27 Nov

GTA new condo sales surge to new October record

General

Posted by: Kimberly Walker

Sales of new homes in the Greater Toronto Area surged in October, driven by multifamily and condo apartments in high-rise and medium-rise buildings and stacked townhomes. A report from the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) shows that 5,377 new homes were sold last month, 91% (4,884) were multifamily while just 493 were low-rise […]

Read More
27 Nov

But They Said It Was Portable…

General

Posted by: Kimberly Walker

The question most often asked: ‘Is my mortgage portable?’ The answer most often given: ‘Yes.’ This answer is increasingly wrong. In reality you qualify to move ~80% of the balance… maybe. If you are thinking of: Moving (upsizing or downsizing) Locking a variable-rate mortgage into a fixed-rate product … you would be well served to […]

Read More
24 Nov

Mortgages and Paperwork

General

Posted by: Kimberly Walker

Paperwork-it’s a fact of life. You need it and we as mortgage professionals also need it. Below is a list of must have documentation BEFORE you start going through the mortgage approval process. Personal Information This will be the basic information we require to start your mortgage process. It will include your age, marital status, […]

Read More
22 Nov

Documents you need to qualify for a mortgage

General

Posted by: Kimberly Walker

Being fully pre-approved means that the lender has agreed to have you as a client (you have a pre-approval certificate) and the lender has reviewed, approved ALL your income and down payment documents (as listed below) prior to you going house hunting. Many bankers will say you’re approved, you go out shopping and then they […]

Read More
21 Nov

Top 5 costly financial mistakes homeowners make with their mortgage

General

Posted by: Kimberly Walker

1. Not consolidating high interest debt into low interest mortgage. 2. Paying “fees” to get the lower rate 3. Not looking at their long term forecast 4. Taking a 5 year rate when 3-4 years can be cheaper 5. Having their mortgage with a lender that has high penalties and restrictive clauses. Not consolidating high […]

Read More
17 Nov

BC becomes first province to ban dual agency

General

Posted by: Kimberly Walker

British Columbia is introducing new rules from spring next year designed to strengthen consumer protection. The Office of the Superintendent of Real Estate announced this week that new measures would include banning dual agency, making BC the first province in Canada to do so. “Ending dual agency removes the potential for conflict and serious problems,” […]

Read More
17 Nov

Mortgage Payment Options… Which is the Best Option for Your Situation?

General

Posted by: Kimberly Walker

Once your mortgage has been funded by your lender, you need to decide on how frequently you want to make your mortgage payments. Most people want to pay off their mortgage as quick as possible to save paying interest. We’ll discuss various mortgage payment options and then do the math by crunching mortgage numbers, keeping […]

Read More
15 Nov

I’ve never heard of that lender before

General

Posted by: Kimberly Walker

One of the benefits of working with an independent mortgage professional; compared to getting your mortgage through a single institution, is choice. And as there are even more mortgage rules coming into place January 1st 2018, now more than ever, having access to a wide variety of mortgage products is going to ensure you get […]

Read More
14 Nov

Understanding how Bridge Financing Works

General

Posted by: Kimberly Walker

Sometimes in life, things don’t always go as planned. This could not be truer than in the world of Real Estate. For instance, let’s say that you have just sold your home and purchased a new home. The thought was to use the proceeds of the sale of your house as the down payment for […]

Read More