BANK OF CANADA REMAINS ON HOLD, REVISING DOWN OIL MARKET OUTLOOK The Bank of Canada left the overnight benchmark policy rate at 1-3/4%, as expected. In another dovish statement, the Bank of Canada acknowledged a slowdown in global economic activity and highlighted that oil prices are roughly 25% lower than what they had assumed in […]

9½ STEPS TO REPAIR AND IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT Though credit scores aren’t always an indicator of financial health, they are used in a variety of ways that could have a major impact on your life. Interest rates (including mortgage rates) are almost always determined by your credit score. Some employers & landlords may require a […]

We recently had a couple come into our office who we had worked with in 2011. They had some life changes that had occurred in the past 7 years and were unsure if they could make things work. They came back to speak with us and shared a little bit of their story and thoughts […]

HOW TO RENEW YOUR MORTGAGE IN 5 SIMPLE STEPS! If you have a mortgage, you’ll be completing a mortgage renewal when your current term has finished. While most Canadians spend a lot of time and expend tons of effort shopping for an initial mortgage, the same is generally not the case when looking at mortgage […]

CANADIAN HOME SALES WEAKENED FURTHER IN NOVEMBER Statistics released today by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) show that national home sales dipped for the third consecutive month, down 2.3% from October to November and down a whopping 12.6% year-over-year. Transactions declined in just over half of all local markets, with lower activity in the […]

MORTGAGE PREPAYMENT(S)- THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT! Do you know what kind of prepayment privileges you currently have with your mortgage? Does your current lender allow you to make a 10% prepayment or a 20% prepayment on your principle amount? Can you double your monthly payment? Or can you even increase the amount you are paying […]

CANADIAN JOBLESS RATE FELL TO A 42-YEAR LOW IN NOVEMBER With so much bad news coming out about the economy, Statistics Canada this morning posted a blockbuster jobs report, mitigating worries about the health of the economy. Employment increased by a whopping 94,100 in November, led mostly by full-time jobs that were broadly based across […]

THE #1 MISCONCEPTION ABOUT MORTGAGE FINANCING! It is a reoccurring but common misconception that you will qualify for a mortgage in the future because you have qualified for a mortgage in the past. This is not accurate! Do. Not. Assume. Anything. Even if your financial situation has remained the same or has improved, securing mortgage […]

WHY REVERSE MORTGAGES ARE BUCKING THE DOWNWARD TREND The reverse mortgage market in Canada has been increasing at a phenomenal rate over the last few years. In fact, for HomeEquity Bank, the provider of the CHIP Reverse Mortgage, growth was well over 40% in August, bringing Canada’s outstanding reverse mortgage balance to $3.03 billion. Compare […]

The bond market is now sending a clear signal: Go with a variable-rate mortgage ROBERT MCLISTER SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL PUBLISHED DECEMBER 5, 2018UPDATED DECEMBER 6, 2018 Many people started out Wednesday morning expecting three or more rate hikes in the next 18 months. Now, they’re wondering if we’ll see more than one. […]