14 Nov

Understanding how Bridge Financing works

Mortgage Tips

Posted by:

Sometimes in life, things don’t always go as planned. This could not be truer than in the world of Real Estate. For instance, let’s say that you have just sold your home and purchased a new home. The thought was to use the proceeds of the sale of your house as the down payment for the new purchase. However, your new purchase closes on June 30th and the sale of your existing house doesn’t close until July 15th—Uh-Oh! This is where Bridge Financing can be used to ‘bridge the gap’.
Read More

13 Nov

You just got a mortgage. Now what?

Mortgage Tips

Posted by:

Mortgages are a funny thing. On the one hand they allow you to become a home owner without saving up enough money to purchase the home outright, which is a really good thing. On the other hand, even at today’s really low interest rates, as they are amortized over a really long time (most of the time 25 years), they can cost you a lot more money in the long run. With the government tightening mortgage qualification, chances are securing your most recent mortgage wasn’t a painless process.
So now that you finally have a mortgage, and you’re a home owner, the first thing you should do is figure out how to get rid of your mortgage! Here are 4 ways you can do that!
READ MORE

10 Nov

4 Common Financial Mistakes Every Small Business Owner Should Avoid

Mortgage Tips

Posted by:

Every entrepreneur and business owner will make a few financial mistakes during their journey. Those who aren’t savvy in accounting often overlook the need to brush up on their financial IQ. Truth is, these little financial errors can lead to some serious cash flow problems if you aren’t careful. Here are four financial mistakes you can easily avoid so you can protect your bottom line.
READ MORE

3 Nov

Wage Growth Accelerates as Canada Posts Another Stellar Jobs Report in October

Latest News

Posted by:

The expected slowdown in the Canadian labour market did not materialize in October as full-time jobs surged and wage gains accelerated. Total employment increased by 35,300 last month and the unemployment rate rose a tick to 6.3% as the labour force participation rate edged up a bit to 65.7%–well above the level in the U.S. Full-time jobs rose 88,700 while part-time jobs fell by 53,400–evidence of strong improvement in the quality of net-new job creation. Canada has added 201K full-time jobs in just the past two months, the strongest two-month performance on record. This report might force the Bank of Canada to reconsider its view that there remains a lot of slack in the Canadian jobs market.
Another sign of stellar growth was the 2.7% year-over-year gain in total hours worked and hourly earnings of permanent employees increased by a whopping 2.4% last month, the strongest annual wage growth since April 2016. The jobless rate has trended downward over the past year, falling 0.7 percentage points. While the overall unemployment rate was 6.3% last month, the jobless rate for prime workers–those aged 25- to 54-years old is much lower–posted at 5.1% for women and 5.6% for men. Men have been harder hit in both the U.S. and Canada as much of the restructuring in jobs has been in male-dominated industries such as heavy manufacturing (and construction in the U.S.) and most of the growth has been in female-dominated services such as health care-related services.
Canadian employment rose in several industries, led by “other services” (which include services such as those related to civic and professional organizations, and personal and laundry services) up by 21,000. Construction jobs rose by 18,000 in October but were virtually unchanged on a year-over-year basis. Also strong were information, culture and recreation and agriculture. Employment declined in wholesale and retail trade.

According to StatsCanada, the most significant employment gains were in Quebec, followed by Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and New Brunswick. At the same time, there was a decline in Saskatchewan. Unemployment rates by province are in the table below.

Dr. Sherry Cooper
Chief Economist, Dominion Lending Centres

3 Nov

How to Get a Mortgage After Bankruptcy

Mortgage Tips

Posted by:

Bankruptcy is always the last resort-and it’s never easy or comfortable. However, sometimes it is the only option to turn to when life throws you something unexpected. The lasting impression it can have on one’s financial profile though can be overwhelming.
If you have bankruptcy in your past, don’t fear-we have 6 steps to take to help get you back on track and qualifying for your mortgage!

READ MORE