WHAT’S YOUR BEST RATE? You know at one time I could give you a quote over the phone and not worry that I would be too far out. Today is a totally different story, here are some of the variables that come into play. 1. What’s your credit score? A 700 FICO score is the […]

ACCESSING YOUR HOME’S EQUITY TO INVEST To tap into your home’s equity, it all starts with refinancing your home. If you own a home, the equity you have built up in it is one of the most valuable assets you have available to you. It is also much more accessible than taking out a large […]

PRE-APPROVALS & PRE-QUALIFICATIONS Throughout the mortgage and home buying process, there are many steps and many checkpoints a buyer will need to complete before they can move on to the next one. A buyer will not be able to close on a purchase if they do not have a lawyer. Financing conditions need to be […]

THE FAMILY PLAN PROGRAM EXPLAINED Genworth Canada, one of the three mortgage default insurers in Canada, offers a program called Family Plan. It provides you with a solution which only requires a 5% down payment to take advantage of its unique solutions to family problems. In the past, I have used this with clients who […]

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT SCORE When applying for any sort of loan, one of the most important metrics a lender is going to look at is your credit score. But what really is a credit score, who keeps track of it, and most importantly, how can you improve yours? There are a few simple […]

BANK OF CANADA REDUCES PROSPECTS OF A RATE HIKE A greater-than-expected slowdown in global economic activity has triggered a slowdown in the pace of interest rate normalization by many central banks. In response to these central bank policy changes and perceived progress in U.S.-China trade talks, global financial conditions and stock market sentiment have improved, […]

STOP THE AGEIST STEREOTYPE As a society, we are continually evolving in our acceptance of past stigmas. But while we are evolving, why is ageism still so prominent and accepted. And what can we do to shine a light on this issue? Overrepresentation of an underrepresented cohort A recent research study with Brainsights reveals that many of […]

BUYING YOUR FIRST HOME? – THESE TIPS WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE So you’re wanting to buy a new home? That is some very exciting news. First question, are you prepared?! We all know big-item purchases are scary. It’s expensive, you are fully committing to this household – there is no turn backing without that pricey […]

FLAT YIELD CURVE. BEST NEWS, OR BORROWER BEWARE? A Flat Yield Curve In our post entitled A Flat Yield Curve, we discussed the implications of a flat yield curve. At the time of the post, early summer 2018, rates were rising. The reverse seems now to be true, with rates recently softening, however the results […]

SHOULD YOU PAY DOWN YOUR MORTGAGE ASAP? One of the top questions we get asked: Should I pay down my mortgage as fast as possible? In theory, this makes sense. The faster you pay it down, the faster you get out of debt, right? For many people that is the case and it does make […]