Toronto, Ontario, Canada (AHN) – Nearly all of the boards belonging to the Canadian Real Estate Association approved a deal Sunday with the Competition Bureau that will change drastically the way residential property is purchased and sold in Canada.

Some 97 percent of 100 boards approved the settlement. Among the major features of the deal is that real estate agents would be permitted to offer different services through the Multiple Listing Service, which handles about 90 percent of real estate transactions in Canada

The MLS was the source of anti-competitive charges by Melanie Aitken, the Commissioner of Competition that lead to the suit. She charged that MLS locked out discount real estate services.

The agreement stipulates only real estate agents will allowed to post on MLS, but homeowners could pay only for the services they want, not a commission on the entire deal.

The CREA has about 100,000 agents.

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However, the move is likely to cause 460 jobs to be lost, 360 of which are said to be full time positions.

Lloyds has been in talks about the changes with its unions, and added compulsory redundancies among counter staff was a “last resort”.

The business has 218 offices, 93 of which are franchise operations, but has continued to make losses despite efforts made by Lloyds Banking Group following the takeover of HBOS a year ago.

All 121 Halifax banking counters located in estate agents are set to close their doors early next year, and later rebranded as one of LSL’s existing brands.

LSL is the parent company of estate agency brands Your Move, Reeds Rains and Intercounty.

Lloyds said the decision to sell Halifax came after carrying out a strategic review, “which concluded that an estate agency operation is no longer integral to its business model”.

David Nicholson, managing director of Halifax Community Bank, said: “Halifax Estate Agency is a well established business and, following a strategic review, we believe that it is better able to grow outside the Group with a strong existing player in the market such as LSL Property Services.”

Ged Nichols, general secretary of union Accord, said: “We will be having early meetings with LSL to discuss their plans for the business and employees’ terms and conditions so that we can provide maximum support for Accord members who will be transferring to LSL’s employment.

Lloyds said all customers with mortgages or other services affected by the counter closures would receive a letter containing details of the changes and be given information regarding alternative locally placed banking facilities. Most of these locations either have a Lloyds TSB or Halifax branch within one mile.

“We have also made our view clear to Lloyds that the staff who currently work in the 121 branches with banking counters should have the opportunity to transfer to nearby bank branches. We believe that there is no need for compulsory redundancies.”

The sale has made LSL the second-largest estate agency operation in Britain. The firm was created after its counterpart Your Move was bought out of Norwich Union in 2004.

Simon Embley, LSL’s chief executive, said: “The purchase of Halifax Estate Agency heralds a significant step forward in the growth of LSL and its associated estate agency businesses. We now look forward to embracing the opportunities that this move presents to us and, at the same time, ensure the high standards and reputation HEA are renowned for are maintained and built upon in the future.”

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mortgage-articles/lloyds-banking-group-sells-halifax-for-1-1355566.html

Home buyers who are not capable of financing their plans of home purchase through cash basis are the perfect candidates for home mortgage loans. For instance, more than 98% of home buyers are depending on the help of mortgage assistance to provide the finances they need. Home buyers are oftentimes overwhelmed with the innumerable mortgage providers, banks and lending companies and how to get the most reliable sources for their lending needs.

Hence, what are the requirements you need to comply with in securing a mortgage and finally realize their dreams of home acquisition? There are fundamental steps you need to traverse if you are on your way to getting a reliable mortgage loan that would spell a great difference in their financial allocation. Most of these steps are basically necessary to make sure that your loan application will eventually be approved. Making the right choices means a good and dependable financial support for this valuable venture.

The first thing to do is to gather as much salient and sufficient information about securing a home loan as you can.  Education is essential to know what proper things to do and what to avoid that may affect the success of your application. For instance, if you are doing your own research, find out the basic things you need to provide before you even apply for a loan. Different companies have varying standards and requirements when it comes to their basis on loan application. It is best that you know some of the common requirements you need to provide to save you future worries and time constraints.

The next thing to do is to carefully assess and examine your financial resources and budget to use for your transaction. All mortgage companies require credit reports of the applicants to gauge their eligibility and qualifications. Your ability to pay is primarily important before you are given the green signal for the loan. Your report must be free from errors and corrections which are oftentimes affecting your credibility and payment options. Make sure that you have substantial funds to support and finance your transactions. Whatever your choices are, make sure that your budget can realistically cater to your desired plans.

You also need to scan around and shop for the right mortgage loan to help you with your financial needs. Do a thorough background check as to the reputation and credibility of the mortgage provider you are considering for the loan. There are various sources you can base your decisions upon such as web sites, online articles and you can also ask information from the Better Business Bureau for lending companies. You also need to find out about the loan costs that are offered by these loan companies such as credit report fee, prepayment penalties, broker fees, interest rates, loan term, application fees, home appraisal fees and so much more depending on the company preference.

After you have made all the needed requirements, it is now time that you go and apply for the mortgage loan to materialize your efforts and plans. Securing a mortgage is indeed a piece of cake as long as you know what to do and what to prepare from start to finish.

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mortgage-articles/securing-a-mortgage-1340352.html