by Allen Ehlert | May 31, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance
Comparing BMO Homeowner ReadiLine, Scotiabank STEP, and TD Equity FlexLine The Smith Maneuver is a popular financial strategy in Canada designed to convert non-deductible mortgage debt into tax-deductible investment debt, helping homeowners accelerate wealth creation...
by Allen Ehlert | May 30, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Mortgages
Mortgage Investment Corporations (MICs) are specialized investment and lending companies in Canada that provide an alternative source of mortgage financing. MICs pool funds from investors and use these funds to provide mortgages to borrowers. A Mortgage Investment...
by Allen Ehlert | May 29, 2025 | Personal Finance
Did you know 73% of Canadians have some debt? The average household debt is $1.77 for every dollar of disposable income. This shows the need for good debt relief in Canada. A debt management plan is a strong tool to help you manage your finances and work towards being...
by Allen Ehlert | May 28, 2025 | Lender, Mortgages, Personal Finance
How I Advocate for You: The Power of Submission Notes When you apply for a mortgage, especially if your situation is a little outside the box, it’s easy to feel like you’re just another number. Credit score, income, debts, down payment… it all goes into a...
by Allen Ehlert | May 28, 2025 | Home Specifications, Mortgages, Real Estate
A Historical and Legal Argument for Upholding Property Rights in Canadian Neighbourhoods When homeowners resist changes to their neighbourhoods—particularly the addition of multi-family housing in established single-family areas—they’re often labelled with a...
by Allen Ehlert | May 27, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Personal Finance
A Licensed Insolvency Trustee (LIT) is a federally licensed professional in Canada authorized to administer bankruptcies and consumer proposals under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA). Formerly known as bankruptcy trustees, LITs serve as impartial professionals...
by Allen Ehlert | May 26, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Mortgages
A letter of employment is a fundamental document required during mortgage applications in Canada. It provides lenders with critical information about a borrower’s income stability, employment status, and financial reliability. Mortgage providers use this letter...
by Allen Ehlert | May 25, 2025 | Mortgages, Real Estate
A house foundation is the structural base that supports a home, distributing its weight evenly and providing stability against shifting soil, moisture, and environmental conditions. In Canada, where climate and soil composition vary widely, the choice of foundation...
by Allen Ehlert | May 24, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance
In Canada, a Notice of Assessment (NOA) is an official document issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) after processing an individual’s or corporation’s tax return. It summarizes the taxpayer’s income, tax liabilities, credits, and any amounts owed or refundable....
by Allen Ehlert | May 23, 2025 | Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
Imagine a man and a woman want to get a mortgage to buy a house. The man has a dry wall business where he doesn’t pay himself much to keep his income taxes down, and the woman is a full-time permanent dental hygienist. Should they apply for a mortgage under a...
by Allen Ehlert | May 23, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Real Estate
Anyone who has been following what is going on in the current real estate market knows we are faced with a profound contradiction: too many listings in the midst of a housing crisis wherein we are undersupplied with homes. It’s nuts! In my town, the housing market is...
by Allen Ehlert | May 22, 2025 | Mortgages
One of the most common questions homebuyers ask when applying for a mortgage is, “How long do I need to be at my job to qualify?” Prime lenders assess employment history as a key factor in determining a borrower’s financial stability and ability to...
by Allen Ehlert | May 21, 2025 | Mortgage Terms, Mortgages
Did you know over 65% of Canadian homeowners have a mortgage? Many don’t know how important the mortgage discharge statement is. This document is key to ending your mortgage and settling your financial duties. As you near the end of your mortgage, it’s...
by Allen Ehlert | May 20, 2025 | Mortgages, Real Estate
Development costs refer to the expenses incurred in the process of developing a property. These costs can be quite extensive and vary greatly depending on the project’s scale, location, type of development, and other factors. Here’s a breakdown of typical...
by Allen Ehlert | May 19, 2025 | Mortgages, Real Estate
In Canada, wells are a crucial water source for many rural and semi-rural properties where municipal water services are unavailable. Homeowners rely on wells to access groundwater for daily use, including drinking, cooking, and irrigation. The need for a well...
by Allen Ehlert | May 19, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
You don’t need to be a real estate expert to feel it: house prices seem out of reach for the average family. But why? What’s keeping prices so high when affordability has clearly left the building? As someone who gets into roughly a hundred homes every month,...
by Allen Ehlert | May 18, 2025 | Real Estate
Ontario reduces taxes to encourage the construction of rental accommodations. The Ford administration is eliminating the sales tax on eligible purpose-built accommodations, such as apartment buildings, student housing, and senior housing. This proclamation of tax...
by Allen Ehlert | May 17, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
Canada is no stranger to natural disasters. From wildfires in British Columbia to severe floods in Ontario and Quebec, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and costly. Beyond their immediate devastation, these disasters also have long-term economic...
by Allen Ehlert | May 16, 2025 | Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
Canada is currently facing a significant housing shortfall, with a need for an additional 35 million housing units by the end of the decade. Affordable housing is a critical component of addressing this issue, and involving the private sector is essential. In this...
by Allen Ehlert | May 15, 2025 | Mortgages, Personal Finance
Mortgage financial planning is an integral part of a comprehensive financial strategy, ensuring that homeownership aligns with long-term wealth-building and financial security. By integrating mortgage decisions into six key phases of mortgage planning—I help borrowers...
by Allen Ehlert | May 15, 2025 | Lender, Mortgages, Personal Finance
As your trusted and professional mortgage agent, I am committed to ensuring that you have access to the full range of mortgage solutions available to you — not just the big banks you may already know. Sometimes, the right mortgage for your situation will involve...
