To understand financing options for conventional borrowers – ask your Mortgage Broker.  In October 2016 the Federal Government announced some significant changes to mortgage rules for high ratio borrowers.  Changes for high ratio mortgages took effect Oct 17th.  Changes for conventional borrowers take effect Nov 30th.  These changes will result in tighter guidelines to qualify […]

As the year comes to an end we take a look back to review the history of recent mortgage rule changes in Canada since the economic crash.   THE WILD WEST Although financing in Canada was not as open as in the United States, the rules did allow people to buy with little or no […]

The Minister of Finance announced today new Canadian mortgage rules effective Oct 17th,2016.  The new rules will impact high ratio buyers with less than 20% down payment.  Other rule changes are expected to follow.  Stay tuned for details as they unfold. Currently a home buyer with less than 20% (high ratio) requires mortgage insurance through […]

Can Someone Steal Your House?  Courtesy of Dominion Lending Centre head office thank you for the tips! It might sound unbelievable, but it’s absolutely possible for someone to steal your house. It’s called title fraud, and it’s a problem that has been around for a while in Canada. And although exposure to title fraud is […]

With plenty of activity in the real estate market in the Greater Vancouver area and more new building slated over the next few years here is my list of “Things to Consider When Buying in a New Development” Representation Some buyers attend the display suite and consider a purchase directly with the developer sales person […]

Tony at Spagnuolo and Company recently shared some answers to the questions they have received from consumers regarding the recent changes to property purchase transfer taxes (PTT). Thanks for sharing, Tony!   How is the government going to monitor the 1 year occupancy detail? As with the First-time Home Buyers (FTHB) exemption, the Ministry will […]

After the announcement Dec 11th by Finance Minister Bill Morneau, many consumers were unclear about the real numbers for changes to down payment rules.  Specifically to the new minimum down payment requirement, which takes effect on February 15, 2016. The new rule applies to insured mortgages only – those where the borrower has less than […]

Tis the season to be generous but beware of the temptation to overspend and overuse credit; some smart tips for using your credit card over the holiday season.  If you you plan to give your credit card a bit of a workout this Christmas consider a few tips and details which may save you some […]

Only a few weeks till Christmas and I know what you are thinking; I need a holiday spending plan.  If you are like most people you are thinking of time with family, friends and what gifts you are going to buy for everyone – so probably not. But really a holiday spending plan isn’t a […]

With so much data on the Internet it can be a challenge to find housing market data when choosing a new place to call home or when making a real estate investment. There are many tools out there you can use to but the best source is usually a professional realtor who knows the particular […]