You Just Got a Mortgage. Now What?
Mortgages are a funny thing. On the one hand they allow you to become a home owner without saving up enough money to purchase the home outright, which is a really good thing. On the other hand, even at today's really low interest rates, as they are amortized over a...
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What is Bridge Financing?
Let's say you have a home that you've outgrown, it's time to make a move to something more suited for your family. You have no desire to keep two houses, so you decide that selling your existing home, and moving into something new is the best idea. Ideally, when...
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Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Sept 6th, 2017
The following is the Bank of Canada rate announcement released this morning, if you have any questions about what this rate increase means for you and your mortgage, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime. If you’re a fixed rate mortgage holder, this change...
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Homebuyers: Avoid These Common Mortgage Pitfalls
A home is the largest purchase most people will make in their lives. That should reinforce the importance of planning ahead, doing your research, relying on the advice of experts and not rushing through the process. With nearly 700,000 homes purchased in Canada each...
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10 Money Mistakes Millionaires Don’t Make
So you want to be a millionaire. Sigh, don’t we all. It might feel like a lofty goal but it turns out the underlying principles millionaires follow when it comes to their money are pretty basic. Some of them are downright boring. But they obviously work, so let’s...
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3 Misconceptions About Reverse Mortgages in Canada
One of the benefits of working with an independent mortgage professional is choice when it comes to mortgage product. When you work with a single bank or financial institution, you are limited to the products they offer. When you deal with a mortgage broker, you gain...
Don’t Assume Anything!
A lot of people get into hot water when they assume that because they've qualified for a mortgage in the past, they will qualify for a mortgage in the future. This article has one point to make and it's this: Don't assume anything when dealing with mortgage financing!...
5 Things You Need to Know Before You Co-Sign a Mortgage!
So you're thinking about co-signing for a mortgage? Okay, do you really know what that means do you know what you are getting yourself into? Co-signing isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there is certainly a lot of misinformation floating around on the subject....
5 Ways to Boost Your Financial Fitness
Thinking about buying your first home? The race to home ownership is more like a marathon than a sprint: diligent planning, pacing and strategy are the keys to success. Are you ready to approach the starting line? Here are five ways to shape up and boost your...
5 Things to Help You Survive Your 40s & 50s
You know those days where everything goes wrong and you’re so tired you don’t know what direction’s up? They’re a lot more manageable when you know what you’re working towards. Here’s 5 things that’ll help you survive—and make the most of!—your 40s and 50s. 1. Do...
A Strong Case for Homeownership
Housing affordability questions have placed homeownership and public policy near the top of the national agenda, as mortgage brokers know. Most of the commentary has been focused on the extent to which government policy, particularly with regards to supply, is...
Should You Keep a Small Balance on Your Credit Card?
Recently the good people over at Nest Wealth published an article called "The Worst Money Advice We've Ever Heard". On the list was "Always keep a small balance on your credit card". What they have to say on the subject is spot on: Someone, somewhere, starting telling...
Bank of Canada Rate Announcement July 12th, 2017
The following is the latest Bank of Canada rate announcement, if you have any questions about what this rate increase means for you and your mortgage, please don't hesitate to contact us anytime. If you're a fixed rate mortgage holder, this change doesn't impact you,...
Advice for Single Homebuyers
More than a third of first-time homebuyers in Canada are single. If you’re thinking of joining this group, here’s what you need to do and know before jumping into homeownership. Study the market. Identify neighbourhoods you want to live in and check to see how much...
Are There More Mortgage Rule Changes Coming?
Recently, the Bank of Canada released its semi-annual Financial Systems Review (PDF document), which identifies some of the major risks that the Bank foresees on the economic horizon. Unsurprisingly, the Bank pinpoints increased levels of Canadian household debt and...
Don’t Forget to Claim your Home Owner Grant
Just a friendly reminder that your property taxes are due in the next couple of weeks! Now, for many of my clients, this isn't a huge deal as they have opted to have their taxes collected by their lender as part of their regular mortgage payments. Equalized payments...
Your Work Makes You Happier Than You Think
While we may think we dislike our work, research shows we’re considerably less happy doing nothing. The great paradox of working for a living, according to a recent longread by Derek Thompson for The Atlantic, is “that while many people hate their jobs, they are...