OK, so I have to admit, I had a love/hate relationship with today’s topic: Federal Government First Time Home Buyers Incentive. The reason is that – in the past- we were able to qualify for much higher than this program ever allowed, and mortgage payments/interest rates were affordable; however given the current rate environment it […]

Today I am going to share some MLS and PDS LINGO that may cause issues / further conversation on a file. While we recognize some can NOT be avoided in the interest of proper disclosure, it’s good to be aware that if we see this wording, we may need some extra time on the file: […]

Consider using a Broker… 1) Consider using a Broker (Pick ME!) who has access to lenders that will not use a STRESS TEST. For a rate difference of only .10 we can qualify for substantially more than any of the Banks. 2) Consider using a Broker (yep, ME again!) who knows the best lenders to […]



Today I wanted to share with you some “OTHER INCOME SOURCES” you may not realize we can use in the Broker world, for example:   Non Occupying Co-Borrower – check out this article for more info Car, Living or Housing Allowance Parental Leave Foster Care Canada Child Benefit (CCB), Provincial Child Benefit, Family Allowances Support […]

1 – Default Insurance The first and perhaps most common form of insurance when discussing the mortgage space is known as “default insurance”. The purpose of mortgage default insurance is to protect the lenders, allowing them to lend money more aggressively. This type of insurance is mandatory for any homes where the buyer puts less […]

Whether it is to get away to the cottage, a need to be closer to your job, or sending the kids to University – buying a Second Home is becoming increasing popular and is VERY similar to the purchase of your Principle Residence. The minimum down payment remains 5% of the purchase price and will […]

It can get pretty exciting to see campaigns around “cash-back mortgages” but, before you get too far along, here are three things you might not know about these types of mortgages: Occasionally you will see campaigns on cash-back mortgages, so don’t jump at the first one you see! These types of mortgages are available through […]

Closing Costs:  As a Mortgage Broker, our job is to ensure you can produce not only the down payment, but all CLOSING COSTS as well.  Today I wanted to cover off the largest one that surprisingly, many forget to budget for:  Property Transfer Tax What Is PTT? Property Transfer Tax is a Provincial Government tax […]

I now have access to a new BC lender and they have some amazing underwriting programs .. You are going to want to read this 😊 A NON-STRESS TEST option, slightly higher in rate BUT can get the clients MUCH higher in pre-approval numbers. Example: $100K income, 5.39% Stress test and 20% down = $420 […]