A short application will be taken which includes enough information to do a credit check and submit your application to the appropriate lenders. Only one credit check is necessary. Once the check is done initially, it can be sent to as many lenders as desired, so there is no need to worry about having your credit "score" affected.

Your Broker will answer any questions you may have and explain different mortgage lenders, options, payments and conditions, the benefits of different terms, e.g.. - variable rate mortgages vs. long term, etc., general economic factors, history of mortgage rates in Canada, etc. All Meridian Mortgage Brokers are full time experienced professionals, who pride themselves on their extensive knowledge of the Canadian mortgage market.

Your Broker will then submit your application to the lenders electronically and should have your written pre-approvals back very quickly, usually within a 24 hour period.

Your Broker will contact you and arrange to provide you with copies of your approvals by fax, mail, email, in person, etc.

Once you are pre-approved, your rate will be locked in for a 90 to 130 day period. If rates go up, you will be protected for the remainder of your approval. If rates go down, your Broker will re-submit your file to the lender for the lower rate.

If you are purchasing a new home and have an accepted offer, you would then contact your Broker, who will process your offer and get you fully approved. The lender will then send a commitment to your Broker and you would sign your commitment which would outline all Terms and Conditions, Prepayment Options, etc.

Once your commitment is signed and sent back to the lender, the lender will then prepare "Mortgage Instructions". These are the actual mortgage documents, which will be registered on the title of your home. These are sent directly to the lawyer/notary who will be looking after your purchase. In most cases, you will also bring a void cheque to the lawyer/notary, which your lender will use to auto debit your payments from your existing bank. You do not have to change banks or move your accounts. Your void cheque is attached to your signed documentation and forwarded accordingly by your lawyer/notary.

Once you have moved into your new home, the lender will send you a "Welcome Package". This welcome package will have contact names and phone numbers, in case you have questions about your mortgage, etc. although at this stage Meridian has connected you directly to your lender, your Broker will still be available should you have questions or need assistance in future dealings with your lender.

Overall, Mortgage Brokerage has made home buying much easier. Your Meridian Mortgage Broker is independent of any one lender and can provide knowledgeable advice from a neutral perspective.

Meridian West Coast Mortgages is first and foremost a true team. This term is sometimes thrown around rather liberally in the industry however in our office each staff member assists one another at all times with the same vision, to provide a high caliber of customer service to the client, to the referral source and to the lender. Whether someone is on holidays or away from the office, one of us will always be there to assist you and your client. We believe it is better to have several minds on a file as everyone looks at a situation differently and can add value to your Meridian West Coast experience. You and your clients can look at it as if they have 5 people working for them at all times. When referring a client to the Diana Zitko Mortgage Team, please know that your client could be speaking and dealing with any member of our team and know that we are capable and fully trained to handle your client’s mortgage application.

This is how we work:

Diana Zitko, CEO/Owner/Mortgage Specialist

Diana is the heart and the soul of Meridian West Coast Mortgages. She has built this team from her own imagination and creation over her 14 years in the industry. Diana, as the owner, is the face of Meridian West Coast Mortgages. Her roll is to be the visionary of the company and direct it to even greater heights. Her mandate to attain this vision is to build strategic alliances within the industry, including lenders, realtors, appraisers, financial planners, accountants, lawyers etc, and continue to concentrate on her large network of clients. Diana has hand picked and individually trained each of her brokers in her own style. She puts complete trust in her people to follow her successful process from taking the application to following up after you have completed your mortgage. . In order to service her clients Diana relies on her right hand people Sarah Miller and Giselle Miranda. Sarah and Giselle work side by side on all client files and are well versed is Diana’s successful process.

Sarah Miller, Senior Mortgage Specialist

Sarah has assisted Diana's clients over the past 4 years and will continue to be the main contact for new clients that you refer. Sarah also services past clients and is always up to date on new products and rates. She is considered a great knowledge resource, and has excelled with her service levels. She has been a key player in helping grow Meridian West Coast Mortgages and will continue to do so.  

Giselle Miranda, Mortgage Specialist

Giselle's role is to assist Diana's clients with all aspects of the mortgage process. Attaining customer information through the application and accepting documentation from the client to forward to lenders. Giselle's previous experience with First National Financial puts her in a unique situation. She knows the behind the scenes workings of the lenders., this makes her a very important addition to our team bringing internal knowledge to the process.

Corrie Sutherland, Administrative Assistant

Corrie will usually be the first person our clients speak with. Her role is to direct the client to the proper resource. She also assists the Chief Operating Officer to help keep the office in order.

Our goal here at Meridian is to make sure that your clients receive the best service, rates and a happy experience. Our tag line from the beginning has been “Mortgages Made Easy”. Time and time again we have heard feedback from clients on how easy the process was and we want to make that even better. As a team with so many talents and experiences we are looking forward to making Meridian the best choice and preferred choice for you and your clients to come to when it is time to arrange the mortgage. We appreciate the business you have provided to date and together our synergy will make our business and personal relationship grow stronger.

Sincerely, The Diana Zitko Mortgage Team  Diana, Sarah, Giselle and Corrie

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