Why Joe Oliver as Finance Minister is just a short-term fix for Stephen Harper

OTTAWA/CALGARY • Surprise or not. Best candidate or not. Neither much matters. In the end, Joe Oliver’s appointment as Finance Minister was obviously the best choice for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Unlike Jim Flaherty, new Finance Minister Joe Oliver has already earned his Bay Street cred   Theresa Tedesco: Canada’s new Finance Minister is a […]

Home buyers squeezed out of market must save more – or settle for less – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

DAVID ISRAELSON- Special to The Globe and Mail When the Occupy movement hit the headlines in 2011, we heard about the 99 per cent, but when it comes to getting a mortgage there’s another group in Canada – the 9 per cent. These are the nearly one in 10 prospective home buyers who as recently as […]

Realtors say Canada’s housing market can still grow – Ask a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Home sales and prices are expected to still grow over the next two years, albeit at a slower pace, says the national organization that represents realtors. In Canada’s housing market here’s what $500 K buys: A lake in Edmonton … a condo in Toronto From four bedrooms in Windsor to one-bedroom in Vancouver, check out […]

Canadian first-time home buyers’ budget rises to $316,000, 6% more than last year – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

TORONTO — A Bank of Montreal report on first-time home buyers says the average budget has increased to $316,100. That’s up nearly 6% from an average of $300,000 in last year’s report on first-time home buyers. The BMO study says a sample of prospective buyers in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary had even higher budgets for […]

Say hello to your neighbour on top of you, below you and beside you – ask a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

TORONTO — The dream of an affordable single-family detached home is fading fast. Rising land values and development costs mean even those trying to avoid high-rises will be living in more densely populated housing. North America’s top 20 housing markets: Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary among most expensive on continent Whether the market is overheated remains to […]

Record home building in Canada drives spike in building permits – ask a Vancouver mortgage broker

Record Canadian housing construction led a faster-than-expected gain in building permits in January, government data showed one day after the central bank predicted a soft landing in the country’s real estate market. North America’s top 20 housing markets: Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary among most expensive Is Canada’s market overheated? Here’s a look at the prices in […]

Fixed mortgages now trump variable, report says. Not everyone agrees – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Fixed-rate mortgages have gained an edge over variable-rate mortgages given the improving economy and attractive offers on longer-term deals, says a new report from economists at one of Canada’s big banks. “Fixed now modestly trumps variable,” according to a BMO Nesbitt Burns study published Thursday. While many mortgage brokers agree with that assessment, others caution […]

Can you really afford that mortgage? Know your Real Life Ratio – consult with a vancouver mortgage Broker

Someone ought to explain the facts of life to the nation’s bankers. They’re handing out mortgages to people without any apparent understanding that today’s home-buying couple is tomorrow’s family of three or four. A lot happens to one’s ability to afford mortgage payments when kids come along, but you’d never know it by the way […]

Work longer but work smarter – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

For most of us, the concept of retiring at 55 is dead. It is dead because many would struggle to finance a retirement that will last 30 plus years, but also dead because many people are realizing that they don’t actually want to be retired for 30 years. Since 1975, the average number of years […]

7 Myths About Dividend-Paying Stocks Separate the myths from the facts on the value of dividend-paying stocks.

7 Myths About Dividend-Paying Stocks-  Separate the myths from the facts on the value of dividend-paying stocks. The most common misconception among investors may be the value of investing in dividend-paying stocks. Almost every week, someone contacts me to extol the virtues of investing in what they call “high quality, dividend-yielding securities.” Often, their interest […]

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