Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about first-time home buyers swapping funds between RRSP and FHSA accounts because some bank advisers have been touting it as a clever strategy to boost down payments. But is it clever, or a lot of needless work with additional downsides? (Spoiler. For…

“When a butterfly flutters its wings in one part of the world, it can eventually cause ahurricane in another.” - Edward Norton Lorenz You might know that the mortgage market in Canada can be affected by conflicts happening halfway around the world… but do you know how? Here’s a quick…

As we suspected (as per my previous writings), on January 29th the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) made permanent the new LTI Test AND kept in place the existing stress test we’ve all come to know and love. Now some homeowners, residential investors, and those looking to…

Historically, I have a very good track record of predicting mortgage rates – nowadays though it’s feeling more 50/50. If you ask “what will rates be like in the next 12 months?”, you’re likely to get a more unsure answer than if you were to ask “where will rates be…

A new Rentals.ca survey paints a clear picture of renter strain this summer. One-third of Canadian renters (34%) report spending more than half of their after-tax income on rent. Those high-burden renters tend to search longer, feel more frustrated, and are more likely to consider moving cities. Yet despite the…

Your mortgage renewal is more than just signing another set of papers—it’s a chance to save serious money. Many homeowners simply accept their lender’s first offer, not realizing they may be leaving thousands of dollars on the table. Whether your renewal is in a few months or a year away,…