Tag Archive for: Halifax Mortgage Broker

Celebrities

While people gather around the virtual water cooler ( cause we are still in a pandemic) discussing the lives of celebrities, just a heads up that I won’t be one of them. I have loved this quote above from the moment that I saw it many years ago and it sums up my personal philosophy to a T.

Be of a great mind.

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

Pat

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).

On A Roll

Let’s say you have made a commitment to read more, exercise, eat better or save money. You have been doing great for the past 30 days but today it requires more mental energy than it normally does. However you know if you miss a day, that it will lead to 2 and then your great work from the past 30 days will be gone.

Jerry Seinfeld had created a system where by he sat down every day and worked on developing new material. In order to continue to make progress the key was to never break the chain. A little bit every day will make you better, and the key is consistency whereby you don’t miss a day.

I made a commitment just over a month a go to post every day. It doesn’t matter how small a post it was the key was to post something and be consistent. Just like it is with my exercise routine. The only rule is to not miss a day. In order to improve we have to continue with the daily efforts.

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

Pat

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).

The Rate Game!

Over the last few weeks the rates on five year fixed mortgage have steadily risen as the corresponding bond yields have also increased. This all has to do with recent concerns with inflation or better yet a game of cat and mouse between bond traders and the FOMC ( Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee) which sets the US federal funds rate. You see the traders believe that the FOMC have the funds rate set too low so as a result they are pushing the yields up higher to see if the FOMC will react.

You may be asking how does this effect you and me here in Canada. Well their actions have increased the yield of our five year bonds and thus drove our fixed rate mortgages higher. Mortgages which as of late were at historic low rates. So if you have heart set on a 5 year fixed mortgage rate and are currently shopping for a new home, now is the ideal time to lock in your rate with a pre approval.

However do you know what may be a better option? Historically the better option has always been to go with a variable rate. Not only do you get a lower rate, but you also have a much better penalty if you have to break it. This would three months interest vs a very probable Interest Rate Differential penalty.

Another differentiator is the fact that the variable rate mortgage is based on the Bank Of Canada prime rate rather than the whims of the bond market in general. The bank of Canada meets 8 times a year and current the over night rate is set at .25%. The current bank forecast says that the overnight rate will remain unchanged for the rest of 2021 and also for 2022. As for 2023 and beyond it will depend on how the Canadian and global economies recover from Covid-19.

While this is no crystal ball as it is very difficult to predict the market. Generally 9 times out of 10 you will save more money with a variable rate as compared to a fixed rate. Right now, I like these odds and think that people will prefer the variable.

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

Pat

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).

We are all connected

Whether you believe it or not, we are all in this together so it works best for each of us if we help each other out. I know that we are all fighting internal battles that nobody really knows anything about. However you have to realize that you are probably not the first in your particular situation nor will you be the last.

In regards to my field, as a mortgage broker there are probably thousands of us across the country. Many more if you add the mortgage specialists who work directly for the banks. Yet even though we work mostly by ourselves and for ourselves a little cooperation can go a long way. I had a file that I was having a challenge getting it approved and funded, I reached out to one of my friends who is a mortgage specialist for a bank and he was able to get it done. Simple as that.

A few years ago I reached out to Dustan Woodhouse a prominent broker in BC who wrote a series of books called “Be the better Broker”. Not only did he take the time to talk with me, someone he didn’t know from Adam, he actually sent me copies of his book. I was blown away by his gesture.

We need more people like Dustan who go out of their ways to help other people. The world will be a much better place if we all turned the focus less on ourselves and more toward others. A cool little side benefit is that the more you give the better you will feel.

With the theme of today’s post you really need to check out Sam Roberts singing We’re all in this together with his kids.

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

Pat

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).

My business runs on Zoho

While using a web-surfing tool called Stumbleupon about 12 years ago, I landed on a page about Zoho and it’s products. I had been searching for a great CRM for my business and all the competitors that I had found were much more expensive and not as user friendly.

So here is a run-down of what I am using and hopefully you will find something of value can help you or your business.

I use Zoho CRM to run my day to day business. It helps me track every stage of my clients journey from prospect through to funding. It’s great for keeping in touch with my referral sources as well.

I use Zoho Books for all my accounting needs. It connects to many of the common payment processors links like Stripe or PayPal so you can send out invoices with a built in link and get paid much faster.

I use Zoho Bookings to schedule all my client meetings. I just send my clients a link, they pick the time that is convenient for them and then we meet through Zoho Meeting their video conference tool.

I use Zoho Mail for all my correspondence. It links seamlessly with my CRM so all my client communication is automatically saved to their contact profile.

I use Zoho Campaigns for any email marketing with my clients and referral sources. It syncs beautifully with my CRM and sends out amazing emails with all the back end analytics that you need to know what’s working and what’s not.

The chatbot on my website is also Zoho product called SalesIQ. It pings my Apple Watch, then my iPhone and my computer when I have a new visitor using chat on my website. This gives me the opportunity to communicate timely & effectively with those who visit my page. The Form that is on my website was created by Zoho Forms. That brings everything directly to my Zoho CRM.

I use Zoho Sign for all my clients mortgage approval documents. Now in the age of Covid where almost everything is done virtually this has been an amazing tool to have.

I am most likely leaving some products out of the mix but this should give you a pretty good idea about what is possible with their expert suite of products. What really makes this attractive for me is the fact that they have all these products bundled together as a package called Zoho One and what’s even better is the cost, which is only $30us per user per month! This is a tremendous value, compared to what you may already be paying for your CRM, your Zoom, your accounting program and all other similar products. So if you like any of these products please subscribe through my Zoho One Link and it will give you the most bang for the buck.

I really hope that I was able to add some value to your day and just make life more organized and structured. You won’t believe how much more effective these products make me.

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

Pat

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).

Plan B!

Sometimes our best made plans go astray. Things don’t always turn out as you have planned so you need to be prepared with alternative solutions to help you reach your goals. Planned to go to Florida for vacation but could not get a flight, but still intend on going so look at other options to get you there. Gyms are closed due to covid but you still want to workout, take up running like so many more of us have done over the past year. Can’t go out to see a movie, consider picking up a great book.

This can also apply to the world of financing. You finely found your dream home but the big bank lender or AAA lender turned you down. There are still options to make your dream a reality. As long as you are open to other possibilities we can help you achieve your goals. No’s are not forever as long as you are open to other options.

I have some wonderful alternative lending options available for you to help you make your home ownership dreams come true. That no from the big bank might just be a no for right now, with a little work and help from one of my alternative sources we can get you where you want to go.

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

Pat

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).

Get good at something great!

Let’s just face it that we are all good or great at things that don’t serve us. Who among us does not excel at procrastination! Better yet watching tv, eating junk food, playing video games, wasting your money, shopping, drinking or hours spent on social media. I am sure you are saying that everything in moderation is fine. However what has it gotten you so far???

So why not get good a something that moves you forward! This does not matter if you currently are a barista at Starbucks, a cook at McDonald’s or a customer service representative at a call centre. Being great at what you do gets you noticed, gets you promoted and helps you succeed. No job is worth doing unless you are doing it well.

I love what I do, let me be your mortgage expert and help you get your financing for your first home or your dream home.

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

Pat

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).

It’s contagious !

We are in the middle of a pandemic and we all know that the virus is high contagious. To ensure your safety please make sure that you are following public health guidelines. Wear a mask, stay 2 meters apart and wash your hands frequently.

However do you know what else is contagious and that you get it from a phone call, a text or a zoom meeting. This is something you want to catch. It’s enthusiasm, and you gotta love it when someone shares their’s with you. That book that they have just read now becomes irresistible thanks to their overwhelming enthusiasm. You just have to check out that new movie or series that they can’t stop taking about. I could not write a post like this without including Crossfit. Once you have gone to a box and attended a class you will understand that yes the workouts are hard but it’s the people that keep you coming back.

Let’s all spread some good vibes today. Enthusiasm is contagious so make sure to spread it far and wide.
Have a wonderful day.

Enthusiasm

24 Hour Service!

You have to admit that we live in a busy non-stop world. As long as you have internet service you can shop on-line 24 hours a day, stream the latest tv show, movie, do general banking or in most cases get tech support if you needed it.

However our modern connected world does have it’s limitations at what you can do at 2am on a Tuesday or 8am on a Sunday. Craving for a burger at those hours it isn’t going to happen. Same goes for getting your dry-cleaning done. Can’t have a consultation with your lawyer or your accountant either. In my business there are things that I can or can’t do if I happen to be available to chat during those hours.

Thanks to my chat bot that I have on my website, I get a notification on my phone, my watch or my computer if I have a new visitor. Now like most people I do have down time, but I am generally awake, near my phone or have my watch on from 6am till 10pm most days. This means that before and after regular banking hours I can and will happily answer general enquiries or respond to client questions. However note, that outside regular banking hours I am unable to get your mortgage approved or issue unconditional finance letters without first consulting with the lender.

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

Pat

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).

Enrich your life

The common expression goes something like this ” You will be the same person in five years except for the people you meet, the places you will go and the books you will read”. Well since we are currently in the middle of a pandemic, that will cross out the 1st two. So there has never been a better time to pick up a book and read.

The greatest minds were and are avid readers. The documented history of the human race is available to you in the printed form, and here are some great examples. They help you improve your self. You can learn lessons for those who have been though the same thing as you are going though, and no you are not the only one in your current situation. Reading improves your focus, your memory, is good for your emotional health and is a great source of motivation. Un like television, reading actually makes you smarter.

Use this time at home wisely. Reduce the hours that you watch TV or youtube and pick up a book. I would recommend going with the old fashioned physical book but you can also do it with an e-reader. If you are not sure where to start, go to Goodreads and enter all the books that you have read before and look at the suggestions for what to read next. Make sure to friend me on Goodreads so we can share our reading lists.

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

Pat

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).