The Home Happy Blog
In the Middle of a 10 Year Term? You Have Options!
If you bought a house, or had a mortgage renew roughly five years ago, there's a chance the struggling economy and the relatively low interest rate environment (at the time) influenced you to "play it safe" and lock in a mortgage term for the next ten years. Because,...
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5 Things to Help You Survive Your 40s & 50s
You know those days where everything goes wrong and you’re so tired you don’t know what direction’s up? They’re a lot more manageable when you know what you’re working towards. Here’s 5 things that’ll help you survive—and make the most of!—your 40s and 50s. 1. Do work...
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A Strong Case for Homeownership
Housing affordability questions have placed homeownership and public policy near the top of the national agenda, as mortgage brokers know. Most of the commentary has been focused on the extent to which government policy, particularly with regards to supply, is...
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Finding the Right Home Without Blowing Your Budget
If you have been looking to find the right first home within your budget, it's a matter of mind over money, here's some tips from Genworth Financial that will help you keep perspective! It’s hard to say “goodbye” to your dream home. But if you fall for a house that’s...
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How Does the Growth of Our Aging Population Affect Canadians?
According to the latest Statistics Canada’s 2016 census data released last month, Canadian seniors now outnumber children for the first time, with 5.9 million Canadian seniors compared to 5.8 million Canadians 14 years of age or younger. The number of Canadian seniors...
read moreBank of Canada Hikes Rates
Bank of Canada Turns the Tide For the first time in seven years, the Bank of Canada announced today that it was hiking its key overnight rate by a quarter percentage point (25 basis points) bringing it to 0.75 percent as the economy has staged a broadly based economic...
read moreA Mortgage Pre-Approval is not what you might expect it to be
Although going through the pre-approval process is more important than ever, the actual term ‘pre-approval’ is often misleading. It really addresses just a few variables that may arise once in the middle of an actual offer. The pressure in many markets has never been...
read moreAre There More Mortgage Rule Changes Coming?
Recently, the Bank of Canada released its semi-annual Financial Systems Review (PDF document), which identifies some of the major risks that the Bank foresees on the economic horizon. Unsurprisingly, the Bank pinpoints increased levels of Canadian household debt and...
read moreA Mortgage Pre-Approval is not what you might expect it to be
Although going through the pre-approval process is more important than ever, the actual term ‘pre-approval’ is often misleading. It really addresses just a few variables that may arise once in the middle of an actual offer. The pressure in many markets has never been...
read moreAre There More Mortgage Rule Changes Coming?
Recently, the Bank of Canada released its semi-annual Financial Systems Review (PDF document), which identifies some of the major risks that the Bank foresees on the economic horizon. Unsurprisingly, the Bank pinpoints increased levels of Canadian household debt and...
read moreDon’t Forget to Claim your Home Owner Grant
Just a friendly reminder that your property taxes are due in the next couple of weeks! Now, for many of my clients, this isn't a huge deal as they have opted to have their taxes collected by their lender as part of their regular mortgage payments. Equalized payments...
read moreDeposit vs Downpayment
As part of the mortgage and real estate processes, there’s a lot of confusion around the differences between the deposit and the downpayment. It's important to understand what sets them apart so you don’t get confused when it’s time to secure financing on a property...
read moreCredit Score Compatibility: The Connection Between Financial Wealth and Romantic Health
In a study from 2015, researchers found a connection between the likelihood of a breakup in a relationship and the credit scores of each person. Essentially, this study suggested that two people with excellent credit scores are far more likely to stay together...
read moreUnderstanding Downpayment | Part 4 of 5
As part of a short series that aims to “Understand the Mind of a Lender” we've identified 4 key areas a lender will look at to decide if you're a "good risk" to provide mortgage financing. They are income, credit, downpayment, and property. Here are links to the...
read moreSpousal Buyout Mortgage?
If you happen to be going through, or considering a divorce or separation, you might not be aware that there are mortgage products designed to allow you to refinance your property in order to buyout your ex-spouse. For most couples, their property is their largest...
read moreBank of Canada Rate Announcement May 24th, 2017
The Bank of Canada is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1/2 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 3/4 per cent and the deposit rate is 1/4 per cent. Inflation is broadly in line with the Bank’s projection in its April Monetary Policy Report (MPR)....
read moreWatch What I Do, Not What I Say
Is the government being reckless and irresponsible or will rates be this low forever? Here's a great article that compares the recent changes to mortgage qualifications imposed on Canadians (what the government says) and the government's own borrowing (what they are...
read moreMortgage Documentation, Plan Ahead!
Collecting the right documentation to prove you are a worthy candidate to borrow a lot of money to buy a property can be an arduous task. The most recent government rule changes and tightening of mortgage qualification isn't making things easier. If you seem to think...
read moreUsing Your Home Equity to Stay Just a Little Bit Longer
Last month, the article "Can't find the Perfect Property in Your Price Range" was published on the blog, where the purchase plus improvements program was outlined as a way to buy and renovate a property at the same time. If you are looking to buy a new home, but can't...
read moreAs Simple as Porting Your Mortgage!
As simple as porting your mortgage! Said by no one ever. The truth is, there is nothing simple about porting your mortgage. "Porting your mortgage" involves transferring the remainder of your existing mortgage term, outstanding principal balance, and interest rate to...
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