How to keep your home ‘show ready’ at all times
Prospective homebuyers are coming to tour the home. You know they’re coming, but you don’t have time to clean up the kitchen from making dinner, and the living room is a mess. Perhaps it is the bathroom that’s a mess. The potential buyers visit, and they choose...
Home Buying Process – Whalen Mortgages Fort McMurray
The home buying process shouldn’t start with a series of open houses. And while it should include a budget, you won’t have a good one without personalized feedback on what your mortgage payment would be. This is why your first step after deciding you want to buy a...
Fort McMurray Mortgage Government Stress Test Changes
Fort McMurray Mortgage Stress Test A new stress test is being rolled out in April. This new stress test affects every insured mortgage. The new stress test will use the weekly, median 5-year fixed insured mortgage rate plus 2 percent. The current mortgage rate as we...
3 tips that could save you thousands on your mortgage
Canadian interest rates have risen for the past few years. Further interest rate hikes may be on the horizon. Here are some tips that could save you lots of money on your mortgage as interest rates rise. Shop around for a deal, and not just in terms of interest...
3 Lending Misconceptions Keeping You From Buying Your Dream Home
Are you a renter who dreams of owning a home? A surprisingly large number of renters can achieve their dream of owning Fort McMurray real estate but are held back by popular misconceptions. Misconception 1: Interest Rates Are Too High Interest rates are actually...
The Benefits of Listing This Winter
What are the benefits of listing your Fort McMurray home in winter? There is less competition in the winter months. Fewer people are listing their homes because they think there is lower demand. It also means there is less competition for you as a seller since less...
The Benefits and Risks of Co-Signing for a Mortgage
Tighter mortgage rules intended to cool off hot real estate markets like Toronto and Vancouver are impacting Fort McMurray home buyers too. For example, the mortgage stress makes it harder to qualify for a home loan even though you have good credit and a good income....
The Home Buying Process for Fort McMurray Residents
While Whalen Mortgages provides some of the lowest mortgage rates in Fort McMurray, getting a deal on a mortgage is only part of the home buying process. Here’s an overview of the home buying process Fort McMurray residents must follow if they can’t afford to buy the...
How the correct Credit Cards will assist you through unhealthy Credit
Fort McMurray residents recovering from a bad credit event like bankruptcy should do what they can to repair their credit. The question they face is: what is the best way to do so? A good first step is opening two new lines of credit and then being careful in how you...
Canadian Government Lowers Qualifying Rate for Stress Tests
The Bank of Canada rolled out mortgage stress tests several years ago in a bid to ensure people could afford their homes. These stress tests require that potential home buyers could make their home payments if their income fell or interest rates went up. The interest...