It seems that many of my realtor partners have either been away, are away right now or are going away soon.  Looking outside that seems like a great idea and from what I’ve heard the activity out there is still decent.  Most agents I have spoken with are working with buyers however the buyers aren’t in a big rush right now which is no surprise.  Buyers seem to be waiting for the spring market which will obviously bring more listings, but likely higher demand and prices too. 

Interest rates are still at record lows and unbelievably seem to be inching lower.  I can now get 2.89% on a 5 year fixed which is unbelievable, but who knows how long we’ll be able to get this.  Urge your clients to get off the fence and take these rates while they can.  Statistics show that fixed rates usually rise in the spring along with demand and there us rarely any warning.  A couple of years ago rates rose almost an entire percent in 1 month (from March 30^th to April 30^th).  This can happen again and it could be an effective selling tool to make sure your potential buyers know about this. 

I have a few options for getting around no downpayment issues for qualified buyers.  Call or email me if you have a situation like this and I’ll be glad to help out. 

This weekend I’ll be around town and available to meet with you or your potential clients if needed.  Call or email me anytime.

By most accounts the weather has finally gotten hold of the local real estate market and while it hasn’t completely stopped, it’s definitely not as brisk as it was in January. Many agents I’ve been in touch with this week are still actively working on new deals, however it is very apparent that every deal is getting a lot of attention since at this time of year, every deal is important! 

Interest rates are still extremely low and not showing any indication of moving, however that typically is the case in the spring…..rates move up along with demand for money.  If you have any clients who are sitting on the fence about buying this might make the difference.  I can easily get 2.94% these days on a quick close high ratio mortgage, which would fit the bill for most first time home buyers.  I would appreciate any opportunities to preapprove your clients so feel free to forward this email along to anyone you think might benefit from speaking with me. 

This weekend is a mix of hockey and a variety of other family fun for my wife, son and I.  My phone will be with me all weekend so please feel free to call me or shoot me an email if you’d like me to speak with your clients directly.

Have a great family day weekend! 

We’re into another blast of winter and this time it seems that purchasers have finally said enough and things have slowed down a bit.  Many agents say they’re still going on listing appointments so hopefully in a few weeks we’ll have lots of inventory for these buyers to choose from, but not “too much inventory”. 

Interest rates remain unchanged and at record low levels.  Refinances seem to be the hot item right now as people are taking advantage of these low rates to consolidate debt and get their finances back in shape.  I can still get 2.94% on a 5 year fixed and 2.65% on a variable, however most people are sticking with the fixed rate mortgages.  If you or any of your friends/family/neighbours are considering a refinance or have a mortgage coming due, please put them in touch with me.  I give my clients the best rate up front and don’t make them haggle so we can focus on getting the right product and solution for them.  My financial planning knowledge also helps me give advice to my clients that not every mortgage agent can offer.

I will be around all weekend with shovel in hand so call or email me anytime.  This would normally be my annual ice fishing weekend with “the guys” however being the coach of my son’s team I will be hanging around ice rinks all weekend instead of an ice hut.  I’m sure the fish in the lakes around North Bay are breathing a sigh of relief that I’m not going this year!  (J)

We have seen some wild fluctuations in the weather this week however the real estate and mortgage market seems to keep chugging along at a pretty decent pace given the time of year.  Many agents I’ve been in touch with this week say they’re going on lots of listing appointments and showing a reasonable amount of homes too.  Offers are coming together too, however I’ve seen a few that are challenging at best.  It seems people have been preapproved by lenders only to find out that their preapproval didn’t hold water due to either undisclosed facts or the lender not actually digging deep enough to get all of the facts. 

Interest rates are still at record low rates and many people are starting to act on refinancing their homes after they have seen what savings can be had but doing so.  If you, any of your current clients or friends and family would like to run the numbers to see if it makes sense to do so, please call or email me anytime.  I can honestly say that I personally did this last year and it was the smartest thing I’ve done in a while (since becoming a broker!).

This weekend I’ll be getting caught up on some work around the house as we only have one game on the road!  Call or email me anytime if you have a question or would like me to speak to your clients.