This article is a great read as it boils down to: 1. Real estate now and always will be about the fundementals of affordability for your personal circumstances. 2. You can’t time the market. 3. The more you try to predict it the more complex it becomes. Several other great points and resources from the BOC […]

When bond markets move quickly lenders scramble to offer lower terms – 1-4 years in efforts to lure clients in with lower rates that can correspond. But, it’s important to remember that the lowest rate does not always guarantee the lowest cost for your mortgage over time! Here’s why: 1. Ottawa says they don’t want […]

Have you been asking yourself, should I change my mortgage from the variable rate that I have?  Should I change my mortgage at all?  There is a simple answer to all this hysteria about mortgage rates going up. Don’t lock in your rate. I know it’s almost heresy to have a floating rate in a […]

When the first round of changes came regarding the mortgage market in the last few years, Angela Calla was quoted in the Vancouver Sun as the changes being misguided as it’s the credit card companies that need intervention in regulation. Years later its great to see this being noted!   Courtesy of Mortgage Broker News […]

Backing out of a mortgage early? You probably won’t be able to avoid fees entirely, but you can limit them. A rise in interest rates appears imminent, so folks with big mortgages may want to lock in the current low rates now! But, for some, that means getting out of an existing mortgage early. Trying to discharge […]

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said he isn’t planning new measures to restrain the country’s housing market because his past four rounds of action have already worked to avoid a bubble.   “So far, I’m satisfied that we have a balance in the real estate sector,” Flaherty told reporters in Wakefield, Quebec, at the start of […]

 Following the recent announcement by CMHC to impose limits on the amount of government-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities (MBS) that a lender can sell to investors or hold on its balance sheet, I joined Global TV’s morning news to discuss what this means to borrowers in a brief interview that can be watched here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elvDlO65vZM&feature=youtu.be Top Points […]

The prospect of loading up with debt to buy a home is daunting to most Canadians – and doubly so for first timers. Which is why it’s crucial to have an expert to depend on for good mortgage advice. While most lenders have well-trained in-house consultants to support their clients through the application and approval […]

Some financial advice is so oft-repeated that everyone takes it for granted: You shouldn’t bring debt into retirement. Debit cards are safer than credit cards. Older folks should invest more conservatively. As they used to say on Seinfeld: yadda, yadda, yadda. The problem is a lot of that is bad advice. At best, it fit […]

Fraud and investment scams abound at all levels of the real estate market – whether it be a contractor who charges hundreds of dollars for work not done to an “investment agent” who embezzles hundreds of millions.  Protecting yourself can require a measure of vigilance and legwork, but it can also come down to exercising […]