Category Archives: FamilyLending.ca

A Look at Housing Affordability

How affordable are homes on the Canadian housing market?

This is the question at the top of every mortgage broker and home hunter’s mind. As mortgage rates begin to climb and home prices creep ever higher, industry leaders are keeping a close eye on affordability in an attempt to avoid a bubble.

It’s no secret that more and more houses are being priced out of the range of first time home buyers. This is especially the case in major metropolitan areas like Toronto and Vancouver. With today’s increasingly expensive markets, what does affordability even mean? We asked Robb Nelson of FamilyLending.ca to help better explain this important measure and how it could impact your mortgage rate and ability to buy. Continue reading →

How to Get More Money Out of Your Home

We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s the small things that matter most,” but what you might not know is this is also true when it comes to building equity into your home. Whether you’re thinking about selling now or later, it’s never too early to start investing in your home’s potential.  Continue reading →

Buyers Doubt Mortgage Rates Will Rise This Year

Looks like fewer people are buying into the idea that mortgage rates are going to increase in 2013. This according to a studying by CIBC released in mid-March. The study showed that almost half (46 percent) of Canadian homebuyers believe that the near-record low mortgage rates of today are going to stick around for at least another 12 months. That’s almost twice as many people who said the same thing back in 2011 (24 percent).

These findings raise some interesting questions, like whether Canadian home hunters are blindly optimistic or if the expectations of low rates is now relevant to the mortgage selection process? Continue reading →

Housing and the Big, Bad Budget

A lot has been said about Thursday’s budget announcement. From Flaherty’s shoe selection to a vague job-training program, many Canadian’s were left slightly confused following the much-anticipated announcement.

With that being said, Flaherty’s eighth (and potentially final) budget announcement could have been worse, especially for the mortgage industry. Thursday’s budget included a tightening of controls on mortgage lending once again, as well as another promise to further limit lender access to bulk mortgage insurance. While this will inconvenience some lenders, it’s actually good news for taxpayers. The announcement is just the latest in a long line of moves from the Finance Department that touch on concerns over the housing market. As Canadian’s continue to sink themselves deeper into household debt, Flaherty once again verbalized his mounting anxiety over interest rates.  Continue reading →

What to Know Before You Get an Investment Property Mortgage

Investing in property has long been a great way to diversify your portfolio and improve your long term returns.

Unfortunately, recent rule changes have changed the playing field for many potential real estate investors. While buyers used to be able to purchase an investment property with very little down and still receive a great rate, current hiccups in the market and changes to legislation are making it more difficult for investors to get in the game. Continue reading →