Last updated November 9, 2022

Essential Mortgage Planning Tips BEFORE you Retire/Quit Your Regular Job

As you approach retirement, before relocating or downsizing, or otherwise before losing your regular predictable employment income, you may want to consider to position yourself to retain access to your home equity and be aware of your future lending options - it's smart retirement planning in my opinion. Once you lose your regular employment income, your lending options are drastically reduced and your home equity may become trapped forcing you to sell or change your plans if there is an acute need for money. I always say, the best time to apply for credit is when you don't need it!  Please enjoy the video (click the image) and the supplementary discussion below.

Using the Equity in Your Home to Purchase Other Properties

What do Bob & Kathy of Calgary and John & Betty from Ottawa both have in common? They both happened to contact my office this past week and they both were trying to figure out mortgage options to finance the purchase of a vacant parcel of land somewhere 3 or 4 hours west of their home cities. For now, the plan was to use the place as a weekend and summer getaway and God knows they could use a getaway in this crazy Covid-ridden world! Down the road, each couple will eventually build a retirement home or cottage.

Death of a loved one brings about many changes not to mention strong emotions. Often the kids are thrust into uncharted territory when a potential property inheritance or residual debt is involved. Whether a cottage on the lake, farm land, or a house in the city, this article is about how to best view the budding situation, dissect the issues, and how mortgage financing can potentially help out. It can apply where there is one party to many.

About 1 in 6 working Canadians are self-employed and, in recent years, the self-employed mortgage qualifying rule book has changed considerably. These evolving rules have created significant challenges for those seeking mortgage financing, and the property you can qualify for might not be what you expected....

Spring and summer are by far the busiest seasons in the real estate market, followed by the fall. Consequently, many readers of this blog may have a mortgage renewal coming up in the next few months. This article is about the renewal process, the games that mortgage lenders play, and how to save money at renewal time.