Mortgage Refinancing in Ontario

How to Compare Refinance Offers in Ontario

Comparing offers properly means holding the amount and the term constant. Otherwise a longer term can look cheaper simply because the cost is spread over more years.

• How long the lender takes to deposit funds after approval.
• Whether the rate is fixed for the whole term or can change.
• The payment date and how repayment is collected.
• Whether a co-signer or joint applicant changes the rate.
• What documents the lender requires before it releases funds.
• Whether the lender offers a soft-check pre-qualification.

If a lender will not put the terms in writing, treat that as a reason to look elsewhere.

What Is Mortgage Refinancing in Ontario

Refinancing replaces your existing mortgage with a new one, often to change the rate, term, or payment schedule, or to access home equity.

In practice, expect a range from $50,000 to $2,000,000 and a term of about 5 to 30 years amortization. Every lender applies its own criteria, so two applicants with different credit histories can be offered very different terms for the same product.

Compare at least three offers on the same amount and term, and keep a copy of every disclosure document you are given.

When Refinancing Makes Sense in Ontario

Canadian borrowers have real choices when it comes to Mortgage Refinancing, and the differences between offers are usually in the fine print.

Write down the APR, the total cost of borrowing, and every fee, then compare the same amount and term across at least three lenders. Confirm the lender is licensed in your province, read the disclosure document before you sign, and keep a copy for your records.

Two offers are only comparable if you set the amount and the term first. Once those are fixed, the differences that matter usually show up in the fees.

• What documents the lender requires before it releases funds.
• Whether the lender offers a soft-check pre-qualification.
• How the lender handles a request to defer one payment.
• Whether the agreement can be cancelled within a cooling-off period.
• The lender's complaint process and its regulator.
• Whether the lender is a bank, a credit union, or an alternative lender.

Confirm in writing that the lender is licensed to lend in your province, and keep a copy of the disclosure document.

Rules for Mortgage Refinancing in Ontario

Lending in Ontario is regulated at two levels. Ottawa sets the 35% APR criminal rate of interest that applies nationwide, and the province sets licensing and disclosure obligations that lenders must meet.

Because provincial rules change, verify the current position with the consumer protection regulator in Ontario. That is also where you can confirm whether a lender is licensed to do business in the province.

When you compare Mortgage Refinancing in Ontario, ask each lender to confirm in writing that it is licensed to lend in the province and to provide the APR and total cost of borrowing.

Mortgage Refinancing in Ontario Cities

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Related Loan Types in Ontario

Related tools and references

• Loan payment calculator
• Loan comparison calculator
• Consumer protection offices

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