Tag Archive for: Halifax Mortgage Broker

The Same But Different

As Canadians wake up this morning to same result of a different election. Things turned out almost exactly the same as the last time. However are things going to be any different. Are the leaders going to learn to work together. Only time will tell. Are we going to have more of the same or have we managed to send a message that we want them to work together.

While appearing the same on the surface some things are vastly different. I have twin daughters for example, pretty much what they have in common is that they share the same birthday but that would be about it. The same can also be said about many of the various mortgage products from all the different lenders. While rate may be similar from one lender to another you will also need to look at amortization, internal valuation or appraisal, locked in closed term or standard, pre payment privileges and portability.

That is where my role as your trusted mortgage advisor is to get past the sameness and show you the differences from product to product and lender to lender. We don’t all live in the same style of house and drive the same kind of car or work in the same job. We are all unique so your mortgage solution should fit your requirements to a T.

Today I am thankful that I live in a country where none of the major party leaders disputed the results of our recent federal election, that with cooperation everything is possible and while we may all appear to offer the same products and service when you look a little deeper you see our uniqueness, so find a fit that works for you.

“Don’t be afraid of being different. Be afraid of being the same as everyone else.” Unknown

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Vote

As Canadian’s we are very fortunate. We live in a democratic country, we have free universal healthcare and our ability to vote has not been suppressed. The experience generally takes less than 20 minutes out of your day and I encourage everyone to do it. It does not matter if your opinions lean towards to right , the left or in the centre, please just exercise your right to vote. There are people all over the world and heck even those in the States that have a hard time casting their ballots. So just because it’s easy for us don’t mistake it for something that’s not important cause it is.

“If you’re between the ages of 18 and 25 and you want to care the hell out of the people that run this country, this time around do the unexpected. Take 20 minutes out of your day and do what young people all over the world are dying to do. Vote.” Rick Mercer

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Newton’s First Law

Sir Isaac Netwon’s first law of motion roughly states that an object in motion will stay in motion and an object at rest will remain at rest. One example of how this may apply to you is that during the week from the moment you get up you are go go go till your head hits the pillow at the end of your day. Once you get going it’s hard to stop. It’s also true from the other side, as the weekends have a different vibe and pace to them if rise without direction and spend countless hours surfing the web or streaming crap on Netflix you will find that you have suddenly wasted the day away doing nothing.

Get up each day with purpose and direction. Once you are up and moving the rest of your day will go much better. A little down time is good for the body and soul but too much is an extreme waste of time. So the best advise is to start moving within your first hour of getting up and the rest of your day will be so much better.

I was wondering why I was feeling so blah today when I realized that I didn’t go for my 10K run due to the crapy weather. After taking the dog for a walk and got the body moving I feel so much better. So starting late is better than not starting at all. This also applies to saving for your down payment on your new home, getting back in shape or growing your business. Take the first steps and then make the commitment to keep going until you archive your result.

Today I am thankful for having a dog when I really didn’t want to get up and get out of the house, active recovery days are so much better than total rest days and now that the wind had died down I will get that run in after all.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Can’t do it alone

Everyone is familiar with the African proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child.” What this means is that we can’t do it alone. Nobody who has ever achieved a high level of success in life can truly say that they have done it all on their own. It takes a village or a team in most cases to achieve success. For example high performance athletes have nutritionists, physiotherapists, massage therapists, coaches and personal trainers to help them achieve success and stay at the highest level of their game.

The mentality of all for one and one for all is selfish. Personal rights and freedoms should never come at the expense of the safety and wellbeing of the population in general. I am not telling you that you can’t go out and have a few drinks and enjoy yourself with your friends, but if you get behind the wheel and drive home then you putting everyone else in danger.

Protesting in-front of hospitals and harassing or chief public health officer is disgusting and selfish and nobody feels sorry for you. We used to care about our neighbours even if we never really knew them. What happened? To solve a crisis means that we have to come together and work as one group not as a group of selfish individuals. I want to be better, but I can’t do it without you.

Today I am thankful for a long 80K bike ride with great friends, well timed pit stops and a happy dog greeting me when I got home.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Be Relentless

Life is tough and not fair from time to time, but in order to succeed you need to be relentless.

Be relentless on prospecting

Be relentless on follow-up

Be relentless on caring

Be relentless on loving

Be relentless on saving

Be relentless on training

You get the point, there is no free rides. Those who succeed did not get there over night, they did it though hard work and determination.

“We will be relentless in our pursuit for perfection. We won’t ever be perfect, but in the process we will achieve greatness.” Vince Lombardi

Today I am thankful for an exhausting sweaty workout in my garage early this morning, referral partners who think of me to take care of their clients and that Friday feeling.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Rate change

Last night I received notification from several of my lenders that they were reducing their 5 year fixed rate. Depending on the lender reductions were anywhere from 10 to 40 basis points. Remember one hundred basis points = 1%. However you know what did not change? The variable rates did not change. This is because the variable rates are based on the bank of Canada prime lending rate and the fixed rates are based on bond yields.

If you are renewing your mortgage or buying a new home, I always ask my clients if this will be your forever home. If the answer is yes then there is nothing wrong with the fixed rates. However most 5 year mortgages are broken around the 38 month mark of the 60 month term. If you are on a fixed rate this will possibly trigger a large interest rate differential penalty.

Since the Bank of Canada meets only 8 times a year to discuss monetary policy and the last time they increased the prime lending rate was Oct 30th of 2018, I am putting my own mortgage on variable this time. This along with the fact that if I needed to break it at any time the penalty will be only 3 months interest. The choice is yours to make, as your trusted advisor I supply you with the information you require to make the best decision.

Today I am thankful for the kindness of strangers at Costco this morning, my dog seeing his favourite other dog on our morning walk and funny texts from my brother on his birthday.

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” -Albert Einstein

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

It’s the little things

It’s the little things that add up over time that make the real difference. Cutting out an hour of tv a day and replacing it will reading will allow you to grow and learn for the rest of your life. Getting up a half hour earlier and exercising will have dramatic effects on your health and well being. Sitting quiet and meditating for 10 mins a day will help calm your mind and handle your day much better.

What small changes can you make to you day that will have profound effects over time? Things like taking the stairs, packing your own lunch, walking during your break, doing 20 pushups a day, saving $5 a day, being mindful, being kind and listening and asking better questions instead of talking.

Today I am thankful for the way that my dog looks up at me when we walk, seeing the deer two days in a row while we walked and so many nice people to talk with when I called them from volunteering last night.

“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” John Wooden

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here


Love that feeling

I wanted the start the day off on a positive note by reminding you about some great feelings.

Love that feeling you get after a great run.

Love that feeling you get when you embrace a loved one.

Love that feeling you get when a friendly voice calls to see how you are doing when you’re having a rough day.

Love that feeling you get when everyone is happy to see you when you get home.

Love that feeling you get the client’s offer finely sticks after several failed attempts.

Love that feeling you get doing cold calls and the recipient answers with my name and is happy to hear from me.

Today I am thankful for seeing a deer eating pears off a neighbour’s lawn early this morning, for my runner’s high after my run this morning and for my client’s accepted offer.

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” Lao Tzu

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

How many times?

How many times are you willing to keep trying until you have achieved your desired result. The limit for most people is 3 or 4 times. I just listened to an interview that Tim Ferriss did with Sir James Dyson on his podcast and he failed 5,126 times with his vacuum prototype before achieving his desired result.

We don’t give up when teaching our children to walk or talk. Yet we give up so easily when it comes to ourselves. People give up trying to manage their money, they give up on relationships, they give up trying to get fit or loose weight and they give up on trying to live a better life.

Latley I am running onto people giving up when it comes to buying a home in this hot real estate market. In my almost 20 years of doing this I have never seen so many properties going for well above list price. However there are those people who persist and end up succeeding after sometimes 10,20 or 30 offers. The inventory is not static so what is listed today will be replaced by new properties next week. So please keep trying and you will get there.

Today I am thankful for the ability and the patience to keep persisting until I have succeeded, realizing that there is joy in the journey and not just the destination and having the flexibility and the knowledge and pay attention to what’s working and what isn’t. Be persistant.

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
― Calvin Coolidge

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here

Trusted Advisor

To me it hasn’t seemed that long ago when if you had car trouble someone always had a guy who could fix it at his place. It didn’t matter if it was as simple as brakes or a complicated as major motor work, it was all possible in someone’s back yard. Now vehicles are so complicated it is in your best interest to trust the repairs to the experts at the dealerships or major garage networks.

The same can be said for your taxes. If you were self employed like I am you kept all your receipts in various shoe boxes and worked through them at the end of the year in the hopes that everything made sense. Now it is best to seek the expert advice of a competent tax specialist or accountant. Also no more shoe boxes, everything is tracked with state of the art online accounting software and filed electronically.

Also some times you think that you know the right thing to do but in hindsight you didn’t. Dealing with a trusted advisor or expert is in your long term best interest, whether it be for your car repair, taxes, financial planning or yes even your mortgage. There is more to consider when deciding on your mortgage than just the interest rate. You need to consider term, fixed or variable, amortization, pre payment privileges, post closing support or portability.

“From my experience, the best advisors help in three ways: encourage you to look at the problem or opportunity from multiple angles; help you balance the tug of the short-term with important long-term priorities; and ask the tough questions you need to know to reach the best solution.” Margo Georgiadis

Today I am thankful for the advice of experts for challenges that came up recently, for how much better I feel knowing I have competent people to help me and for the change of pace the weekend brings.

I look forward to hearing from you in regard to your mortgage needs.

Patrick

p.s- You can click on this link to start the process whenever you are ready. Schedule your meeting with me here.

p.s.s- I should tell you that I am licensed in Nova Scotia, Ontario(M18001555) & in British Columbia(BCFSA #504098).

p.s.s.s You can download my new mortgage app here