Sale of broker book marks industry maturity

By Vernon Clement Jones The transfer of an established portfolio from one broker to another is offering encouragement to industry veterans convinced their years of service to the client have a significant and very tangible value. “We bought the database,” said Mindy Small, one of two partners at Summerside Mortgages – The Mortgage Centre, in […]

Home ownership trumps renting in personal finance stakes

Owning the roof over your head should still be a goal for most Canadians as paying rent is like paying someone else’s mortgage, experts say. The Bank of Canada gave its clearest signal so far this week that interest rates are set to rise, while a growing number of real estate watchers and some economists […]

The mortgage game With rates predicted to rise, should you lock in, or take a risk and how much should first timers spend?

With anticipated interest rate increases on the horizon, many homeowners are wondering whether to lock debt such as mortgages and secured lines of credit into a fixed-rate mortgage or stay variable. Even some who are mortgage free are concerned with how rate increases will impact secured lines of credit, the financing of vacation homes and […]

Need motivation for cutting debt? Look stateside

The debt problems of the global financial system are your problems. So pay down your credit card, credit line and mortgage. Making your household balance sheet tidier has the fortunate spillover effect of saving our economy. From what? Just look at what’s happening in the United States: The housing market is a disaster, weak consumer […]

Dream of home ownership alive and well in Ontario

But majority of Ontarians concerned that home ownership will be more difficult in the future

Our Parents’ First Mortgage

81% of Ontarians say it’s more difficult to own a home now than it was for their parents. That comes from this Ipsos Reid/Ontario Real Estate Association survey. That’s interesting because our parents had to put down 25% to purchase a home. Young buyers nowadays can get their foot in the door with just 5% down. […]

Understanding The Implications Of Land Transfer Taxes Across Canada

Ben Franklin was not known for being a property market pundit, but he might have been able to add that to his credentials when he said. “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Land Transfer Tax, or Property Transfer Tax, required in many provinces across this country, is one of the most […]

Why Canadian mortgage rates are on a roller coaster

If there’s one question being kicked around the barbecue more than any other this summer, it’s probably this: should I lock in my variable rate mortgage? But with interest rates bouncing around, to the point where they make a mortgage-rate chart look more like the diagram of a rollercoaster, homeowners can be forgiven if they […]

What’s the best way to save for a house: RRSPs or TFSAs?

Add RRSPs versus TFSAs to the list of decisions you have to make as a prospective home buyer. Some serious saving is going to be required to meet the minimum 5-per-cent down payment for buying a home, not to mention the 20-per-cent threshold for avoiding costly mortgage default insurance. Two ideal vehicles for saving are […]

Consumers cope as prices rise

Canadians are digging in and watching their pennies, finding new — and old — ways to cope as the country’s highest inflation rate in eight years smacks up against record consumer debt levels. According to the RBC Canadian Consumer Outlook Index, released Wednesday, Canadians are carrying an average $13,058 in personal debt — not including […]

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