We have seen a return of the buyers’ market and many people are asking, how long will this last? While some renters without a down payment might be asking, how can o put a plan in place to own? With the cost of living so high, and student debts coming out of school, many consumers Read More

In the past, we had banks (bank as a catch all for credit unions and trust companies) and Mortgage Brokers. Writing mortgage applications is extremely difficult; there are a lot of moving parts in a mortgage. Because of this, banks employ mortgage specialists whose sole role is to provide mortgage advice. On the other hand, Read More

Some home improvements provide more of a payback when you sell the house down the road. Here’s a list of the four home improvements which will provide the biggest payback when you sell.  Adding square footage – while this can be a very expensive project, adding to the size of a house can re-coup between Read More

If you are thinking about purchasing a home in the near future, here are some reasons you may consider buying a condo apartment or town home. You should also be aware there are some cons as well. Pros They are relatively inexpensive. As your footprint is small and you share exterior walls with others, the Read More

Back in the late 80’s, the Japanese housing market came to a grinding halt. Homes were no longer affordable for your average Japanese consumer. The government came to the rescue with a novel idea: 99 year mortgages. You could buy a house, pay lower more affordable payments, your son or daughter would take over and Read More

A recent article in the Huffington Post addressed the pricing strategy for the Big Six Banks, BMO, CIBC, National Bank, RBC, Scotia and TD and who really sets interest rates.  RBC announcing a rate drop in January and the other banks soon followed.  For consumers the banks are seen as leaders of the pack and Read More

Picture this: You’ve finally been able to put away enough for a down-payment on your dream home. It’s taken you five years of diligent saving, but you did it! You have also been diligently working on improving your credit score and paying off debts and are at a place of financial stability. So, first of Read More

When you purchase a home as a first time home buyer, you have a third benefit on top of the First Time Home Buyers’ Program and the Home Buyers Program- the Home Buyer Tax Credit. The Home Buyer Tax Credit allows you to claim $5,000 for the purchase of a qualifying home in the year Read More