Archive
Article Archive
Ontario Variable Rate Mortgage Strategy
Reverse Mortgage: Independent Legal Advice (ILA)
Reverse Mortgages and the Affluent Retiree
Funding Your Retirement: Reverse Mortgage
Reverse Mortgage to a Second Dream Home
Reverse Mortgage: Cushion Against Inflation
Struggling Financially as a Senior
Key Features of a Consumer Proposal in Ontario
Mortgages: Consumer Proposal & Bankruptcy
Key Features of Bankruptcy in Ontario
Mortgage Availability in a Flood Zone
Who are Canada’s Private Lenders?
Who are Canada’s Mortgage Finance Corporations?
Canada’s Non-Federally Regulated Mortgage Providers
Who are Canada’s Mortgage Investment Corporations
Does the Stress Test Apply to Private Mortgages?
How Does the Stress Test Work?
American Financial Crisis in Canada?
What is Canada’s Mortgage Default Risk?
Why Canada Needed the Mortgage Stress Test?
What does the Stress Test Prevent?
5 Reasons to Escape the Rent Trap
Why Mortgages are Important to Canada’s Banks
Price of Commuting: Lost Time, Lost Life
Price of Commuting: The Daily Journey into Toronto
Is Ontario’s 407ETR The World’s Most Expensive Highway?
10 Ways Interest Rates Impact Housing Prices
10 Reasons Why Investment Demand Impacts Real Estate Prices
10 Ways Inflation Impacts Real Estate Prices
10 Ways Economic Conditions Impact Real Estate Prices
10 Reasons Real Estate is So Expensive
10 Ways Supply and Demand Impact Real Estate Prices
10 Ways ‘Location’ Impacts Real Estate Prices.
10 Ontario cities with Strong Property Value Appreciation
10 Fastest Growing Ontario Cities
Ontario’s Top Historical Cities
10 Factors Impacting Housing Supply
10 Shortest Ontario Commute Cities
Ontario’s 10 Most Affordable Cities
The Most Wanted Community Amenities
Ontario’s Top Lifestyle Cities
10 Variable Mortgage Strategies
How the Trigger Point Impacts Canadians
How to Take Advantage of Refinancing Opportunities
Difference between the Economy and Markets
Canadian Real Estate Lacks Capital
How to Control Inflation with Interest Rates
Interest Rates and the Canadian Dollar
How the Bank of Canada Steers the Economy
The Perfect Time for a Variable Rate Mortgage
How to Choose the Right Term Length for a Fixed Mortgage
What is Critical Illness Insurance
How to Make the Most of Prepayment Privileges for a Fixed Mortgage
Why Life Insurance is the Best Mortgage Insurance
How to Optimize Payment Frequency for a Fixed Mortgage
Record Wildfires Impact Lumber Pricing
How Alberta Leaving CPP Impacts You
Why Canadian Interest Rates Remain High
How Much is Airbnb Driving Up Rents
Experts Predict Canadian Dollar Fall
Re-Zoning to Create Affordable, Safe Neighbourhoods?
Why America Thrives and Canada Struggles
Small Business Debt: A Growing Concern for Canada’s Economy
The Housing Market and the Power of Lower Rates
Navigating Changing Interest Rates and Debt in Canada
The Importance of Private Sector Involvement in Affordable Housing
Investing in Real Estate and Infrastructure: Harnessing Long-Term Cash Flows
Defaulting on Your Mortgage? Exploring the Consequences and Solutions
Why a 3-Year-Fixed Mortgage May be a Bad Choice in 2024
Buy a property for $10 in Ontario: Town Makes Homeownership Affordable
Why Immigrants are Crucial for Canada’s Economy
Millennials Brace for Economic Pain
Toronto Real Estate: Dominance of Investors and Its Implications
Are You Prepared? Homeowners Brace for Mortgage Renewals
40-Year Canadian Mortgages: What you need to know.
London Addresses Homeless Crisis
The Impact of Mortgage Rates on Residential Property Values
Household Financial Stress Over High-Interest Rates
What’s So Special About 2% Inflation
How Much is Air BnB Driving Up Rent Prices?
Know the Dow, Build Your Down Payment
Mortgage Cash-Out Refinance in Ontario
Mortgage Refinance Options in Ontario
Mortgage Co-Signer: Risks & Responsibilities
Understanding Tenants in Common Ownership
Understanding Joint Tenancy Ownership
Why the First Time Home Buyer Incentive Program was Cancelled.
Navigating the CMHC Newcomers Program
Manulife One: Mortgage and Bank Account
Leverage Simcoe County Homeownership Program
Leveraging Peel’s BNI Homeownership Bridge Program
Leveraging GTA’s Habitat for Humanity
Leveraging the Kingston Homeownership Program
Leveraging the Dufferin Country Homeownership Program
Leveraging the Chatham/Kent Homeownership Program
Leveraging Gateway Muskoka Homeownership Program
Brantford’s B-Home Homeownership Program
Region of Waterloo Affordable Home Ownership Program
Leverage the Niagara Homeownership Program
Regional and Municipal Homeownership Programs
Insider’s Look into Mortgage Terms
Navigating the world of mortgages can be daunting for both new and seasoned homeowners. A fundamental aspect of any mortgage is the "mortgage term," which dictates several key financial decisions and outcomes over the course of homeownership. My goal in this article...
Mortgage Term: Gifts in Kind
Discover the implications of ‘Gifts in Kind” and the significant tax benefits they can provide to the donor.
The Mortgage Rate Mirage
Your interest rate is only one piece of the mortgage puzzle. In the real world, mortgages have layers. Once you start peeling those layers back, you begin to see the difference between a mortgage that merely looks competitive and one that actually is competitive.
Ontario’s Credit Lock/Freeze Law
Ontario Credit Lock/Freeze Law: Ontario has just added a powerful new consumer-protection tool to your financial toolbox: the ability to lock or freeze your credit file. Think of it like putting a digital deadbolt on your credit report. It will not stop every form of fraud, and it will not replace common sense, strong passwords, or careful monitoring, but it can make it much harder for someone to open new credit in your name.
Mortgage Term: Revolving Loan
Discover the characteristics of a revolving loan, their relevance to mortgages, and how revolving loans are a key strategy in your financial success.
Don’t Leave the Lawyer to the Last Minute
Don’t Leave the Lawyer to the Last Minute: Your lawyer protects your legal interests, handles the transfer of ownership, deals with title, coordinates funds, pays out old mortgages, registers new ones, and helps make sure your sale and purchase actually close properly.
Understanding Mortgage Loan to Value (LTV) Ratio
As a professional mortgage underwriter in Canada, I often emphasize the importance of the Loan to Value (LTV) ratio in the mortgage qualification process. The LTV ratio is a critical factor in determining the terms of the mortgage for which a borrower qualifies,...
Understanding Condominium Fees
When considering the purchase of a condominium in Canada, it is essential for potential buyers to understand condominium fees. These fees are a significant component of condo ownership, affecting both budgeting and financing. Here, we will explore the nature of these...
Mortgage Term: Resident Alien
Discover the implications of resident alien status for Canadians especially when seeking mortgages in the United States.
HELOCs and Hidden Land Tax
“Wait… We’re Paying Land Transfer Tax Again?” A lot of homeowners think adding a HELOC is just paperwork. You sign a few documents, the lawyer registers a new charge, and away you go. Easy peasy, right? Well… sometimes. But every now and then, a refinance or HELOC...
The Pre-Approval Process
Discuss the benefits and weakness or getting a mortgage pre-approval. Discover the steps of the pre-approval process and learn if a pre-approval is right for you.
When You Need Mortgage Default Insurance
Discover when and why you may need mortgage default insurance and why mortgage default insurance matters.
Mortgage Term: Floatdown
Discover what a mortgage floatdown is and how it can improve your financial position.
Guide to Mortgage Penalties
Understand mortgage penalties in Canada before breaking your mortgage term. Learn about IRD, fixed vs variable rate penalties, and ways to minimize costly fees
Get a Mortgage Agent with a Strong Online Presence
Finding a mortgage agent with a strong online presence is important especially in today’s digital world. A strong online presence is indicator of a mortgage agent’s credibility, expertise, and client-centered approach
Housing as Income Percentage
Financial planners generally advise spending no more than 28% to 30% of your gross monthly income on housing. This guideline is known as the "front-end ratio" and primarily covers housing expenses like mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowner's insurance, and...
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
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