You’ve had it with your roommates and you’ve had it with paying rent. You’re ready to move out and you’re seriously considering taking the leap into homeownership. But just because you want to buy a home, doesn’t mean you should. Before you start planning your housewarming party, take a minute to sit down and consider everything that comes along with homeownership. From mortgage rate trends to better budgeting, there’s more to buying a house than simply signing an offer. Continue reading
Category Archives: General Interest
Your Down Payment Affects… Everything
It doesn’t matter how you approach the task of house hunting, eventually, you’ll end up taking a good, long look at your savings. Why? Because determining how much money you have available for a down payment on your home will affect just about every aspect of the home buying decision. From the housing type, to the mortgage rate, even how you word your purchase offer, all of these decisions come down to the amount of money in your bank account. Continue reading
How to Buy a Foreclosed Home
It’s no secret that foreclosures have rocked the American real estate market over the past five years, but what about the Canadian real estate scene? While our major housing markets have faired better than that of our neighbour, there are still many foreclosed properties available across the country. First time home buyers and investors alike are jumping at the chance to take advantage of this surge of inventory thanks to affordable investment opportunities. But you can’t reap the rewards until your experience the risks. If you’re considering bidding on a foreclosed home it is important that you first understand the pros and cons of purchasing a property that’s in financial limbo. Continue reading
Is Your Home Underinsured?
Did you know that a large number of Canadian homes are underinsured? The following are six important steps to make sure your home is protected against the unexpected.
1) Know Your Policy And What it Covers
Your policy type should reflect your type of home and your needs. It’s important that you review your policy basics and have a good understanding of what you are and aren’t protected against. If you own an older home, or one that has special features (carved moldings or hardwood floors, for example), you will want to make sure you have special coverages in place to protect these items. Continue reading
Life expectancy for Canadians rises to 80.9 years
Life expectancy at birth continued to rise, reaching a new high of 80.9 years during the three-year period from 2006 to 2008. This was up 0.2 years from 2005-2007.
Life expectancy at birth was above the national average in three provinces: British Columbia (81.4 years), Ontario (81.3 years) and Quebec (81.0 years).
The lowest life expectancy at birth was recorded in the three territories combined (75.2 years). Continue reading