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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
Is Title Insurance Transferrable?
Learn about the different types of title insurance available to Canadians. What their different purposes are, and whether title insurance is transferrable.
Bankruptcy: A Canadian Story
Sarah, age 37, lives in Ottawa, Ontario, and works as a retail manager earning $48,000 annually ($4,000 monthly gross income). She is a single mother with two young children, renting an apartment at $1,800 per month. Her financial situation has worsened significantly...
The Perfect Time for a Variable Rate Mortgage
With the market transitioning towards the end of rate hikes and showing anticipation of rate cuts, experts are forecasting advantages for variable rate mortgages. Let's delve into the details to understand why now may be the perfect time to consider a variable rate...
Non-Resident Speculation Tax and Mortgages
The Non-Resident Speculation Tax (NRST) significantly impacts the mortgage financing landscape for foreign buyers in Ontario. This additional 25% tax on the purchase price creates substantial financial hurdles, influencing not only affordability but also lending...
What is Critical Illness Insurance
Critical Illness Insurance is a type of insurance policy designed to provide financial support if you are diagnosed with one of the specific critical illnesses covered by the policy. This insurance is meant to help cover costs that are not typically covered by...
Investing in Mortgage Investment Entities
In today’s uncertain market environment, the search for reliable, income-generating investments has never been more important. Traditional fixed-income instruments like GICs and government bonds often fail to keep pace with inflation, and equity markets can be...
Mortgage Investment Entities
In today's financial and real estate environment, traditional lending guidelines can often exclude qualified borrowers, creating an important role for Mortgage Investment Entities (MIEs). As a mortgage agent frequently collaborating with financial planners,...
The Mortgage Investment Entity Client
A Mortgage Investment Entity (MIE) can be an excellent fit for certain types of investors, but may not be suitable for others. The key is understanding the investor’s goals, risk tolerance, liquidity needs, and tax situation. Here's a breakdown of who typically...
Understanding Ontario’s Non-Resident Sales Tax
Ontario’s housing market has long been a focal point of global investment, with foreign buyers drawn to its economic stability and strong property appreciation. However, this influx of external capital has fueled concerns about affordability, pricing out many local...
Home Inspection Limitations on Aluminum Wiring
In the world of residential real estate, few discoveries cause as much concern during a home inspection as aluminum wiring. Commonly found in homes built between the mid-1960s and late 1970s, this type of electrical wiring has been associated with an increased risk of...
Insight: Retirement Spending
Retirement is often envisioned as a time of relaxation, travel, and enjoyment, but financial security remains a key concern for retirees. A recent study conducted by BlackRock in collaboration with the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) sheds light on how...
Why Life Insurance is the Best Mortgage Insurance
Using life insurance to cover your mortgage is a strategy that can provide financial security for your family in the event of your death. This approach typically involves purchasing a term life or whole life insurance policy with a death benefit that is sufficient to...
Copper and Your Home
As Canadians strive for more energy-efficient homes and a greener future, one unsung hero lies at the core of nearly every technological and environmental advance: copper. Often overlooked, this highly conductive metal is essential not only for everyday convenience...
Understanding the Federal Ban on Foreign Buyers
Canada’s real estate market has long been a prime destination for international investors, drawn to its stable economy, high quality of life, and strong property appreciation. However, as housing affordability worsened for local residents, the federal government took...
Do Appraisals Consider the Future?
In today’s climate of economic uncertainty—uncertain interest rates, fluctuating home prices, and constant talk of a looming recession and market correction—buyers, sellers, and even industry professionals are understandably on edge. Many are asking, “What’s next for...
Collateral vs Standard Mortgage
When securing a mortgage in Canada, most borrowers focus on interest rates, amortization periods, and lender terms. However, an often-overlooked distinction—whether a mortgage is registered as a collateral charge or a standard charge—can have significant implications...
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
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