The brokerage that publishes it
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario licenses Dominion Lending Centres Homestead Financial as brokerage #11711. The firm is a Dominion Lending Centres member that is independently owned and operated. The brokerage was founded in 2009.
Questions from Kingston homeowners are answered by Richard Hopkins, Mortgage Broker (licence M16000896), who compares every reverse mortgage lender in Canada for each home.
The brokerage writes every page itself. No lender pays for a page, sponsors one or checks one before it goes up.
Richard Hopkins, Mortgage Broker
Richard is a licensed Ontario mortgage broker who specializes in reverse mortgages, at the brokerage his mother founded.
He compares every reverse mortgage lender in Canada for you, explains the differences clearly, and recommends the option that offers the best overall value for your needs, both upfront and over the long term.
As a full-service broker, he can also show you other options, including bank refinances, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and home equity loans. That means you'll get a recommendation based on your situation, even if it's not a reverse mortgage.
His service is completely free to you, with no sales pressure. The lender pays the brokerage when your reverse mortgage funds, and all four reverse mortgage lenders pay the same, so his pay doesn't change based on which lender he recommends.
Why a website just for Kingston
Most people first hear about reverse mortgages from an advertisement. Advertisements seldom show the full cost, the conditions that come with the mortgage, or the cases where another option would suit you better.
These pages answer those questions with Kingston's own facts: home values from the Kingston and Area Real Estate Association, the City of Kingston's property tax help for low-income seniors, the rules for older and heritage homes, and the care homes in the city.
Every figure carries its source and the date it was checked. Lender rates and fees appear as the lenders advertise them.
What happens when you ask
- You start with the estimate form. It doesn't affect your credit.
- Then everything runs by email and phone. You never need to visit an office. Figures come by email so you can read them twice and share them, and a son or daughter can be copied on every message.
- Every lender is compared. Richard checks all four lenders against your age and your house, and emails you the best deal for your home and goals.
- Other kinds of borrowing are looked at too. If a line of credit or a refinance gives you better overall value, that is what he recommends.
- Richard's help costs you nothing. His brokerage is paid by the lender once the mortgage funds. You still pay for the appraisal, the lender's set-up fee and your own lawyer, and that money goes to them, not to the broker.
Rules this website follows
- Ontario's brokerage rules call for the brokerage name and licence number, so both sit in the band at the top and in the footer of each page.
- Every worked example is an illustration with round numbers, never a real Kingston client.
- No single lender is favoured; the four are always named as a group.
- Nothing typed into the Kingston calculator or the fit check is stored.
For questions about the website itself, the contact page has the email address and direct line.