December 1, 2023

Cash Flow and Mortgage Payments

The increase in the Banak of Canada Prime rate over the past 20 months, aimed at tackling rising inflation, has left numerous Canadians cash-strapped until the anticipated lowering of the Prime rate in 2024. So what can be done?
November 25, 2023

Should you Refinance or Get a Second Mortgage?

Choosing whether to refinance your existing mortgage or getting a second mortgage depends on your financial goals. If your existing mortgage has a good rate and a noticeable time left in its term, you should probably think of keeping it rather than refinancing it and getting a second mortgage instead.
September 23, 2020

Pre-Approvals and What You Need to Know About Them

It is a common knowledge that you need to get yourself pre-approved for a mortgage before starting to look for a home. But what exactly is […]
December 7, 2019

The Power of HELOC

So you own a home and would like to buy an investment property, but all of your savings have been locked up in your home? The answer to your problem is a Home Equity Line of Credit or HELOC.
December 1, 2019

How to Get a House You Want… with the Kitchen You Want

  I am sure some of us have been there… passing on potential houses just because the bathrooms or kitchens were not up to our standards, […]
November 15, 2018

Interest Rates

  Those of you who know me well, know that I shy away from making predictions on interest rates.  There are simply too many factors at […]
September 27, 2018

So you want to buy an investment condo…

It’s no secret that as house prices in the GTA have risen over the past 10 years, many of us have become overnight “millionaires”.  Who would […]
April 3, 2018

Cost of Borrowing – The Only True Measure 

  When comparing various financing options, the biggest mistake you can make is to concentrate on the actual nominal rates alone. Instead, you should pay attention […]
March 11, 2018

How to Get Arount the New Mortgage Rules?

The new mortgage rules have essentially lowered the qualifying power of mortgage applicants by approximately 20%. Whether you’re buying and need a mortgage, or are simply […]
February 5, 2018

Have you thought about a commercial property as your next investment?

Commercial properties are somewhat an unknown territory to most of us. They require larger down payments. Interest rates are higher. Still, they can still be a […]
January 8, 2018

From Toronto the Good to Toronto the Great …

  I’ve often said that Toronto is turning into Canada’s Manhattan (especially when talking about the cost of housing!).  Our city appears always to be growing […]
November 9, 2017

Should You Lock In or Not?

  That depends. Over the past 7 years, there were many indications that variable rates will go up and many pressures on those with variable rates […]
October 18, 2017

Do You Have a Home Equity Line of Credit?

When the Prime rate went up by 0.5%, my feelings were mixed… Yes, my variable rate mortgage payments went up and I wasn’t happy about it, […]
September 22, 2017

Why You Should Refinance Now

If you are considering a refinance for any reason – to consolidate your debt, pay for your kids’ education, renovate your home or buy an investment […]
April 7, 2017

R&R… Refinance & Renovate

A well know Toronto scenario: “Our tiny bungalow is now worth $1M dollars! We should sell it!…” Which then begs the question – “Where would we […]
March 12, 2017

Government Changes and What They Mean

On October 3rd the federal government announced a series of regulations that govern the access and limitations of mortgages requiring insurance. The rules were put in […]