It’s the time of year when many homeowners are getting their property assessments. The real estate market is the single biggest influence on market values. Market forces vary from year to year and from property to property. The market value on an assessment notice may differ from that shown on a bank mortgage appraisal or […]

Have you ever wished for a simplified guide on how to actually GROW your credit score? Well today is your lucky day! We have had years of experience working with individuals who come to us with poor or damaged credit and we have found 7 steps that prove to be tried and true in fixing […]

After several years as a home owner, my friend was set to buy the home of his dreams. He always wanted to own an acreage outside of town. He had visions of having a few animals, a small tractor and lots of space. As a person with experience buying homes, he felt that he was […]

  This post applies if you are taking a new mortgage, whether it’s for a purchase, refinance, or renewal. The variable remains the main contender. But what about all the economists saying if you are currently in a variable rate mortgage then you should rush to ‘lock in’? You mean the economists that are employed […]

Are you in the market for a new home? That’s great – but if you’re not already pre-approved from your mortgage broker, be sure to read on. Pre-approvals are very important for two reasons. They give you confidence in knowing that a specific amount of financing is available for you. A pre-approval can put you […]

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 equity in the home over and […]

You may be seeing and hearing a lot more regarding the Reverse Mortgage in today’s marketplace. I have taken the time to get familiar with the program here in Canada and have been quite surprised by how it’s changed and how different it is to its counterpart in the U.S. and how relevant it has […]

An accelerated payment is a mortgage payment that is increased slightly so that you can pay off your mortgage faster. There are two common types of accelerated payments: bi-weekly and weekly. Of the two, bi-weekly is the much more common choice because it matches with pay dates more often. An accelerated payment works by increasing […]

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 home under this plan. Now a person can take an […]

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 made it more challenging for those who work for […]