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What is a Mortgage Agreement?
A Mortgage Agreement is a contract between a borrower and lender that creates a lien (legal claim) on a property. The contract outlines the obligations associated with borrowing money and securing repayment when buying or refinancing a property.
A Mortgage Agreement is also known as a:
- Mortgage contract
- Mortgage form
If you’re wanting to create a purchase agreement between a buyer and seller of a residential property, try LawDepot’s Real Estate Purchase Agreement.
What is a mortgage?
A mortgage is a loan that a borrower uses to buy or maintain a real estate property. They use the property as collateral to secure the loan. The borrower then pays back the moneylender over time with a series of regular payments.
Once a borrower has fully paid the mortgage, the lender uses a Discharge of Mortgage form to acknowledge the payment period is complete.
Who are the parties in a Mortgage Agreement?
There can be three types of parties in a Mortgage Agreement:
- Borrower: A borrower, also known as a mortgagor or purchaser, borrows money to pay for a property and pledges their property as security. All registered owners of a property are borrowers in the Mortgage Agreement.
- Lender: A lender, also known as a mortgagee, is the entity lending money to someone purchasing a property.
- Guarantor: A guarantor, also known as a co-signer, is the person who’s jointly liable with the borrower for the loan if the borrower fails to fulfil the payments.
What are covenants in a Mortgage Agreement?
Covenants are clauses in a Mortgage Agreement that protect the interests of both parties by placing requirements on the parties to fulfill their obligations under the contract. If one party doesn't uphold their end of the agreement, the other party can take legal action.
Borrower covenants
In a Mortgage Agreement, the borrower’s covenants include:
- Keeping the property in good condition
- Repaying the loan
- Paying property taxes
- Paying property insurance
Lender covenants
In a Mortgage Agreement, the lender’s covenants include:
- Discharging the mortgage once the borrower has paid the loan in full
- Not interfering with the borrower’s use or enjoyment of the property.
What does “agreed in principle” mean for a Mortgage Agreement?
To agree in principle means to accept the general terms and conditions of a contract without completing or deciding on the specific details.
For example, a borrower and lender can agree in principle to move forward with a property transaction only to have the Mortgage Agreement declined if the borrower’s credit check concludes they can’t afford to pay the mortgage.
Can I back out of a closed Mortgage Agreement?
Backing out of a Mortgage Agreement after a property’s sale has closed is difficult, but not impossible. The ability to cancel an agreement will depend on the reason for doing so.
There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to back out of your agreement. However, reasons for backing out of a Mortgage Agreement that may hold up in court include:
- Loss of a job
- Buyer’s failure to sell their old home
- Inaccurate property lines
- A new inability to qualify for the mortgage
- Undisclosed flaws with the property
The property seller may expect you to pay damages for possible lost profits resulting from taking the property off the market during the negotiations of the Mortgage Agreement.
How do I create a Mortgage Agreement in Canada?
You can easily create a Mortgage Agreement by completing LawDepot’s questionnaire. Using our template ensures you complete the following necessary steps.
LawDepot’s Mortgage Agreement is ideal for private mortgages not involving federally regulated financial institutions (e.g. banks, or insurance companies). Federally regulated financial institutions must typically comply with additional regulations that are beyond the scope of this agreement. These include requirements such as mandatory mortgage insurance, or verifying the borrower's income before issuing a loan.
1. State the type of property
Start your Mortgage Agreement by selecting the type of property for sale, such as a/an:
- Apartment
- Basement
- Condo
- Duplex
- House
- Mobile home
- Room
- Townhouse
2. State the property’s location
Provinces and territories in Canada may have different mortgage laws. Select the province or territory the property is in, and we’ll tailor your Mortgage Agreement to meet the laws and regulations of your location.
LawDepot has Mortgage Agreement templates for:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon Territory
We don’t offer a Mortgage Agreement for Manitoba. The Manitoba Property Registry provides an eMortgage form for creating an agreement.
3. Provide the borrower’s, lender’s, and guarantor’s details
Provide the borrower's, lender's, and guarantor's (if applicable) names and addresses in your Mortgage Agreement. There can be multiple people in each role, and every registered owner of the property should be a borrower in the agreement.
You also need to state if the borrower is married. The circumstances may entitle the spouse to certain rights regarding the property's sale even if they only lived at the property for a short period. In such situations, the borrower's spouse needs to provide consent before the mortgage can proceed.
4. Outline the property details
Outline specific property details, such as:
- The address (e.g. street, city, province, and postal code)
- A legal description (e.g. section, township, range, and meridian)
- Whether the property is a condominium
You should be able to obtain the legal land description of your property from your province’s land title registry. You may also find the legal land description on your land title or in your tax assessment information.
5. Provide the principal and interest details
Provide the mortgage's principal amount, the interest rate, and the interest adjustment date in your Mortgage Agreement. The principal amount is the total amount borrowed that the borrower needs to pay back. The interest adjustment date is the date when the lender provides the borrower with the loan and interest charges begin.
While the principal amount will depend on the specific needs of the respective parties, there are certain factors about the borrower that a lender should consider when deciding on the loan's value.
Factors the lender should take into consideration include the borrower's:
- Occupation and yearly income
- Credit history
- Other debts and repayment history
- Savings
Other factors for a lender to consider include:
- The market value of the borrower's specific property
- The current and anticipated state of the economy
- The prime lending rate (the interest rate used by banks)
6. Outline the payment details
Include in your Mortgage Agreement how often the borrower will make payments (e.g. weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly), the amount of each payment, and which day of the week or month they will be due.
Also, provide the maturity date in the agreement. The maturity date is when the final payment of the balance owing on the mortgage becomes due.
7. State if the lender allows annual and entire prepayments
The borrower in a Mortgage Agreement has two types of prepayment options: annual prepayments and entire prepayments.
Annual prepayments
Annual prepayments allow borrowers to pay a percentage of their mortgage on top of their regular yearly payments. This is a significant benefit to borrowers because it lets them spend less interest over the mortgage’s term by paying it off faster. However, there’s a limit to the amount someone can prepay each year. The limit helps reduce the losses the lender faces in not receiving those interest payments.
If the lender allows annual prepayments, include the percentage of the principal the borrower can prepay each year in your Mortgage Agreement.
With the lender’s permission, the borrower can also prepay any amount they didn’t prepay in the previous year. This permits the borrower to prepay any unpaid annual prepayment from previous years in addition to the annual prepayment from the current year.
Entire prepayments
Entire prepayments allow borrowers to pay off the remaining principal on their mortgage early. This secures the lender a portion of the money they lent to the borrower. However, the lender won’t receive the interest payments they would have received on the principal amount.
It’s common for the lender to penalize the borrower for three months’ interest after an entire prepayment as a way to recover some of the interest lost.
8. State if a power of sale clause is permitted
A power of sale clause allows the lender to place the mortgaged property for sale if the borrower defaults on the mortgage. The lender typically requires this clause.
If the lender uses the power of sale clause, they still need to provide the borrower with appropriate notice and meet deadline requirements.
9. Describe the additional clauses
If there are any terms or conditions unique to your situation that the questionnaire didn't address, you can include them here.
10. Outline the signing details
State when and where the borrower, lender, and guarantor will sign the Mortgage Agreement.