The Mortgage Gal
Refinancing may be the solution to dealing with debt
I feel many of us have the tendency to bury our heads in the sand while dealing with (or more specifically not dealing with) our finances. I also feel the last...
Avoid becoming a victim of a "Tinder swindler"
Mortgages and Tinder. What do the two have to do with each other? This week I learned a new term – "Tinder Swindler." This comes from a Netflix...
Deciding the best way to go when renewing your mortgage
If your mortgage is coming up for renewal soon it’s a great idea to do some research before you sign on the dotted line and stick with your traditional...
Finding a way to finance home renovations
In my last column, I wrote about looking at refinancing your home to consolidate debts or pull money for renovations to your home. It struck a nerve with...
Using equity in your home to deal with debt
Just over a year ago, I shared my thoughts about whether it might make more sense to stay in your current home and renovate as opposed to jumping into the...
Why do mortgage pre-approval numbers keep changing?
Why do mortgage pre-approval numbers keep changing? From a broker’s perspective, trying to nail down an upper price point for clients is a little like...
New B.C. law allows home buyers to back out of sales
What exactly is the Home Buyer Rescission Period (HBRP)? For months now, we’ve been hearing about a proposed cooling off period for home purchases. This...
Year-end mortgage rate drops could prove helpful
Most years, we see fixed mortgage rates start to drop towards the end of the calendar year as lenders try to boost their business to end the year strong. This...
Mortgaging into the sunset
I feel like I am getting more calls these days from older clients who are finding that the increased cost of living is really affecting their month to month...
It's worth it to work with a trusted mortgage broker
Last week I ran into a situation with clients who didn’t understand what they were signing. The fallout has been expensive for them. The clients are...
Interest rate increases – Are we done yet?
While many in the mortgage world anticipated rates to increase this year, I don’t think anyone expected them to increase so much and so quickly. What...
Fixed or variable mortgages in a time of interest hikes
Last weekend I attended the mortgage professionals conference in Vancouver. My goal was to take in as many professional development sessions as possible because...
Is a cash-back mortgage right for you?
With rates rising and house prices dropping slowly, I’m finding some clients are having a tougher time qualifying right now. I feel like I have been...
A topsy turvy mortgage world
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had tough conversations with a few clients. With unprecedented rate hikes over the last few months, borrowing power and...
The changing mortgage world
One night last week, I met with several other brokers after a learning session we attended. The group included brokers from B.C., Alberta and Ontario. Our...
Selecting the best mortgage for you
I had a call with one of my favorite clients recently. We are working on a refinance and lining it up for when her current mortgage term is set to renew. We...
What can impact your mortgage approval
I’ve talked about this in previous columns and I’m going to circle back to it today. When I jumped into mortgage brokering full time, a veteran...
The changing mortgage landscape
With interest rates rising and housing prices predicted to drop, I’m seeing lenders tighten up on some of their qualification criteria. When the Stress...
Weighing the options— variable or fixed rate mortgages?
On July 13, the Bank of Canada announced an increase of its policy interest rate by a full 1%. Prime rate is now at 4.7%. This is the largest single increase...
When it comes to your mortgage, don't put off taking action
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been dealing with two similar situations that have prompted today’s column. What do I mean by last-minute mortgages?...