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 financing is more difficult now than […]

Quiz time! Who is the largest non-bank mortgage originator in Canada with over $100 billion dollars in mortgages under administration? Answer – First National Financial Corporation. If you’ve never heard of them before, don’t feel bad. The only way to get a First National mortgage is through the broker channel. They do not have any […]

When the Bank of Canada decided this month to keep its benchmark interest rates stable at 1.75%, it signalled the weakening economy makes it unlikely a rate increase is anywhere on the horizon. Inflation is not where it should be, we’re not in a deflation mode right now, but inflation is under control and there’s […]

In the wake of the 2019 Budget Announcement, I find myself wondering if the Affordable Housing Incentive is good policy or just politics? Since the inception of Jan. 1 2018 “Stress Test” we have seen the struggle to qualify for mortgages countrywide. This didn’t just affect the major centers such as Toronto and Vancouver, its […]

I have been fielding quite a few questions about the announcement of the new First-Time Home Buyer Incentive program. To begin with, these programs are not scheduled to begin until September of this year assuming no governmental changes. I have taken the time to break down the math a little further to show the potential […]

On March 19, the Federal Government announced the official 2019 budget. One major topic on the discussion table (and one we were all holding our breath for) was the discussion of affordable housing in Canada. So just what happened on “Budget Day?” Here are the highlights of the 2019 Federal Budget: MORTGAGE INDUSTRY RELATED: CMHC […]

In its fourth fiscal plan, the Trudeau government spent its entire revenue windfall leaving the deficit projection little changed. In this election budget, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced $22.8 billion over six years in new spending initiative mostly for homebuyers, students and seniors. Trudeau promised in his first budget to have eliminated all red ink […]

Recently I was finishing up a mortgage with a young couple who had just had a beautiful baby girl. I brought up the topic of mortgage and life insurance as well as getting a will written up. The response from the husband was that it was such a morbid topic and a real downer when […]

You may have seen advertisements warning you to be aware of phishing schemes and other scams. In the past week, I have received fraudulent emails claiming to be Shaw Cable, RBC and even the FBI. These are easy to spot because of mistakes in the letterhead, spelling mistakes and formal language that would fit in […]

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 this to the latest growth in lending for […]