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Bridge Loans… the what and why!

brown wooden bridge over green trees

Bridge loans are short-term loans that bridge the gap between two different closing dates. More commonly used when an existing homeowner sells their home, and buys another home, with two different closing dates. But bridge loans have become a very popular way to take possession of that new home while it’s empty for 2 or 3 weeks to allow for renos. Best of all, it’s really inexpensive!

THE OLD WAY

In the past, most homebuyers would have their selling and buying dates match. It’s always been a bit of a juggling act as you have to pack your moving truck and unpack it, all in less than a day. Somehow, everyone manages to get it done… but talk about one of the most stressful days in your life, moving ranks right up there! Throw in some kids, maybe a dog, and a house full of stuff and you have a real chore on your hands.

THE NEW WAY Continue reading “Bridge Loans… the what and why!”

Posted Finance

Housing crisis.. Made in Canada

It’s really not that complicated.  If you really want to resolve the housing crisis you just need to do these FIVE things

  • 1. Bring back 35 year amortization periods and increase qualifying home prices to $1,250,000 or higher.
  • 2.Remove rent control rules.
  • 3.Halt new immigration until we can build up enough support services to handle what we have already. *(exception below)
  • 4.Cut back on the municipal, provincial gov’t Red Tape to build any type of residential housing and that includes purpose built rental apartment buildings.
  • 5.Create a hiring program to entice and incentivize people to get into skilled trades …and bring over people from outside Canada if you have to (this would be my exception to point 2 above)
  • Do this and you’ll soon have more housing units available than you could even dream of.  It could be done in 3 to 5 years.  It’s just not that complicated.
Continue reading “Housing crisis.. Made in Canada”
Rental properties as a secure long-term investment
Posted Finance

Population Crisis Part 2: The Good News

Hopefully you read Part One of this article where I discuss the Canadian government’s delusional (and incredibly damaging) immigration strategy. With no meaningful plan to absorb 500,000 newcomers per year, we’re looking down the barrel of a number of crises to come: a jobs crisis, a healthcare crisis, an infrastructure crisis, and of course, a housing crisis.

Continue reading “Population Crisis Part 2: The Good News”
Posted 1 Comment on Population Crisis Part 1: The Bad News Finance

Population Crisis Part 1: The Bad News

Well, it’s safe to say that our federal government has officially lost the plot. Immigration numbers have exploded, and Trudeau has done absolutely nothing to prepare for the mass amounts of newcomers flowing in. Pre-Trudeau, we were receiving on average 200,000 immigrants per year. Under Trudeau, that number ramped up to 400,000, then 500,000, then 1,200,000.

Continue reading “Population Crisis Part 1: The Bad News”
Posted Finance

There’s Never a Good Time To Time the Market

Rates are up, inventory is low, and sales volume is flat. If you’re looking to buy a new home, what are you supposed to do? A lot of people will tell you to wait. After all, rates are dropping soon! Why not just be patient until you can lock into lower monthly mortgage payments? 

What these people don’t realize is that waiting can be a dangerous game. I’ve been in real estate for more than 3 decades, and while things change all the time, one thing has remained consistently true: it’s never a good idea to time the market.

Continue reading “There’s Never a Good Time To Time the Market”