Determining

There is no doubt that affording a nice home in the Lower Mainland is going to cost you more than in many other parts of the country. Having said that, not many places on earth can boast having mountains, oceans and forests all in the same place. Vancouver real estate may be correcting however, it is still hard to get into the market. If you are considering buying your first home or, if you are wishing to upgrade from the current condo or townhome you are in, there is hope. Qualifying for a mortgage is as easy as 1, 2, 3. The very first step is to give me a call or drop me an email indicating you are looking to get "Pre-Approved" for a mortgage. I will offer you all the information you need to get started and get (Step 2) your mortgage application from you. This is as simple as a 10 minute phone conversation. No obligation and no cost to you. Step 3 is reviewing your numbers and determining your purchasing power. It has never been so easy to find out how much you afford to spend on a new home. Let me help to take the guess work out of buying a home. You never know unless you ask. Call me today!

Easy Livin'

It's almost summertime when the living should be easy. If your home is in need of some TLC, summer may represent the perfect time of year to concur some of those home renovation projects you have been thinking about. Using your home equity can be an easy and inexpensive way of access the funds you need to make your home your castle. Whether you have a set budget and want a low interest mortgage, or are flying by the seat of your pants and want flexibility in the use of your funds, I can help you to design the perfect financing. If you have a home renovation project and are looking to have a profession do the work for you, please ask me for a recommendation. I know the best painters, contractors, plumbers, hardwood flooring specialists and master carpenters. Your home will look like a million bucks once you meet my people. Call me today!

Horizon

What an amazing week this has been! On Saturday I hosted my Birthday Extravaganza to support Team Jordan in Walk Now - Autism Speaks Canada. We raised $2500 and had a blast doing it! A special thanks to our sponsors - Magellan Law, Sudden Impact and SilverPoint Systems. I also want to thank Duolynx Printing and Party Elegance for their help. David Anthony did a great job with the music and I foresee having him back again next year! I really appreciate all the donations we received and all the great friends who came out for the evening. It was a wonderful way to celebrate my birthday and I am very thankful to you all. The Bank of Canada met this morning and there were no changes to the Prime rate. It does not look like any changes are on the horizon. If you have questions about your variable rate mortgage or line of credit, just ask me! I'll be happy to offer you a complimentary mortgage review to make sure your mortgage is working for you!

Ahead

Buying a home is an exciting milestone in life. Trying to pay the mortgage back can be daunting! Most lenders are not going to share with their borrowers a little secret they hide called "pre-payment privileges". This is the ability to overpay the mortgage so that the balance and amortization shrink faster. Did you know that most lenders will allow you to put lump sum payments on your mortgage and also allow you to add monthly to each of your monthly or bi-weekly payments? Paying bi-weekly also pays your mortgage off faster than making simply monthly payments. If you are looking for advice about how to pay your mortgage off faster, ask me! I can help you to customize a payment schedule to get you where you want to be faster. This Saturday is my Birthday Extravaganza at Manhattan's. Thank you to all our sponsors and to those who have bought tickets. This is a SOLD OUT event! Thanks for helping me raise money for Team Jordan in Walk Now - Autism Speaks Canada!

Unlock the value

Hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend over Easter! The nice weather had many young people out shopping for homes. Something I don't often talk about is my ability to help more elderly clients. Do you have a parent or grandparent who is living in a home that they own but they are having trouble with cash flow? Maybe there are house rich but cash poor? I can help with the use of a special kind of mortgage that allows them to borrow up to 50% of the value of their home tax free and they never have to make any payments! They also do not have to qualify for the money they borrow from their home and do not have to take a medical. The home owner must be over 55 years old and will maintain control of the ownership of their home. They will never owe more than the value of their home and can take their money by monthly draws or in a lump sum. If you have a loved one who is needing help making ends meet, I would love to help them. Call me today!