Region served
Your bank’s renewal offer, set beside what other lenders propose in Mauricie. Worth a look before you sign it.
At renewal, switching lenders costs no penalty. It is the only time that is true. Your bank can renew without requalifying you, another lender starts the file over. That is the trade-off. A rate posted elsewhere is worth whatever your ability to get it is worth.
Your renewal offer and current mortgage statement, with the maturity date and balance. If you are shopping around, add your notices of assessment and proof of income, since the new lender starts from zero. Begin four to six months out, while the current offer still stands.
Your offer is only as good as the appraisal. Where few comparable sales exist in Mauricie, the appraiser can come in under the price you agreed to, and you cover the difference in cash. It does not get added to the mortgage.
The lender wants to see enough to work out your monthly budget: proof of income, the source of the down payment, your debts and what is left after the bills. Have them ready before the first call about a Mauricie file.
Rate is the easy comparison. On a purchase, two offers differ mostly in the penalty to break the term, in how much you can prepay each year and in whether the mortgage moves with you to the next home.
A complete file the first time avoids the back-and-forth that adds weeks. It is almost never the analysis that drags on a Mauricie file. Somebody is waiting on an employer, a bank or an appraiser.
To prepare
Yes. It all runs by phone, email or video call, and documents go through online. We can meet in person, but most files get settled without anyone having to travel.
No penalty at maturity, and it is the only time that is true. The new lender reassesses the whole file, and some transfer fees can apply. That is what you weigh against the rate difference.
Pick the situation closest to yours.
Contact
Buying, renewing, refinancing, or something a bit out of the ordinary: tell us where you’re at, even if it’s still fuzzy. Mathieu gets back to you with next steps and the documents to pull together.