THIS vs THAT 11 | Verified Income vs Stated Income

Michael Hallett • Sep 28, 2018
Income is income. Yes and No. The underwriters that work for the lenders are mandated to constantly assess the risk level of each client. They are tasked with determining the probability of the borrower repaying the mortgage amount on-time, plain and simple. As income earners there are many ways to structure how we are paid.

In the mortgage industry there are basically two different classifications for earning an income; employee or employer/self-employed.

For an employee we consider one’s gross income as verified income. This is the total income reported to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) from January 1st to December 31st in any given year. The income amount is documented on T1 Generals, T4s and Notice of Assessments, it’s referenced LINE 150. We utilize this line item amount to qualify the mortgage amount. There isn’t anything we can change.

Self-employed income earners file the same taxation documents with CRA. But as a self-employed person there are tax rules that allow business owners to reduce their reported income through write-offs (for further details please consult your certified accountant). When a self-employed mortgage consumer needs to qualify for financing we utilize the same LINE 150 income. Depending on how their accountant has structured their income will determine their borrowing power through the verified income process. If the gross annual income is too low to qualify for the required amount, we can proceed with a process called stated income. This takes a further examination of their financial documents to determine if any of the write-offs can be added back to the total income.

Going with a stated income mortgage product will end up costing a bit more, but the borrower can qualify for a higher mortgage amount. This may be the difference between ultimately buying or refinancing into exactly what they want.

As mortgage consumers the lenders require us to provide documentation to upon borrowing money for purchasing or re-financing real estate. The lists are slightly different depending on one’s income classification.

Employee:

Letter of employment
Most recent pay stub
Most recent 2 years of T4s
Self-employed:

Most recent 2 years of Notice of Assessments (issued by CRA)
Most recent 2 years of T1 Generals along with Statement of Business Activities
Most recent 2 years of accountant prepared financial statements, if incorporated
*The combination of documents can vary from lender to lender.

If you have any questions on how to structure your income to plan for a future real estate purchase or refinancing, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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The Property Matters in Mortgage Financing

By Michael Hallett • 08 May, 2024
When looking to qualify for a mortgage, typically, a lender will want to review four areas of your mortgage application: income, credit, downpayment/equity and the property itself. Assuming you have a great job, excellent credit, and sufficient money in the bank to qualify for a mortgage, if the property you’re looking to purchase isn’t in good condition, if you don't have a plan, you might get some pushback from the lender. The property matters to the lender because they hold it as collateral if you default on your mortgage. As such, you can expect that a lender will make every effort to ensure that any property they finance is in good repair. Because in the rare case that you happen to default on your mortgage, they want to know that if they have to repossess, they can sell the property quickly and recoup their money. So when assessing the property as part of any mortgage transaction, an appraisal is always required to establish value. If your mortgage requires default mortgage insurance through CMHC, Sagen (formerly Genworth), or Canada Guaranty, they’ll likely use an automated system to appraise the property where the assessment happens online. A physical appraisal is required for conventional mortgage applications, which means an appraiser will assess the property on-site. So why is this important to know? Well, because even if you have a great job, excellent credit, and money in the bank, you shouldn’t assume that you’ll be guaranteed mortgage financing. A preapproval can only take you so far. Once the mortgage process has started, the lender will always assess the property you’re looking to purchase. Understanding this ahead of time prevents misunderstandings and will bring clarity to the mortgage process. Practically applied, if you’re attempting to buy a property in a hot housing market and you go in with an offer without a condition of financing, once the appraisal is complete, if the lender isn’t satisfied with the state or value of the property, you could lose your deposit. Now, what happens if you’d like to purchase a property that isn’t in the best condition? Being proactive includes knowing that there is a purchase plus improvements program that can allow you to buy a property and include some of the cost of the renovations in the mortgage. It’s not as simple as just increasing the mortgage amount and then getting the work done, there’s a process to follow, but it’s very doable. So if you have any questions about financing your next property or potentially using a purchase plus improvements to buy a property that needs a little work, please connect anytime. It would be a pleasure to walk you through the process.

Getting a Mortgage While on Parental Leave

By Michael Hallett • 01 May, 2024
Chances are if the title of this article piqued your interest enough to get you here, your family is probably growing. Congratulations! If you’ve thought now is the time to find a new property to accommodate your growing family, but you’re unsure how your parental leave will impact your ability to get a mortgage, you’ve come to the right place! Here’s how it works. When you work with an independent mortgage professional, it won’t be a problem to qualify your income on a mortgage application while on parental leave, as long as you have documentation proving that you have guaranteed employment when you return to work. A word of caution, if you walk into your local bank to look for a mortgage and you disclose that you’re currently collecting parental leave, there’s a chance they’ll only allow you to use that income to qualify. This reduction in income isn’t ideal because at 55% of your previous income up to $595/week, you won’t be eligible to borrow as much, limiting your options. The advantage of working with an independent mortgage professional is choice. You have a choice between lenders and mortgage products, including lenders who use 100% of your return-to-work income. To qualify, you’ll need an employment letter from your current employer that states the following: Your employer’s name preferably on the company letterhead Your position Your initial start date to ensure you’ve passed any probationary period Your scheduled return to work date Your guaranteed salary For a lender to feel confident about your ability to cover your mortgage payments, they want to see that you have a position waiting for you once your parental leave is over. You might also be required to provide a history of your income for the past couple of years, but that is typical of mortgage financing. Whether you intend to return to work after your parental leave is over or not, once the mortgage is in place, what you decide to do is entirely up to you. Mortgage qualification requires only that you have a position waiting for you. If you have any questions about this or anything else mortgage-related, please connect anytime. It would be a pleasure to work with you.
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