Welcome to My Blog
Why The Property Matters
When looking to qualify for a mortgage, typically a lender will want to review four main areas of your mortgage application. Income, credit, downpayment/equity and the property itself. Assuming you have a great job, excellent credit, and sufficient money in the bank...
Fixed or Variable?
If you're looking to buy a new property, refinance, or renew an existing mortgage, chances are, you're considering either a fixed or variable rate mortgage. Figuring out which one is the best is entirely up to you! So here's some information to help you along the way....
Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Sept 9th, 2020
Bank of Canada maintains commitment to current level of policy rate, continues program of quantitative easing. The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at the effective lower bound of ¼ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly ½ percent...
Ultra-Low Interest Rates
Chances are if you’ve been paying attention to the news as the Canadian economy continues to work through the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve heard that interest rates are at an all-time low. And it would appear that they will remain low for a while. In fact, the Bank of...
Mortgage Post Bankruptcy
This should come as no surprise, but sometimes life throws you a financial curveball. Bankruptcy and consumer proposals happen. It doesn't mean your life is over, and it doesn't mean you won't ever qualify for a mortgage again. The key here is to get a plan in place...
What is a Second Mortgage?
If you're relatively new to the world of mortgage financing, the term "second mortgage" might cause a bit of confusion; especially if you're a first-time homebuyer buying your first home. You might assume that when your first term is up or if you sell your first home,...
Empowerography Podcast – Sabeena Bubber
I was happy to have recently been interviewed by Brad Walsh from Empowerography. In this episode of the Empowerography Podcast, Brad Walsh's guest is Sabeena Bubber. Sabeena is an award winning Mortgage Professional with Xeva Mortgage, working from her...
3 Reasons to Use an Independent Mortgage Professional!
If you need to borrow money to finance any property, working with an independent mortgage professional will save you money, time, and provide you with better options than your bank. And if that is the only sentence you read in this entire article, you already know all...
Do You Need Time For Your Retirement Investments To Recover?
COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on retirement investments, particularly for those who rely on dividends as part of their income. Over the past decade, many older Canadians have taken a riskier approach with retirement investments because of low bond yields and interest...
Mortgage Deferrals Now Recorded on Credit Reports
If COVID-19 has negatively impacted your finances and you're currently deferring your mortgage payments, you should know that this will be visible on your credit report. Here is an image from a recent credit report. In this scenario, it shows that the mortgage was...
Payment Frequency, Does it Really Make a Difference?
It has been said that there are two certainties in life; death and taxes. Well, as it relates to your mortgage, the single certainty is that you will pay back what you borrowed, plus interest. However, how you make your mortgage payments, the payment frequency, is...
Bank of Canada Rate Announcement July 15th, 2020
Bank of Canada will maintain current level of policy rate until inflation objective is achieved, continues program of quantitative easing. The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at the effective lower bound of ¼ percent. The Bank Rate is...
What You Can Expect When Locking in a Variable Rate
If you have a variable rate mortgage, and recent economic news has you thinking about locking into a fixed rate, here is what you can expect will happen. Firstly, your lender will be very happy as they will now make considerably more money off you. Not only will your...
Looking for a new mortgage? Start here.
It's safe to say that things have (mostly) calmed down in the mortgage world since the beginning of COVID-19. The rush of mortgage deferral applications appears to be behind us. So if you're looking for a new mortgage, right now is an excellent time to get things...
Latest in Mortgage News, COVID-19, and Economic Recovery.
Although the volume of news over the last month has been pretty tame in comparison to when COVID-19 initially hit, there has still been a lot going on. If you find yourself wondering about the current state of affairs as it relates to real estate, mortgage financing,...
Improving Your Credit Score
Along with employment stability, and downpayment/equity, your credit score and how you manage your credit is a huge factor in qualifying for a mortgage. If you want the best interest rates available on the market, the higher your credit score the better. However, if...
Spousal Buyout Mortgage?
If you happen to be going through, or considering a divorce or separation, you might not be aware that there are mortgage products designed to allow you to refinance your property in order to buyout your ex-spouse. For most couples, their property is their largest...
CMHC Guidelines Changing July 1st 2020
CMHC just shared the following press release. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me anytime! CMHC RELEASE JUNE 4th 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all sectors of Canada’s economy, including housing. Job losses, business closures and a...
Bank of Canada Rate Announcement June 3rd, 2020
The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at the effective lower bound of ¼ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly ½ percent and the deposit rate is ¼ percent. Incoming data confirm the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the...
Advice for Living Through These Uncertain Times
It only takes a quick trip to the grocery store to realize that life is VERY different than it was just a couple of months ago. COVID-19 has already left a permanent mark in modern human history. So as you continue life mid-pandemic, here's some good advice: don’t...
Your Financial Plan to Becoming Debt-Free Post-COVID
Although everyone is experiencing the impact of COVID-19 differently, one thing has become evident. As a result of the pandemic, we’re all paying closer attention to our finances. Looking at life post-COVID, it’s going to be essential to have a financial plan. Here...
Access Your Home Equity! COVID-19
As the initial shock of living through a global pandemic wears off and restrictions start to loosen, it would seem that Canada is en route to de-COVID soon (time will tell). If you’ve been waiting until things flatten out before making any significant financial...
A Mid-Pandemic Mortgage Checkup?
If you've been sitting on the sidelines waiting to see the full impact of COVID-19 on the economy before asking any pressing questions about your financial situation, now might be a good time for a mid-pandemic mortgage checkup! Here is a list of questions that have...
Questions About Appraisals During COVID-19
If you're looking to purchase or refinance a property while most of Canada is self-isolating to stop the spread of COVID-19, you probably have some questions around how the pandemic is impacting appraisals. If you're looking to put a plan together that involves...
Open for Business During COVID-19
If you're thinking about buying a new property, refinancing your existing mortgage, or if your mortgage is up for renewal, you might be wondering if getting a mortgage is even possible amid a global pandemic? Be assured that it is possible, mortgages are being...
Bank of Canada Maintains Overnight Rate Target and Unveils New Market Operations
The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at ¼ percent, which the Bank considers its effective lower bound. The Bank Rate is correspondingly ½ percent and the deposit rate is ¼ percent. The Bank also announced new measures to provide...
Understanding the Government of Canada COVID-19 Package
Earlier this week the Government announced new measures to help employees and business owners through the many closures and restrictions imposed. Here's a chart for your reference. If you have any questions, please contact me anytime!
Are Interest Rates Going Up and Down at the Same Time? COVID-19
If you’re paying more attention to the Canadian economy due to COVID-19, and it seems like you’re getting mixed messages; that mortgage interest rates are going both up and down at the same time, you’re not that far off. There are a lot of moving parts, and to find...
Bank of Canada lowers overnight rate target to ¼ percent
The Bank of Canada today lowered its target for the overnight rate by 50 basis points to ¼ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly ½ percent and the deposit rate is ¼ percent. This unscheduled rate decision brings the policy rate to its effective lower bound and is...
Is Now a Good Time To Buy? (Covid-19)
If you’ve been thinking about buying a new home, chances are the instability of the Canadian economy and the impact Covid-19 has you second-guessing yourself. And chances are, at this point in time, you are probably right to do so. Right now there is uncertainty in...
Deferring Mortgage Payments. (Covid-19)
In response to the Covid-19 crisis; for those individuals financially affected, banks and the government have announced that payment relief may be available for up to 6 months of deferred mortgage payments. As information is changing daily, or hourly, if you have...
Bank of Canada Lowers Overnight Rate Target to ¾ percent
The Bank of Canada today lowered its target for the overnight rate by 50 basis points to ¾ percent, effective Monday, March 16, 2020. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1 percent and the deposit rate is ½ percent. This unscheduled rate decision is a proactive measure...
Getting on the Property Ladder
As property prices continue to rise across Canada, the conversation around "how to climb the property ladder" has made a subtle shift to "how to get on the property ladder in the first place." Especially if you're single. Whereas before it was assumed anyone would...
Bank of Canada lowers rate by 50 basis points | March 4th 2020
The Bank of Canada today lowered its target for the overnight rate by 50 basis points to 1 ¼ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1 ½ percent and the deposit rate is 1 percent. While Canada’s economy has been operating close to potential with inflation on target,...
The 10 Don’ts of Mortgage Closing
Okay, so here we are... we have worked together to secure financing for your mortgage. You are getting a great rate, favourable terms that meet your mortgage goals, the lender is satisfied with all the supporting documents, we are broker complete, and the only thing...
I Missed a Credit Card Payment… Now What?
If you've missed a payment on your credit card (or line of credit) and you're wondering how this will impact your creditworthiness down the road, this article is for you. But before we get started, if you have an overdue balance on any of your credit cards at this...
Deposit vs Downpayment
As part of the mortgage and real estate processes, there’s a lot of confusion around the differences between the deposit and the downpayment. It's important to understand what sets them apart so you don’t get confused when it’s time to secure financing on a property...
In the Middle of a 10 Year Term? You Have Options!
If you bought a house, or had a mortgage renew roughly five years ago, there's a chance the struggling economy and the relatively low interest rate environment (at the time) influenced you to "play it safe" and lock in a mortgage term for the next ten years. Because,...
Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Jan 22nd, 2020
The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at 1 ¾ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 2 percent and the deposit rate is 1 ½ percent. The global economy is showing signs of stabilization, and some recent trade developments have been...
Employment Status | How it Impacts Your Mortgage Application
Chances are, if you're applying for a mortgage, you feel confident about the state of your current employment, or your ability to find a similar position if you needed to. However, your actual employment status probably means more to the lender than you might think....
How to Not Qualify for a Mortgage
If you have no desire at all to qualify for a mortgage, here are some great ways to make sure you don't accidentally end up buying a house and taking out a mortgage to do so. One of the best ways to ensure you won't qualify for a mortgage is to be unemployed. Yep,...
You Just Got a Mortgage. Now What?
Mortgages are a funny thing. On the one hand they allow you to become a home owner without saving up enough money to purchase the home outright, which is a really good thing. On the other hand, even at today's really low interest rates, as they are amortized over a...
Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Dec 4th, 2019
The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at 1 ¾ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 2 percent and the deposit rate is 1 ½ percent. The Bank’s October projection for global economic growth appears to be intact. There is nascent...
Is Right Now a Good Time to Buy?
If you've been thinking about buying a new home; whether that be your first home, your next home, your forever home, or your retirement home, the doom and gloom of it all might be causing you to question... is right now a good time to buy a home? Well... what if I...
7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Building a Home
Building your dream home can sound really exciting, but have you thought about everything that goes into building a new home? Here are 7 Questions you should ask yourself before making any concrete plans! 1. What are my expectations with this new home? Are you looking...
How Interest Rates are Like Gas Prices
Have you ever noticed that just like gas prices, interest rates seem to go up and down for no reason at all? How come it feels like right before you are ready to buy a property, rumours of interest rate changes will start to flood the media? Or why do gas prices...
Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Oct 30th, 2019
The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at 1 ¾ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 2 percent and the deposit rate is 1 ½ percent. The outlook for the global economy has weakened further since the Bank’s July Monetary Policy Report...
Can I Give Someone The Downpayment to Buy My House?
Although it might not always be this straightforward, the question "Can I give someone the downpayment to buy my house?" presents itself in many different ways. And the answer to all of them is no, well... except in one circumstance, but we will get to that later....
4 Ways Alternative Lending Beats Traditional Bank Financing
Alternative lending refers to lending practices that fall outside the normal banking channels. These are lenders that think outside the box and offer lending solutions to Canadians who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for traditional bank products. Although we all like to...
Minimum Required Credit Profile
Credit. The ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future. When you borrow money to buy a house, you will be required to prove that you have a good history of managing your credit. But what...
Contact Me Anytime
Sabeena Bubber, AMP
Mortgage Professional
P: 604-862-8526
E: sabeena@xeva.ca
OfFice Locations
500-224 West Esplanade
North Vancouver, BC.
V7M1A4
213 – 1455 Bellevue Avenue
West Vancouver, BC.
V7T1C3
