Condo glass panels may look great, but you’ll pay more for heat and AC

Printed with permission from Dan Barnabic, author of the Condo Bible for Canadians. “What does the future hold for condos and how long will they last?” These are by far the questions I am asked most often by condo buyers and owners alike. Life Span of Condo Building Components Condo buildings consist of thousands of […]

Mortgages & Investment Strategy – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

STEVE HUEBL For most home buyers, a mortgage is the only path to ownership. But a recent survey reveals that mortgages are also being used as a preferred investment strategy for wealthy Canadians. The survey commissioned by Investors Group found that 67% of high-net-worth Canadians — those with investable assets of $500,000 or more — who have […]

Lenders Worries – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Not many lenders go on record forecasting a housing bubble, but what they say in private surveys is another matter. FICO, a consumer analytics firm, released poll results on Tuesday that show just how concerned lenders are about housing overvaluation. But its data, which was picked up by multiple media outlets, featured responses primarily from […]

Mortgage rules may be tighter for the self-employed, but options remain – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

If you are self-employed, live in a rural area or don’t have the best credit, you may find it increasingly difficult to get a mortgage. Yet while tighter lending rules are making it harder for some people get approved by a bank, going to a second or third-tier lender isn’t something everyone is comfortable with. […]

Calgary’s energy boom is fuelling record surge in luxury home sales – ask a Vancouver mortgage broker

Sotheby’s International RealtyThe estate, once owned by the Ford family of Henry Ford heritage, listed for $37.9-million, with views of the Rocky Mountains, comes with four fireplaces, $1 million in mouldings and two garages for six cars. Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Email Comments More Larry Lindholm made his fortune in Calgary’s booming energy industry, building and […]

Can you afford a home in these cities? – Ask a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Housing affordability is a national disaster that begs further investigation. The average national resale home price in May: $416,584. The annual gross income needed to afford that price based on a 5-per-cent down payment and a five-year mortgage: $89,363. The estimated median family employment income: $68,692. In that $20,671 shortfall is the considerably, but not […]

Household debt worries ease as pace of mortgage borrowing slows in May: study – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Royal Bank says Canadians have been slowing down the amount of debt they are taking on to buy real estate, easing concerns about household vulnerability. The RBC paper notes that overall household debt accumulation remained flat-lined at 4.2 per cent growth in May, about the same level as the previous three months. Outstanding mortgage debt […]

Even economists say they continue to be surprised by Canada’s housing market – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Record low interest rates have have forced Toronto-Dominion Bank to boost its forecast for the Canadian housing sector. 5 questions to help you decide whether to rent or buy a home Economist Diana Petramala said in an economic report that TD’s forecast in January was banking on an increase in interest rates that has not […]

Canada building permits spike 13.8% in May – Ask a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says municipalities issued building permits worth $6.9 billion in May, up 13.8% from April. The agency says the increase in May resulted primarily from higher construction intentions for commercial buildings in Ontario and Manitoba, as well as multi-family dwellings in British Columbia. It says the total value of permits has been […]

China’s shadow banking system could bring down the world’s hottest property markets – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Chinese investors are major players in the international real estate markets. The country’s outbound property investment totaled US$2.1 billion in Q1 2014, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. And now there are concerns about the quality of the loans that have fed into international property markets. “Will China’s capital flight fuel property bubbles overseas or cause […]

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