Joel DyckReal Broker SK Ltd.
Saskatoon · From the topic map

How do I use my home equity?

There are two paths to using Saskatoon home equity, borrow against it and keep the house, or sell and convert it to cash, and the right one depends on your timeline. A lender qualifies a home equity line or refinance using CMHC's guideline ratios, roughly 39 percent of income for housing and 44 percent for total debt.

Borrowing keeps the home but adds a monthly payment and interest, so it usually suits an owner who plans to stay and needs a portion of the equity now for renovations, debt or a large expense.

Selling converts all of the equity to cash at once, with legal fees on the Saskatoon side typically running $800 to $1,500 and the balance going to the seller after the mortgage is paid out through Information Services Corporation at possession.

For anyone on a shorter timeline where the equity itself is the plan, not just a piece of it, selling is usually the more direct route. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

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