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
‘Consent to Second Mortgage’
Consent to Second Mortgage: Understanding the document that enables you to get a second mortgage.
Does Size Really Matter?
When it comes to mortgages, people often obsess over interest rates, terms, and approval criteria — but one question flies under the radar until it suddenly becomes a problem:
“Does the size of the home matter to the lender?”
Down Payments & Commercial Mortgages
… How Much Cash Do You Really Need to Play the Game? If you’ve been looking at commercial real estate and wondering how much you’ll need to bring to the table, you’re asking the right question. Unlike residential mortgages where you can sometimes squeak by with 5%...
Credit Score and Your Mortgage
Understand how your Credit Score affects mortgage rates in Canada and learn ways to enhance it for better loan terms.
Non-Resident Speculation Tax
Understand the Non-Resident Speculation Tax and its impact on Ontario’s real estate market. Find out if you’re affected and how to comply.
Property Appraisal Process
Discover how the property appraisal process can ensure accurate real estate valuation for your investments in Canada. Learn appraisal essentials today.
Understanding Second Mortgages
There’s a lot of buzz out there about second mortgages. You hear about people using them to pay off debt, help kids buy homes, or fund renovations. They sound like a simple solution — and sometimes they are. But second mortgages aren’t just a financial hack you pull out of thin air. They come with rules, restrictions, and some real fine print that’s easy to overlook.
Reverse Mortgage to a Second Dream Home
A reverse mortgage is often assumed to be a reactive option for a senior homeowner in financial need, but it’s not always the case. In fact, there are situations when a reverse mortgage can be used proactively to unlock financial opportunities.
Struggling Financially as a Senior
As a senior, it seems nothing gets any easier … especially when it comes to money. Everything gets more expensive all the time. Bills go up, taxes go up… things can get very scary! You are lucky if you have a pension, but most of those don’t keep up with today’s inflation and cost of living. It doesn’t seem fair to have worked so hard your entire life only to struggle right to the end.
Understanding Commercial Appraisals
If you’ve ever been involved in a commercial real estate deal—whether as a buyer, investor, realtor, or business owner—you’ve probably heard someone groan about how long the appraisal process takes or how expensive it is. And if you’ve only dealt with residential properties before, commercial appraisals can feel like stepping into a whole new world: more complex, more detailed, more paperwork… and yes, more money.
Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC)
In Canada, the primary professional body that oversees home appraisals is the Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC). The AIC sets the standards and regulations for the appraisal profession across the country.
How I Vet Mortgage Documents to Protect Your Deal
Let’s be real — in real estate, everyone plays a role. The realtor sells the dream, the lawyer protects the paperwork, but when it comes to vetting the financials, that’s where I step in. As a mortgage agent, it’s my job to protect the integrity of the deal before it ever reaches a lender’s underwriter. I’m the one who spots the inconsistencies, asks the awkward questions, and makes sure that everything adds up — literally and figuratively.
Reverse Mortgage: Cushion Against Inflation
When the cost-of-living spikes, many workers can rely on salary increases to keep pace, while retired public servants with indexed pensions may also be somewhat protected. Retirees with pensions that aren’t inflation-adjusted have more cause for concern; however, if...
The Deal Breakers: Unacceptable Property Types
You’ve found the “perfect” property — it’s quirky, unique, maybe even a little outside-the-box. You’re already mentally arranging furniture and planning summer BBQs… and then your mortgage agent drops the bomb: “The lender won’t finance it.”
Why Honest Mortgage Docs Matter
Getting a mortgage isn’t like applying for a gym membership. It’s not about looking good on paper for five minutes—it’s about proving you can carry the weight for the next twenty-five years. Lenders aren’t just handing out keys to anyone who asks. They need to trust that what you’re telling them is the truth: your income, your savings, your credit, and your job are all what you say they are.
How DSCR Impacts Your Commercial Mortgage Approval
If you’ve spent any time poking around the world of commercial mortgages, you’ve probably heard lenders throw around this mysterious acronym: DSCR — Debt Service Coverage Ratio. It sounds like something a bank made up to make deals harder, but in reality, it’s one of the most important numbers in commercial underwriting.
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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