Personal Finance
Securing Your Today and Tomorrow
Getting Your Documents Together
There was a time when buying a home was as simple as flipping through a real estate magazine, picking a house, and heading to the bank with little more than a job letter and a pay stub. But today’s mortgage landscape is vastly different. Modern mortgage underwriting...
Lenders and Being on Commission
If you’re earning your keep on commission — whether you’re slinging homes, closing car deals, or working your tail off in any other commission-heavy gig — you already know that explaining your income isn’t always simple. Some months you’re flush; others, not so much. But when it comes to getting a mortgage, how you get paid matters just as much as how much you get paid.
Self-Employed? CMHC Can Help You Buy a Home
If you’re self-employed in Canada, you already know the drill: your income looks fantastic before your accountant works their magic. After write-offs and deductions? Not so much. That’s why so many business-for-self (BFS) clients feel like they’re being punished when it comes time to apply for a mortgage. Even though you might have great cash flow, solid savings, and strong financial habits, your “net taxable income” doesn’t always tell the full story.
Who Owns the Appraisal?
If you’ve ever gone through a mortgage process and found yourself wondering, “Wait, I paid for that appraisal—why won’t the lender give me a copy?” you’re not alone. This is one of the most common sources of confusion and frustration among homebuyers, homeowners, and even some realtors. It feels like you should have a right to it, right? After all, you footed the bill!
Ultimate Canadian Mortgage Payment Scenarios Calculator
Ultimate Canadian Mortgage Payment Scenarios Calculator. It’s not just about crunching numbers—it’s about putting you in the driver’s seat. You can run scenarios, compare your current mortgage to a new one, or even pit different lenders against each other. The best part? It shows you not only how your monthly payments stack up, but also how much interest you’ll save (or pay) over the term and the entire life of your mortgage.
Shelter Costs Unpacked
When you’re diving into the world of mortgages, the term “shelter costs” gets thrown around a lot. It sounds straightforward, right? Just your housing expenses. But what if you’re an adult—or maybe a couple—living in a home where your name isn’t on the mortgage or the title? That’s when things get a little more interesting.
Ultimate Canadian Bridge Financing Calculator
Bridge Financing Calculator: If you’ve ever bought and sold homes at the same time, you know it can feel like trying to juggle with oven mitts on. Point-to-point moves are fraught with danger, and they never come off without a hitch. So you get smart and decide you need bridge financing. Or maybe you’ve got your sale closing a week (or sometimes even a month) after your purchase, and the question hits: How the heck am I going to cover owning two properties at once if I even can?
Bank’s Collateral Mortgage Trap
Collateral Mortgage: When you sit down at a bank to sign your mortgage, everything sounds great. The rate seems OK, the approval was smooth, and the representative mentions, “We’re registering your mortgage as a collateral charge — that way, you’ll have room to borrow more later!”
Sounds harmless, right? Maybe even smart.
Getting Divorced? Need Help?
Mortgage and Divorce: Divorce isn’t just about splitting furniture and deciding who gets the dog. It’s about reshaping your financial life — often at lightning speed — and sometimes, the big banks just don’t play ball. If you’re navigating a separation and trying to keep or buy a home, you’ve probably already felt how rigid traditional lenders can be. That’s where alternative lenders step in — and that’s exactly where I, Allen Ehlert, Mortgage Agent, can make your life a whole lot easier.
Understanding EDD in Mortgage Underwriting
You’ve probably heard the phrase “the devil’s in the details”—and in the mortgage world, that detail often shows up as something called EDD, or Enhanced Due Diligence. It sounds intimidating, almost like you’re being audited, but it’s not what most people think.
The Panic of Falling Home Prices
Build more houses, prices drop, everyone wins. But here’s the kicker—prices are now dropping in many markets, and instead of celebration, there’s panic. Builders are pausing projects, policymakers are scrambling, realtors have no business, and homeowners are worrying about their equity.
Mortgages: Recognized Marriages from Outside of Ontario
In Ontario, Canada, in general, marriages that are legally recognized in the jurisdiction where they took place are typically considered valid in Ontario.
A Better Collateral Mortgage
Collateral mortgages have become the default product for many of Canada’s largest banks. The concept isn’t inherently bad—it’s just designed more for the lender’s convenience than for the borrower’s benefit. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if collateral mortgages were restructured to genuinely help homeowners while maintaining the flexibility lenders want?
Why Seniors Don’t Downsize
For decades, planners and real estate experts figured seniors would sell their big family homes, scoop up a condo, and ride off into a care-free retirement. But that’s not happening. Instead, most seniors are staying put—keeping their homes and choosing comfort, familiarity, and independence over the stress of moving.
Want to Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster?
If you’re like most homeowners, the thought of shaving years — and thousands of dollars in interest — off your mortgage is pretty appealing. You want that debt gone sooner so you can enjoy more freedom, more flexibility, and less financial pressure. The good news? You don’t have to win the lottery or double your income to do it. Sometimes, it’s as simple as tweaking how often you make your payments.
When a Lender Works in Your Favour
If you’ve ever had that sinking feeling after locking in a mortgage rate—only to see rates drop a few weeks later—you’re not alone. It’s one of the quirks of mortgage shopping: you want protection from rising rates, but you don’t want to be stuck paying more if rates take a dive.
Featured Publications
Articles
- Extended Amortizations and Hypothetical Calculations
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) - Minimum Qualifying Rate for Uninsured Mortgages
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) - Residential Mortgage Underwriting Practices and Procedures
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) - Guideline on Existing Consumer Mortgage Loans in Exceptional Circumstances Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
Book: “The Program”
- Part 1 – Building Your Down Payment
- Part 2 – Mortgage Payoff Strategies
- Part 3 – Building Wealth Through Real Estate