8 Aug

Home Renovations – Reality vs. Television.

General

Posted by: Deb White

Home Renovations – Reality vs. Television. Watching home renovation shows is inspiring, often providing us with ideas for our own spaces. However, there is a bit of a downside when it comes to these shows – they can be misleading when it comes to the renovation process. While we may want to recreate something from […]

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30 Jan

HOW TO VERIFY YOUR DOWN PAYMENT WHEN BUYING A HOME

General

Posted by: Deb White

Saving for a down payment is one of the biggest challenges facing people wanting to buy their first home. To fulfill the conditions of your mortgage approval, it’s all about what you can prove (hard to believe – but some people have lied in the past – horrors!). Documentation of down payment is required by […]

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23 Jan

5 MISTAKES FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS MAKE

General

Posted by: Deb White

Buying a home might just be the biggest purchase of your life—it’s important to do your homework before jumping in! We have outlined the 5 mistakes First Time Home Buyers commonly make, and how you can avoid them and look like a Home Buying Champ. 1. Shopping Outside Your Budget It’s always an excellent idea […]

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16 Jan

PAYMENT FREQUENCY

General

Posted by: Deb White

One of the decisions you will need to make before your new mortgage is set up, is what kind of payment frequency you would like to have. For many, sticking to a monthly payment is the default, however, different frequencies may end up saving you less interest over time. Monthly Payments Monthly payments are exactly […]

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7 Jan

PRINCIPAL & INTEREST

General

Posted by: Deb White

  Principal and interest are the two components that make up a mortgage payment. Principal is the portion of your payment that goes towards paying down the outstanding balance of your mortgage. Interest is the other portion of your payment which goes directly into the pockets of your lender and does not contribute to paying […]

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7 Nov

BUILDING A REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO

General

Posted by: Deb White

More and more Canadians do not have a defined benefits pension plan. Companies are moving away from this model due to the expense of maintaining enough in the fund to pay out until the employee and survivors die. Those who are self employed also do not have pensions beside the Canadian Pension Plan. What can […]

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31 Oct

MORTGAGES 101 – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MORTGAGES

General

Posted by: Deb White

Mortgage [ˈmôrɡij] NOUN With a residential mortgage, a home buyer pledges his or her house to the bank. The bank has a claim on the house should the home buyer default on paying the mortgage. In the case of a foreclosure, the bank may evict the home’s occupants and sell the house, using the income […]

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26 Sep

4 COSTS TO CONSIDER AS A FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER

General

Posted by: Deb White

  Oftentimes even the most organized and detail oriented first-time homebuyer can overlook some unexpected costs that come with the purchase of their new home. We are outlining 4 of the costs that we most commonly see overlooked by home buyers in hopes that we can better prepare you—and save you from a few surprises! […]

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19 Sep

HELPING FAMILIES ONE AT A TIME

General

Posted by: Deb White

  Every once in a while you get to help people out and make a real difference in their lives. Recently a couple was referred to me who wanted to renew their mortgage. The bank that they had been dealing with for over 20 years had offered them a 5 year fixed rate that was […]

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29 Aug

NEED AN APPRAISAL – 7½ TIPS FOR SUCCESS

General

Posted by: Deb White

Do you need to get a current value of your property? Then you are going to need an appraisal. Banks and other lending institutions want to know the “current” market value of your home before they consider loaning money on the property. An appraiser checks the general condition of your home and compares your home […]

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