The Mortgage Life

Another hold! The Bank of Canada has given us a bit more time with the current rate. Have a listen to our chat about it, and we have a little announcement! **check out episode 40 - Insights of a CEO for the full conversation with Gary Mauris, as mentioned in this Special Feature.

Do you have a great rate on your mortage, want to make a change, but don't want to incur a penalty? Have a listen to this episode on how to avoid the penalty box, and contact your broker to see if there are options for you.

A person's capacity in a mortgage transation is the amount of mortgage they qualify for given their verified income. What does that mean for you? Have a listen to this episode where Pete, Mindy, and Sue tackle the extensive world of income qualification to break it down into understandable and bite sized pieces. Also! Check out our RAM! series, episodes 34-36, where we dive deeper into investm...

The Bank of Canada leaves its rate unchanged! Are we at a precipice? Are we at a place where inflation might continue to decrease? Will we stay level, or decrease in the near future? We'll have to wait and see!

Your down payment represents your 'skin in the game' - it is an equity injection at the time of your purchase. It also represents the biggest barrier to getting into the real estate market. Listen in as Pete, Sue, and Mindy talk down payment.

Pete, Sue, and Mindy have an in depth conversation with Gary Mauris, co-founder and President & CEO of Dominion Lending Centres; CEO of Mortgage Centre Canada; and Chairman of Mortgage Architects. They chat about everything from the Canadian economy to the concept of imposter syndrome, both in business and in life in general. Together, the DLC Group of Companies (DLCG) account for almost 40% o...

A chattel mortgage is a loan for a manufactured home or other movable piece of personal property, such as machinery or a vehicle. On this episode, Pete, Sue, and Mindy chat about what these loans look like in the mortgage industry.

The Bank of Canada held it's interest rate this morning. After 10 increases over the past couple of years, Canadians are faced with higher mortgage payments than ever before. So what does this mean for us now? What is the Bank of Canada looking for between now and the next annoucement on October 25, 2023? Have a listen to this morning's brief conversation, as we hash out some of these ques...

We are interrupting our regular podcast flow for a bonus episode on preparing for a natural disaster. Whether you're in the Okanagan, on Vancouver Island, or somewhere else in the world, this episode is meant to get you thinking about how to prepare for fires, floods, earthquakes, and whatever else Mother Nature brings.

How does your mortgage broker choose your lender? Why do some lenders have a branch location, while others do not? What is a Monoline lender? On this episode, Pete, Mindy, and Sue find answers to these questions in their chat with Sarah Almond from First National Financial. Sarah has been working in the mortgage industry since the early 2000's and joined the First National team in 2015. She is...

In the third and final episode of the RAM! series, The Mortgage Life hosts discuss the basic parameters, common misconceptions, and the risks involved with building an empire (i.e. your rental investment portfolio). What is your purpose? How many properties will you own? Do you have the time and a solid financial plan? Check out the conversation!

Mindy, Sue and Pete talk with Brendon Ogmundson, chief economist from the BC Real Estate Association, about the Bank of Canada’s 0.25% rate increase this morning. Brendon gives his insights about the latest rate increase, what the Bank of Canada is trying to do with all these increases, and when we might see rate increases stop… or even start to go back down. Check it out!

Check it out! In this episode, we discuss short term rentals, and Mindy talks about her experience in ownership.

It’s another series! RAM is for Rentals And Mortgages! Are you curious about real estate investment? This series kicks off with a knowledgeable property manager sharing his experience with managing rental properties. Aaron Piva is the Owner and Managing Broker of Real Property Management Executives in Kelowna, BC. Born and raised in Metro Vancouver, Aaron has a bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser...

Mindy, Sue and Pete discuss the Bank of Canada's rate announcement this morning and... here we go again! Another rate increase today of 0.25%. How does the Bank of Canada deal with inflation that is made up of increasing housing costs? And how do you handle those increasing costs? Tune in to find out!

Pete, Sue, and Mindy talk about locking in interest rates on this episode, along with the process and procedure for making it happen. Your decision to lock in or stick with your variable rate depends entirely on your personal situation. And so, this has been a popular discussion over the past year while the Bank of Canada rates (and those variable rate mortgages) were rising. Listen in!

Join Pete, Sue and Mindy as they discuss construction financing. They also interview builder-turned-realtor Mark Imhoff about the builder/developer perspective. In 1983 Mark was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, purchasing the first of two restaurants he would own. In 1988 Mark sold the restaurants to pursue a new career in the building industry. Working for a project management company from Vanc...

Welcome to part 2 of the DAM! series - design and mortgages! In this episode, Pete, Sue and Mindy chat with home designer Matt Lunde. Matt is principal at the award winning design studio 925R Design Inc. He has 20+ years in the design world, 925R Design Inc being incorporated for 14 years. Matt has a structural steel detailing background, and then went into architecture with his fathers company Lu...

Pete and Mindy discuss today's Bank of Canada rate announcement with Professor Tom Davidoff from UBC Sauder School of Business. Thomas Davidoff holds a BA from Harvard, an MPA/URP from Princeton, and a PhD from MIT. He holds the Stanley Hamilton Professorship in Real Estate Finance and is the Director for the UBC Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate. He is also an Associate Professor of...

We’re bringing a bit of the Victoria Market to The Mortgage Life, in this conversation with Matthew Traynor from The Traynor Group. A driven entrepreneur for most of his life, in 2010 Matthew had the excitement of co-founding what would become a nationally recognized nutrition bar company. All of this while using his free time training as a paid volunteer Firefighter with the Qualicum Beach Fire D...

NEW series alert! DAM! stands for design and mortgages! With products available in the mortgage world to help make home renovations possible, on this episode we chat with interior designer, Nicole Verbeke. She shares her journey into her industry, some thoughts around design trends, and how working with a professional can save you money in the long run. Nicole is the Founder and Principal Designer...

In today's Bank of Canada announcement we finally get a pause! The Bank of Canada has decided to leave the policy rate unchanged at 4.5% which means that variable rate mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and unsecured lines of credit will not see any increases. For the first time in a year people with variable rates can breathe a sigh of relief. The next rate announcement comes on April 12th....

From the new recission period, to the foreign buyer ban, to discussing our stress test requirements when it comes to mortgage financing - we had another interview with Brendon Ogmundson about some of the new housing rules as of January 2023. Brendon Ogmundson is the Chief Economist for the BC Real Estate Association.   He holds an MA in Economics from Simon Fraser University and is a CFA Charterho...

As mortgage brokers, we have helped many many clients through the financial side of their spousal separation. Every circumstance is different, but the end goal remains the same; a peaceful resolution where all parties can afford their path forward. In this episode, we interview Christina Vinters. She is a wealth of knowledge, and adds her depth of experience to this informative conversation. Chris...

In this informative episode, hosts Pete, Sue, and Mindy chat with Jess Patterson about saving, budgeting, smart financial decisions, and so much more. With interest rates rising, and a new year starting, make sure you're setting and working towards your financial goals. Born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Jess Patterson has established a successful and thriving practice during his 16 ye...