Published: • Reader Asks: “What’s the Right Choice? Pay Down Student Debt, Or Save Down Payment For Investment Property?” Today’s question comes from Alison in Mississauga: “Hi Ross I currently have a $50, 000 CAD student loan which I must now start paying off. I have a short term work contract, making a $70,000 a...Read More

Should you buy your first home or pay off your student debt? This is part two of the response to a question from Alison, who wanted to know if she should first pay off her student loans before saving for a house. You can read part one here. Hi Alison, I like the idea of...Read More

Come to the dark side Anytime someone wants to borrow money – for whatever reason, from whomever, lenders always ask themselves one  simple question –“will they pay this back?” This is true even if it is your best friend hitting you up for a personal loan, or if you are sitting in your local bank...Read More

Marriage break up who gets house Liz from Ajax wrote me the other day; “I recently asked my husband to move out of our home (which he did) and I am now planning to divorce him. As we discuss the financial aspects of our divorce, he wants to keep the family home, and get me to...Read More

Think a variable rate mortgage is a piece of cake? Read this! I just read an excellent analysis by Rob McLister, the editor of the highly regarded Canadian Mortgage Trends website. It takes to task the people who believe they are fine with a variable rate mortgage, and can adjust quickly to rising rates and...Read More

Home inspection saved a disaster A couple of weeks ago, during the mini buying frenzy here in the GTA, many buyers were under pressure to submit offers to purchase homes without any conditions attached. Sellers were pricing their homes low, in anticipation of receiving multi offers. One of our clients resisted this pressure, listened to...Read More

Hello is that Ross? I just put an offer on a house for $3.1 million and I want to put it in my sister’s name. Can you do a mortgage for her? Ross: Hi, yes it’s me. I’d be glad to help – tell me about the property and your sister please. Caller: It’s a...Read More

Hi Ross: We are buying our first house in Kitchener this summer, and we decided we would like your help with our mortgage, as we are regular readers of your articles. But we are concerned about the distance between KW and your office in North York. Any suggestions? Thanks, Wayne Dear Wayne: Well, first we...Read More

Dear Ross: We live with our parents now after selling our own house two years ago. They are having difficulty making their mortgage payments (it’s a HELOC with a balance owing of $372,000), and we have all agreed Loras and I will assume some ownership of the house and formally help out with the mortgage....Read More

Dear Ross, I live in Dundas, Ontario, and I am considering a 10 year mortgage @ 3.98% from First National. I have been variable with PCF for 12 yrs (prime – 0.9% currently, past few years) PCF might match the FN rate. Better to stay with PCF? They started with 4.04% on a ten year...Read More