by Karen Wotherspoon | Jun 5, 2020 | Announcements, Blog, CMHC, Finance, Mortgage
The COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on all sectors of Canada’s economy, including housing. Job losses, business closures and a drop in immigration are adversely affecting Canada’s housing markets, and CMHC foresees a 9% to 18% decrease in house prices over the...
by Karen Wotherspoon | May 22, 2020 | Blog, Finance, Homeownership
There are a number of reasons why refinancing your mortgage before your current term is up makes good financial sense. The most popular ones include taking advantage of lower rates or using your home equity to consolidate debt, fund renovations, ease cashflow or even...
by Karen Wotherspoon | May 15, 2020 | Blog, Homeownership, Mortgage
Am I ready now? How will I even know when I’m ready? Buying your first home is exciting and scary all at the same time. Much like other major milestones, such as getting married and starting a family, there’s really no such thing as being completely ready. But when...
by Karen Wotherspoon | May 8, 2020 | Blog, Homeownership, Mortgage
A debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is a comparison of your monthly debt payments versus your monthly income. Lenders use this formula to determine how well you manage your monthly debt and your likeliness of repaying a loan. Debt obligations refer to such things as credit...
by Karen Wotherspoon | May 1, 2020 | Blog, Finance, Homeownership, Mortgage
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep us focused on physical distancing, it’s often difficult to perceive anything good from its existence. But, a few silver linings have emerged. As our world is changing, possibly forever, people are finding new and creative...
by Karen Wotherspoon | Apr 24, 2020 | Blog, Economy, Homeownership
In addition to coping with the very real and serious threat to our health and wellbeing thanks to COVID-19, we’re now also facing the added stress of protecting ourselves against fraudulent schemes related to the pandemic. Deceptive practices tend to transpire...
by Karen Wotherspoon | Apr 17, 2020 | Blog, Finance
The world as we know it has drastically changed. Most of us are staying home – not by choice, but through necessity. The financial and emotional strain associated with COVID-19 is very real – coping with the unnerving situation, trying to stay positive and finding...
by Karen Wotherspoon | Apr 10, 2020 | Blog, Economy, Homeownership, Mortgage
As part of the ongoing effort to assist Canadians facing negative financial effects from COVID-19, the federal government has granted an extension for filing your taxes. The due date for personal tax filing has been extended from April 1st to June 1st, 2020,...
by Karen Wotherspoon | Apr 3, 2020 | Blog, Economy, Finance, Mortgage
It’s a harsh reality that COVID-19 has left many people facing significant financial hardship. In an effort to alleviate some of this burden, the government is working at all levels to provide relief measures to assist those who are most vulnerable. Many...
by Karen Wotherspoon | Mar 27, 2020 | Blog, Economy, Finance, Homeownership, Mortgage
Over the past few weeks, the world as we know it has been changing at a rapid pace. Phrases like ‘self-isolation’, ‘social distancing’ and ‘flattening the curve’ have become a part of our daily lingo. We’re being asked to stay home, schools and attractions are closed,...
