by Allen Ehlert | November 18, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance
… How Different Income Sources (Including Overtime) Impact Your Mortgage Approval in Today’s Economy Once upon a time, mortgage applications were simple: you worked a 9-to-5 job, had a steady salary, and lenders barely batted an eye. Fast forward to today’s economy —...
by Allen Ehlert | November 16, 2025 | Commercial
… How Maintenance Reserves Protect You (and Your Property) in Commercial Real Estate” You’ve probably heard the term “maintenance reserve” tossed around in commercial lending conversations and wondered if it’s just another way lenders make life complicated. But the...
by Allen Ehlert | November 15, 2025 | Lender, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages
…. And Why That Low Rate Isn’t Always a Bargain We’ve all seen them — those ultra-low mortgage rates advertised by the big banks or online lenders. They’re tempting, no doubt about it. Who doesn’t want to save a few bucks on interest? But here’s what you might not...
by Allen Ehlert | November 15, 2025 | Economy, Lender, Mortgages
The Open Banking Revolution: How Mortgages Are About to Get a Whole Lot Easier If you’ve ever felt like getting a mortgage meant running an obstacle course—chasing down pay stubs, digging through old bank statements, sending documents back and forth—you’re not alone....
by Allen Ehlert | November 14, 2025 | Commercial
“Behind Every Great Deal: Reports That Make or Break Commercial Mortgages If you’ve ever gone through a commercial mortgage process, you know it’s a different beast entirely compared to residential lending. It’s not just about income and credit—it’s about the property...
by Allen Ehlert | November 14, 2025 | Lender, Mortgages, Personal Finance
… Here’s How CMHC’s Enhanced BFS Program Can Help You Buy a Home If you’re self-employed in Canada, you already know the drill: your income looks fantastic before your accountant works their magic. After write-offs and deductions? Not so much. That’s why so many...
by Allen Ehlert | November 13, 2025 | Home Specifications, Lender, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance
… and why you might not be entitled to see it If you’ve ever gone through a mortgage process and found yourself wondering, “Wait, I paid for that appraisal—why won’t the lender give me a copy?” you’re not alone. This is one of the most common sources of confusion and...
by Allen Ehlert | November 13, 2025 | Commercial
… How Capitalizing Net Operating Income Reveals a Property’s True Worth When you step into the world of commercial real estate, one phrase comes up over and over again — “What’s the cap rate?” or “Let’s capitalize the NOI.” And if you’ve ever wondered what those words...
by Allen Ehlert | November 12, 2025 | Mortgages, Personal Finance
…The Mortgage Matchmaker: Finding the Right Fit for Your Payments and Your Future Let’s face it—mortgages aren’t exactly cocktail-party conversation. But if you’re like most homeowners, you’ve probably asked yourself more than once: “Am I really getting the best deal...
by Allen Ehlert | November 12, 2025 | Economy, Lender, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages
… The Limits of Bonds and Capital Markets Ever wonder why mortgage rates seem to jump overnight even though you’ve done everything right? It can feel like the lender’s just making it up as they go along—but trust me, they’re not. What’s really happening behind the...
by Allen Ehlert | November 11, 2025 | Mortgages, Personal Finance
… What If You’re Living in a Home but Not on the Mortgage or Title? When you’re diving into the world of mortgages, the term “shelter costs” gets thrown around a lot. It sounds straightforward, right? Just your housing expenses. But what if you’re an adult—or maybe a...
by Allen Ehlert | November 11, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance
… Allen Ehlert’s Secret Weapon for Stress-Free and Reduced Risk Moves If you’ve ever bought and sold homes at the same time, you know it can feel like trying to juggle with oven mitts on. Point-to-point moves are fraught with danger, and they never come off without a...
by Allen Ehlert | November 11, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance
… The Sneaky Trap That Looks Like a Gift If you ask a friend who has a mortgage what kind of mortgage they have, they will probably say, “I don’t know, a mortgage, what do you mean what kind? You mean fixed or variable?” NO! I mean what KIND of mortgage do you have,...
by Allen Ehlert | November 10, 2025 | Mortgages, Personal Finance
… From “I Do” to “I Don’t”: Why an Alternative Lender May Be Your Best Friend in 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...
by Allen Ehlert | November 10, 2025 | Lender, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages
…The Secret Sauce Behind Complex Mortgage Approvals 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...
by Allen Ehlert | November 9, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance
… What EDD Means and Why It Matters 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...
by Allen Ehlert | November 9, 2025 | Commercial
….Close Commercial Real Estate Deals When the Bank Says ‘Almost’ 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...
by Allen Ehlert | November 8, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
… Why We Fear What We Asked For You’ve probably heard it for years: “We need more homes, so prices will come down and things will finally be affordable again!” Sounds logical, right? Build more houses, prices drop, everyone wins. But here’s the kicker—prices are now...
by Allen Ehlert | November 7, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages
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...
by Allen Ehlert | November 7, 2025 | Mortgages, Personal Finance
In Ontario, Canada, in general, marriages that are legally recognized in the jurisdiction where they took place are typically considered valid in Ontario. For example, if you were married in the United States, and the marriage is legally recognized in the United...
by Allen Ehlert | November 7, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance
… How Banks Could Make Collateral Mortgages Better for Canadians 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...
