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Posted Bank News

Ask the mortgage expert: Is now a good time to buy a cottage in Canada? (2026)

Following the herd rarely gets you the best deal is one thing I have learned through almost four decades in the mortgage and real estate industry. When everyone is rushing into the market, bidding blind, and waiving conditions, you end up paying a massive premium. But when everyone is sitting on the sidelines—waiting for the “perfect” moment or letting economic headlines dictate life’s choices—that is precisely when smart money makes its move.

Right now, in the summer of 2026, Canada’s cottage country landscape offers a unique real estate opportunity not seen in recent memory. In a nutshell: I think this is a buyer’s market. Continue Reading…

I hope you will enjoy this article and if you have any questions or would like to discuss I am always available.

Your best interest is my only interest. I reply to all questions and I welcome your comments. Like this article? Share with a friend.

Steve Garganis: 416-224-0114; steve@canadamortgagenews.

Canadian housing affordability comparison 1989 to 2024 with rising home prices and slower income growth
Posted Bank News

Mortgage Expert alert: Why Canadian housing seems unaffordable in 2026: A 35-year real estate disconnect

The dream of home ownership in Canada appears distant in today’s mathematical reality. Housing costs account for nearly 30% of household income. Older generations survived 12–18% interest rates in the 1980s and early 1990s. At the time, home prices equaled two or three years of household income. In today’s market, buying a home feels like embarking on a lifetime of debt.

This is an in-depth study on what it housing really has been costing us over the last 35 years. I looked at average rents, average incomes, average mortgage payments, average mortgage payments over the last 35 years. Continue reading..

I hope you will enjoy this article and if you have any questions or would like to discuss I am always available.

Your best interest is my only interest. I reply to all questions and I welcome your comments. Like this article? Share with a friend.

Steve Garganis: 416-224-0114; steve@canadamortgagenews.

Posted 2 Comments on House Poor is Out. “Kid Poor” is In. Case study

House Poor is Out. “Kid Poor” is In.

Why the cost of modern parenting is drowning families—and how to be the adult in the room to fix it.

This is an article I began writing 8 months ago. I delayed publishing it because my inner circle said I would get a lot of hate mail.. Well, after seeing more families fall into these situations, I have to speak out.  For what it’s worth, I softened the wording to make this easier to digest.  

Every parent shares a universal instinct: the desire to give their children the world. We feel a heavy, almost biological responsibility to provide every opportunity life has to offer. In previous generations, this was simpler. Forty years ago, parenting often meant handing a child a stick and a ball, or a cardboard box, and telling them to play outside until the streetlights came on.

Continue reading “House Poor is Out. “Kid Poor” is In.”
Posted Bank News

Stop Bleeding Cash: Why Your Mortgage is the Ultimate Financial Power Tool

Let’s have an honest conversation about the financial squeeze many Canadians are feeling right now.

Prices are up at the pump, at the grocery store, and certainly in utility bills. But for many homeowners, the real pressure isn’t just inflation; it’s the “silent killer” of accumulated consumer debt sitting on top of their mortgage.

I see it every day in my practice. Good people, with good incomes, who have managed to build significant equity in their homes, yet they are drowning in monthly payments because they are financing their lives using the wrong tools. They are using 19.99% credit cards and 11% lines of credit for expenses that should be financed at 4-5%.

It makes absolutely no financial sense.

Continue reading “Stop Bleeding Cash: Why Your Mortgage is the Ultimate Financial Power Tool”
How Can We Help With Cash Flow Issues
Posted 2 Comments on How can we help? Case study

How can we help?

How Can We Help With Cash Flow Issues

As a follow-up to my previous post on Cash Flow, I wanted to dig deeper into how we can help, as well as the good and bad around some of the relief programs being offered. 

First, How can we help? We are finding that many of our clients are able to save by refinancing their debts into one low payment.  

Continue reading “How can we help?”