Worth reading

Written by Stephen Green, Mortgage Broker, and shared here by Sarah DiGiallonardo. Plain explanations of the things clients actually ask about.

Latest

Buying a HomeTerm vs. Amortization: Why Your Payment Can Change at Renewal

Term vs. amortization in Canada, using FCAC's definitions, with an illustrative Ontario renewal example showing how the payment can change.

November 4, 2026 · 6 min read

RenewalsMore Than a Third Picked Their Lender Because They Already Bank There

FCAC research: 37% chose a lender because they already bank there and 20% never compared. What to weigh before an Ontario renewal.

November 4, 2026 · 5 min read

Market NewsMacklem Says U.S. Borrowing Could Lift Canadian Costs: What a "Neutral" Range Means for Fixed Mortgages

Macklem says U.S. deficits push up global yields. What that, and the Bank's 2.25% to 3.25% neutral range, mean for Ontario fixed mortgage costs.

November 3, 2026 · 6 min read

By topic

Renewals & RefinancingPenalties, timing, blend-and-extend, and reading the letter your lender mailed you.15

The Bank of Canada Sees Inflation Near 3% Through 2027: What That Means for a RenewalNovember 3, 2026 · 6 min read

A Year Into the Renewal Cliff: CIBC Says the Strain Eases From February 2027October 28, 2026 · 6 min read

Your Variable Mortgage's Trigger Point: Where Is It?October 27, 2026 · 6 min read

Five-Year Mortgages Are Now Under 20% of the Market: What to Weigh in a Shorter TermOctober 23, 2026 · 6 min read

Bond Markets Are Tightening Conditions Without the Bank: What It Means for Fixed and Variable ChoicesOctober 15, 2026 · 6 min read

How Many Bank of Canada Increases Does It Take to Erase a Variable Discount?October 3, 2026 · 6 min read

The Bank of Canada's Own Research Says Recent Buyers Are Running a DeficitSeptember 27, 2026 · 8 min read

More Homeowners Are Feeling Mortgage Payment Stress, StatCan FindsSeptember 23, 2026 · 6 min read

What Actually Happens If You Fall Behind on an Ontario MortgageSeptember 21, 2026 · 7 min read

Prepayment Privileges: How Much You Can Put Toward Your Mortgage Without a PenaltySeptember 21, 2026 · 7 min read

The Mortgage Registration Question Almost Nobody Asks Until RenewalSeptember 14, 2026 · 7 min read

More New Mortgages Are Variable or Short-Term Than Ever, CMHC SaysSeptember 12, 2026 · 7 min read

Blend-and-Extend and Blend-to-Term, Explained Without the Sales PitchSeptember 7, 2026 · 6 min read

The Bank of Canada's Real Renewal Warning Isn't About Your PaymentSeptember 7, 2026 · 7 min read

Why a Fixed Penalty Can Run to Five Figures While a Variable One Doesn'tSeptember 6, 2026 · 7 min read

The MarketBank of Canada decisions, board numbers, and what they actually change for a household.44

Weak GDP Right After a Bank of Canada Hike: What Variable Mortgage Holders Should Take From ItNovember 2, 2026 · 6 min read

What the Bank of Canada Means by a “Subdued” Housing OutlookOctober 31, 2026 · 6 min read

Ontario Mortgage Arrears Are Expected to Keep Rising Through Mid-2027: What CMHC’s Fall Report SaysOctober 29, 2026 · 6 min read

What the Bank of Canada's October Move Means for Your MortgageOctober 29, 2026 · 7 min read

The Bank of Canada Hiked: What It Changes for Your MortgageOctober 29, 2026 · 7 min read

Before the Bank of Canada Decides: Which Mortgage Do You Have?October 27, 2026 · 8 min read

Two Forecasts Say Ontario Housing Steadies in 2027: What Buyers Should Plan ForOctober 24, 2026 · 6 min read

Inflation Ticked Up to 3.1%, but Core Measures Eased: What That Means Before 28 OctoberOctober 22, 2026 · 6 min read

National Bank Economist: Home Prices Could Stabilize in 2027, and Borrowers Are Choosing Shorter TermsOctober 21, 2026 · 6 min read

Macklem Says Higher Oil Prices Lift Canada’s Growth but Push Up Inflation: What to Watch Before 28 OctoberOctober 21, 2026 · 6 min read

CREA Cuts Its 2026 Home Sales Forecast for the Third Time: What Buyers and Sellers in Ontario Should KnowOctober 20, 2026 · 6 min read

CMHC’s Chief Economist Warns a Housing Slowdown Could Set Up the Next Shortage: What It Means for Ontario BuyersOctober 20, 2026 · 6 min read

The Bank of Canada Says It Won’t Aim Borrowing Costs at House Prices: What That Means for BuyersOctober 15, 2026 · 6 min read

The Foreign Homebuyer Ban Expires on 1 January. What That Means for Ontario Buyers.October 14, 2026 · 4 min read

Waterloo Region in September: Fewer Sales, Tighter Supply, and What a 3.8-Month Reading MeansOctober 13, 2026 · 6 min read

London in September: Sales Edged Up, Prices Slipped, and Homes Took Longer to SellOctober 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Two Months of Job Losses: What Canada's September Numbers Mean for Your Mortgage FileOctober 12, 2026 · 6 min read

Most Canadians Expect Higher Inflation. Why the Bank of Canada Cares, and What It Means for Your MortgageOctober 8, 2026 · 6 min read

GTA Buyers Hit Pause in September: Two Price Numbers and What They MeanOctober 7, 2026 · 6 min read

The Bank of Canada's New Forecasting Model Puts Your Mortgage Renewal Front and CentreOctober 6, 2026 · 6 min read

TD Cuts Its Housing Outlook: What Flat Ontario Prices Mean for Buyers and OwnersOctober 5, 2026 · 6 min read

Home Prices Are Back to 2016 Levels After Inflation. Why That Does Not Mean Buying Is EasierOctober 4, 2026 · 5 min read

Ontario Is on Pace to Miss Its 1.5 Million Homes Target. What Two New Reports Mean for BuyersOctober 3, 2026 · 6 min read

Population Revisions and Falling Rents: What the New Supply Story Means for Ontario Buyers and LandlordsOctober 2, 2026 · 6 min read

3% Inflation, 2% Core: Which Number Should Mortgage Holders Actually Watch?October 2, 2026 · 6 min read

Mortgage Arrears at a 12-Year High: What the Number Does and Doesn't SayOctober 2, 2026 · 6 min read

Bank of Canada Forecasters Are Split Ahead of OctoberSeptember 28, 2026 · 7 min read

Canada's Population Growth Just Hit Its Slowest Pace Since World War I — What That Means for HousingSeptember 26, 2026 · 7 min read

Macklem Just Flagged a New Risk: Moving Too SlowlySeptember 24, 2026 · 7 min read

Government Bonds Just Hit a 19-Year High Yield — Here's the Chain That Connects It to Your MortgageSeptember 22, 2026 · 7 min read

Waterloo Region's August Numbers: Cambridge Steadies While Kitchener-Waterloo Keeps SlidingSeptember 21, 2026 · 6 min read

London's Housing Inventory Just Hit a New High. Here's What That Actually MeansSeptember 21, 2026 · 6 min read

Why the Bank of Canada Is Now Warning About a Hike, Not Just a HoldSeptember 21, 2026 · 7 min read

Housing Starts Edged Lower in August — and Ontario Led the DeclineSeptember 18, 2026 · 6 min read

August Home Sales Fell Again — and the Buyer's Market Just Got DeeperSeptember 18, 2026 · 7 min read

Prices Softened in Waterloo Region. Your Budget Didn't Grow.September 16, 2026 · 7 min read

Inflation Holds at 3% — Which Way Is the Bank of Canada Leaning Now?September 15, 2026 · 7 min read

Housing Affordability Improved for an 11th Straight Quarter — So Why Doesn't It Feel Like It?September 14, 2026 · 7 min read

Household Debt Eased in Q2 2026 — But Mortgage Interest Payments Rose the Most in Two YearsSeptember 13, 2026 · 6 min read

CMHC: Canada Still Needs Up to 4.69 Million New Homes by 2036September 12, 2026 · 8 min read

Why Fixed Mortgage Costs Still Aren't Coming DownSeptember 9, 2026 · 4 min read

Nearly Six in Ten New Insured Mortgages Now Run Longer Than 25 YearsSeptember 8, 2026 · 7 min read

The Trade War and Your Mortgage: What Actually Reaches Your FileSeptember 6, 2026 · 8 min read

GTA Prices Fell Below $1 Million Again — What It Means Elsewhere in OntarioSeptember 6, 2026 · 7 min read

First-Time BuyersDown payments, the FHSA, assistance programs and the first application.8

Buying a Home You Can Stay In: What RBC's Poll Says, and What Lenders Will AskOctober 18, 2026 · 7 min read

Family Is Gifting You a Down Payment. Here's What the Letter Has to Say.October 2, 2026 · 6 min read

Most Parents Are Already Helping With Groceries and Rent. There's a More Useful Way.September 27, 2026 · 7 min read

More First-Time Buyers Are Qualifying With a Co-Borrower — Here's What That Actually MeansSeptember 22, 2026 · 6 min read

The Income Gap Between First-Time Buyers and Everyone Else, By the NumbersSeptember 16, 2026 · 8 min read

The FHSA Mistake That Quietly Costs You Contribution RoomSeptember 10, 2026 · 4 min read

If You Used the Home Buyers' Plan in 2022, Your First Repayment Is ComingSeptember 9, 2026 · 4 min read

Every Municipal Down Payment Assistance Program We Could Find Across OntarioSeptember 7, 2026 · 6 min read

Credit & QualifyingScores, inquiries, the stress test, and what a lender is really assessing.12

Asking Rents Have Fallen for Two Years: What Ontario Landlords Should Check Before RenewalOctober 31, 2026 · 6 min read

Missed Payments Show Up on Credit Cards and Lines of Credit Before the Mortgage: What CMHC’s Early-Warning Point Means for YouOctober 28, 2026 · 6 min read

OSFI Says Few Lenders Are Near Their Loan-to-Income Limits. Here's What That Means for YouOctober 18, 2026 · 6 min read

A CRA Income Check for Mortgages Is Still Not Built: How to Be Ready AnywayOctober 17, 2026 · 6 min read

Ontario Leads the Provinces in Mortgage Application Fraud, Equifax Says: What Lenders CheckOctober 3, 2026 · 5 min read

Alternative Lending Isn't Just a Stepping Stone AnymoreSeptember 28, 2026 · 7 min read

Equifax Is Changing How Brokers Check Your Credit — Here's What It Means for YouSeptember 25, 2026 · 7 min read

The Mortgage Comparison Mistake: Why the Headline Number Isn't the Whole OfferSeptember 23, 2026 · 7 min read

How Newcomers to Canada Actually Qualify for a Mortgage With Little or No Canadian CreditSeptember 22, 2026 · 7 min read

GDS and TDS: The Two Ratios That Actually Decide What You Can BorrowSeptember 17, 2026 · 7 min read

Can a Secondary Suite Actually Help You Qualify for a Bigger Mortgage?September 14, 2026 · 8 min read

Private Mortgages in Ontario: What the Regulator Is FindingSeptember 11, 2026 · 7 min read

Buying a HomeOffers, closing costs, moving between two homes, and what surprises people.17

Buying With a Well and Septic: What Gets AskedOctober 26, 2026 · 6 min read

Accelerated Biweekly vs Monthly: What Actually ChangesOctober 26, 2026 · 6 min read

Buyers Are Trading Off Location and Condition to Afford a Home. The Money Trade-Offs Need Care.October 14, 2026 · 4 min read

A New-Home Rebate Isn’t Cash on Closing Day: What Ontario Buyers Should CheckOctober 7, 2026 · 6 min read

Two Ontario Brokerages Were Suspended: How to Check Who You Are Dealing WithOctober 5, 2026 · 6 min read

How CMHC Mortgage Insurance Premiums Work in Ontario, With a Worked ExampleOctober 4, 2026 · 6 min read

Title Insurance in Ontario: What It Covers, What It Doesn't, and Why Your Lender Asks for ItOctober 2, 2026 · 6 min read

Modular, Tiny and Co-Owned: What It Takes to Finance a Home That Isn't a Standard BuildSeptember 26, 2026 · 8 min read

What Happens If the Home You're Buying Appraises for Less Than You Agreed to PaySeptember 25, 2026 · 8 min read

Assuming a Mortgage in Ontario: What It Actually MeansSeptember 24, 2026 · 6 min read

New Construction in Ontario: How Your Deposit and Mortgage Actually WorkSeptember 23, 2026 · 6 min read

What a Vendor Take-Back Mortgage Is, and Why One Might Show Up in an Ontario OfferSeptember 22, 2026 · 6 min read

Mortgage Life Insurance vs. Term Life Insurance: What Actually Protects Your FamilySeptember 22, 2026 · 6 min read

Buying a Resale Condo in Ontario? Your Financing Runs Through the Status CertificateSeptember 17, 2026 · 7 min read

Bridge Financing, Explained: The Loan Between Your Two ClosingsSeptember 15, 2026 · 6 min read

Asking Rents Are Falling Almost Everywhere — Does That Change the Math on Buying?September 13, 2026 · 7 min read

Buying a Home in East London: Mortgages and Older HousesSeptember 8, 2026 · 6 min read

Equity & StrategyReverse mortgages, renovation financing, and structuring debt deliberately.10

Your HELOC After the Bank of Canada Hike: What a Quarter Point Actually CostsOctober 30, 2026 · 6 min read

Reverse Mortgage or HELOC on a Fixed Income? What Four Lenders Told BrokersOctober 23, 2026 · 6 min read

Borrowing Against Your Home Equity: How the Limits Differ by ProductOctober 21, 2026 · 6 min read

A New Home Equity Product for Ages 55 to 70: What We Know, and What We Don't YetOctober 17, 2026 · 6 min read

Ottawa's New Heat Pump Rebate: What's Known, What Isn't, and What to Do Before You SpendOctober 14, 2026 · 4 min read

How an As-Complete Appraisal Works, and Why It Sets Your Build BudgetOctober 3, 2026 · 3 min read

Adding Units in Ontario: What the New Rules Mean for Your MortgageOctober 2, 2026 · 3 min read

Garden Suite or Basement Apartment? How the Financing Differs in OntarioOctober 2, 2026 · 5 min read

Reverse Mortgage or Downsizing? Running Both Honestly, With NumbersSeptember 11, 2026 · 9 min read

How to Roll a Renovation Into Your Purchase MortgageSeptember 10, 2026 · 4 min read

TFC The Financial Collective Ltd. In Partnership with Better Mortgages — FSRA Licence 13496. Southwestern Ontario. This page is for information only and is not a mortgage approval, offer, or rate guarantee. All mortgages are subject to qualification, lender approval, and terms that can change at any time.