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
Condominium Conditions
When a person in Canada wishes to purchase a condominium, they put in their offer to purchase a condition to enable themselves, their lawyer, their realtor, and their mortgage agent and lender the opportunity to review detailed information about the financial and...
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.
ACE at Scotiabank
If you’ve ever been knee-deep in a mortgage application and suddenly heard someone at the bank say, “This needs to go to ACE,” you might have felt your stomach drop. Don’t worry—it’s not a bad thing. In fact, at Scotiabank, ACE stands for Adjudication Centre of Expertise, and it’s their in-house team that takes a second look at mortgage files that fall just outside the usual approval box.
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.
Bridge the Gap with Mezzanine Debt
Mezzanine Debt: Every investor has been there—you find a great commercial opportunity, the numbers look solid, and the lender loves the deal… almost. But then the bank comes back saying, “We can only finance 70% of the project cost.”
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.
American Financial Crisis in Canada?
What happened during the American financial crisis and could the stress test in Canada prevent the same crisis in Canada? The American financial crisis, commonly referred to as the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2007-2008, was a severe worldwide economic crisis that...
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?
Commercial General Security Agreements
Commercial General Security Agreements: When you step into the world of commercial mortgage lending, you’ll quickly realize that lenders don’t just take comfort in the property—they want the whole package. Unlike residential lending, where the home itself is the sole collateral, commercial lenders secure every possible thread that ties a business to its loan. One of the most important tools they use to do that is the Security Agreement.
Personal Property in Commercial Mortgages
Personal Property Commercial: When you’re diving into the world of commercial mortgages, you’ll notice that lenders don’t just look at the bricks and mortar—they look at the business that operates within them. And to protect their loan, they often take security over more than just the property itself. That’s where the General Security Agreement, or GSA, comes in.
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.
Understanding Personal Property Security Acts
Personal Property Security Act: When it comes to commercial mortgages, most people think about property appraisals, rent rolls, or debt service ratios. But behind the scenes, there’s another piece of the puzzle that quietly keeps lenders and borrowers playing fair—the Personal Property Security Act, or PPSA.
When Your Walls Go Chalky
Have you ever walked into a room that was painted years ago, ran your hand along the wall, and ended up with a chalky white residue on your fingers? It’s one of those home maintenance mysteries that leaves people scratching their heads. “Did someone use cheap paint?” “Is it mold?”
Why Estoppel Certificates Matter
Estoppel Certificate: If you’ve ever been involved in financing a commercial property—especially one with tenants—you’ve probably heard someone mention an estoppel certificate. It’s one of those documents that sounds a bit old-fashioned, but in the world of commercial mortgages, it’s pure gold.
Why Banks Can’t Just Lend Forever
You’ve probably heard people say, “Banks have all the money, what’s the problem?” It’s a common thought. After all, we trust banks to be solid, stable, and loaded with cash. But here’s something most homebuyers—and even some realtors—don’t fully understand: banks don’t have endless piles of money to hand out. Even the big guys are working within limits.
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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