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
Understanding Market Rent
Understanding Market Rent: More homebuyers today rely on rental income to qualify for mortgages. If you’re one of them, you’ll often need a market rent report or rent letter to “prove” that income to the lender.
The Inverted Yield Curve Omen
Demystifying the Inverted Yield Curve Phenomenon Have you ever wondered why investors are so obsessed with the inverted yield curve? Let's dive into the world of finance and understand why this concept holds such significance in predicting economic trends. What is the...
Taxed to the Rafters
If it feels like your paycheque doesn’t stretch as far as it used to, you’re not imagining things. Canadians today spend more on taxes than on food, shelter, and clothing combined—the very basics of living. According to the Fraser Institute’s Canadian Consumer Tax Index (2025), the average family hands over more than 43% of its income to taxes, while only about 36% goes to life’s necessities.
Introducing Home Value Appraisal Services
A misaligned or problematic appraisal can delay financing, reduce loan amounts, or even derail a deal entirely. That’s why I only refer my clients to appraisal firms that are experienced, thorough, and aligned with lender expectations. Home Value Inc. is one such firm I trust to deliver professional, lender-sensitive valuations that help get deals across the finish line.
How Do Credit Scores Work?
Canada runs on credit. A person's three-digit credit score represents how likely they are to pay their bills. Your credit score impacts almost every aspect of your financial life. In this article, I break down what credit scores are, what a credit report is, and how...
Realtor Tactics to Get People to Like You
You sell roofs and foundations, but your true stock-in-trade is rapport. If prospects don’t like you, they won’t list with you; if colleagues don’t like you, they won’t show your listings; and if referral partners don’t like you, well—kiss those leads goodbye. The good news? Likeability isn’t a lottery ticket; it’s a learnable skill-set.
Realtor Neuroplasticity for Resilience
The market’s been a yo-yo lately—one minute you’re fielding bully offers, the next you’re soothing buyers who just watched rates tick up again. Keeping your head straight through all that commotion isn’t luck; it’s neuroplasticity in action. Your brain is constantly rewiring itself, and you can nudge that wiring in a direction that makes you steadier, sharper, and more adaptable on the job.
Building Realtor Mental Strength
The last few years in real estate haven’t been for the faint of heart. Between rate hikes, buyer fatigue, bidding wars, and market uncertainty, it’s enough to make even the most seasoned professional feel like they’re sprinting on a treadmill that won’t slow down.
Mortgage Availability in a Flood Zone?
Desjardins, the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, based in Quebec, will no longer offer new mortgages for properties in high-risk zones due to the certainty of a flood every 20 years in the province. It is reasonable to assume other lenders will...
Discover Bridgewater Bank: A Modern Approach
hat’s fair—choosing a mortgage lender is a major financial decision, and reputation matters. Today, I want to introduce you to Bridgewater Bank, a lender that might not be a household name but is rapidly becoming a standout option in Canada’s alternative lending space.
OMG!!! What’s with the Stairs???
I’ve seen a lot of ridiculous staircases in my time — stairs so steep, so narrow, and so poorly thought out they might as well come with a warning label. These designs don’t just look intimidating — they actively scare away anyone over 45 (who are the buyers with the...
How to Choose the Right Term Length for a Fixed Mortgage
Choosing the right term length for a fixed-rate mortgage is a crucial decision that depends on several factors. Here's a guide to help you make an informed choice: Financial Stability and Future Plans Interest Rate Considerations Risk Tolerance Financial Goals...
Manulife One: Mortgage and Bank Account
Unlock financial flexibility with Manulife One, the innovative all-in-one mortgage and banking solution designed to simplify your finances.
Who’s Buying Real Estate Right Now?
If you’ve been chatting with clients or colleagues lately, you’ve probably noticed that the question on everyone’s mind is: Who’s actually buying real estate right now? It’s a fair question. The headlines are full of doom and gloom about affordability, interest rates, and a supposed ‘market freeze’ — yet deals are getting done.
The Consequences of Walking Away
Trees don’t grow to the sky; and neither do real estate prices. Sometimes, real estate prices go down. This can be particularly troubling when it comes to new construction. There is a time lag between when the home is ‘purchased’ and when the home is completed and the deal can ‘close’. During this lag time, substantial changes can occur in the real estate market that causes home prices to fall; sometimes meaningfully. When that happens, does it make sense for a new home buyer to close the deal, or should you walk away?
Understanding LTV in Commercial Mortgages
When you’re looking to buy a commercial property — whether it’s a retail plaza, industrial unit, office building, or a mixed-use space — one of the first things lenders want to know is how much skin you’ve got in the game. That’s where Loan-to-Value (LTV) comes in.
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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