Mortgage Links of Interest
Your Edmonton Mortgage Broker: Natalie Wellings
Below you will find a wide variety of resources and information relating to the mortgage process. I am here to help and we encourage you to contact me if you have any questions.
MORTGAGE & FINANCE RELATED LINKS:
Mortgage Qualifier Tool: https://itools-ioutils.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/MQ-HQ/MQ-EAPH-eng.aspx
This calculator helps you determine whether or not you can qualify for a home mortgage based on income and expenses.
Mortgage risks and responsibilities: https://www.mbrcc.ca/KnowyourMortgageRisks_Responsibilities
A great reminder of all the things that should be considered when obtaining a mortgage from the Mortgage Broker Regulators Council of Canada:
Consumer's Guide to the world of mortgages: www.mortgageconsumer.org/
A thorough guide to all things mortgages, from Mortgage Professionals Canada
RECA's Home Buyer's Guide: www.homebuyersguidealberta.ca
This new guide, from the Real Estate Council of Alberta, is the source of comprehensive independent information about the home buying process in Alberta... From finding licensed professionals to work with to making an offer, negotiating, and what to expect on possession day.
Sagen (formerly Genworth): https://www.sagen.ca/
Sagen assists families with mortgages, protects families through insurance, and helps customers secure their financial future. Mortgage Insurance, offered by Sagen, can help you achieve the dream of homeownership sooner by allowing you to purchase a home with less than 20% down payment while paying the same competitive interest rates as buyers with a larger down payment.
CMHC: www.cmhc.ca
Backed by 60 years of experience, CMHC is the largest default insurer in Canada, it is a publicly owned corporation and allows Canadians to purchase a property with less than 20% down. CMHC works with community organizations, the private sector, non-profit agencies and all levels of government to help create innovative solutions to today's housing challenges, anticipate tomorrow's needs, and improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
Canada Guaranty: www.canadaguaranty.ca
Canada Guaranty is the third default insurer in Canada. The introduction of Canada Guaranty benefited lenders, mortgage professionals, and consumers by fostering a competitive market dynamic and creating new choice among mortgage insurance providers. With a comprehensive suite of products, mortgage insurance from Canada Guaranty protects lenders and investors from losses related to borrower default and foreclosure.
Canada Revenue Agency: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) administers tax laws for the Government of Canada and for most provinces and territories, and various social and economic benefit and incentive programs delivered through the tax system.
Trans Union Canada: www.transunion.ca
Trans Union Canada is a consumer credit reporting agency providing credit reporting services to Canadian consumers. Trans Union Canada is also a great source of credit-related information.
Equifax: https://www.consumer.equifax.ca/personal/
Equifax compiles credit reporting data from many sources and creates a credit file that reflects your personal credit history including your beacon score. Now you can view your credit report online enabling you to monitor your credit and monitor your score while protecting yourself from identity theft. Before making major purchases, such as buying a home or car, you can see exactly what information is available to potential lenders.
The Bank of Canada: www.bankofcanada.ca
The Bank of Canada is the nation's central bank. It is responsible for Canada's monetary policy, bank notes, financial system, and funds management.
Appraisal Institute of Canada: www.aicanada.ca
Appraisal Institute of Canada is the premier real estate appraisal association in Canada. The institute is a self-regulating body whose mission is to protect the public interest by ensuring the highest standards, practices, and professional conduct in real estate appraisals.
Ultimate Calculators: www.ultimatecalculators.com
Ultimate Calculators is a collection of free financial calculators designed for homeowners, investors, taxpayers, students, professors, professionals, and small business owners in Canada or the USA. They provide an excellent mortgage calculator along with several other amazing calculators.
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC): www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) ensures federally regulated financial entities comply with consumer protection measures, promotes financial education, and raises consumers’ awareness of their rights and responsibilities.
CRA- Home Buyers Plan: https://www.canada.ca
If you are taking advantage of the Home Buyer's Plan offered by the federal government to withdraw your RSP's tax-free (upon qualification) you'll need to fill out the appropriate forms to make a withdrawal from your RRSP account. Here's a link to the form you'll need to fill out and give to the company holding your investments in order to make the withdrawal as well as information on the Home Buyer's Plan.
Credit Alert: www.mycreditalert.ca
Want to keep a close eye on your credit file? Sign up and receive detailed credit reports as well as alerts every time your credit report is accessed. CREDIT ALERT® is an invaluable service that helps you understand your credit rating and protects you against credit fraud and identity theft.
CMHC Worksheets: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/data-and-research/publications-and-reports/homebuying-step-by-step-workbook-and-checklists
Buying a home involves a lot of decisions and considerations. Click on this link to find a list of checklists, worksheets, and budgeting tools to help guide you through the process of purchasing a home.
Service Alberta: Home Renovation Consumer Tips
Did you know that any contractor that asks for payment or a deposit at your home before completing any work must be licensed through Service Alberta? Click the link above to read consumer tips from Service Alberta regarding dealing with contractors who are completing renovations in your home.
Canada Revenue Agency, How to order your Notice of Assessment: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/a-copy-your-notice-assessment-reassessment.html
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) administers tax laws for the Government of Canada and for most provinces and territories, and various social and economic benefit and incentive programs delivered through the tax system. This link allows you to order a copy of your Notice of Assessment.
FREE Equifax Credit Report: https://www.consumer.equifax.ca/personal/education/credit-report/how-to-get-a-free-credit-report/
Following this link to order a free copy of your Equifax credit report.
Credit Counselling Society: https://www.nomoredebts.org/
Information on the differences between bankruptcy & consumer proposals in Canada. The Credit Counselling Society is a registered, non-profit service for consumers.
Capital One, Secured Mastercard: https://www.capitalone.ca/credit-cards/guaranteed-secured-mastercard2/
Capital One offers a secured Mastercard to allow those with credit issues to obtain a credit card which can be used to build or rebuild their credit scores.
Click Undo.ca
This is a local Edmonton law firm that has created an online tool to make uncontested divorces much simpler. Click here to learn more!
Mortgage Handbook
A handy pdf of the ins-and-outs of getting a mortgage.
10 Steps to Buying a Home
A nice concise brochure briefly explaining the home buying process.
10 Reasons to Use a Mortgage Broker
Here's a brief pamphlet on the benefits of using a Mortgage Broker.
Credit Explained
A great brochure on how to increase your credit score.
PROPERTY TAX LINKS FOR EDMONTON AND THE SURROUNDING REGION:
Click on the appropriate link below to contact your municipality to inquire about your property tax assessment or to set up monthly, automatic withdrawals to pay your property taxes.
City of St. Albert Property Tax
Sherwood Park & Strathcona County Property Tax
GENERAL LINKS OF INTEREST FOR EDMONTON AND THE SURROUNDING REGION:
The Capital City Region is a wonderful place to live and play. Here you`ll find a variety of links related to improving your life in Alberta`s Capital City.
City of Edmonton: www.edmonton.ca
Learn all about Alberta's capital city including attractions, property tax information, and general information on what makes Edmonton a great place to call home!
City of St. Albert: www.stalbert.ca
Find information on the City of St. Albert including permits, property tax, bylaws, and transit.
Sherwood Park & Strathcona County: www.strathcona.ca
A specialized municipality, Strathcona County consists of the urban area of Sherwood Park and an extensive rural area that includes eight rural hamlets. These are Antler Lake, Ardrossan, Collingwood Cove, Half Moon Lake, Hastings Lake, Josephburg, North Cooking Lake and South Cooking Lake.
City of Leduc: www.leduc.ca
Find information on the City of Leduc including permits, property tax, and bylaws.
Town of Morinville: www.morinville.ca
Find general information on life in the Town of Morinville.
Epcor: www.epcor.com
EPCOR owns and operates electricity transmission, water and wastewater facilities in Alberta and British Columbia. Contact them to set up an account for power and water!
Direct Energy: www.directenergy.com
Direct Energy is the largest competitive retailer in North America of electricity and natural gas, home services, energy-efficient solutions, and more.
Only Here for the Food: www.onlyhereforthefood.com
I adore food! And, I love staying current on the latest local food news. If you are interested in Edmonton's food scene this is an amazing resource! Great reviews of local restaurants and up-to-date information on the culinary scene in Alberta's capital region.
Edmonton Journal: www.edmontonjournal.com
Edmonton's main newspaper. Stay up-to-date on local current events.
MLS Home Search: www.realtor.ca
Welcome to Realtor.ca, property information from realtors across Canada. Search for a property by criteria or by map.
YEG is Home: www.yegishome.ca
Learn more about communities, search real estate listings, discover new places and events, and keep up with all the latest news in Edmonton.
Edmonton`s Wikipedia Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonton
Discover weird and wonderful facts about the Capital City! Did you know that Edmonton has the highest per capita area of parkland in any Canadian City? Or that Westmount Mall was the first mall in Canada? If you are looking for information on the various aspects of life in Edmonton, visit this page.
Edmonton Humane Society: http://www.edmontonhumanesociety.com/
Feel like your new home just won’t feel right without a furry member in the family? Visit the Edmonton Humane Society to browse their selection of dogs and cats in their brand new, state-of-the-art facility. All adoption fees including spay/neuter, pet license for one year as well as immunizations, and more!
Mojo Design: www.mojodesigninc.com
Both Mo & Jo have a passion for design and between them have experience in many aspects of this industry. Home Styling, Renovation Consultation, and Home Staging are their main focus!
The Organic Box: www.theorganicbox.ca
Are you interested in having organic produce delivered right to your door? Members of The Organic Box receive delivery of seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables from local and non-local organic farms and distributors on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Members are notified late Friday regarding the contents of the next weekly Box and can use the website to customize their box contents until early Monday morning.
Old Strathcona Farmer`s Market: www.osfm.ca
A great market that is an Edmonton institution! It's open year-round, on Saturdays from 8am to 3pm at 10310-83 Avenue.
Downtown Farmer`s Market: https://yegdtmarket.com/
The City Market Downtown is the place to be in Edmonton on Saturday mornings during the summer. Located on trendy 104 Street where there are lots of small shops and great restaurants. During winter months the market relocates to City Hall.
Edmonton Festival Guide: www.exploreedmonton.com
Edmonton really comes alive in the summer months. Here you'll find a comprehensive list of the summer festivals happening in the Capital Region.
List of Farmer's Markets in Edmonton & Alberta: http://www.albertafarmersmarket.com/markets/
The Alberta Farmers’ Market Association (AFMA) fosters partnerships to stimulate farmers’ market initiatives; works collaboratively to assess, develop and implement policies and guidelines that will strengthen the quality of farmers’ markets in Alberta; provides support to our member markets, vendors, managers, boards and sponsors through advocacy, education, promotion, and innovation.
The Local Good: www.thelocalgood.ca
So, you want to live a more green, healthy, and local lifestyle in Edmonton...but, where do you start? On this site, you’ll find Edmonton’s best listing of event's for the green and local lifestyle, a blog with up-to-date commentary on sustainable living issues in Edmonton, the latest in a monthly newsletter, and a super-rich resource directory.
List of Community Gardens: http://www.sustainablefoodedmonton.org/communitygardens/
Do you have a green thumb but are lacking space to grow? Do you have a yearning to learn how to feed yourself? Looking to get involved with community gardens in and around Edmonton? Sustainable Food Edmonton provides a list of local community gardens on its site. Please explore the site, connect with community gardens in your area, or consider starting one with some of your neighbors.
Go Organize: https://www.goorganize.ca/
Meet Lis Faulkner, a professional organizer and home stager in St. Albert, serving all areas of Edmonton and surrounding areas. Her approach is built on empathy and understanding. She knows that disorganization can be stressful, and she's here to guide you through the process with patience and a non-judgmental attitude. She also offers staging consultations for realtors and home owners, helping to showcase a property's best features and attract top dollar from potential buyers.
