You cant live in your car

Jackie Woodward // Mortgage Broker // TMG Phone: 780.433.8412 // Visit: mortgagegirl.ca // Email: [email protected]

You can’t live in your car


When it comes to qualifying for a mortgage, the current debts you have affects the mortgage amount you can qualify for. I often see buyers who have worked hard to maintain a good credit score and saved up the downpayment. Then I

have to tell them they don’t qualify at the price they want to buy in due to the car payment they have.

It’s not really something any potential homebuyer wants to hear, so I want to go over the basics of mortgage qualifying

which you should think about before taking on any new debt before you consider buying a home.



Qualifying Ratios

When calculating a mortgage that is affordable for you, we use two formulas and apply them to your specific financial profile. These are the key terms you need to keep in mind

when you start preparing for the mortgage approval process.



GDS Ratio – Gross Debt Service Ratio These are the costs attributed to housing such as mortgage

payments, property taxes, heat, and condo fees if applicable and cannot take up more than 32 -35% of your gross annual income

depending on your credit score and the lender.

There are exceptions though they may only be available to you through an alternative lender which means you may have to pay a

higher interest rate with more downpayment.

What is included in your gross annual income varies which may require a discussion with a mortgage professional.



TDS Ratio – Total Debt Service Ratio The potential housing costs as mentioned above PLUS any existing debt payments you already have cannot total more

than 40 -44% of your gross annual income, again, depending on your credit score and the lender.

This is where a high car payment or any other debt

obligation can reduce the mortgage amount you qualify for. The more “room” those personal debt payments take up

reduces the amount left to cover housing costs.



When you have less to cover housing costs, your buying power is reduced to properties that fit within your mortgage

and downpayment budget.

To put it into perspective, here is an example of how a vehicle payment can affect your mortgage qualifying ratios;

This example applies to a potential mortgage borrower who

earns $50,000 gross income per year, owes $5000 in credit card balances who needs a vehicle in the near future:



Scenario 1: borrow a family vehicle, use public transportation, or buy a vehicle in cash so a monthly

payment is not involved;

Maximum mortgage amount qualified for: $233,186

Monthly mortgage payment: $1,109*

* Calculations based on 3.04% 5-year fixed rate, 25-year amortization, $1500 per year property taxes, $100 per month heating costs, and no condo fees.



Scenario 2: buy a vehicle with a $350 per month payment


Monthly mortgage payment: $992*




Scenario 3: buy a vehicle with a $500 per month payment


Monthly mortgage payment: $792*




Simply, the higher your income amount, the less effect a small vehicle payment will have on your mortgage

affordability calculations. The best way to maximize your mortgage affordability is to reduce debt.

There a few other tips I want to pass on to help you qualify

for a mortgage solution that fits your needs.



Timing is key and if you’re trying to qualify for a mortgage now or in the near future, think twice before you take on

any type of new debt. This includes credit card debt, vehicle loans, lines of credit or “don’t pay for a year”.

If it is a necessary expenditure, try to delay it until after

you’ve completed your mortgage financing.



If you can’t avoid taking on a new debt while trying to qualify for a mortgage at the same time, try to spread out

the time to pay it off for as long as you can to keep the payments low. This applies more specifically to vehicle loans

as you can always pay extra over and above the regular payment amount if you have the funds available.



If you have existing debts that you’ve been working to pay off and you want to apply for a mortgage now, team up with

an experienced mortgage professional who can help you restructure your debt in a way that will help you maximize

your mortgage affordability.



It’s kind of a double-edged sword because while you need debt to build credit and maintain a good credit rating, too much debt can affect you negatively. So be sure to keep a

close eye on your debt levels to ensure they’re helping you improve your financing profile rather than to hinder it.

If you want to calculate the maximum mortgage amount

you can qualify for and see how a debt can affect it, contact a trusted mortgage professional or plug the numbers into an

online calculator though be sure it’s applicable to mortgages in Canada.



Mortgage Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact the Mortgagegirl Phone: 780-433.8412 Email: [email protected] Visit: www.mortgagegirl.ca Like: www.Facebook.com/mortgagegirl.ca Follow @mortgagegirlca


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You cant live in your car