Archive for the ‘Vancouver Mortgage’ Category

Working with Real Estate Agents

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

The writer is a Vancouver mortgage broker with experience in bad credit mortgage in Canada applications. He is familiar with most bad credit Canada mortgage lenders. Potential purchasers need not be worried if there credit difficulties in the past.

gardensceneHaving several real estate agents scouting properties for you is one of the most effective ways to quickly and efficiently identify potential properties that can be flipped.

I must stress that it is critical to your success to ensure the competency level of the brokerage team you put together. I have worked with many brokers and agents whose range of expertise and experience varies greatly.

Most residential brokers focus primarily on the more traditional single-family-housing sales. They act in a fiduciary capacity to represent buyers and sellers who have a broad and diverse range of needs.

You must seek out a good realtor who knows what your criteria is as a Vancouver real estate investor.

Vancouver mortgage insight is provided by Duncan Seward a registered Vancouver mortgage broker with TMG. He helps clients in North Vancouver, Surrey, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Burnaby and Langley with their mortgage questions. He is an expert in BC mortgage matters. You can check out regular mortgage updates at his blog page Vancouver Mortgage Rates.

Finding the Right Property

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Duncan Seward is a Vancouver mortgage broker. Mortgage BC is the focus of his business. He is an expert in bad credit mortgage refinance applications. Poor credit loans need not be a concern to clients with a damaged credit history.

Finding exactly the right property in the Vancouver real estate market can sometimes prove to be challenging. The application of a comprehensive and all-inclusive approach will provide you with the greatest chances for success.

You must be willing to exercise patience and diligence in your search. Doing so will enable you to minimize your risk and maximize the return of your hard-earned investment capital. The more selection options you have available to you, the better your odds for locating the type of property most suited to your objectives. In my experience, brokers, classified ads, real estate publications, web sites, real estate investment clubs, and lenders have all proven to be useful at one time or another.

Advertising, for sale by owners, vacant properties, and foreclosures can also generate good leads.

Vancouver mortgage insight is provided by Duncan Seward a registered Vancouver mortgage broker with TMG. He helps clients in North Vancouver, Surrey, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Burnaby and Langley with their mortgage questions. He is an expert in BC mortgage matters. You can check out regular mortgage updates at his blog page Vancouver Mortgage Rates.

Building Condition – What to Look For

Friday, May 29th, 2009

The writer is a Vancouver mortgage broker with experience in bad credit mortgage in Canada applications.

A property’s physical condition can range from extremely poor, as in condemned, to very good. Your focus should be on those properties that fall somewhere in between. This category will prove to be the most profitable, as you will be able to minimize the amount of capital required for improvements, thereby allowing you to maximize your return on investment. Another key consideration is the time involved in making the more extensive repairs.

The turnaround time for houses that require only minor repairs is much shorter than for those that require major repairs. A thorough understanding of what to look for is the key to your success in this business. Ideally, you want to find properties that look a lot worse than they really are. In other words, you are looking for houses that are in need of cosmetic-type repairs such as new paint, landscaping, and perhaps a good, thorough cleaning. Cosmetic repairs are quick and easy to make and are often the least expensive.

Duncan Seward is a Vancouver mortgage broker. His role as a Mortgage BC borkeris the focus of his business. He is an expert in bad credit mortgage refinance applications. Poor credit loans need not be a concern to clients with a damaged credit history.

Investing in Property – Price Point is Key

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

The writer is a Vancouver mortgage broker with experience in bad credit mortgage in Canada applications.

Most opportunities for flipping properties are at the lower to middle end of the price range. The lower end of the price range is, of course, relative to your area. ‘In California and New York, it may be $250,000, while in Texas $75,000 to $100,000 represents the lower end of the price range.

There are three primary reasons for concentrating your efforts in this price range. The first reason is that there tend to be many more opportunities available. Homes selling in this price range tend to be older and are frequently in greater disrepair than newer and more expensive homes. The second reason to focus on the lower to middle end of the price range is that there is a larger pool of buyers available to purchase these types of homes.

Many prospective buyers in the lower price range are younger couples, who may be first-time buyers, or working-class people simply looking for affordable housing. The higher up the price scale you go, the smaller the pool of buyers. Finally, homes in this price range are easier for you as the investor to afford.

Why tie up your capital in larger, more expensive homes that are harder to resell when you can buy smaller, more affordable homes? In addition, if you have a limited amount of investment capital to work with, financing will be easier to obtain on less expensive homes.

Vancouver mortgage insight is provided by Duncan Seward a registered Vancouver mortgage broker with TMG. He helps clients in North Vancouver, Surrey, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Burnaby and Langley with their mortgage questions. He is an expert in

BC mortgage matters. You can check out regular mortgage updates at his blog page Vancouver Mortgage Rates.

Where Should You Invest?

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

The writer is a Vancouver mortgage broker with experience in bad credit mortgage in Canada applications.

The type of location best suited for a retailer seeking to flip properties is typically a neighborhood between 10 and 30 years old. These are the neighborhoods in which the average middleclass citizen lives. Neighborhoods less than 10 years old tend to have larger and more expensive homes, which offer fewer retailing opportunities.

Neighborhoods older than 30 years often consist of run-down properties in declining areas of town. This is not always the case, of course, as I have seen some areas 40-plus years old that continue to be well maintained and where pride of ownership exists. The 30-year rule is a generalization.

The propensity is for homes and neighborhoods older than that to be declining in value, and they may require a longer holding period. The ideal location is an area not suffering from functional obsolescence in which the majority of homes are well maintained.

Ideally, the neighborhood is established, has good schools nearby, and continues to have homes that sell in a shorter-than-average number of days compared to surrounding communities.

Visible characteristics often include mature landscaping, pristine lawns, and well-cared-for homes. What you are looking for is a home in obvious need of repair in a community such as this. The grass is often overgrown, the house looks run down (and usually is), and the neighbors shake their heads in disgust as they pass by. Believe me, they are waiting for someone just like you to come along and get rid of that eyesore in their neighborhood!
Property location checklist.:
• The neighborhood is between 10 and 30 years old.
• The majority of the homes are well cared for and not run down.
• Mature landscaping and pristine lawns are the norm.
• No junk cars parked in the driveway or in front of the house.
• Boats (if allowed) are properly stored.
• The neighborhood is free of trash and debris.
• Low crime rate in the area.
• Close proximity to schools, churches, and shopping.
• The neighborhood should not be located in a declining area of town.
• Home sales should be moderate to strong

Vancouver mortgage insight is provided by Duncan Seward a registered Vancouver mortgage broker with TMG. He helps clients in North Vancouver, Surrey, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Burnaby and Langley with their mortgage questions. He is an expert in

BC mortgage matters. You can check out regular mortgage updates at his blog page Vancouver Mortgage Rates.

Investment Property Tips

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

The writer is a Vancouver mortgage broker with experience in bad credit mortgage in Canada applications.

As an investor who is in the business of flipping properties, you are not interested in carrying your inventory any longer than necessary. That means you should carefully study your area to determine which vicinities are selling with the fewest average number of days on the market. If you have lived in a particular area for a while, you are likely to already know which areas of town are hot and which are not. You do not have to rely solely on your intuition, however, as most real estate agents in your area will have access to the local Multiple Listing Service, or MLS.

They can provide you with objective data to support your analysis. Most real estate agents will gladly furnish this information to you free of charge. They are in the business of earning commissions by representing buyers and sellers, and to do this, they must also be able to provide information that will enable them to make a well informed decision.

Sales agents know that if they can give you the facts you need that will support your decision to buy, it will bring them one step closer to earning a commission.

Duncan Seward is a Vancouver mortgage broker. His role as a Mortgage BC brokeris the focus of his business. He is an expert in bad credit mortgage refinance applications. Poor credit loans need not be a concern to clients with a damaged credit history.

Maximize Your Real Estate Options

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

The writer is a
Vancouver mortgage broker
with experience in bad credit mortgage in Canada applications.

In my experience of working with other investors and previous clients, I have often heard comments like, “Yes, Mr. Berges, I prefer the buy-and-hold approach to investing in real estate. My idea is to buy a property, pay it off, and live off of the income.” Sound familiar?

While this method of building a real estate portfolio is a valid one, in my estimation it is certainly not the best method. If you have another source of income that is fairly substantial and therefore allows you to make investments in real estate on a periodic basis this may be the method for you. This approach, however, precludes you from maximizing the utility of your investment resources.

Another approach is called the value play.

The value play strategy as it relates to apartment buildings is very similar to the concept of the retailer who flips single-family properties. The primary difference is that the concept is applied to income producing properties on a much larger scale. The fundamental premise of this strategy is based on finding an undervalued apartment building, large or small, creating value through one or more of many mechanisms, and reselling, or flipping, the property. The value play strategy is undeniably one of the quickest and surest methods available to investors to create and build wealth.

Vancouver mortgage insight is provided by Duncan Seward a registered Vancouver mortgage broker with TMG. He helps clients in North Vancouver, Surrey, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Burnaby and Langley with their mortgage questions. He is an expert in
BC mortgage
matters. You can check out regular mortgage updates at his blog page
Vancouver Mortgage Rates.

What Does Your Score Entail?

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

The writer is a Vancouver mortgage broker who specializes in bad credit mortgage applications.

Most credit reports today include a credit score-a numeric rating of the applicant’s overall credit history. Several companies produce credit scores, each with its own proprietary formula for calculating the score. Many factors are considered in arriving at a score. Fair, Isaac and Company (the term FICa comes from its name) states that the factors used to score people are as follows:

• What is their payment history? Roughly 35 percent of score.
• Do they owe too much? 30 percent of score.
• How established is their credit? 15 percent of score.
• Do they have a “healthy” mix of credit? 10 percent of score.
• Are they taking on more debt? 10 percent of score.

A person’s score also may be affected by repeated applications for credit, though the model treats multiple inquiries in a short period of time as a single inquiry, to avoid penalizing consumers for shopping for the best rate.

Vancouver mortgage insight is provided by Duncan Seward a registered Vancouver mortgage broker with TMG. He helps clients in North Vancouver, Surrey, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Burnaby and Langley with their mortgage questions. He is an expert in BC mortgage matters. You can check out regular mortgage updates at his blog page Vancouver Mortgage Rates.

Mortgage Credit – What is Inside Your Report

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

The writer is a BC mortgage broker who specializes in bad credit mortgage applications.

The credit report should verify all the information disclosed on the application, especially the number of creditors and amount of outstanding debt. Occasionally, there are discrepancies since many applicants cannot remember all details exactly. The lender should compare the credit report information to that disclosed on the application. If this comparison shows significant discrepancies, major omissions, or erroneous information of a serious nature for the most recent two years of credit history, then the applicant should provide a written explanation.

Additionally, some creditors do not report to a national credit repository or report infrequently, so the information is outdated. In these cases the lender will complete verification by mailing a Verification of Loan form to the creditor or by requesting the applicant provide a loan statement. In either case, the lender attempts to verify the same information that would be included in a credit report.

An applicant may not be aware of some of the information contained in a credit report, especially if the information is incorrect. If the applicant believes a mistake has been made, the lender should advise the applicant to discuss the information with the credit bureau directly. On occasion, credit bureaus receive wrong information that can be corrected by a discussion between the applicant and the credit bureau.

Duncan Seward is a Vancouver mortgage broker. Mortgage BC is the focus of his business. He is an expert in bad credit mortgage refinance applications. Poor credit loans need not be a concern to clients with a damaged credit histories.

Credit and the Mortgage Application Process

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

The writer is a Vancouver mortgage broker who writes on inside view of the mortgage business.

Of great concern to any mortgage lender is how the applicants handle their past credit responsibilities. Many lenders would argue that this is the most significant element of the mortgage application. A credit report provides objective information that helps lenders evaluate the applicants’ current amount of outstanding debt and the payment history for active and prior debts.

A basic credit report must be issued by an independent credit-reporting agency (or credit bureau) and lists the information it has for all of the applicants’ debts that are disclosed on the application or found elsewhere. The credit-reporting agency relies on its own files, various national repositories of credit information, and public records. This may include the following information: loan type, account number, open or closed status and dates, highest and current balance, and monthly payment.

A lender should order a report for all applicants for every residential mortgage loan application. The lender needs the full name and Social Security number for each applicant. Married applicants are reported jointly, since many credit accounts are jointly held. If the applicants are not married to each other and wish to be co-borrowers, then the lender must order separate credit reports for each.

Duncan Seward is a Vancouver mortgage broker. Mortgage BC is the focus of his business. He is an expert in bad credit mortgage refinance applications