NU Stream Realty Inc and NU Stream Mortgage Inc chooses TMG The Mortgage Group

Wells Peng, Dan Pultr (TMG) and Anna Zhang

TMG The Mortgage Group is proud to announce a strategic affiliation with NU Stream Realty Inc and NU Stream Mortgage Inc located in B.C.

NU Stream was searching for a partner with similar values to help facilitate its incredible growth, while at the same time servicing their clients with the best mortgage products in the market.

“When we were looking at this next stage of growth, TMG’s support systems, training and tools impressed us,” said Wells Peng, founder and CEO of NU Stream.  “The TMG team is the best fit for our company and we look forward to continuing to grow together.”

TMG’s Vice-President of BC, Dan Pultr, is equally as enthusiastic.  “From the moment we met with the partners at NU Stream, we were excited to work with such growth and client focused individuals,” he said. “The company’s market penetration over the past few years has been impressive -- $3B in transactions since inception in 2016 – and when they shared their vision, it was a natural fit. “

“TMG has earned a stellar reputation in the industry because our staff, systems and resources are placed against the filter of adding value to our broker partners. We’re confident TMG will truly complement NU Stream’s business and make this partnership a win-win,” Pultr added.

TMG The Mortgage Group is an award-winning mortgage brokerage and the largest independent brokerage in Canada with more than 800 agents and brokers across the country.

NU Stream Realty Inc. is an innovative real estate brokerage company using a team-based model that has proven to be highly efficient, professional, and comprehensive. NU Stream Realty Inc. is developing operations in both the Vancouver and Toronto Chinese markets simultaneously, establishing a platform to serve customers across Canada.

TMG’s Co-founder Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

In July, 1990 Debbie Thomas and her husband/ business partner Grant opened TMG. In the ensuing 28 years, TMG has grown its presence in the marketplace from four brokers in a small office, to more than 800 mortgage professionals across the country.

Debbie has been the Broker of Record in British Columbia since 1993.

In addition to company awards, Debbie has won the Partner’s in Excellence Award -- CAAMP and Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement – MBABC.

As the only female to head up a successful national brokerage, Debbie credits her skills as an educator that has contributed to her influence. She has been the "Mortgage Expert" on Global BC TV for many years and worked hard to get the industry message out to consumers that “Your best mortgage is through a Broker”.

Not only is Debbie committed to the success of TMG, she has shown passion and dedication for the success of others and the industry at large. As part of a very influential Western core group of broker advocates in the early 1990s, she was instrumental in ensuring that Western brokers were properly recognized. Through her efforts, mortgage lenders such as Scotia Bank and HSBC added the West to their business market.

 It’s not surprising that British Columbia enjoys the highest level of mortgage broker activity in the country with more than 35% of consumers seeking out a mortgage professional.

Within TMG, Debbie is seen as a mentor, an expert and a leader. Within the mortgage industry, she is seen as an entrepreneur, an industry advocate and a pioneer.

On Thursday, May 3, Debbie was recognized for her contribution to the mortgage industry by receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Mortgage Awards of Excellence in Toronto. Here is Debbie, in her own words.

“I was both honoured and humbled to receive the inaugural 'Lifetime Achieve Award' at the Mortgage Awards of Excellence. Thanks to the nominating committee for the privilege of being the very first recipient of this award.  

When I think about Lifetime Achievement I start to look back and reflect on the past, as I imagine all of us do, and I thought about the early days of TMG, and of the mortgage industry, and how I got here.

TMG was founded by myself and my husband Grant back in 1990.  That same year the Berlin Wall came down, the first episode of The Simpsons aired and there was this launch of something called the World Wide Web. So, in retrospect, it was very good year for beginnings.

Back in those days, we had one huge, big-ass Fax machine, and we would line-up to send and receive documents.  It was almost a full-time job just organizing and distributing those documents.  Then in 2000, Expert came along and life got a whole lot easier.

We’ve seen a lot of changes in the industry over the years. We’ve seen lenders come, and we’ve seen lenders go. We’ve seen mortgage rates in the double digits, we’ve seen market “corrections” and we’ve seen very hot markets. And we’re still here. Mortgage brokers remain committed to the consumer and making sure they have a choice when it comes to mortgages.

I’m proud to say that we’ve seen more women enter the industry.   Each day I work with outstanding women in the industry – our brokers – our lender BDMs – our underwriters -- and our support staff. Together we are empowering thousands, breaking down barriers and demonstrating that there are really no gender preferences in our industry. With each passing day there are more, strong female leaders emerging. I am grateful to be a part of that.

I have learned many lessons on this journey.  One particular lesson has sustained us -- I have learned about the importance of partnering with the right people. By surrounding ourselves with people of integrity, with people we can trust, it empowers us to be our best.

 From the outset, Grant and I never wavered from our values and our vision – it still sustains us today.”

Condo investors and the housing market

A recent study titled, “Window Into the World of Condo Investors” by Shaun Hildebrand, senior vice-president of rental research firm Urbanation, and Benjamin Tal, senior economist with CIBC Capital Market, sheds a light into who these investors are in the GTA and how they might impact the condo market in the future.

What’s interesting is that investors who grab the best units at developer pre-sales account for nearly half of the rental housing inventory in the region. And while many are foreign investors, it’s the domestic investors who may hold the key to the future of the real estate market.

According to the report, only about 10% of condo investors are international buyers and are more likely to be local immigrants aged 40 to 60. The reasons are many – a retirement investment or to help their children, for example.

Most investors use a minimum down payment of 20% on a pre-sale unit. Since it may take four to five years to build a condo, the value increases each year until the unit is leased at market rent, which should cover costs and pay down principal. 

However, the future may not look as bright as it once did. While current market conditions have elevated demand, the slow turnover, higher prices for move-up buyers and the mortgage rule changes have reduced turnover, with fewer units available.

A Snapshot of Condo Investors

Some hard data:

•  In 2017, just over 20% of condo investors purchased the units with no mortgage.
•  The Big “5” Banks provided two-thirds of the credit
• Credit unions provided 20$ of the credit
•  Private lending accounted for 5% in dollar amount but 10% in number of transactions
• Approx. 30% have an interest rate of more than 6%
• 16% have interest rates higher than 9%
•  On average, investors provided the 20% down payment; non-investors, of course, can provide lower down payments. 
•  44% of investors with a mortgage are in a negative cash flow position
•  Investors with positive cash flow have an average monthly income of $360
•  The average resale price was 51% higher than the average pre-sale price

The last few years have been challenging for investors and it’s going to be difficult to get that healthy return.  Forty-four per cent of investors who took possession of their units in 2017 are seeing their rental income fall short of mortgage payments and building maintenance fees.

Here’s a scenario: The authors of the study estimate that new units that were pre-sold over the past year and scheduled for completion in 2021, rents would have to rise by 17% over the next four years, if there were no changes in interest rates, by 28% if rates increased by 100 basis points, and by 39% if rates rose by 200 basis points.

The condo market is the last bastion of affordability, but it’s going to be more important than ever for investors, and non-investors, to make sure they do their homework and get the information they need to make the best decisions.

TMG Mortgage Broker Runs 250KM for Breakfast Club of Canada

Can you imagine running a 250km ultra marathon over six days, in the Sahara Desert, while carrying all your supplies?

Mathieu McCaie, a mortgage broker with TMG The Mortgage Group, based in New Brunswick, has done just that. After months of training, this father of two ran 250 km in a six-stage event in the Sahara Desert, under extreme conditions, in part, to raise more than $13,000 for Breakfast Club of Canada.

The Marathon des Sables (MDS) is one of the toughest races in the world. What makes it challenging? “It’s an ultra-marathon where I carried everything I needed over the 6-day race: food, sleeping bag, venom pump, compass, etc., so my backpack weighed about 22 pounds,” McCaie said. “There was also the change in temperature, which varied from 4 degrees at night to around 50 degrees in the daytime.”

 “We at TMG The Mortgage Group, are in awe of Mathieu’s achievement,” said Mark Kerzner, president of TMG. “He is a consummate professional, who leads by example - -this was just his next challenge.”

For McCaie, completing the race felt good, but says he’s ready to move on. “I trained for almost two years and missed precious time with my family,” he said. “I had time to reflect while running and realized I wanted to spend more time with my family.  Before the race, I spent a lot of time working but I have adjusted my work schedule.”

Would he run the race again? Absolutely not, he said.

McCaie trained between 15-20 hours a week since September, determined to accomplish two major objectives: Finish the race, and do so with no permanent injuries. During this rigorous training, he has also been working, and caring for his two young children and… fundraising for Breakfast Club of Canada!

McCaie has raised over $13,000 for Breakfast Club of Canada.

“TMG The Mortgage Group has been a longtime supporter of the Club, and to have the support of individuals like Matt, who go out of their way to raise funds and awareness is inspiring. We congratulate Matt on this amazing achievement!” says Benjamin Neumer, Senior Business Development Advisor, Western Canada, Breakfast Club of Canada.

“It was a tough race, but not as hard as what some kids are going through,” McCaie said. “This cause has hit me hard, especially now that I have my own kids.”

To donate to the Club please visit www.breakfastclubcanada.org

The mortgage industry stresses quality over quantity

By Mark Kerzner, President TMG The Mortgage Group

The Canadian mortgage landscape has seen regulatory change after change combined with continued Government legislative changes since the Fall of 2016.  Government changes to mortgage rules have been led by the Department of Finance, superimposed with tightening from the Bank of Canada. We have also seen some provinces introduce their own restrictions that have resulted in increased taxes to foreigners and speculators.

As Canadians it is important that we question the reasons for these rule and guideline changes.  There are slightly different answers depending on where the rule changes are coming from. For the most part, they stem from the fact that there was a belief that the Canadian housing market was overheating, that an interest rate shock would paralyze a great many Canadians in being able to afford their payments when interest rates increase, and that the liability of the Government in backstopping mortgages was just too high.

It would seem the motivation to ‘tighten’ might have come from different vantage points but implemented with unison.  The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), which oversees federally-regulated financial institutions wants to ensure their solvency, whereas the Department of Finance may have been more concerned about outstanding debt, and the Bank of Canada on their inability to raise rates quickly enough to stem borrowing activity.

And after nearly a year and a half of dealing with all these changes we are told by an international credit rating agency (S&P) that the quality of Canadian mortgages is deteriorating, resulting in the lowering of a key metric for Canadian banks.

I just don’t buy it. And to suggest that the broker channel is somehow complicit with the elevated levels of fraud is insulting. 

Robert McLister in Canadian Mortgage Trends, cited from the agency’s report: "…The growing share of residential mortgages originated via brokers, compound the risks of high household debt and house prices…As brokers do not bear credit risk for the residential mortgages they initiate, and are generally compensated primarily on the quantity (not quality) of residential mortgages applications they process, we believe brokers have less incentive than a lender’s own staff to prevent fraud.” 

Here are the facts: Deals originated by mortgage brokers are often underwritten four times. The broker underwrites the deal and reviews the documents for suitability deciding where to place the file. The underwriter underwrites the file according to the specifications of the lender guidelines. When the file is insured or insurable, the mortgage insurer (CMHC, Genworth or Canada Guaranty) underwrite the file, and with many non-bank lenders, the file may be reviewed on a pre-funding audit (may even go through Quality Assurance at one of the banks).

Fraud is an issue, and as an industry we cannot tolerate it. It is an issue in bank branches, with mobile sales forces as well as and among brokers.

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) in their 9-month long study just outlined the wrongdoings of bank mobile sales forces. Included in their findings were; 

• Performance management programs -- including financial and non-financial incentives, sales targets and scorecards -- may increase the risk of mis-selling and breaching market conduct obligations

We must all be vigilant against fraudsters. Brokers are regulated provincially and must complete educational requirements. In many jurisdictions they have to complete periodic re-licensing requirements.

 In addition, there are supervisory requirements placed upon the brokerages where agents are licensed. The vast majority of brokers view their livelihood as a profession and would not want to jeopardize it in any respect.

All that said, over the past ten years, and accelerated more recently, mortgage rule guideline and qualification changes have dramatically increased the quality of the mortgages underwritten in Canada. Average credit scores have increased significantly, and arrears rates remain at historically low levels.

Brokers have been an accountability check on other channels for some time ensuring that consumers have choice and access to market leading rates. In the same respect, they are also educated and knowledgeable about lending guidelines and suitability. In the same respect they are an accountability check to maintain high standards in mortgage underwriting and fulfillment.

I shudder to think what the Canadian mortgage landscape would look like without a vibrant mortgage broker channel.

TMG The Mortgage Group expands to Quebec as Le Groupe Hypothécaire TMG

Claude Girard, new Regional Vice-President
 Le Groupe Hypothécaire TMG

Canada’s largest independent mortgage brokerage, TMG The Mortgage Group is excited to announce that as of April 2, 2018, it will be operating in all 10 provinces. The company will expand to Quebec, operating under the name of Le Groupe Hypothécaire TMG.

Leading the TMG expansion and taking on the role of Vice President for Quebec will be industry veteran Claude Girard.

Claude has 30 years of financial industry experience – the last eight years as Assistant Vice-President for Laurentian Bank. In his role at the bank, Claude developed strong mortgage broker relationships and grew the channel exponentially.

Claude is also well-known in the mortgage community as the representative of the Quebec region for Mortgage Professionals Canada (MPC).  In 2017, he was elected for a second consecutive term and also serves as Treasurer on MPC’s Executive Board of Directors.

Claude is a leading voice for the broker channel in Quebec, working closely on provincial regulatory matters as it pertains to the mortgage broker industry.

 “I am thrilled to be given the responsibility to grow the TMG footprint in the province of Quebec,” Claude said. “I believe with the support of TMG management and systems we have something new and significant to offer brokers in Quebec. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that more and more Quebecers use the services of a mortgage broker” 

“Claude is a highly respected leader and mortgage industry executive. We are fortunate that he chose TMG as his next opportunity,” said Mark Kerzner, President of TMG The Mortgage Group. “ I look forward to working alongside Claude to meet the needs of brokers in Quebec and providing tools and options to help them exceed their business objectives. We have long sought to enter Quebec but have waited for the right leader to represent our company, Claude is that person.”

Renewing your mortgage? Here’s what you need to know

Consumers are much more informed these days about mortgages and mortgage products, and are highly engaged, especially millennials who are comfortable searching the Internet for information and rates.  According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) 2017 Consumer Survey, 76% of mortgage consumers did online research, and 31% access online information through their mobile devices.

Among those going online, 50% went to lender websites, 25% to broker websites, and 15% visited both lender and broker sites.  Seventy-six per cent used a mortgage calculator, 51% did a financial self-assessment, and 29% filled out an online pre-approval form.

Because consumers are highly engaged, they are more confident about their mortgage decisions. Still, with all that research, more than half contacted a mortgage broker to get further clarification.

According to the survey, mortgage broker share of the market is increasing with renewers, from 26% in 2016 to 35% in 2017. This is a prudent move, considering how much the mortgage rules have changed.

This may be the year you get that renewal letter in the mail. Many of you may just sign the new renewal rate because it’s easy, and the idea of switching to another lender may be too onerous. You are busy with work and family and don’t have the time to do the research to see if there may be a better deal for you.

The CMHC survey found that 39% of households automatically renew their mortgages when the term is up instead of trying to find a better deal. When you’ve done your homework prior to purchasing a home, it only makes sense to do as much research at renewal time as you can. Quite often the renewal rate offered to you by your lender is higher than the market average.

There may also be material changes in your household. Perhaps you’ve started a family, or one of you has been promoted.  This is another good time to contact a mortgage broker to review your financial situation and see what makes sense for you to do.

Here are some tips to make sure you’re getting the best mortgage product:

·       Get going early. Start the discussion four to six months ahead of renewal time. Most lenders will guarantee a discounted rate for four months but your renewal agreement is usually sent only 30 days ahead of your maturity date.

·       The posted rate is usually not the best. Often, depending on your lender, you’ll get the posted rate, not the discounted rate, as a renewal rate. A report by Mortgage Professionals Canada found that renewers working with a mortgage professional saved approx. 2 points below posted rates. That can translate into thousands of dollars in savings.

·       Do your homework. Shop around to get the best deal, tailored to your particular situation. If you decide to switch lenders, there are no penalties at renewal time.

·       It’s not always about interest rate. Don’t fixate on rate. There are other options that may appeal to you such as changes to amortizations or changes to the rate type.

·       Why a mortgage broker? Most surveys find that brokers can get you a better rate because of their relationships with multiple enders. A broker can give you independent advice because they are not tied to one lender. A broker can also save you time with one-stop shopping. And there’s no cost to you.

In some cases, the new rule changes may necessitate that you stay with your current lender at renewal time. A broker can help assess the situation and provide advice, even if that means staying with your current lender.

The bottom line is that research is equally as important at renewal time as it is when purchasing your new home.  Don’t leave it until the last minute.