Going away? Vacation checklist for your home

General Lyndsay Gavrilovic 5 Oct

Whether you’re jetting off to sunshine and warm sand, an international adventure, or a weekend getaway, before you go there are a few things you can do to protect your home while you’re away! Unplug all electronics and appliances: To reduce energy costs while you are traveling (and mitigate any risk of unexpected fires), it is […]

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Fall Market Update

General Lyndsay Gavrilovic 28 Sep

As you may have heard, The Bank of Canada opted to maintain its policy rate at 5% as of September. The recent rate hikes over the spring and summer have slowed the housing and mortgage markets as potential buyers were unsurprisingly spooked by the rise in mortgage rates. More recently, fixed-rate loans have become more […]

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Avoiding a Fall Financial Storm!

General Lyndsay Gavrilovic 22 Sep

A July 7 report from Statistics Canada on the financial state of Canadians says that, “Middle-income earners were affected most by inflationary pressures over the last year, as they spent an average of $1,306 more than they earned in income in the first quarter of 2023, while they had positive net saving of $521 in the first […]

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How do you Measure Your Financial Growth?

General Lyndsay Gavrilovic 11 Sep

If you are reading this you probably have a keen interest in improving your financial situation — but how are you going to measure your progress? The easiest way is by setting and achieving a goal. This could be short-term and focused, like wiping out a credit card debt. On the other hand, it could […]

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Converting Your Basement to an Income Suite

General Lyndsay Gavrilovic 6 Sep

With the current interest rates and economic scenarios, many Canadians may be looking for ways to bring in some extra cash. One option for this is to put your home equity to work and consider renovating your basement into a legal income suite! You can do this by using a secured credit line (home equity […]

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How to Talk to Your Kids about Finances

General Lyndsay Gavrilovic 29 Aug

Financial independence is a critical skill for future success that your children will not learn anywhere else. Not only does financial literacy help your children have more success in life, but it allows them to move out sooner and it avoids delaying your retirement with additional expenses to support them. So, how do you teach […]

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Choosing Your Ideal Payment Frequency

General Lyndsay Gavrilovic 21 Aug

Your payment schedule is the frequency that you make mortgage payments and ranges from monthly to bi-monthly, bi-weekly, accelerated bi-weekly or even weekly payments. Below is a quick overview of what each of these payment frequencies mean: Monthly Payments: A monthly payment is simply a single large payment, paid once per month; this is the default […]

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It’s Time to Crush Your Credit Card Blues

General Lyndsay Gavrilovic 16 Aug

Although credit cards interest rates have not been affected by the recent surge in the prime lending rate, the fact remains that credit card debt is usually the most expensive debt you can have. The average is around 20% and even the so-called ‘low interest’ cards carry a rate in excess of 10%. Expediting the […]

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Market Beware: Subject Free Offers

General Lyndsay Gavrilovic 7 Aug

Market Beware: Subject Free Offers. When it comes to purchasing a home, most offers include conditions or subjects, which are requirements or criteria to be met before the sale can be finalized and the property is transferred. Some of the most common subjects include: Financing approval Home inspection Fire/home insurance protection Strata document review if […]

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Home Renovations- Reality vs. Television

General Lyndsay Gavrilovic 31 Jul

Home Renovations – Reality vs. Television. Watching home renovation shows is inspiring, often providing us with ideas for our own spaces. However, there is a bit of a downside when it comes to these shows – they can be misleading when it comes to the renovation process. While we may want to recreate something from […]

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