How to house-hunt with your head, not your heart: Eight steps to smarter house hunting

Contrary to popular belief, home is not where the heart is. Home is where the head is – and if you don’t use your head when house-hunting you could find yourself wishing you’d never said “I do” to that not-so-dream home. Though it’s sometimes appropriate to let your heart take the lead, finding the right […]

Gen Y: Don’t believe the hype on home ownership – Ask a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

The housing boom of the past decade has given young adults a whole lot of debt and some pitiful gains in net worth. The twenty- and thirtysomethings of Generation Y who are entering the market today are in for worse treatment. A mindset for those who choose to buy a house: It’s about lifestyle, not […]

Mortgage Freedom on the Horizon for Some Canadians: Scotiabank Study – Ask a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Scotiabank Offers Advice on How to Become Mortgage-Free Faster TORONTO, ON–(Marketwired – April 01, 2014) – The dream of mortgage freedom is less than 10 years away for 37% of Canadian mortgage holders, according to Scotiabank’s Mortgage Landscape Study. More than two-thirds (68%) of mortgage holders have taken steps to pay off their mortgage faster, including […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Condo correction not in the cards for Toronto, Vancouver, says new report – Ask a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

The rental housing market has “passed it peak” but condominium investors can probably rest easy because vacancy rates will only edge up slightly, says a new report.   How Canada’s new immigration rules could slow high end real estate sales Canada’s luxury housing market has already been impacted by changes to immigration policy and could […]

Canada home sales fell 3.3% in January, CREA says – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Canadian existing home sales fell for a fifth month in January on fewer transactions in Toronto and Vancouver, adding to evidence the nation’s housing market is cooling. Sales declined 3.3% in January from the previous month, the Canadian Real Estate Association said today in a statement. The average price of a home sold in January […]

Does it make more financial sense to own a condo or rent an apartment? – Ask a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

DAN BARNABIC Contributed to The Globe and Mail From The Condo Bible for Canadians, Everything you must know before and after buying a Condo, by Dan S. Barnabic. Copyright © 2013 by Dan S. Barnabic. Reprinted with permission of Neon Publishing Corp. Investing vs. Renting: “In Principal”For many people, it is more advantageous to own rather […]

With Vancouver prices up, a call for curbs – Ask a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Along with a jump in house sales, house prices in Vancouver have risen sharply and will likely continue to climb in the new year, pushing some frustrated house hunters to call for curbs on the foreign buyers they blame for stoking the rapid ramping up of housing values. B.C.’s real estate market powered through third-quarter […]

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