buys 115 days later. Keep in mind that even though the broker, lender, mortgage default insurer may all be requesting your credit report, it should count as one hit on your bureau.

Go with SpinMortgage.com and relax at home. I went with them. Very professional and no fuss.

Thanks guys!

Hi Everyone,
I have an accepted offer to buy a house. Scotia offered me 2.45 (5 year variable) and I signed the commitment letter and got the final approval. I have few months time until the closing date. Just found HSBC is offering 2.39 5 year variable. Just wonder (1) Am i bound to Scotia now? (2) Can i apply for HSBC and if I get 2.39 variable is it worth the effort?
Thanks
DB

Hi,
Just wonder who is offering prime - 1.24 5 year variable. Scotia offered me 2.45 (5 year variable) and I signed the commitment letter and got the final approval. I have few months time until the closing date. Just found HSBC is offering 2.39 5 year variable. Just wonder (1) Am i bound to Scotia now? (2) Can i apply for HSBC and if I get 2.39 variable is it worth the effort?
Thanks

hello3384 wrote: ↑ Hi,
Just wonder who is offering prime - 1.24 5 year variable. Scotia offered me 2.45 (5 year variable) and I signed the commitment letter and got the final approval. I have few months time until the closing date. Just found HSBC is offering 2.39 5 year variable. Just wonder (1) Am i bound to Scotia now? (2) Can i apply for HSBC and if I get 2.39 variable is it worth the effort?
Thanks

I never go with the big banks. Always go through a broker who have access to non bank lender. I went through a broker and got MCAP. Rates were low, but the big savings is if you have to break your mortgage. If you have a fixed rate which I did the penalty is the higher of 3 months interest or the Interest Rate differential. Big banks play a game with the IRD where they use your posted rate rather than the discounted rate that you got. With MCAP they don’t have posted and discounted rates. Based on the online IRD calculators I am saving almost 20k

What other benefits do you get for not going with the big banks?

abc123yyz wrote: ↑ I never go with the big banks. Always go through a broker who have access to non bank lender. I went through a broker and got MCAP. Rates were low, but the big savings is if you have to break your mortgage. If you have a fixed rate which I did the penalty is the higher of 3 months interest or the Interest Rate differential. Big banks play a game with the IRD where they use your posted rate rather than the discounted rate that you got. With MCAP they don’t have posted and discounted rates. Based on the online IRD calculators I am saving almost 20k

Goggle wrote: ↑ What other benefits do you get for not going with the big banks?

Usually a lower rate, better terms meaning more bang for your buck. Banks do on the other hand provide convenience if you do all your bank at one of the charter banks and can provide HELOC, brokers will get it eventually

hello3384 wrote: ↑ Hi,
Just wonder who is offering prime - 1.24 5 year variable. Scotia offered me 2.45 (5 year variable) and I signed the commitment letter and got the final approval. I have few months time until the closing date. Just found HSBC is offering 2.39 5 year variable. Just wonder (1) Am i bound to Scotia now? (2) Can i apply for HSBC and if I get 2.39 variable is it worth the effort?
Thanks

Value mortgage is somehow offering that rate, and I don't know he's able to but from me it would be 2.35 variable 5 years it would have to be a high ratio mortgage and the lending value would have to be high

Goggle wrote: ↑ What other benefits do you get for not going with the big banks?

Pros
- rates are way better
- calculation of the Penalties is significantly different
- non collateral mortgages

Cons
- can’t get a Heloc through them from my understanding, only traditional mortgage

Equivalent
- both banks and non bank lenders can offer similar terms in regards to prepayment and/or increasing payment etc.

hello3384 wrote: ↑ Hi Everyone,
I have an accepted offer to buy a house. Scotia offered me 2.45 (5 year variable) and I signed the commitment letter and got the final approval. I have few months time until the closing date. Just found HSBC is offering 2.39 5 year variable. Just wonder (1) Am i bound to Scotia now? (2) Can i apply for HSBC and if I get 2.39 variable is it worth the effort?
Thanks
DB

Best rate is Prime -1.29% (2.16%) 5-year variable. You are not committed until funds are released on closing day.

abc123yyz wrote: ↑ I never go with the big banks. Always go through a broker who have access to non bank lender. I went through a broker and got MCAP. Rates were low, but the big savings is if you have to break your mortgage. If you have a fixed rate which I did the penalty is the higher of 3 months interest or the Interest Rate differential. Big banks play a game with the IRD where they use your posted rate rather than the discounted rate that you got. With MCAP they don’t have posted and discounted rates. Based on the online IRD calculators I am saving almost 20k

Well said....

In a process of buying and getting mortgage:

Question:
- What is current best 5 years fixed interest rate with pre-payment option and accelerated bi-weekly payment? For eg. mortgage amount $100000.00.

CdnRealEstateGuy wrote: ↑ Get pre-approved with your local bank.

Once you have an accepted offer, you can shop around. Currently best rates start at Prime -1.24% 5-year variable and 2.94% 5-year fixed.