When applying for any sort of loan, one of the most important factors a lender is going to look at is your credit score. But what really is a credit score, who keeps track of it, and most importantly, how can you improve yours? There are a few simple ways to keep your credit score […]

While a home purchase agreement may seem simple and straight forward, there are many differences that you can encounter that can be a big surprise to first-time homebuyers. While you expect the date of possession and the full purchase price to be outlined in the agreement, other items should be included that you may not be […]

You’ve decided that you want to buy a home. You call up a realtor to show you a listing and the first question they ask is “How much are you pre-approved for?” Many realtors will refuse to book home viewings until they can confirm that you are pre-approved. Why? 1- It shows that you are […]

It’s important to understand the home buying process, so here’s a 7-step checklist. Step 1: Down Payment The hardest part of buying a home is saving the down payment (a gift from the Bank of Mom & Dad also works). • For purchases under $500,000 minimum down payment is 5%. • Buying between $501-999,000 you […]

Over the past several years, investigators have been working on an ongoing investigation relating to criminal money laundering in Canada. Looking at B.C. alone, billions of dollars have been laundered through B.C. casinos by criminal organizations and parked in high-end B.C. real estate over the past decade or more. With government citing limited resources and […]

Well, it finally happened. I was meeting with a financial advisor today and they looked at my business card and asked: “Why does it say Dominion Lending Centres and not Dominion Mortgage Company?” I have been waiting for 7 years to hear this question. I had an answer all ready for today. I said “that’s […]

A couple we had worked with in 2011 recently came into our office. They had some life changes that had occurred in the past 7 years and were unsure if they could make things work. They came back to speak with us and shared a little bit of their story and thoughts on working with […]

It is a common misconception that you will qualify for a mortgage in the future because you have qualified for a mortgage in the past. This is not accurate! Do. Not. Assume. Anything. Even if your financial situation has remained the same or has improved, securing mortgage financing is more difficult now than it has […]

The easy way is the more expensive way… If you have a mortgage, you’ll be completing a mortgage renewal when your current term has finished. While most Canadians spend a lot of time and expend tons of effort shopping for an initial mortgage, the same is generally not the case when looking at mortgage renewals. […]

Recently I was finishing up a mortgage with a young couple who just had a beautiful baby girl. I brought up the topic of mortgage and life insurance as well as getting a will written up. The response from the husband was that it was such a morbid topic and a real downer. They just […]