Who stands behind it
Licence #11711 was issued to Dominion Lending Centres Homestead Financial by Ontario's regulator, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. The firm belongs to the Dominion Lending Centres network, while being independently owned and operated. The brokerage was founded in 2009.
When a Barrie homeowner asks for help, Richard Hopkins, Mortgage Broker (licence M16000896), handles it and compares every reverse mortgage lender in Canada for your home.
The brokerage writes and publishes every page on this website. No lender sponsors, pays for or signs off on any of it.
In Richard's words
I'm a licensed Ontario mortgage broker at Dominion Lending Centres Homestead Financial, and I focus on reverse mortgages.
I work with all four Canadian reverse mortgage lenders, so I can compare them for you, explain the differences in plain English, and recommend the best fit and best deal for you, both upfront and over the long term.
As a full-service broker, I can also show you other options, including bank refinances, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and home equity loans. That means you'll get my recommendation based on your situation, even if it's not a reverse mortgage.
My service is completely free to you, with no sales pressure. The lender pays my brokerage when your reverse mortgage funds, and all four reverse mortgage lenders pay the same. So I'm paid the same, no matter which lender I recommend.
My goal is simple: honest advice and clear, straightforward information, so you can make the decision that's right for you.
Why Barrie has its own website
Most people hear about reverse mortgages from an ad. Ads seldom explain the costs, the conditions you agree to, or how the four lenders differ.
These pages answer those questions with Barrie's own details: local home values, the City of Barrie's property tax help for seniors, the rules for second suites, the long-term care homes in the city and what to check before choosing a retirement home.
Numbers come with their source and the day they were confirmed, and lender rates and fees are shown just as each lender advertises them.
What happens when you ask for help
- First, a short estimate form. You fill it in on reversemortgagebroker.ca, Homestead Financial's own reverse mortgage site, and your credit isn't affected.
- Then it's email and phone. You get every lender compared, and the best deal for your home and goals, by email, so you can reread it at your own pace and pass it to family. A son or daughter can be copied on everything.
- You never need to visit an office. Apart from one appraiser's visit to the house, the only face-to-face step is your appointment with your own lawyer before signing.
- The help costs you nothing. Richard's brokerage is paid by the lender once the mortgage funds. Outside costs, like the lender's set-up fee and your lawyer, are usually paid from the mortgage money at closing. With some lenders, you pay the appraisal up front.
How this website is run
- Ontario's rules call for the brokerage name and licence number on every page, so you'll find them in the top band and the footer.
- Worked examples are labelled as examples. None is presented as a real client.
- No lender is promoted over another. When lenders are named, all four are named.
- The calculator and the 10-question check keep nothing you type.
Photo credits
Photos of Barrie places are real photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under their licences. The other photos are illustrations, not real clients.
- The Spirit Catcher on Kempenfelt Bay: Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Scalable Grid Engine, CC0 (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons. Lighting edited.
- The Barrie marina and waterfront condos: Gogerr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- The Barrie waterfront on Kempenfelt Bay: Fool4myCanon, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Heritage Park on the Barrie waterfront: Tenright, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- The Barrie skyline across Kempenfelt Bay: Transportfan70, CC0 (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.
- Downtown Barrie from Kempenfelt Bay: JK Liu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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Questions about this website go to the contact page.