The process of purchasing a home and arranging for a mortgage can be almost overwhelming, especially to a first-time home buyer. When doing the research, it is important to get assistance to understand terms and conditions. Informed decisions about the terms and budgetary impact is...
Mortgage brokers are trained professionals in the field of financing for those who need loans. Even for borrowers with impeccable credit history and income levels, finding the best terms for a loan is not easy. The top brokers are noted for their ability to locate...
In hard economic times, you may be looking for ways to cut costs, but saving money is not the only reason why you should refinance your mortgage. You can use cash freed up to build a retirement account, do a remodeling project or send your...
For those who are taking out a mortgage for the first time, knowledge of the effect of changing mortgage rates may be very limited. About one-third of first time borrowers expect the interest rate to remain the same over the next five years. Unfortunately, this...
Getting an audit of my 40-year-old home gives me a plan to cut my energy bills in half By Anita Murray, OTTAWA CITIZEN OTTAWA — I have a confession to make. After two years as Homes editor, it’s time to admit that the beautiful homes I feature...
Homeowners who feel the assessed value of their property assessment is too high should appeal. By: Sean Cooper Special to The Star, Published on Wed Mar 06 2013 Homeowners who feel the assessed value of their property assessment is too high should appeal. I did and have...
You know all those neat features on your mortgage that will allow you to get that sucker paid off lickety-split? How many of them have you taken advantage of? If you’re like most Canadians, not many. According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMCH), “27% of...
While it looks like interest rates will remain low for some time, there has been a large swing from variable to fixed-rate mortgages over the past year, says a new report by the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals. CAAMP’s annual report on the state of...
The list for things you should do to your home is endless—change furnace filter, clean gutters, leave a faucet running when it's freezing out—but there are likewise many things you shouldn't do. Of course, "set it on fire", "paint it all black", and "take off...
As the leaves continue to fall in Ottawa, we are seeing an increase in units sold, as well as an increase in average sale price. Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,073 residential properties in October through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system,...
MortgageBrokerNews.ca has more questions than answers at this point, but many brokers are both intrigued and nervous about reports the fiercest Dragon in the Den is entering the mortgage industry. “Looks like O’Leary is going into mortgages,” one MortgageBrokerNews.ca reader told us over the phone. “Maybe...
Survey results suggest most Canadians feel now is a great time to buy a home, but not for them personally. A poll done for Royal Bank of Canada found 59 per cent of those asked said now is the time to get into the housing market,...
Owning a rental property can be a profitable investment -- but it's not for everyone. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you take the plunge.
If you're thinking of purchasing an investment property to rent out to tenants, you will need to...
Many Canadians renew their mortgages like they renew their newspaper subscriptions: the renewal notice comes in the mail, they sign on the dotted line, and that's that. But homeowners should be more discriminating, say experts. A lot can change between the time you purchased your house...
So you've decided to buy a house but it's not perfect to your standards. Luckily our lenders offer a solution to bring it up to par. Welcome to the 'Purchase plus Improvements' mortgage. This program is designed for people who wish to purchase a home that...