What Is Mortgage Insurance?

Mortgage Default Insurance 

Mortgage Insurance (mortgage default insurance) is a type of insurance that protects mortgage lenders from mortgage default. Mortgage default occurs when a borrower can no longer make mortgage payments (stops making payments) and cannot meet their obligations under their mortgage contract.

In Canada, the three high-risk mortgage insurers that offer mortgage insurance are Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Genworth (now Sagen) and Canada Guaranty. 

Borrowers that buy a home will have to pay mortgage insurance if they have less than a 20 percent down payment. The insurance premium, which is a percentage of the loan amount, gets added to the principal mortgage balance and is amortized out to 25 years (or whatever the amortization of the mortgage is). You can learn more about insurance costs by visiting https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/consumers/home-buying/calculators/mortgage-calculator. 

In order to qualify for mortgage default insurance, you will require a good to excellent credit score, be purchasing a house with a sale price of no more than $1 Million and qualify with the mortgage stress test’s qualifying rate of 5.25% (as of June 1, 2021). 

If you increase your down payment, you can avoid paying mortgage insurance. 

What is mortgage life insurance?

Borrowers often get confused about the differences between high-risk mortgage insurance and mortgage life insurance. 

Mortgage life insurance is an insurance that protects borrowers or their beneficiaries from the financial risks associated with their outstanding mortgage debt should they pass away. Mortgage life insurance will pay off the outstanding mortgage balance should the borrower pass on. 

What is Mortgage Title Insurance?

Title insurance protects homeowners and lenders against issues relating to the title of the property. It also protects any beneficiaries against potential losses that can occur at the time the property is sold.
 
Title insurance gets handled by a real estate lawyer or a title insurance company. In a nutshell, title insurance helps ensure a smooth real estate transaction because it ultimately protects lenders and homeowners against any losses that could occur because of title fraud or title defects.

Do you have questions about mortgage insurance? Please call or write.

Sarah A. Colucci, Mortgage Agent Lic.  M14000929
Mortgage Edge, Broker 10680
Direct: (647) 773-4849
Email: sarah.colucci@mortgageedge.ca 
 

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