25-year amortization or 30 years? Insured or Uninsured? With an A Lender or B Lender? These are just a few of the questions people have to decide on when they are pursuing a mortgage. But the biggest question of all: Fixed Rate or Variable Rate? With the instability of the market, and the Bank of […]

Last week’s fixed-rate interest hikes at major banks—as well as the likely Bank of Canada prime increase on Wednesday—could spell bad news for Vancouver house hunters. Tim Hill, a mortgage broker with DLC Primex Mortgages, says that interest rate increases and tighter lending standards are adversely affecting Lower Mainland housing affordability, and short shrifting first-time buyers, in […]

When you own real estate property you hold the “title” to that property. The title states your ownership. When purchasing a property, your lawyer/notary registers your transfer of title in the public records of the area in which you live. With a title insurance policy from FCT you will have peace of mind knowing you […]

It has been said that there are two certainties in life; death and taxes. Well, as it relates to your mortgage, the single certainty is that you will pay back what you borrowed, plus interest. However, how you make your mortgage payments, the payment frequency, is somewhat up to you! The following is a look […]

Although home prices in Toronto and Vancouver seem to have stabilized recently, they are still at historical levels. The average home price in these two major Canadian cities are still well over $1 Million. Unsurprisingly, first-time homebuyers are finding it increasingly difficult to get onto the “property ladder”. It is now harder than ever for […]

This week, OSFI (Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions) announced that effective January 1, 2018 the new Residential Mortgage Underwriting Practices and Procedures (Guidelines B-20) will be applied to all Federally Regulated Lenders. Note that this currently does not apply to Provincially Regulated Lenders (Credit Unions) but it is possible they will abide by […]

High borrowing rates are a relic. Canadian regulators may soon force borrowers to qualify at interest rates two percentage points above the contract rate. With many posted mortgage rates now approaching and even surpassing 3.00% (depending on the term), this means borrowers will soon need to show they can afford payments based on rates of […]

Deciding to borrow money to launch your small business startup is a big decision. It’s the second biggest decision after deciding to start the business. Since it is a big decision, it requires much thought and research before taking the leap. There are multiple ways to fund a small business startup, and it’s important to […]

A lot of people get into hot water when they assume that because they’ve qualified for a mortgage in the past, they will qualify for a mortgage in the future. This article has one point to make and it’s this: Don’t assume anything when dealing with mortgage financing! And if that’s all you take away, […]

As a mortgage professional there are things I wish more people were aware of which is why we are going to take a look into the paperwork we all need to hold onto to avoid frustration or even a decline when applying for a mortgage. Each of the following is taken from real life observations […]