The Smart Way to Use a Credit Card
We all know that when it comes to borrowing, it’s always smarter to tap into your home equity using things like a home equity loan or a HELOC instead of using high-interest credit cards. But in an ideal world, we also like to have that small piece of plastic tucked away for emergencies, or to use while we’re rebuilding our credit. Credit cards can be very helpful, but you can get even more out of the one you use if you know how to use it wisely.
Read moreSelf-Employed Mortgage Option #1: The Stated Income Mortgage
On Friday we looked at a few reasons why it can be so difficult for the self-employed to obtain a mortgage. And if you’re self-employed and have already tried to obtain a mortgage, you already know many of those obstacles. One of the main ones being that often, the self-employed don’t have an actual income to prove and verify. While you may have tax documents, you still don’t have the security of that paycheque every two weeks, and lenders can often look unkindly on that. But, find the right lender with the right kind of mortgage, and you might just be their perfect applicant.
Read moreLooking for a U.S. Vacation Property? Get Financing in Canada First!
With the late arrival of winter so far in Ontario, we’ve been pretty lucky. But temperatures are starting to drop, and those snow fall measurements are already starting to take place in many of our cities. Naturally, this is the time many Canadians start thinking about investing in a second home, and it’s usually somewhere warm, and it’s usually in the United States. Who wouldn’t want to leave the sleet and the snow for just a few weeks of fun in the sun and days on the beach? But, before you start packing up your swimsuit and beach ball, you need to get financed – in Canada – first!
Read moreA New Year’s Resolution – Review Your Home Equity
Every December, people start thinking about how they’re going to change their lives in the New Year. They’re going to quit smoking, or they’re going to lose weight, or they’re going to fix some other bad habit they currently have. But New Year’s resolutions shouldn’t just revolve around your lifestyle and what you’d like to change about it – they should also be about your life, and what you’re going to do with it in the coming year! That’s why this December, every homeowner should review their home equity, and determine if it could help them in 2012.
Read moreWhy is it So Hard for the Self-Employed to get a Canada Mortgage?
Last month we kicked off our first mini-series with a close look at closing costs. This month, we explore another question that is at the front of Canadians’ minds: why is it so hard to get a Canada mortgage when you’re self-employed? In this first part of our mini-series, we’ll look at the reasons why the self-employed often have a hard time getting a mortgage; then, further on in the series, we’ll tell you about the options you have when you’re self-employed!
Read moreThe Power of a 2nd Mortgage
Many people often tap into their home equity with a HELOC, home equity loan, or other kind of 2nd mortgage in order to make improvements on their home. But, what are the best improvements to make? Renovating the kitchen or upgrading the bathroom are two of the projects that homeowners think of first. But, there’s another home reno that won’t only improve the value of your home, it will actually give you money back! You can have it all, just by harnessing some solar energy.
Read moreCanadians and the Secured Line of Credit Test
Having, or getting, a ‘secured line of credit’ has become a very trendy term these days. With interest rates so low and the government imposing new rules to actually encourage this type of borrowing, it’s no wonder why. Secured lines of credit can be very beneficial, and are the answer many homeowners have been looking for. But, results from a poll recently done by Leger Marketing were released on Tuesday – and the results are enough to make any Canadian sit up and take notice. Especially if they have a secured line of credit.
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