Changing Your Financial Direction

Mortgage Tips Kim Stenberg 19 May

Did You Know? The average Canadian owes $23,000 in consumer debt and has at least 2 credit cards. Source: CBC.ca If you live paycheque to paycheque, the idea of somehow having enough money to invest and eventually have financial freedom seems about the furthest thing possible. But experts in financial education like to point out, no […]

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Canadian Home Sales Slow as Mortgage Rates Rise

Latest News Kim Stenberg 17 May

Statistics released today by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) show that the slowdown that began in March in response to higher interest rates has broadened. In April, national home sales dropped by 12.6% on a month-over-month (m/m) basis. The decline placed the monthly activity at its lowest level since the summer of 2020 (see […]

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Canadian Labour Market Tightens as Unemployment Rate Hits New Low

Latest News Kim Stenberg 9 May

Job vacancies abound in many sectors, yet employers have trouble finding workers to fill those jobs and retaining workers with so many options available. As the jobless rate falls to new record lows, net new employment has slowed. This is not dissimilar to the housing market, where supply is insufficient to meet demand. Home sales […]

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Benefits of Home Ownership

Mortgage Tips Kim Stenberg 28 Apr

So, you have decided to utilize your buying power in the Canadian retail market and are looking to purchase a home – congratulations! This is a great step towards ensuring your future. As a potential homeowner, there are some amazing benefits that we think you should be aware of right out of the gate: Homeownership […]

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Process in the Paperwork

Mortgage Tips Kim Stenberg 21 Apr

Documents Required to Qualify for a Mortgage Mortgages can sometimes feel like endless stacks of paperwork, but being prepared in advance can save you time and stress! Getting your mortgage pre-approved is part of this prep-process, and will make things easy in the long run. In order to get pre-approved, the lender must have taken […]

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Holy Smokes! Canadian Inflation Spikes to 6.7% in March

Latest News Kim Stenberg 20 Apr

StatsCanada today reported that consumer prices rose a whopping 6.7% year-over-year in March, a full percentage point above the 5.7% reading the month before. Market-driven interest rates shot up on the news as the prospects increase for another half-point rise in the overnight rate when the Bank of Canada meets again on June 1. There […]

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Canadian Home Sales Begin to Slow in March

Latest News Kim Stenberg 20 Apr

Statistics released today by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) show that rising interest rates were already dampening housing activity well before the Bank of Canada’s jumbo spike in the key policy rate in mid-April. National home sales fell back by 5.4% on a month-over-month basis in March. The decline puts activity back in line […]

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Mortgage Industry Jargon Explained

Mortgage Tips Kim Stenberg 14 Apr

Baffled by some of the phrases realtors and bankers throw at you? Here are some commonly used—but not always understood—words to describe mortgages: Amortization Period This is the number of years it will take to repay the entire mortgage in full and is determined when you are approved. A longer amortization period will result in […]

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Housing a Major Theme in Federal Budget

Latest News Kim Stenberg 11 Apr

Today’s budget announced a $10 billion package of proposals intended to reduce the cost of housing in Canada (see box below). The fundamental problem is insufficient supply to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population base. Thanks to the federal government’s policy to rapidly increase immigration since 2015, new household formation has risen far faster than […]

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