Avoid Costly Mistakes When Building a New Home

General Michele McGarvey 4 Dec

Building a new home is a super exciting endeavor as you opt to create the perfect space for you and your family. However, building a home is not without its costs and potential surprises… to mitigate bumps on your homebuilding journey and avoid costly mistakes, consider the following tips: Set a Realistic Budget When building […]

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Mortgage Types 101

General Michele McGarvey 21 Nov

Get to know the important basics before you choose your mortgage. You have to be sure you select what is most important to you – lower rates or flexibility. Before you choose a mortgage, take some time to study mortgage types: Closed Mortgage: If you want consistency with respect to rates and the length of your […]

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Is your financial game on point? We’ve got tips!

General Michele McGarvey 14 Nov

November is Financial Literacy Month and we have the tips to ensure your financial game is on point this Fall as we head into the New Year! Nail Down Your Budget Understanding the basics of budgeting and tracking your income versus spending is a fundamental part of financial literacy and control. Building a budget can […]

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So, you need a tenant?

General Michele McGarvey 30 Oct

If you have a basement suite or rental property and you are currently looking for a tenant, there are some things to know! Whether this is your first tenant or you have other rental properties, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the specifics to ensure a harmonious tenancy. As always, your responsibility […]

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Escrow and What You Need to Know

General Michele McGarvey 24 Oct

Let’s talk about escrow! While this arrangement may not necessarily impact your mortgage, it can be helpful to understand should anything come up throughout your term. What is Escrow Starting with the basics, what IS escrow exactly? Escrow refers to a financial agreement where assets or finances are held by a third party on behalf […]

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6 Things for Co-Signers to Consider

General Michele McGarvey 10 Oct

Are you thinking about co-signing on a loan? If you’re looking to help out a family member or loved one, this is a great way to do that as a co-signer can help overcome stress testing and borrowing limits.However, it is important to be aware of the implications when co-signing on any loan. Credit History: If […]

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Fall Market Update

General Michele McGarvey 2 Oct

As you may have heard, The Bank of Canada opted to maintain its policy rate at 5% as of September. The recent rate hikes over the spring and summer have slowed the housing and mortgage markets as potential buyers were unsurprisingly spooked by the rise in mortgage rates. More recently, fixed-rate loans have become more […]

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Mortgage Portability

General Michele McGarvey 5 Sep

When it comes to getting a mortgage, one of the more overlooked elements is the option to be able to port the loan down the line. Porting your mortgage is an option within your mortgage agreement, which enables you to move to another property without having to lose your existing interest rate, mortgage balance and […]

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What do Your Teenagers Need to Know about Money?

General Michele McGarvey 28 Aug

As adults, we all know the critical importance of managing money wisely and the impact our financial situation has on our overall well-being. As parents we do our best, but there are plenty of life lessons we need to teach our kids, and personal finance doesn’t always top the list. We may also not be […]

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Choosing Your Ideal Payment Frequency

General Michele McGarvey 21 Aug

Your payment schedule is the frequency that you make mortgage payments and ranges from monthly to bi-monthly, bi-weekly, accelerated bi-weekly or even weekly payments. Below is a quick overview of what each of these payment frequencies mean: Monthly Payments: A monthly payment is simply a single large payment, paid once per month; this is the default […]

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