The Tribe Blog
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...
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...
Re-Budgeting During Physical Distancing
The world as we know it has drastically changed. Most of us are staying home – not by choice, but through necessity. The financial and emotional strain associated with COVID-19 is very real – coping with the unnerving situation, trying to stay positive and finding...
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...
Re-Budgeting During Physical Distancing
The world as we know it has drastically changed. Most of us are staying home – not by choice, but through necessity. The financial and emotional strain associated with COVID-19 is very real – coping with the unnerving situation, trying to stay positive and finding...
Protect Yourself – Fraud is at an All-Time High
In addition to coping with the very real and serious threat to our health and wellbeing thanks to COVID-19, we’re now also facing the added stress of protecting ourselves against fraudulent schemes related to the pandemic. Deceptive practices tend to transpire...
Tax Deadline Extended. But Should You Wait?
As part of the ongoing effort to assist Canadians facing negative financial effects from COVID-19, the federal government has granted an extension for filing your taxes. The due date for personal tax filing has been extended from April 1st to June 1st, 2020,...
What’s a Mortgage Payment Deferral?
It’s a harsh reality that COVID-19 has left many people facing significant financial hardship. In an effort to alleviate some of this burden, the government is working at all levels to provide relief measures to assist those who are most vulnerable. Many...
Financial Relief Measures in the Wake of COVID-19
Over the past few weeks, the world as we know it has been changing at a rapid pace. Phrases like ‘self-isolation’, ‘social distancing’ and ‘flattening the curve’ have become a part of our daily lingo. We’re being asked to stay home, schools and attractions are closed,...
Why Your Mortgage Term Matters
Choosing the mortgage term that’s right for you can be challenging for even the savviest of homebuyers, as terms typically range from six months up to 10 years. By understanding mortgage terms, you can save the most money and choose the term that’s best suited...
If Your Mortgage Rate is 3% or Higher, Consider a Review
Concern surrounding coronavirus – COVID-19 – has led to a crash in oil prices and economic uncertainty surrounding capital markets, which has resulted in most Canadian banks significantly reducing both fixed- and variable-rate mortgage rates. Around the world...
Tips for Buying & Selling a House at the Same Time
This is one of the most popular real estate questions: Should I sell my current home before buying a new one? And while there is no magic answer, there are many things you can do to mitigate your risks when choosing to buy and sell homes in unison. As with...
Buying a Townhouse – Is Freehold or Condo Better for You?
It’s no secret that homebuying in Canada has become increasingly challenging, particularly for first-time homebuyers. House prices have outpaced income, and those who have had their heart set on a single-family, detached home, are often discovering it isn’t...
Make Sure You’re Getting Sound Mortgage Advice
Mortgages can be complicated. That’s why it’s extremely important to seek expert advice you know you can count on. Buying a home is a significant life stage and it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement – you visualize your family growing up in the house,...
What’s a Vendor Take-Back Mortgage?
If you’re in the market to buy a home, you know the process isn’t always easy. In recent years, mortgage insurance and qualification changes – implemented by the federal government – have made it increasingly difficult to buy a home for many Canadians, particularly...
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