What official declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic means is front of mind for most of us now. For most of people reading this, it’s the first time we’ve had a pandemic experience. We’re making decisions we’ve never made before. Is it safe to go into work? Should I...
Last month, a reminder in my phone told me it was that time of year again: time to ask for a rate reduction on my mortgages (I have three). I got to work. Yesterday I got a call from the bank, telling me I’d received 0.25% drop on all rates. On my home alone,...
Once every six months or so, my husband brings up paying off a chunk of our mortgage in a lump sum and I argue in favour of the offset account. The discussion that ensues is a well-rehearsed dance: Me: “But if we pay off a lump sum, if we need that cash we’ll have to...
Short answer: yes. This raises a few questions: Which debts should you pay first? How much more should you pay? What if you are having trouble finding any extra cash? Let’s examine some possibilities. Which debts should you pay first? Short...
Just like in Monopoly, you have to be holding the investment property to earn an income from it. If you plan to sell quick, there’s a good chance you’ll lose. I’ve got a great example of this in practice for you. Yesterday I got a message from a real estate...
Having bought property in 2001 at 19 years old, I get asked this question at least once a month: Could a 19 year old do the same today, in 2016? My short answer is: yes, they could. I’ll outline how in this post. The far more important question is: if they could,...