If you’re shopping for a new mortgage, you may read around a lot of scepticism concerning the variable-rate. Are they an unnecessary gamble? On the plus side, you may win for at least a year or two by taking the chances; but after that, it’s finger-nail biting time. Years 4 and 5 could prove very…
Also known as cliff vesting, it’s the process by which employees earn the right to receive full benefits from their company’s qualified retirement plan account at a specified date, rather than becoming vested gradually over a period of time. The vesting process applies to both qualified retirement plans and pension plans offered to employees. The CMHC’s CEO Evan Siddall…
Of all the major cities and their popularity in Canada, we are certainly not used to Ottawa becoming so big in real estate! And why is this happening? For most of the past decade-and-a-half, frenetic activity across the country has completely taken Ottawa off the map, in terms of media coverage. Let’s look back a…
Last week’s article covered some latest news about the Bank of Canada’s decision to increase the interest rate for mortgages and how it may affect homebuyers. One of the short interviews that was included in the text briefly discussed the difference between fixed rate and variable rate mortgage, but now, you can read more extensively…
After an off-topic blog about mental and physical wellness last time around, we are back discussing a very important topic regarding the economy and banking’s effect on our real estate market. There are some more news coming out about the stress-test regulations this year. Sadly, it’s going to be even more difficult for younger people…
When we speak of mortgages, it’s always about families with a stable income that will comfortably pay it off after a certain time. What is never spoken about are entrepreneurs and their housing plans; as we know, being self-employed means your salary can vary on a monthly basis, but being an employee on a payroll…
Mortgage can bring a hurricane of questions and troubles for home buyers. The Globe and Mail recently put up the question of “Should you get pre-approved for a mortgage?” Let’s break everything down and take a look. You’ll get an idea about the price range you should aim for during your househunting. By knowing how…
As we say goodbye to 2013 and welcome in 2014, we can learn from this past year’s real estate market trends to predict expectations in the new year. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, Canadian home sales turned out slightly better than expected in 2013 and sales will continue to increase in 2014.
