Where does one start in finding a real estate agent amongst the ever-increasing realtors? Not to mention finding one that is credible and professional, how would one know?
Before you even contact the agent, see what you can learn about your prospective Realtor. Create a list of half a dozen Realtors, and then filter though that [...]

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Do the simple words “credit check” make you nervous? Well, before you jump to conclusions, here’s the basics:
• A credit report is basically a “snapshot” of your credit history. A lot of lenders use this as a tool to determine whether or not they will lend you money.
• You have the right to see your [...]

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Sort of a silly question to ask around Christmas. Who has the money to increase their mortgage payment? At the same time it is a good idea to start thinking about budgeting for the new year - perhaps, while digesting the turkey dinner.
Many homeowners are now aware of the advantages of making a bi-weekly mortgage [...]

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Knowing what you can afford is the first rule of home buying and that depends on your income and how much debt you have. In general, lenders don’t want borrowers to spend more than 28 percent of their gross income per month on a mortgage payment or more than 36 percent on debts.
It’s worth [...]

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Title fraud is something we all hear about but may not completely understand. It’s not just an Ontario problem, it affects the industry across Canada and the United States. A conference of investigators in December in Toronto called mortgage fraud an epidemic. In December, the Ontario government responded by passing a legislation [...]

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So you’re thinking about buying a home. But before you go ahead and start looking around, take a minute to jot down what you’re looking for. By doing this, you’ll be able to determine your wants and needs and prioritize accordingly.
A list can take many forms. You can start by [...]

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The simple answer is YES. Lenders require it!
Mortgage insurance eliminates the risk to lenders, allowing them to offer borrowers like you mortgage funding at much lower interest rates and with smaller down payments than would otherwise be required.
Mandatory mortgage loan insurance provides a necessary safety net to the financial system, helping to ensure the availability [...]

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The Bank of Canada rate was cut by .25% on December 4th. I quickly started getting calls from my friends as to when mortgage rates would follow suit. As always, I had to explain to them that the Bank of Canada has very little if any influence on Mortgage rates – only in the case [...]

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The Toronto Real Estate Board recently announced that the real estate market in November was the hottest ever in the GTA.  Even more astonishing is the fact that 8 out of the 11 months that passed have all set a new record.  Sales were up 16 percent and the average price in the GTA has increased 11 [...]

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Here are some strategies that you might want to think about when renewing or negotiating your mortgage:

Frequent Payments: The most common mortgage payment is monthly, but there are other options such as weekly or bi-weekly.  Sure it’s extra payments, but they will chip away at your principle and decrease the amount of interest overall.
Make [...]

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