CategoryMortgage Tips

Posted March 27, 2018 Case study

How can an extra $100 boost your mortgage?

When it comes to mortgages, $100 isn’t going to get you very far. But what if you paid an extra $100 a month towards your mortgage? It’s not a lot of money these days, but it can add up to some solid savings over time.

Let’s look at a $300,000 mortgage with a 2.89% rate and a 25-year amortization. At the end of five years, you’ve paid off an extra $6,444. The balance owing is $249,435. And the remaining amortization is 17 years and 9 months instead of 20 years. This also represents an interest savings of $11,423 over the life of the mortgage. Not bad!

Now let’s look at paying an extra $200 per month. At the end of five years, you’ve paid off an extra $12,888. The balance owing is $242,991. And the remaining amortization is 15 years and 11 months. This represents an interest savings of $20,708 over the life of the mortgage! Continue reading “How can an extra $100 boost your mortgage?”

Posted March 20, 20182 Comments Money saving tips

RRSP, RESP, TFSA or Mortgage prepayment… Which offers the best bang for my buck?

Trying to decide what’s the best move can be difficult… and, I must admit, this isn’t an easy subject to tackle. There are so many opinions! But it’s important enough that I’m going to put my two cents into the discussion. (My final recommendations are listed at the bottom if you want to fast forward.)

First, let’s come to the understanding that we’re all different and have unique needs. You must first ask for professional advice in order to make up your own mind. Having said that, I think that, for me, this is actually a very easy decision. Continue reading “RRSP, RESP, TFSA or Mortgage prepayment… Which offers the best bang for my buck?”

Posted March 15, 20181 Comment Mortgage News

I’m getting divorced. Should I keep the family home?

You’ve heard the stats: 1 out of every 2 marriages fails. Actually, I think the number of failed marriages is even higher now. Wait, let me rephrase that. A marital split is not a failure. I think that’s old-world thinking. A marital split is usually a positive move for all parties involved – for the spouses who are no longer in love and the kids who don’t have to see an unhappy married couple.

Marital splits can be a very emotional and difficult time in one’s life – especially when there are kids involved. There’s always one parent who wants to keep the house because the kids grew up there or have friends there or it’s just more familiar to them.

Having worked on 8,000+ mortgage applications at this stage in my career, I’ve witnessed my share of separations and divorces. I’m going to share what I’ve seen – a financial and personal perspective on marital splits.

Continue reading “I’m getting divorced. Should I keep the family home?”

Posted March 13, 20184 Comments Case study

Credit counselling, Consumer proposal or Bankruptcy… Which option is most favourable?

A couple in their 30s contacts me for a mortgage. They want to buy a new home. She’s a high school teacher and he’s a computer firm manager. Incomes are good. I check their credit.

Let’s stop here for a minute… If they have good credit, an approval is simple and we can provide the clients with several mortgage options.

But let’s assume that this couple ran into some debt and credit issues three years ago… and they made three different choices about how to resolve those credit problems: 1) Credit Counselling; 2) Consumer Proposal; or 3) Bankruptcy. I want to take you through each scenario and show you how long each of these three options affects your ability to finance a home. I bet the results will surprise you! Continue reading “Credit counselling, Consumer proposal or Bankruptcy… Which option is most favourable?”

Posted March 6, 20184 Comments Mortgage News

Mortgage Awards of Excellence Marketing Campaign of the Year Finalist!

I’m honoured to be named a finalist for Marketing Campaign of the Year at the inaugural Mortgage Awards of Excellence 2018 for this news site!

Thank you to my amazing clients and loyal readers!

Winners will be announced live during the awards on May 3, 2018. Regardless of the outcome, I’m thrilled to be named a finalist for something I truly enjoy doing

This site continues to evolve because you want to learn more about the mortgage industry, and you have trusted me to offer facts and my true opinions since I started this site in 2009.

I enjoy helping educate Canadians on the value of using a mortgage broker when making among the largest purchases of your lifetime – buying real estate!

Continue reading “Mortgage Awards of Excellence Marketing Campaign of the Year Finalist!”