Investing in property has long been a great way to diversify your portfolio and improve your long term returns. Unfortunately, recent rule changes have changed the playing field for many potential real estate investors. While buyers used to be able to purchase an investment property with very little down and still receive a great rate, current hiccups in the market … Read More
Get a Better Rate: Five Questions to Ask Your Broker
Mortgage brokers are expected to be honest when it comes to providing their customers with financial advice. It’s their job, after all, to find you the best possible rate based on your unique financial situation. But, as with any other position of authority, there are always a few bad apples in the bunch. If you’re shopping for a mortgage rate, … Read More
Why a Bank Mortgage Might Not Make Cents
It’s no secret that the banking industry operates in a regulatory environment. Bankers and advisors are required to adhere to strict rules and restrictions… except when it comes to mortgages. According to Samantha Gale, a former mortgage regulator with B.C.’s Financial Institutions Commission and chief executive officier of the Mortgage Brokers Association of British Columbia, individual bank mortgage reps, unlike … Read More
Alternative Down Payment Funding Sources
The theme for 2012 mortgage rules was pretty obvious: crack down on homebuyers who were looking to purchase a home with little money down. Changes barring cash-back mortgages by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. made it clear that regulators wanted to dissuade cash-poor consumers from taking on more debt. Yet, even despite these changes, first time homebuyers can still … Read More
No Change in Bank of Canada Rate
While the Canadian economy continues to grow at a slower pace than expected, last week’s release from the Bank of Canada wasn’t all doom and gloom. Consumer debt and the housing market finally appear to be stabilizing here in the Great White North, at the same time debt concerns in the United States and Europe have begun to dissipate. As such, the … Read More