The Tribe Blog
Mortgage Default Insurance Helps You Buy a Home Sooner
One of the most challenging obstacles to homeownership is saving enough money for a down payment. Thankfully, mortgage default insurance provides a break to homebuyers that enables you to put less money down. The minimum down payment required to purchase a...
Bank of Canada maintains commitment to current level of policy rate, continues program of quantitative easing
The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at the effective lower bound of ¼ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly ½ percent and the deposit rate is ¼ percent. The Bank is also continuing its quantitative easing (QE) program, with...
What’s the Difference Between a Home Appraisal & Inspection?
Both a home appraisal and an inspection are important steps within the home buying process, so it’s well worth your effort to distinguish the differences between them and learn how they can both be used to your advantage to uncover detailed information about a...
Five Popular Debt Myths Dispelled
We’re capable of convincing ourselves of pretty much anything, especially concerning our personal spending habits and debt levels. When we start spending beyond our means, there are many short-term things we can do that will help put a band-aid on our debt...
The Canadian Real Estate Market is Hot!
The Canadian real estate market was in good shape heading into 2020, but the busy spring season was delayed a bit thanks to COVID-19. The good news is that it has come back white hot, breaking records throughout the summer and showing no signs of slowing down anytime...
More Seniors are Taking Advantage of Reverse Mortgages
Canadian seniors who are feeling the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are showing interest in reverse mortgages as a way to stay in their current homes. With a reverse mortgage, Canadians aged 55+ can borrow funds against home equity. No payments are...
How Much Do You Need to Save for a Down Payment?
If you’re thinking of buying your very first home, one of your biggest concerns is likely centred around how much money you need to have set aside for your down payment. And this can, no doubt, seem extra nerve-wracking when you haven’t yet done the math. The minimum...
Listen to Experts About Housing Predictions, Not the Media
It’s important not to subscribe to the doom and gloom media reports about the Canadian housing market, especially in the midst of COVID-19 emergency measures. The reality is that, regardless of what you’re reading in the mainstream media, people are still...
How Much Do You Need to Save for a Down Payment?
If you’re thinking of buying your very first home, one of your biggest concerns is likely centred around how much money you need to have set aside for your down payment. And this can, no doubt, seem extra nerve-wracking when you haven’t yet done the math. The minimum...
Listen to Experts About Housing Predictions, Not the Media
It’s important not to subscribe to the doom and gloom media reports about the Canadian housing market, especially in the midst of COVID-19 emergency measures. The reality is that, regardless of what you’re reading in the mainstream media, people are still...
What You Do Between Mortgage Approval and Funding Matters!
It’s important to pay attention to the little things that can make or break your chances of qualifying for a mortgage – and keeping your approval all the way through to closing. Did you know that it’s fairly common practice for mortgage lenders and insurers to...
What are Your Mortgage Renewal Options?
When you took out your current mortgage, you were required to make a number of key decisions, such as the type of rate you wanted – fixed or variable – the amortization period, whether it was open or closed as well as what term you wanted. A mortgage term...
Buying a Home for University or College Students
For most parents, watching their children head off to college or university causes a wide range of emotions. Hopes and happiness are mixed with worries and sadness and the adjustment can be very difficult. Emotions aside, there is also the weight of the...
What Do You Need to Be Preapproved for a Mortgage?
Before you head out home shopping, it’s important to first determine how much you can comfortably afford to spend. Not only will getting your mortgage agent to arrange a pre-approval help you understand what lenders look for when granting you a home loan, but it will...
Have Interest Rates Bottomed Out?
While interest rates shouldn’t be your sole focus when securing a mortgage, they do represent an important part of the financing equation. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Bank of Canada (BoC) has announced several unscheduled benchmark rate reductions....
Have an Insured Mortgage? How Could CMHC Changes Affect You?
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...
When Does it Make Sense to Refinance Your Mortgage?
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...
Are You Ready to Buy Your First Home?
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...
Why’s Your Debt-to-Income Ratio Important?
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...
Making the Most of Being Housebound
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...
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