21 Apr

CLOSING COSTS

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

Closing costs are a necessity when it comes to purchasing a home. They are not included in down payments, they are not included in monthly mortgage payments, nor are they included in the purchase price of a home, but you are still responsible for paying them, in full. Knowing they exist is half the battle, […]

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21 Apr

BREAKING A MORTGAGE – CAN YOU DO IT?

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

Do you have a mortgage? So do I! Looks like we have something in common. Did you know that 6 out of 10 consumers break their mortgage 38 months into a 5-year term? That means that 60% of consumers break a 5-year term mortgage well before it’s due…but do you also know what the implications […]

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21 Apr

9 REASONS WHY PEOPLE BREAK THEIR MORTGAGES

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

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 focused on the rate that they are ignorant about […]

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13 Apr

THE FLEXIBLE DOWN PAYMENT PROGRAM

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

One of the toughest challenges for homebuyers is being able to save money at the rate of property price increases. We know many high-income renters would like to be homeowners, but they’re just unaware of how to make the transition and are unable to save fast enough. There are several options which are great for […]

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12 Apr

VACANT POSSESSION

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

DISCLAIMER: This post is written for buyers, in other words people who do not currently own a tenanted property. This post is not suggesting in any way that the rights of an existing tenant be infringed upon Purchasing a residential property? Two words that matter this Spring; Vacant Possession Your contract had best contain a […]

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11 Apr

THE MORTGAGE INSURANCE MARKET & WHOLESALE LENDERS

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

The Canadian mortgage market used to be very simple. We had the big banks, credit unions, and trust companies. However, almost 20 years ago, the Canadian government made three major changes to the Canadian mortgage industry. First, the government and CMHC put their weight behind Canadian mortgages by guaranteeing an insurance payout to lenders in […]

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10 Apr

SETTING UP YOUR HELOC

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

A HELOC, or, Home Equity Line of Credit, can be one of the greatest gifts you give yourself. Borrowing money against your home as you accumulate equity through a shrinking mortgage or an increasing property value- something almost many people in the Vancouver and Toronto markets can relate to. With all this increasing value and […]

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9 Apr

TOP 5 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUILDING YOUR NEW HOME

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

Building a new home – It’s something that many couples dream of. It can be an exciting, stressful, joyful, crazy time period that many walk away from saying “never again” or “bring on the next one!” We scoured the internet and sorted through our own experiences to bring you the Top 5 things to consider […]

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6 Apr

UNIQUE HOMES HAVE SPECIAL PROBLEMS

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

Recently one of the former members of the boy band New Kids on the Block expressed an interest in buying this lighthouse off the coast of Virginia in the U.S. Unique homes can be a lot of fun to own and to live in. However, there are some things you should be aware of before […]

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5 Apr

WHICH REALTOR SHOULD YOU USE?

General

Posted by: Mike Hattim

Finding the best realtor for you involves doing some leg work. It can be overwhelming, kind of like choosing which ice cream you want to try! You go to the ice cream store and they have over 50 flavours and after you have contemplated, you opt for vanilla, just because it was easy. Finding the […]

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