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, […]

A lot of people get into hot water when they assume that because they’ve qualified for a mortgage in the past, they will qualify for a mortgage in the future. This article has one point to make and it’s this: Don’t assume anything when dealing with mortgage financing! And if that’s all you take away, […]

This story is from the Fall edition of Our House Magazine Moving on up from condo to house, these young homeowners prove age is just a number For Jordan Rothwell and Karissa Roed, the timing to find their forever home couldn’t be more perfect. The couple, who recently moved to Mission, B.C., are expecting their […]

What prevents many potential homeowners from buying a home is the lack of a down payment. Many first-time home buyers are receiving down payment gifts from family. Unfortunately, many are not in this position and need to plan to save their own down payment. When you can visualize the benefits of owning your own home […]

For many people, saving enough for a down payment on a house is not an easy task. (You can’t rely on finding One-Eyed Willy’s treasure like they did in the Goonies movie, either!) Once you have an idea as to how much you can afford on your home, relative to your salary and monthly costs, […]

Do successful entrepreneurs just open their doors for business without a business plan? Does a chef open a restaurant without a menu? Do pilots depart the hanger without a flight plan? Can you build a house without architectural plans?…I could go on forever! The answer is NO to all the above. I’m a planner. Whether […]

In the midst of the booming real estate market in Canada (mainly in Vancouver and Toronto), many Canadians are entertaining the idea of downsizing in order to sell their homes at a high value and purchase a smaller home or condo at a lower price. Is downsizing the way to go? What are the costs […]

Congratulations – you are moving into your new home! Whether you are starting with a plain new build or an older resale home, there’s no better way to make it yours than by putting your stamp on it. Invest a weekend or two into warming up a featureless space or refreshing someone else’s old homestead. […]

Emotional Homebuyers Can Lose Out On the Best DealsBuying a home is financial decision, but also an emotional experience. Before we’ve explored every room, we often start imagining our new lives there. Where our furniture will go. The parties we’ll host in the open-concept living-dining space. The mornings we’ll spend at the breakfast bar overlooking […]

Over the years, I have come across all sorts of people who have had no idea what their credit score is. Some of them have declared to me that they have great credit only to find that they had poor credit scores or a number of late payments. I have also had people tell me […]