There are quite a number of variables to consider when purchasing a residential income property.

You’ll likely want to eventually engage with a real estate agent, but prior to doing so it is important to conduct as much research as possible. Remember to approach the purchase with an unbiased attitude and evaluate your options based on factual information.
 
Here’s a look at some of the top variables to consider when evaluating potential properties.
 
1. Economic outlook. Locations that are seeing employment growth will typically have more people moving to the area – this should also increase the potential renter pool. Conversely, locations that don’t offer as much employment opportunity or have/will see large employers leaving town, will often

Vancouver real estate is an attractive option for buyers from all over the world.

With Vancouver’s heightened exposure during the winter Olympics in 2010, and, more recently, a sinking loonie, BC real estate is experiencing something of a renaissance with our neighbours to the south and overseas. Although buying property as a non-resident can be somewhat more involved, the right information will go a long way towards un-complicating the process.

So if you are a non-resident who is interested in investing in Canadian real estate and who would like to qualify for a mortgage, here are a few pointers to get you started.

Eligibility Requirements

As a non-resident of Canada, it is certain that you will be on the receiving end of additional review by

As the population ages, many Canadians will find themselves managing wealth for their parents.

Seniors own an estimated one-quarter of all financial wealth and over the coming years, their children, some of whom may qualify as seniors themselves, will be not only helping them manage it, but will likely also be the ultimate recipients of whatever is left over after their parents have passed on..

By 2036, Statistics Canada estimates that the over-65 cohort will represent more than 25 per cent of the population — more than triple the number of Canadians over the age of 65 in 1960.

Difficulty managing finances will likely creep up gradually, so aging parents may not ask for help, or even realize they need it. Signs such as unopened mail, large cash

Fixed or floating?

For those taking on a mortgage or renewing one, it’s a question that can be complicated.

On one hand, interest rates are at historic lows. The Bank of Canada’s benchmark overnight lending rate is at 0.5 per cent. To some borrowers, this might suggest it’s a good time to lock in at a low rate for a long time.

On the other hand, to the surprise of almost no one, the bank suggested that it anticipates no changes. “The near-term outlook remains broadly the same as it did in January,” it said in its most recent rate-setting statement, on March 9. That suggests a floating rate might make sense. The issue becomes more complicated, though, because borrowers likely won’t find much advantage.Compared with times when interest rates were

Anyone wanting to buy her first home, especially in a big city, sees the gulf between her dreams and reality.

From the Financial post

A so-called starter house in Toronto and Vancouver may cost more than $1 million. In January, the average price of detached homes hit a record high of $1.83 million in the Vancouver region; meanwhile, a tiny fixer-upper in Vancouver’s posh Point Grey neighbourhood sold last month for $2.48 million.

“It’s that white picket fence dream; the dream of owning a home still exists but it needs to be augmented for today’s reality,” says Ryan McKinley, a senior mortgage development manager at Vancity, a Vancouver-based credit union.

“It used to be that you get out of school, get your first job and there you are with your

Today’s world is moving faster than ever, and that includes the exchange of money.

How often do you make financial decisions per day, 10, 20, 30 times? Whether it’s the decision to buy organic food, new sports equipment for the kids, or gas for the car, financial decisions are a huge and fundamental part of our everyday life. Would it help if our kids had some guidance on how to make all those little decisions effectively, so they can create a solid financial future? You bet; there is an epidemic of adult children staying in their parents’ homes or moving back home because they cannot financially support themselves. Check out this NEFE study on parents financially supporting adult children.

When do you need to start? Now. There is a real urgency to

Even with lending standards tightening up following the financial crisis, there are still a number of low-down payment loan options for qualified buyers.

Unfortunately, some sellers and their Realtors are making the mistake of pushing away these buyers by demanding a higher down payment than is truly necessary.

There seems to be some confusion on the part of these sellers and their agents as to what qualifies a buyer to get a loan, and whether that no-down payment buyer will be a good person to sell to. In many cases, a buyer with a twenty percent or more down payment is no more likely to get a loan than a no or low down payment borrower but don’t make the mistake of brushing aside a qualified buyer by demanding too high a down payment when selling

For those taking on a mortgage or renewing one, it’s a question that can be complicated.

On one hand, interest rates are at historic lows. The Bank of Canada’s benchmark overnight lending rate is at 0.5 per cent. To some borrowers, this might suggest it’s a good time to lock in at a low rate for a long time.

On the other hand, to the surprise of almost no one, the bank suggested that it anticipates no changes. “The near-term outlook remains broadly the same as it did in January,” it said in its most recent rate-setting statement, on March 9. That suggests a floating rate might make sense.

See our BLOG article on interest rates HERE

The issue becomes more complicated, though, because borrowers likely won’t find much advantage.

Compared with

Imagine the anxiety of watching your credit score unexpectedly plummet after spending your entire adult life maintaining good credit.

Now suppose this credit decline blocks you from getting a mortgage on the house you planned to buy.

That’s precisely what happens to many mortgage applicants all across the country with surprisingly high frequency.

All too often the culprit is unpaid phone bills. In some case's your cellphone provider will send an account's to a collection agency after being just more than a month late, especially on its cancellation fee. That causes your credit score to drop like a lead pickle, approximately 80 points (out of a theoretical 900) virtually overnight.

It never should have happened that way. Collections are meant

Things like traffic, work and dirty dishes can seem to go on forever; your mortgage doesn’t have to.

Even if you have signed on for a long mortgage, with payments scheduled to continue until you’re old, there are ways to speed everything up, experts say.

It’s a matter of knowing your options and paying attention to detail.

“Obviously there’s budgeting, where you cut back on some of your spending,” says April Dunn, a mortgage broker at Red Door Mortgage Group in Kelowna, B.C.

“But that only works if you actually take the funds to pay down the mortgage.” If you can’t bear to give up that triple skinny latte with an extra shot and some foam, “there are other things you can do.”

Some of these may seem simple but knowing more lets you make the