by Allen Ehlert | April 3, 2026 | Economy, Mortgages, Real Estate
Did you know, it takes about $100,000 to set up each new home’s infrastructure in Canada? This big cost shows the huge challenge in building enough housing. A report from the Canadian Urban Institute highlights how crucial it is to invest heavily in municipal...
by Allen Ehlert | April 2, 2026 | Commercial, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
… From Private to Alternative to Prime Life doesn’t always unfold in neat, predictable steps. Sometimes you get bruised credit after a divorce, sometimes your business income doesn’t show well on paper, and sometimes the bank just flat-out says “no.” That’s when the...
by Allen Ehlert | March 29, 2026 | Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
…. Love, Equity, and the House: How New Couples Can Merge Home Ownership You’ve probably seen this situation before. Two people fall in love, their lives start to merge, and eventually the question comes up: What about the house? Maybe one partner bought the home...
by Allen Ehlert | March 27, 2026 | Lender, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
… The Comprehensive Pre-Approval Calculator for First-Time Homebuyers Most mortgage calculators out there are glorified guess machines. You punch in a few numbers, get a big shiny “you can afford $750,000,” and walk away feeling confident… until reality hits...
by Allen Ehlert | March 20, 2026 | Personal Finance, Real Estate
Canadians’ household net worth rises, boosted by equity and housing markets. Despite the current economic challenges, Canadian households were wealthier in the first quarter, seeing their net worth rising by a total of $548.2 billion, or +3.3%, to $16.9 trillion. That...
by Allen Ehlert | March 13, 2026 | Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
There are many articles in newspapers, on the web, on social media, etc. arguing that renting is good and that you’ll be OK if you don’t own the roof over your head. In my opinion, these articles pander to people who are suffering during this housing crisis. To get...
by Allen Ehlert | March 11, 2026 | Mortgages, Real Estate
Imagine you’re on your dream home’s doorstep, searching for keys in excitement. Many Canadians wish for this but think it’s too hard to get. In Ottawa, a house costs about $700,000. To afford this, you need a yearly income of over $170,000. Saving...
by Allen Ehlert | March 10, 2026 | Economy, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
Did you know real estate makes over 75% of Canadian’s wealth? This shows how important Canadian real estate is for growing wealth. As the value of homes goes up, people’s wealth grows too. Real estate not only helps individuals but also boosts the wealth...
by Allen Ehlert | March 9, 2026 | Personal Finance, Real Estate
The latest data from 2025 shows that the wealth gap in Canada is bigger than ever. This is the largest jump in the wealth gap since 2015. The main cause has been the rising interest rates. These rates have hit different types of families hard. From July 2022 to July...
by Allen Ehlert | March 7, 2026 | Mortgages, Real Estate
An assumable mortgage is a financing option that allows an outstanding mortgage to be transferred from the current owner to a buyer. While assumable mortgages are not very common in Canada, most fixed-rate mortgages can be assumed, while variable-rate and home equity...
by Allen Ehlert | March 6, 2026 | Mortgages, Real Estate
Title insurance is a crucial safeguard for homeowners in Canada, providing protection against unforeseen property title issues and offering peace of mind. It covers risks related to a property’s ownership, including past events that could affect the...
by Allen Ehlert | March 4, 2026 | Insurance, Mortgages, Real Estate
As a young couple, Sarah and Michael had been diligently saving for their first home. They were excited to take the plunge into homeownership, but when they met with me, they were surprised to learn about the requirement for mortgage default insurance. This was...
by Allen Ehlert | February 28, 2026 | Commercial, Investing, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
The Rental Investment Analyzer is a comprehensive financial analysis tool for evaluating Canadian rental properties. It converts user inputs (market rent, expenses, financing, etc.) into professional metrics like NOI, DSCR, cap rate, cash-on-cash return, and...
by Allen Ehlert | February 27, 2026 | Lender, Mortgage Terms, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
… The Underwriting “Truth Serum” That Can Turn a File Into an Approval NOTE: The audience for this article is financial professionals and some engaged realtors. However, the information is presented in a manner that anyone who is interested can understand. You’ve seen...
by Allen Ehlert | February 26, 2026 | Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
… How Your Basement Can Transform Your Financial Life There’s a moment most homeowners miss. It’s usually when they’re staring at a floor plan, a renovation quote, or an unfinished basement and thinking, “This would be nice… but is it worth it?”What they don’t realize...
