Recent Posts
Contact
Pat Sawler
902-465-5533
HALIFAX OFFICE:
1959 Upper Water Street
Suite 1301
Halifax, NS B3J 3N2
SURREY OFFICE:
7404 King George Blvd
Suite 200
Surrey, British Columbia, V3W 1N6
Nova Scotia Brokerage 2021-3000179
Broker 2021-3000180
How to recession proof your life!
If you have been watching the news lately you have probably heard that times are tough and it may possibly get tougher. Well that does not have to apply to you personally. Below are a few suggestions to help you ride through the turbulent times with a smile on your face. 1) Trim the fat. As obvious […]
What would happen if the bank where your savings are goes bust, and the bank where your mortgage is doesn't?
If you want a first hand account, then click here, here or here. As horrific as a run on a bank is, this is real: my friend in Hong Kong can see the crowds from his office. If enough people withdraw their money, it doesn’t matter how well-run or profitable a bank is, it has […]
How to get a risk free double digit return on your money!
You’re about to learn some closely guarded information you’ll never hear from bankers, brokers, insurance agents, or credit card companies. Many love to keep you in the dark about debt, credit, and investing so they can keep getting richer at your expense. If you don’t do something about it, more than half your lifetime earnings […]
Final Mortgage Insurance Guarantee Parameters.
On Friday, September 19, 2008 the Department of Finance issued its final mortgage insurance guarantee parameters and accompanying explanatory notes. The final guidelines follow the initial announcement on the financial guarantee for mortgage insurance providers issued July 9, 2008 by the Department of Finance. There are two noteworthy changes from the draft parameters: 1. Elimination […]
Court turns down ABCP appeal!
The Supreme Court of Canada has denied an appeal of the plan to rescue $32-billion of stranded asset-backed commercial paper, clearing the way for thousands of individuals and companies to start reclaiming investments that have been frozen for 13 months. A group of Canadian companies holding about $600-million of notes had challenged the ABCP bailout […]
Another one bites the dust!
If you enjoy a good train wreck, then watching the financial markets of the past few days should have given you plenty to watch. For those of you who have not kept a roll call then here is a brief summary, Lehman Brothers the large brokerage house has filed for Bankruptcy protection, Merrill Lynch brokerage house was bought out […]
Who owns your ass(ets)?
If you are like the average family, you probably have 2.5 kids, a house, a car or two and maybe even a cottage. You are most likely both working and counting down the years till you can kiss your nine to fiver good bye. You may even have a company pension and contribute to the Canada Pension […]
Housing market continues to cool.
I just read this article in the Globe and Mail, you can read it here. If not here is my take. Current stats seem to indicate that we are slowly changing from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market. The change is sweeping us from West to East. As the market was at it’s hottest […]
Give yourself some credit!
It can reach the point where you don’t want to pick up the mail or answer the phone. There isn’t anything to look forward to anyway, who writes letter’s anyway? The daily mail invariably consists of a few pieces of colorful junk mail and yet another pesky bill to pay. Believe it or not, those […]
Lesson's from the US housing crisis!
I just read this article here. The Americans have got them selves in a pretty sticky situation. As with every challenge there is a learning experience. So what can we learn from this? 1) Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you can not afford it with out the use of “creative” financing […]
Are you sitting on a “Gold Mine”?
“A penny saved is a penny earned”, or so the old proverb goes. Of course, the value of a penny has changed somewhat from the time when your mother offered her wisdom on the value of keeping what you earn. Today, you could save thousands of dollars by simply making the right mortgage decision. If […]
How to use your home equity to feather your nest!
More than a decade ago, trendsetters began to tell us about the future trend of “cocooning”. They predicted that decoration magazines, home renovation businesses and luxury home fashions and furnishings would see a big boom. However recently we continued to look outside our home for entertainment, and the idea of nesting at home seemed unlikely. […]
Fast Tracking to “mortgage free”!
Just imagine as you are going through your favorite coffee drive through this week, that a well dressed gentleman stops and offers you $12K for your grande non fat no whip extra hot chi latte. Would you do it? I would take it even if it was the last coffee on earth! It’s a no […]
Mortgage Brokers are helping more and more people!
When it comes to mortgage financing, more and more Canadians are choosing to work with a professional mortgage broker. According to a study conducted by CMHC, over 25% of mortgages were originated by mortgage brokers. Canadians are just catching up with our American neighbors, who are far less likely to just walk into their neighborhood […]
Add a mortgage broker to your team!
For most Canadians, buying a home is the largest financial decision they will make in their lifetime. Yet, consumers across the country are more likely to painstakingly review dozens of investment possibilities for their portfolios than to scrutinize their mortgage choices. The mortgage world like the investment world can sometimes be confusing. There is a […]