Bank vs. budget: How much house can you afford? Tim Parker Investopedia We hear it all the time. The housing market is still in a slump and there are dozens of houses just a short drive from where you live that really need an owner and you may be that person. It’s fate, right? Not […]

Your options in the brave new real estate world Garry Marr, Financial Post · Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010 How would you sell your house today if it was on the market? Would you use a real estate agent or go it alone? It’s no small issue given the typical commission paid by the seller in […]

Bank of Canada says third-quarter growth was worst since recession By Julian Beltrame OTTAWA – The Canadian economy likely suffered the worst quarter since the recession over the summer months, but Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney warns against taking too gloomy a view. “I wouldn’t obsess about the third quarter,” Carney told reporters Wednesday […]

*BoC Keeps Key Rate Unchanged The market widely predicted the Bank of Canada would not raise rates, and it was right. The BoC has left its key lending rate at 1.00%. In turn, prime rate will remain at 3.00%, making today’s BoC meeting a non-event for mortgage holders in the short-term. The BoC’s call comes […]

There has been a bottoming out  Garry Marr, Financial Post · Rock-bottom long-term mortgage rates appear to have handed the housing sector the lifeline it desperately needs, helping to push up sales for a second consecutive month and keep prices from falling. The Canadian Real Estate Association said Friday sales last month rose 3% from […]

Are Mortgage Brokers Doomed or Are Origination Models Evolving?   by C.M. “Corky” Watts, CMB Mortgage News Daily “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed” -Charles Darwin Last week I debated one of my Management Advisory Program (MAP) clients who operates […]

October 07, 2010 TD Mortgages To Become Collateral Charges TD is making a big change with respect to how it registers its mortgages.    Effective October 18, all new TD mortgages will be registered as “collateral charges.”   A collateral charge is a different way to secure a home loan than a standard mortgage. “The […]

What’s the difference between a mortgage broker and a road rep? By Charlie Smith Publish Date: October 6, 2010 For some first-time buyers, arranging financing is more daunting than the actual purchase of a home. There’s a glossary of terminology associated with taking out a loan, including variable- and fixed-rate mortgages, debt-service ratio, amortization period, […]

    By Derek Sankey, Postmedia News October 5, 2010     When Laura Parsons’s son, a heavy-duty mechanic, graduated with student debt like so many of his post-secondary peers, he also wanted to get into home ownership. Realizing the financial burden, he found a creative solution. Over two years, he put money that would […]

News Release: October 4, 2010 September previews fall real estate market in the Fraser Valley       (Surrey, BC) – After a slowdown in July and August, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) saw a modest month-over-month increase in sales on its Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) in September and a decrease in overall inventory for […]