Helping you get a headstart on homeownership
Tracy Head Mortgage Broker
Let us help you find the best mortgage solution for your needs!
Tracy Head
Serving clients in Alberta & BC from my office in the Okanagan.
I love to help my clients achieve their dreams! My goal is to create client delight - to help make the process a smooth one, so my clients can focus on the things that matter most.
With over 10 years of experience as a mortgage broker and having bought and sold multiple homes myself, I understand the challenges and frustrations that come along with buying or refinancing a home.
Let me save you time and money by doing the research and walking you through the entire mortgage process.
Mortgage financing can be confusing, it doesn't have to be when you follow my plan.
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The best place to start is to connect with me directly. The mortgage process is personal. My commitment is to listen to all your needs, assess your financial situation, and provide you with a clear plan forward.
Get a clear plan
Sorting through all the different mortgage lenders, rates, terms, and features can be overwhelming. Let me cut through the noise, I'll outline the best mortgage products available, with your needs in mind.
Let me handle the details
When it comes time to arranging your mortgage, I have the experience to bring it together. I'll make sure you know exactly where you stand at all times. No surprises. I've got you covered.
I can help you arrange
mortgage financing for the following services:
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Initial Mortgage Consultation
A quick call up front will help to get things moving forward for you. We will chat about what you are hoping to accomplish, and cover the next steps!
Online mortgage application.
If you'd prefer to start the mortgage process by completing an online mortgage application, here's where we make that happen!
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If you would like to complete your mortgage application over the phone, choose this option, we'll have time to discuss all your options!
I'm proud to be on the Board of
Mortgage Brokers across Canada working together to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
You’ve worked hard your whole life. You deserve to enjoy the retirement lifestyle you've always imagined.
We specialize in mortgage financing for Older Canadians.
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Calculate your total cost of owning a home
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Calculate Land transfer taxes and the available rebates
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Stress test your mortgage
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You can keep up to date with all things mortgage related by reading my mortgage column.
I know this is a dumb question but …. I should probably know this already …. I’m sorry to ask so many questions but …. So many times clients start out with one of these statements. They feel like they should have a better understanding of the mortgage process or terminology. The truth is that buying a home is not a simple journey. Applying for a mortgage is not a cake walk. And even if you’ve been through the process in the past the goal posts seem to move faster than you can keep up. One of the reasons I love (most days) my work is that I am able to spend as much time as I need with my clients helping them understand their financing. When I worked for one of the chartered banks in a previous life I was so tightly scheduled that when our time was up that was it. Someone else had an appointment that I needed to be on time for. Clients have different learning and communication styles. Some come well-versed and understand the mortgage process; others have not done any research and need a lot of hand-holding. My goal is to make sure that by the time they are signing their legal paperwork in front of their lawyer my clients understand the decisions they have made and the rationale behind them. Whether it is the first time you are buying a home or you are looking to refinance your current mortgage it is important that you find a professional to work with that is patient and non-judgmental. In a beautiful world you connect with someone that has bought and sold a few of their own homes and has been working in the mortgage world for a while. It can feel very intimidating to bare your soul to a complete stranger. We often don’t share details of our finances with anyone except our banker / spouse and in some cases I find clients may feel embarrassed about the state of their finances. We see via social media others living lavish lifestyles and somehow feel we should be doing the same. The bottom line is that whether this is your first plunge into the homeownership pool or you are a veteran in the market, it is so important to connect with someone that takes the time to understand your situation and your goals. Knowing your long-term plan and how you handle your finances can help your mortgage professional set you up for success. Please please please make sure you ask all of the questions, even if you think you should know that answers. Guessing that you understand something or bluffing without listening to your mortgage professional’s advice can cause unnecessary grief down the road.
When I work with clients that say they are writing an offer on a private sale I always talk about the benefits of working with a realtor. Realtors do so much legwork that happens behind the scenes that clients aren’t even aware of. Most times it is challenging on my end when clients try to tackle the process of writing an offer on a private sale themselves. I joke and say I am going to charge them an extra fee because of the additional work it creates on our end. I don’t actually charge a fee to be clear but I am only half kidding. When you start down the road of buying a home there are many new and unfamiliar terms you may hear. Whether you are working with a realtor or not, arguably some of the most important things you need to learn about are the “subject to” conditions to include in your offer to purchase. When you write an offer to purchase a home, your realtor will offer guidance as to the conditions you include. Common conditions you will see are: Subject to arranging suitable financing Subject to a satisfactory home inspection Subject to arranging home insurance Subject to review of strata documents Subject to the sale of your current home If you are purchasing a rural property or are in a unique situation you may also see: Subject to a water potability test Subject to an inspection of the septic system Subject to the seller finding a suitable home to purchase These lists are not all-encompassing by any means. The purpose of adding conditions to your offer is to protect you in case there are any issues with the home you are looking to purchase. In previous columns I’ve written about the potential dangers of writing a subject-free offer. The high- level, quick position is that if you write a subject-free offer you’d better have cash on hand to buy the home. I have worked with several clients over the last few months that have written private offers. We do absolutely everything ahead of time to try to ensure they will be successful with their financing. These files stress clients more than you can imagine. They have to either find templates to fill out or pay a lawyer or notary to prepare the documents for them. Either way they need to quickly learn about the conditions I listed above and understand key dates involved in the buying process. The clients need to deal directly with the sellers on any issues that may arise. When you are working with a realtor they handle these issues on your behalf. A knowledgeable realtor also helps avoid issues by taking any of the personal contact and emotions out of any potential areas of conflict. Make sure you do your due diligence and have your ducks in a row as you move forward with an offer to purchase whether writing an offer with a realtor or on your own. Now that the sun has come out and the election is over I’ve seen my clients more actively shopping which is encouraging. As always, my advice is to work with a realtor that you are comfortable with and who knows your area well.
Not all lenders are created equal Just as no two clients are the same, not all lenders are created equal. For the majority of clients getting the best interest rate is their primary concern. For me as a broker it is as important to find a lender that provides a smooth process from start to finish and excellent customer service once a mortgage has finalized. What do I mean by this? When new lenders pop into the mortgage market they often offer low interest rates or better compensation to encourage mortgage brokers to send files their way. Sometimes these new lenders are amazing, and sometimes not as much. Once in a while more established lenders will offer brilliant rates in order to increase the number of mortgages they have on the go. We see lenders float in and out of the competitive rate market based on how much money they have available to lend at any given time. While this can be great for clients, it can also be a nightmare. If a lender does offer rates much lower than other lenders they end up flooded with applications. They may or may not have the staff / staff with expertise to handle larger volumes and increased time pressures. If we are working on a refinance with flexible dates this isn’t necessarily a problem. If we are working on a purchase application with deadlines this can become stressful for all involved. On top of that lenders have different processes for handling the legal paperwork that goes to your lawyer’s office. Some lenders handle everything in-house and have very responsive teams to handle getting the documents to your lawyer and addressing any changes that need to be made. Other lenders hire third-party service providers to produce their documents and this adds an extra day or two to the process. As a broker I try to learn about my clients’ longer term plans and find the right fit lender-wise. I look at lenders’ policies for portability, pre-payment options, flexibility with respect to their guidelines, broker support, and equally as important client service experience after the mortgage finalizes. Does the lender have a portal? Will they allow me as a broker to help my clients or do they require clients to work with them directly for any changes? We sent applications to two newer lenders over the last month because they had fantastic rate specials available. Both files ended up being very stressful as we were down to the wire waiting for mortgage instructions to be sent to the clients’ respective lawyers. I prefer not to have to deal with last-minute stress on my files. Rate is of course incredibly important to your long-term financial health. In my mind a smooth process before and after your purchase or refinance is also important. There are many considerations that go into choosing the right package for our clients. My recommendation one day may change the next depending on both your situation and what I am seeing behind the scenes with various lenders. I hope you had a beautiful Easter weekend!!
In an ideal situation I have some time upfront to work with clients on their pre-approval. I like to go over what to expect in terms of both the process and what to expect in terms of closing costs when they have an accepted offer on a home. We usually talk about potential expenses like property transfer tax, an appraisal, a home inspection, home insurance, and legal fees. This time of year we also talk about upcoming property taxes for anything they are purchasing before July 1st. I think human nature is that we want to minimize our expenses and make sure we are getting the most bang for our buck. There are a few areas of cross-over where I anticipate the clients’ realtor will be speaking to them about items like the requirement to organize home insurance and the importance of a home inspection. In practice I think most realtors encourage their buyers to move forward with a home inspection because they want to ensure clients are not buying any surprises that will create headaches down the road. Sometimes clients are buying privately and are not represented. In those cases I always urge them to include a home inspection as one of their conditions. I have had clients question the need for a home inspection, particularly if they are buying a condo or a new build. Two recent examples have popped up that reinforce for me the importance of a home inspection: - We are working with a lovely first-time home buyer in the lower mainland. Her budget isn’t huge so she has been waiting and watching for the right property to come up, and for her offer to be the one chosen. The stars aligned for her last week. Her financing was approved and all of the financing conditions were signed off by the lender. We were doing a happy dance for her and had a rude awakening the day she did her home inspection. The home inspector found an ongoing leak in the kitchen that has created a soft wall which is indicative of a bigger problem. On a surface level the kitchen is beautiful and relatively recently updated. As a first-time home buyer with no family nearby our client was thrilled by the aesthetics of this condo, then devastated by the potentially expensive work needed to repair / rectify the damage. - The second situation really caught us by surprise. We have clients on Vancouver Island who have an accepted offer on a brand-new home that has never been lived in. They did choose to invest in a home inspection and we are so glad they did. It turns out that somehow some of the larger windows were installed incorrectly and this has created damage to the windows and a leak in one corner. Again, with a new build the temptation would often be to skip the home inspection. Yes, any issues with this home will be covered by warranty. Having the home inspection done and being aware of the issues upfront gives them a lot more power with respect to having these defects repaired quickly. Now that I’ve driven that point home, its important to know that not all home inspectors are created equal. Do your due diligence – look at reviews, look at the home inspector’s qualifications and length of time / experience doing home inspections. Going with the cheapest option is not always the best option. Buying a home is the biggest investment you will likely make. Trying to save a few hundred dollars upfront may end up costing you thousands of dollars and sleepless nights down the road. Save yourself the pain and aggravation of hidden issues in your home.
Annnnnnnd …. Its on! Spring has arrived and with it comes a significant drop in mortgage interest rates. Over the last few months when I’ve chatted with clients who are renewing or planning to buy in the spring market I have said in almost every conversation that by mid-March rate wars tend to start. Regardless of what is happening in the interest rate environment as a whole it seems by the third week of March lenders start sharpening their pencils. Over the last two weeks we started to see lender bulletins trickle in advertising quick- close rate specials (ie: for mortgages finalizing within 60 days) and rate drops across the board. Today I have had updates from six different lenders and its only noon. Why is this important to you? Not all lenders have the same policies with respect to dropping their rates once your mortgage has been approved. When you go into a holding pattern after your mortgage has been approved but before it has finalized rates can change. If they go up, you are covered by the rate you have in place. If they go down, how does your lender deal with your file? Some lenders won’t drop your rate. Some lenders will drop it once. Some maybe twice. There are a few lenders that will drop your rate an unlimited number of times up to a few days before your mortgage finalizes. When I am choosing a lender for my clients this is absolutely one of the most important things I consider. All things being equal, if I can place a mortgage with a lender that offers unlimited rate float downs I will. I watch my calendar of upcoming closings and proactively reach out to those lenders to request better rates for my clients. It’s a win to be able to get the benefit of falling interest rates without having to change lenders. If you are buying a home, renewing your mortgage, or looking to refinance this is a key question you should ask your mortgage person. Find out whether they will adjust the rate on your mortgage and what the process is (do you have to request this?). At the same time, find out how many times they are able to reduce the rate for you. Regardless of the answer I suggest touching base with your mortgage person or lender periodically up to the time your finalize your mortgage to confirm you are receiving the lowest rate they have available for you.
Read the Fine Print After a few recent escapades with condo purchases I think I’d like to talk a bit about doing your homework when purchasing a strata property. Strata properties can offer the convenience of shared maintenance costs, security, benefits like pools and workout rooms, and in some cases a more attractive price point. For people with busy schedules that don’t have the desire to spend time on yard work (or shoveling!) strata properties can be a great fit. Strata properties are usually managed by strata councils. There are legal requirements with respect to meetings, finances and insurance, record keeping, maintenance and upkeep, as well as bylaws and rules. Not all strata properties are created equal. People don’t realize the importance of taking the time to read through the strata documents when they are considering buying a strata property. From a financing perspective there are several pieces that lenders look for. Lenders and insurers (CMHC, Genworth, Canada Guaranty) will read through strata documents, particularly meeting minutes, financials, and depreciation reports. They are looking to see if the building(s) have been well maintained, and if there are adequate funds in the strata’s contingency reserve fund (CRF) to cover any upcoming projects or unexpected issues. They will look to see if the strata has planned and budgeted for ongoing maintenance and updates to ensure the buildings stay in marketable condition. Lenders look to see if there is a rental pool or if there are rental restrictions. They are looking to see if there are any age restrictions. So how does this affect you as a potential buyer? If buildings have not been properly maintained or have had significant structural issues, they are sometimes flagged by mortgage default insurers. This means that those insurers won’t cover new mortgages for people trying to build into the complexes until those issues have been rectified or remediated. If the building has been flagged, it can mean that you are unable to find mortgage financing to purchase a unit in that building. This can also mean increased strata fees to cover big repairs. This may also lead to special assessments. Special assessments are used by stratas to raise significant funds relatively quickly to deal with major expenses. Over the last year I’ve talked to clients that have had to deal with special assessments of $23,000 and $10,000 respectively. Neither of these clients were in the position to come up with the cash, so they are both on payment plans. In both situations this additional monthly payment has created financial distress. Increased strata fees and special assessments can happen in any strata complex, but if you are looking at purchasing a unit in a complex that has ongoing issues or minimal funds in the contingency reserve fund you need to think about what that may look like down the road for your finances. Having said that, just because a building has had issues in the past does not mean you should cross it off your list of potential purchases. Do your homework. Check to see if the strata has dealt with any outstanding issues, and if they have documentation to confirm that. We were recently able to obtain approval in a complex that the insurers had flagged. For over two years the building had been flagged due to maintenance issues. In this case any units that sold were sold to cash buyers as lenders wouldn’t touch the complex. Major work was done and an engineer’s report was ordered to confirm the damage had been dealt with. Both the lender and the insurer went through all of the documents and approved the financing because all issues had been dealt with and the strata has taken steps to rebuild their contingency fund and ensure necessary maintenance is planned for in the future. This felt a bit cautionary. The intent of this information is not to scare you off of purchasing a specific property, but rather to encourage you to do your homework and learn about the strata you are buying into. Your realtor will be able to help you find answers to your questions, and it is important to have your lawyer or notary review the strata documents before you move forward with your purchase. The spring market feels to be picking up. If you are looking to get into the housing market, a strata property might be the ideal fit!
