Mortgage Career: Westboro Management Ltd. + MORE May 21st

Company: Westboro Management Ltd. Position: Business Development Manager Location: Ottawa/Gatineau, ON Apply to: monique@westboromic.com Business Development Manager Status:  Permanent, Full-Time Salary:  TBN Hours:  Standard (Flexible Hours may be required) Contact:  Monique Terriah Contact Email:  monique@westboromic.com   Description: The primary purpose of this position is to generate and maintain relationships with mortgage brokers and agents and provide strong support by communicating product information. The successful candidate will bring experience related to the mortgage brokerage community. Reporting to the V.P. of Operations the Business Development Manager’s primary responsibility is to retain and grow business with current registered brokers and develop and acquire READ MORE

Finding the right home for you and your loved ones really comes down to three chief factors:

Affordability: Does the home fit into your budget? Have you determined the financing you can qualify for through a mortgage pre-approval? Have you factored in mortgage insurance, utilities and heating expenses, association fees and taxes?
Lifestyle: Is the home located in an area within the proximity of the amenities you and your family require? Is the lot large enough for your pet(s)? Will owning this home impede you from doing the things you love doing? Are you close enough to work, family and friends?
Future Needs: Are kids a possibility in the future? Is the home large enough for a family? Is the basement developed? Are there schools nearby? Or, if you are close to retirement, is the home too large? Are there too many stairs and floors in the home to negotiate?

These three weighty considerations will vastly help you to narrow down the home buying search. A home purchase should not leave you house poor…

A recent Scotiabank survey reinforced what most of us already know: the Internet is radically changing banking. The bank found that: 96% of Canadians rely on the Internet for information. 89% of Canadians say it’s easier to get info online than through other sources. In turn, by 2020 less than 1 in 10 financial transactions will occur in branches, predicts Scotiabank CEO Brian Porter. “At the same time, we expect sales through digital channels to increase materially – likely in excess of 50% of total products sold,” he told the Financial Post. That’s exactly why the company has invested billions in READ MORE

Marcin (left) and Shannon (Photograph by Cole Burston)
In our April 2016 issue of MoneySense, we introduced you to Shannon Jarrett, 37, and her partner Marcin Duran, 34. They’re trying to track their money, come up with shared goals and cash in bad habits.  Throughout the year we’ll be giving them a financial challenge every month to help them get her finances in tip top shape. Make sure to follow along! Their last challenge had them hunkering down for a money date and things got real.
Challenge No. 2

Shannon and Marcin’s second challenge was to do some research to figure out if rolling their $26,000 in personal debt into their mortgage was a good option for them. If so, could Shannon and Marcin agree on making personal debt repayment a priority? And could they agree on an amount that both Marcin and Shannon would contribute to this? We asked MoneySense Approved financial advisor Rona Birenbaum to have a half-hour phone conversation with the two to see if they could reach an agreement…

Q: I’ve seen a lot of press lately on crowdfunded real estate investments. I’m wondering if this is a good way to invest in real estate if I don’t want to be a hands-on landlord?
— Curious about crowdfunding, Winnipeg, MB

Answer from Romana King, senior editor and real estate specialist at MoneySense: Want to invest in brick and mortar properties but don’t like the idea of being a hands-on landlord? Want investment returns on your real estate investment, but don’t like the almost-like-equities style of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) and Mortgage Investment Corporations (MICs)? Consider real estate crowdfunding.
Over the last couple of years, real estate based crowdfunding sites—like RealtyMogul.com, Plentyofmoose.com, NexusCrowd.com, PatchofLand.com, DwellXchange.com and most recently Sharestates.com—have sprung up. All operate under the same basic premise: use technology to help individual and institutional investors to buy equity in various types of real estate holdings…