13 Feb

WHAT’S AN ACCEPTABLE DOWN PAYMENT FOR A HOUSE?

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

Ask people this question and you will get a variety of answers. Most home owners will say 10% is what you should put down. However, if you speak with your grandparents, they are likely to suggest that 20% is what you need for a down payment. The truth is 5% is the minimum down payment […]

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9 Feb

KNOWING WHEN LESS IS MORE

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

No one wants to be told that they are not allowed to have something. We live in Canada; as Canadians, our focus has always been to strive for better and for more. That said, there appears to be a growing trend around co-sharing which means people are increasingly moving away from owning their own cars, […]

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8 Feb

THE TASTE OF HOME – OUR HOUSE MAGAZINE

General

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

Restaurateur and TV personality Vikram Vij on the joy of cooking—slowly—at home The culinary landscape in North America is amply populated with chefs and personalities putting their spin on a style of cooking designed to get your attention. With the explosion of the foodie culture in recent years, cutting through the clutter would seem a […]

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7 Feb

6 HOME PURCHASE CLOSING COSTS

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

When you purchase your home, there are 6 additional costs to account for. They include: Home Fire and Flood Insurance Title Insurance Legal Fees Adjustments Land Transfer Tax GST Here’s an overview of what you can expect. Home and Fire Insurance. Mortgage lenders will require a certificate of fire insurance to be in place by […]

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6 Feb

WHAT IS THE CANADIAN MORTGAGE AND HOUSING CORPORATION (CMHC)?

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is a corporation that most are semi-familiar with, but do not know what CMHC actually does. CMHC is Canada’s authority on housing. They contribute to the stability of the housing market and the financial system. They also provide support for Canadians in housing need and offer objective housing […]

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5 Feb

WHICH LENDER IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

The following is a summary of the choices available for clients when looking at the four different types of lending groups. Which one is best will all depend on who you are as a borrower, what your current situation is now, and what your situation will look like in the future. Big Banks Currently, mortgage […]

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2 Feb

LIVING THE SIMPLE LIFE – OUR HOUSE MAGAZINE

General

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

Every winter, athletic power couple Ashleigh McIvor and Jay Demerit manage to scale back their busy lives into a 340-square-foot cabin in the woods. You would think that an Olympic gold medal and a successful pro soccer career would come with an opulent lifestyle, even after retirement from competition. But Canadian freestyle skier Ashleigh MacIvor […]

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1 Feb

BANK VS. CREDIT UNION – A WHO IS WHO IN BORROWING

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

Banks and Credit unions are often grouped together into one category under “financial institutions”. While they may have several similarities in terms of financial service offerings, in the world of mortgages the banks and credit unions have little in common. As mortgage professionals, we work with both of them and are well versed in the […]

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31 Jan

FOR RENTAL PROPERTIES, CASH (FLOW) IS KING

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

Ask pretty much anybody about mortgages and the first, sometimes only thing they want to talk about is the interest rate. In my business as a Mortgage Professional, my job is to educate clients that while interest rate is definitely a cornerstone of your mortgage decision, it is not the only factor to consider when […]

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30 Jan

ARE YOU IN A VARIABLE RATE MORTGAGE? ME TOO.

Mortgage Tips

Posted by: Darick Battaglia

Are you in a Variable Rate Mortgage? Me too. If you’re in a fixed rate mortgage, this news does not impact you. Mind you ‘impact’ is too strong a word to use for the subtle shift that occurred Jan 17, 2018. Short Version The math is as follows: A payment increase of ~$13.10 per $100,000.00 […]

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