Fixed versus variable interest rates Fixed Interest Rates This is usually the more popular choice for clients when it comes to deciding on which type of interest rate they want. There are many reasons why, but the most unsurprising answer is always safety. With a fixed interest rate, you know exactly what you are paying every […]

How the mortgage industry became green When I started working as a broker in 2005, the mortgage industry and the financial industry in general weren’t very eco-friendly. Let’s face it. When someone buys a home, there’s a paper trail. Starting with the mortgage pre-approval which can run four pages,  the Offer to Purchase, which is […]

What is a Collateral Mortgage? A collateral mortgage is a way of registering your mortgage on title. This type of registration is sometimes used by banks and credit unions. Monoline lenders, on the other hand, rarely register your mortgage as a collateral charge – which is an all-indebtedness charge that allows you to access the […]

6 Reasons To Get A Home Inspection Before You Buy In an active housing market sometimes buyers are urged by their realtors to make an offer with no conditions. As a mortgage broker this always makes my heart skip a beat. I know from experience that financing can go sideways and you need to be […]

Foreclosure Not Automatic on Default According to a recent case tried in the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Winters v Hunking, 2017 ONCA 909 as summarized by Scott McGrath of WeirFoulds LLP, Foreclosure is not automatic on default. In an interesting article posted December 8, 2017 in Mondaq, Scott McGrath reminds us that the Court […]

RRSP – Use home buyers’ plan (HBP) more than once Under the home buyers’ plan, a participant and his or her spouse or common- law partner is allowed to withdraw up to $25,000 from his or her RRSP to buy a home. Before 1999, only the first- time home buyers are permitted to buy a […]

5 Simple Steps to Owning Your Own Home Often, the route to owning your own home can seem like a trip to the moon and back. Really though, it comes down to five key steps: 1 – Manage your credit wisely. If there is one thing that will gum up the purchase of that perfect […]

Self-Employed? Here’s What You Need to Know About Mortgages Why, why, why it is so challenging for entrepreneurs to obtain a mortgage in Canada? If you’re among the 2.7 million Canadians who are self-employed, regrettably your income is not as easy to document as someone who’s traditionally employed. Since 2008, mortgage regulations in Canada have […]

Coming off the Bottom Are the good times really over for good? Recently, for the first time since 2012 we have seen the 5-year bond market climb back up over 2.0%. Based on amazing employment numbers and the likelihood that the Bank of Canada will raise rates on January 17, the bond market has continued […]

Pre-Sales- Safe of New Rules? The best part about pre-sales, especially for first time home buyers, is it allows you to reserve a unit for the cost of a deposit and have a significant amount of time to get everything in order. You can save money while renting or living at home, arrange a mortgage […]