Should I renew my Mortgage early?

Is your mortgage due for renewal sometime within the next year? Has your current lender called you or sent an offering of a one-time chance to “renew early and save” or some similar wording? With relatively low interest rates still available, it may be a good idea to renew your mortgage early and take advantage of the … Continue reading →

Another Mortgage Rule Change????

Who is responsible for all of these mortgage rule changes?  The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OFSI) is an independent agency of the Government of Canada reporting to the Minister of Finance created “to contribute to public confidence in the Canadian financial system”. Wikipedia This time they are proposing to target Conventional Mortgages … Continue reading →

Relationship Breakdown Mortgage Refinance

If you own and live in a home with a sibling, partner or spouse, common law or married, and have decided to part ways; read on. I believe one of the most stressful issues of a relationship breakdown is what to do about the jointly owned home and mortgage. Over the years I have helped … Continue reading →

Have you been asked to co-sign on a mortgage?

Recently, we have noticed an increase in the number of inquiries about co-signing a mortgage. So, the question is, what exactly does it mean to be a co-signer? Why are we being asked this question so often? We say due to 2 significant recent government mandated changes to mortgage qualifying that both went into effect … Continue reading →

A mortgage borrower’s guide to the 5 C’s of Credit

So you want to apply for a mortgage, but do you actually know what a mortgage lender is going to look for in your credit application? You will be much further ahead if you understand exactly what a lender wants to see from you versus guessing what their priorities and major concerns are in assessing … Continue reading →

Why asking “dumb” questions is quite smart!

There is no such thing as a dumb question. In fact, the smartest thing you can do is ask the most basic question you can think of. The MortgageGirl welcomes and encourages her clients to ask all kinds of questions during the complicated mortgage process. Some of the more common questions the MortgageGirl gets are: … Continue reading →

Who is the MortgageGirl?

Who is Jackie Woodward the MortgageGirl? Jackie began her career in the financial industry over 35 years ago where she started as a Bank Teller with one of the big 5 banks. Throughout the years, she learned all about mortgages from some very seasoned Mortgage Underwriters. However, one thing really bothered Jackie and that was … Continue reading →