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Sending Money Internationally

Learn about the differences in international payment systems, what is SWIFT, and how to send money internationally to a Canadian account

The implementation of the mortgage stress test in Canada has been a significant regulatory measure with far-reaching implications for the mortgage industry, housing market, social dynamics, financial stability, and the broader Canadian economy. This article provides...

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...

Who Are Canada’s Mortgage Finance Corporations?

Mortgage Finance Companies (MFCs) in Canada are financial institutions that specialize in providing mortgage lending and related services. MFCs offer an alternative to traditional bank mortgages (prime lenders) and cater to a variety of borrowers, including those who...

Mortgage Term: Alpha

In the context of finance, alpha is a technical indicator used to measure the performance of an investment relative to a benchmark index, such as the S&P/TSX Composite Index in Canada. Alpha represents the excess return of an investment compared to the return...

Spousal Buyout Mortgage

Spousal Buyout Mortgage: You want to keep the house, the monthly payment is manageable, but the your refinance limit says no…

Closing Costs: Commercial vs. Residential

Closing Costs: Commercial vs. Residential. Residential closing costs are usually more predictable. Commercial closing costs, on the other hand, can feel like opening a junk drawer: legal fees, lender fees, environmental reports, appraisals, accounting advice, GST/HST questions, lease reviews, zoning issues, and sometimes a few “where did that come from?” moments.

Understanding Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

Understanding Internal Rate of Return (IRR): In real estate, it’s easy to get caught up in surface-level numbers—cash flow, purchase price, appreciation. But if you really want to operate like a professional investor, and guide your clients like one, you need a metric that answers a deeper question

Mortgage Term: Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan

Discover what a supplemental executive retirement plan is, and how it impacts the strategic real estate and financial planning for executives.

How to Calculate Housing Cost

To ensure you do not spend more than 30% of your income on housing costs, it's important to understand how to calculate your housing expenses. In Canada, housing costs typically include: Mortgage Payments: The monthly amount paid towards the mortgage principal,...

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

Mortgages: Grossing Up Income

What is a ‘Switch’?

Key Features of a Consumer Proposal in Ontario

Mortgages: Consumer Proposal & Bankruptcy

Key Features of Bankruptcy in Ontario

What are Commitment Fees?

Mortgage Availability in a Flood Zone

Canada’s Mortgage Stress Test

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

Where You Get Your Mortgage

The Disappearing Office Space

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

Ontario’s Worst Crime Cities

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

What is a Trigger Point

How the Trigger Point Impacts Canadians

How to Lock in a Good Rate

How to Take Advantage of Refinancing Opportunities

How to Break a Mortgage

Unaffordable Canadian Cities

Difference between the Economy and Markets

Canadian Real Estate Lacks Capital

How to Control Inflation with Interest Rates

Interest Rates and the Canadian Dollar

The Inverted Yield Curve Omen

How the Bank of Canada Steers the Economy

How Do Credit Scores Work?

How Cred Cards Work

Cred Card Rewards. Who Pays?

The Perfect Time for a Variable Rate Mortgage

What is disability Insurance?

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

10 Fixed Mortgage Strategies

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

Canadian REITS Need Capital

Defaulting on Your Mortgage? Exploring the Consequences and Solutions

Australia’s Warning to Canada

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

Becoming a Mortgage Guarantor

Mortgage Co-Signer: Risks & Responsibilities

Understanding Tenants in Common Ownership

Understanding Joint Tenancy Ownership

Getting a Joint Mortgage

Why the First Time Home Buyer Incentive Program was Cancelled.

Navigating the CMHC Newcomers Program

Manulife One: Mortgage and Bank Account

Canada’s New 30 Year Mortgage

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

Mortgage Document Frustration

Mortgage Term: Alpha

Jul 17, 2026

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Mortgage Term: RDSP Qualified Investment

Discover the implications of an RDSP qualified investment, how it can grow in a tax-deferred manner leading to building wealth and providing a secure home for a disabled Canadian.

Sources of Home Down Payment

Discover reliable sources for your home down payment in Canada. Learn about savings options, grants, and assistance programs to make homeownership a reality.

Why Refinanced Mortgages Are Always Uninsured

Discover why refinanced mortgages in Canada are always uninsured and the opportunities refinancing your mortgage provide you.

Mortgage Term: Recourse Loan

Discover what a recourse loan is, it’s key characteristics, and how it applies to mortgages, particularly in Ontario (as opposed to Alberta).

Protecting Your Personal and Financial Information

Discover how Allen Ehlert protects your personal and financial information so you can be secure when applying for a mortgage knowing your information is safe and secure.

‘Consent to Second Mortgage’

Consent to Second Mortgage: Understanding the document that enables you to get a second mortgage.

Second Mortgage Hard No!

Second Mortgage Hard No! Discover when getting a second mortgage is either a bad idea or completely not allowed.

Fees: Receiving and Sending Money Internationally

When receiving or sending large amounts of money internationally from a Canadian chartered bank, several types of fees may apply. These fees can vary depending on the bank, the transfer amount, the destination country, and the method used.

Mortgage Term: IRS W-8BEN

Discover the importance of the IRS Form W-8BEN, its full, proper name, and its indirect impact for Canadian residents involved in cross-border real estate transactions.

Your House? Better Get Title Insurance

While most homebuyers are aware of closing costs, mortgage insurance, and property inspections, many overlook the critical role that title insurance plays in protecting their property ownership rights.

Mortgage Term: Balloon Payment

A large, lump-sum payment due at the end of a mortgage’s term. You make a balloon payment when you pay out your mortgage, renew, refinance, or transfer your mortgage to another lender for better rates and terms. A balloon payment is often part of loans that have lower...