Real Estate Archives - Page 2 of 4

Investing in Toronto Real Estate

If you didn’t know, the 2020 GTA Home and Reno Show is happening from February 14-17, 2020 at the International Centre in Mississauga. It’s now formally known just as the Home Show and features more than 300 vendors and speakers including investment coach Irene Lee, who has built a significant portfolio for herself and others with…

Can You Still Retire Early If You Own A Home?

If you haven’t already heard, FIRE has taken over the internet. FIRE is Financial Independence Retire Early and to be honest, I hate it. The idea is great. I mean, who doesn’t want to retire before 65? But I think the movement is a bit crazy and there are too many variables to achieve it.…

Where Should I Invest my Down Payment?

**This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Alterna Bank. All opinions are my own. One of the most common questions I get asked these days is where should I invest my down payment? There are a lot of variables involved with this question, but generally speaking, if you plan on buying…

Know What You Can Afford Before You Buy a Home

**This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BMO. All opinions are my own. Everyone knows that home prices are insane in Canada, but despite how much we complain, many homeowners love seeing their property values go up in price. It’s first-time homeowners – who are usually younger – that really end…

Your Realtor is not a Financial Advisor

Despite the downward trend, real estate is still insane in Canada. To be honest, I haven’t been paying much attention to the headlines as of late, but it seems like everyone is a real estate expert these days. Talk to any homeowner, and they’ll tell you about how much their homes have gone up in…

We Spend how Much on Housing?

Last week CityNews reached out to me for comment on RBC’s Housing Trends and Affordability report. I had not read the report so I asked for a little bit of a backgrounder. The reporter explained that according to the report, people in Toronto were spending 72% of their income on housing. He wanted to get…

My Wife and I Saved a 50% Down Payment and Still Travelled the World

I love reading about personal finance journeys. Nothing excites me more than reading about people overcoming their struggles with money and turning it into something positive. What I don’t enjoy reading are stories about people who have managed to save a ton of money while appearing to do very little. Don’t get me wrong, I’m…

Advice for Getting Your First Mortgage

It was just over a year ago that I purchased my first home and with it came my first mortgage. As a personal finance expert, I was quite familiar with mortgages, so there were no surprises for me. However, many first-time homebuyers may not be familiar with the process of getting a mortgage which is…

How to Prepare to be a Homeowner

You’ve decided that this is the year you buy a home, but have you ever thought about how to prepare to be a homeowner? This will likely be the largest purchase of your life, so you won’t want to rush things. Owning a home is a serious decision, so you want to get it right.…

Got $10,000? Here’s What to do With it

If we’ve recently come into a windfall of cash – from a gift, lottery, or inheritance – figuring out what to do with it is trickier than it seems. Paying down debts or increasing our retirement savings are obvious choices, but is it the best option? It depends on our individual situation. The first thing…