by Allen Ehlert | April 30, 2026 | Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
Every year, about 15% of Canadians refinance their mortgage to take advantage of better mortgage terms (reduced rate, amortization, or mortgage feature), improve their financial condition, buy out a partner, or take advantage of an investment or business opportunity....
by Allen Ehlert | April 22, 2026 | Mortgages, Real Estate
Everybody needs a place to live, a place to call home. Legally, a principal residence is defined as a property that you, your spouse or common-law partner, or your child ordinarily inhabit at some point during the year. The property can be a house, cottage,...
by Allen Ehlert | April 21, 2026 | Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
In Canada, about 15% of Canadian homeowners refinance their homes every year for a variety of reasons. Fundamentally, when Canadians refinance, they are looking to: Take advantage of better mortgage terms (rate, amortization, product amenities) to manage payments...
by Allen Ehlert | April 20, 2026 | Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
Canadians seem to pay more for a lot of things. Canadians pay an outrageous amount for taxes and are often cited as paying some of the highest prices in the world for cell phone plans, among other things. So how does the cost of refinancing your mortgage in Canada...
by Allen Ehlert | April 19, 2026 | Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
When shopping for a mortgage, Canadians have a choice between fixed-rate mortgages and variable-rate mortgages. In Canada, the majority of mortgages are fixed-rate. As of recent years, approximately 70% to 75% of all mortgages in Canada are fixed-rate mortgages. This...
by Allen Ehlert | April 11, 2026 | Commercial, Investing, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
… Use the BRRRR Analyzer and Stop Guessing BRRRR stands for Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat.It’s one of the most powerful real estate investing strategies available—but only when each step is executed with insight. The problem is, most people focus on the buy and...
by Allen Ehlert | April 10, 2026 | Mortgages, Real Estate
Your present home doesn’t meet your current needs, and now it’s time to move to your next home. Bridge financing is an important part of that transition. It allows you to have possession of both houses for a short time, so you can move painlessly, and set...
by Allen Ehlert | April 4, 2026 | Lender, Mortgages, Real Estate
… The Strategic Middle Step Between Private and Prime Most people don’t wake up and say, “I’d love to pay 1–2% more than the bank for my mortgage.” You want the lowest rate possible. Of course you do. That’s rational. Sometimes the lowest rate isn’t the smartest first...
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...
