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The Bank of Canada’s Growth Forecast: What It Means For Homeowners

Last month, the Bank of Canada released their Monetary Policy Report – or in plain English, their economic forecast. It’s a document that lays out their predictions for the future of the Canadian economy including GDP growth and inflation rates. Of course, there’s a lot of interesting information here. But if you’re a homeowner that carries a variable rate mortgage, you might be concerned mostly with their inflation projections. Why? Inflation typically impacts interest rate movements. 

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Rethinking Your Career? Here’s How It Could Affect Your Mortgage

The pandemic has forced a lot of people to look at their careers more critically. Is my job fulfilling? Does it afford me work/life balance? Flexible hours? Decent time off? Now, with so much uncertainty behind us, people are finding the courage to make a change as part of a trend that many are calling “The Great Resignation.”

You might just want to start working at another company. Or start a business. Or, just take some time off. Whichever direction you decide to take, it’s important to understand how it could affect your mortgage.

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Your Lawyer May Be Overcharging You

Picture this: you’re buying a home or refinancing your mortgage. You hire a lawyer to facilitate the transaction. You decide to go with a mortgage that is NOT through one of the big six banks, like hundreds of thousands of Canadians do every year. Suddenly, you get a call from your lawyer. They want to charge you an additional fee for not choosing TD, CIBC, Scotiabank, RBC, BMO or National Bank.

Is this common? Unfortunately, it’s more common than you think.

Is this legal? You bet it’s legal.

Is this acceptable? That’s for you to decide.

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How Financing a Furnace Can Affect Your Mortgage

“Save up to $3,000 on heating and cooling”

“No monthly payments for 3 months” 

“No interest for 6 months”

Sound familiar? You’ve probably seen tons of offers like these on flyers and emails from your utility company. It sounds great on the surface. You can save some money, lock in low monthly payments, and avoid spending thousands of dollars at once on a furnace or air conditioner. 

If it all sounds too good to be true, it’s because it is. 

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Will the Housing Market Cool Off?

From the stock market to the way we work, nothing is exactly “normal” right now. It’s impossible to look at a dramatic societal shift and not attribute it to the pandemic. But the housing market is a little bit of a different story. 

Yes, many Canadians flocked to buy homes as interest rates dropped to record lows. Many chose to buy new homes in response to their new lifestyle, no longer needing to live in certain areas, or needing more space to work. No doubt, these COVID-related factors had a huge impact on the housing market. But they don’t tell the whole story of its explosive growth.

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