31 Jan

8 Things You Can Do To Get The Best Renewal

General

Posted by: Livian Smith

With 47 per cent of homeowners scheduled to renew their mortgages this year, 2018 is a year of change for lots of Canadians. Here are the top 8 things you can do to get the best renewal:                                     […]

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31 Jan

Splendour of the Past – Our House Magazine

General

Posted by: Livian Smith

  Things to consider before you buy a heritage home We’ve all walked by them at some point and marveled. It’s the character house that has to be at least 100 years old and is still standing. Your mind takes you to a different place. You start thinking about what life must have been like […]

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29 Jan

Mortgages with the 20 Per Cent

General

Posted by: Livian Smith

DLC BLOG Mortgages with the 20 Per Cent There have been a lot of discussions around the new mortgage rules and I have had a few clients ask about what that means for them. Since stress testing on mortgages began last year, the biggest change this January will be for people who are putting more […]

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26 Jan

Get Ahead of the ‘Rate Train’

General

Posted by: Livian Smith

DLC BLOG Get Ahead of the ‘Rate Train’ A recent article featured on www.mortgagebrokernews.cabrings up some interesting points to consider. With approximately 47% of mortgages in Canada coming up for renewal in 2018 and in a rising rate climate, it would be wise to consider the impact on our personal mortgage. What will these increases mean […]

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24 Jan

What is a Property Assessment vs a Home Appraisal?

General

Posted by: Livian Smith

DLC BLOG What is a Property Assessment vs a Home Appraisal? It’s the time of year when many homeowners are getting their property assessments. The real estate market is the single biggest influence on market values. Market forces vary from year to year and from property to property. The market value on an assessment notice […]

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22 Jan

Mortgage Broker Value

General

Posted by: Livian Smith

DLC BLOG Mortgage Broker Value Not surprisingly, borrowers often default to their own Banker. And why not? It’s an established and comfortable relationship. Perhaps it’s viewed as the path of least resistance. But is it the right lender for the borrower’s current specific needs? Perhaps not. More sophisticated borrowers may be of a size or […]

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21 Jan

Bank of Canada Raises Rates Cautiously

General

Posted by: Livian Smith

Bank of Canada Raises Rates Cautiously As was widely expected, the Bank of Canada announced another quarter-point interest rate increase this morning, saying that more hikes are ahead. According to Governor Stephen Poloz, the “big cloud” over the Canadian economy is the uncertainty associated with NAFTA and he cautioned that it would be some time […]

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19 Jan

9 Reasons Why People Break Their Mortgages

General

Posted by: Livian Smith

DLC BLOG 9 Reasons Why People Break Their Mortgages Did you know that 60 per cent of people break their mortgage before their mortgage term matures? Most homeowners are blissfully unaware that when you break your mortgage with your lender, you will incur penalties and those penalties can be painfully expensive. Many homeowners are so […]

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18 Jan

December Homes Sales Surged In Advance of New Mortgage Rules

General

Posted by: Livian Smith

December Homes Sales Surged In Advance of New Mortgage Rules The January 1 implementation of the new OSFI B-20 regulations requires that uninsured mortgage borrowers be stress-tested at a mortgage rate 200 basis points above the contract rate at federally regulated financial institutions. It is no surprise that home sales rose in advance of the […]

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17 Jan

Coming off the Bottom

General

Posted by: Livian Smith

DLC BLOG Coming off the Bottom Are the good times really over for good? Recently, for the first time since 2012 we have seen the 5-year bond market climb back up over 2.0%. Based on amazing employment numbers and the likelihood that the Bank of Canada will raise rates on January 17, the bond market […]

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