Our blog
Elan Weintraub quoted on CTV News: ‘Federal banking regulator keeps key mortgage stress test rate unchanged”
https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2584987&jwsource=em Mortgage Outlet director Elan Weintraub discusses Canada's mortgage stress…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in CMP Magazine: ‘What are brokers looking for from lenders in 2023?’
https://www.mpamag.com/ca/mortgage-industry/industry-trends/what-are-brokers-looking-for-from-lenders-in-2023/429079 "Transparency from lenders is a critical component of that…
Leah Zlatkin quoted on BNN Bloomberg: ‘What mortgage brokers are seeing with renewals amid rate hikes’
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/what-mortgage-brokers-are-seeing-with-renewals-amid-rate-hikes-1.1840808 Leah Zlatkin, a mortgage broker working in Toronto and…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in CMP Magazine: ‘First-Time Buyers Feeling The Squeeze In Rising-Rate Environment’
https://www.mpamag.com/ca/mortgage-industry/industry-trends/first-time-buyers-feeling-the-squeeze-in-rising-rate-environment/425271 As home prices spiked across Canada’s hottest housing markets…
Shawn Stillman quoted in The Globe and Mail: ‘Think you can move that stellar mortgage to a new home? The pitfalls of porting’
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/household-finances/article-low-mortgage-rate-move-refinance/ “People are paralyzed from fear of falling home prices…
Leah Zlatkin quoted on Storeys: ‘How Climate Change is Affecting Property Insurance, Mortgages, and Buyers’
https://storeys.com/how-climate-change-effects-property-insurance-mortgages-home-buyers/ Aside from the property insurance delay, mortgages can also…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Financial Post: ‘Pros and Cons of Fixed Vs Variable Mortgage Rates’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HLX3PR94jQ Leah Zlatkin, Mortgage broker, Mortgage Outlet inc. & Lowest…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in CTV News Atlantic: ‘Borrowing Money Just Got More Expensive in Canada’
https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/maritimers-react-to-latest-rise-in-key-interest-rate-1.6059283 Leah Zlatkin, a mortgage broker based in Toronto, says…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Toronto Sun: ‘Real Estate Activity Remains Muted in Face of Steep Rate Hikes’
https://torontosun.com/news/real-estate-activity-remains-muted-in-face-of-steep-rate-hikes “Right now were bracing for a hike,” said Leah…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Toronto Star: ‘Bank of Canada to Hike Interest Rates Wednesday by Three Quarters of a Percentage Point, Experts Predict’
https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/09/06/bank-of-canada-to-hike-interest-rates-by-three-quarters-of-a-percentage-point-experts-predict.html While a smaller, 50-point rise isn’t out of the…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Financial Post: ‘Trouble in ‘Mortgage Land’ as Higher Borrowing Rates Weigh and Refinancings Dry Up’
https://financialpost.com/real-estate/mortgage-demand-slows-refinancings-dry-up Leah Zlatkin, LowestRates.ca expert and licensed mortgage broker, said…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Financial Post: ‘Vancouver Home Sales Tumble, Calgary’s Slide as Rising Rates and Uncertainty Take Toll’
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/vancouver-home-sales-tumble-calgarys-173852229.html While many in the real estate industry have blamed…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in Global News: ‘Inflation, High Rates Putting Big Purchases on Hold? How to Budget for Must-Buys’
https://globalnews.ca/news/9022666/canadians-inflation-big-purchases-budget-angus-reid/ Despite rising interest rates pushing monthly mortgage payments higher,…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in CTV News: ‘Missed a Mortgage Payment? Here are Next Steps You Should Take’
https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/missed-a-mortgage-payment-here-are-next-steps-you-should-take-1.5997077 Missed mortgage payments, otherwise known as mortgage delinquency, isn’t…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Toronto Sun: ‘Would-be Homebuyers Should Confirm Mortgage Pre-approvals, Says Broker’
https://torontosun.com/news/would-be-homebuyers-should-confirm-mortgage-pre-approvals-says-broke “If you were qualified several weeks ago, you need…
Leah Zlatkin quoted on BNN Bloomberg: ‘How the Bank of Canada’s Rate Hike Will Impact Mortgages, Loans and Spending’
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/how-the-bank-of-canada-s-rate-hike-will-impact-mortgages-loans-and-spending-1.1791540 Leah Zlatkin, a licensed mortgage broker with Lowestrates.ca, said…
Shawn Stillman quoted in The Globe and Mail: ‘Mortgage Rundown: A sinking real estate market requires fast appraisals’
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/household-finances/article-a-sinking-real-estate-market-requires-fast-appraisals/ “Get the appraisal done the day after you buy…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in Global News: ‘1 in 4 Homeowners Say Rising Mortgage Rates Could Push them to Sell’
https://globalnews.ca/news/8916105/debt-homeowners-selling-mortgages Leah Zlatkin, a mortgage broker and expert at lowestrates.ca,…
Leah Zlatkin quoted on the Stress Test Podcast (Globe & Mail): ‘Tempted to Buy a Home with Siblings or Friends? Here’s What you Need to Know’
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/article-tempted-to-buy-a-home-with-siblings-or-friends-heres-what-you-need-to/ Most people buy homes with their partners or by…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Toronto Sun: ‘GTA Home Market Continues to Soften As Rate Hikes Continue’
https://torontosun.com/news/gta-home-market-continues-to-soften-as-rate-hikes-continue “Canadian homeowners and hopeful buyers are readjusting their monthly…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Toronto Star: ‘Economists Forecast Rates Will Jump by Another Half Percentage Point Next Week – Cooling Canada’s Housing Market Even More’
https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/05/27/a-real-squeeze-economists-anticipate-higher-interest-rates-coming-next-week.html “While a higher hike may feel like a real…
Excellence Awardees – April 28, 2022
https://canadianmortgageawards.com/winners-excellence-awardees/2022 The MCAN Award for Broker of the Year…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Toronto Star: ‘Can I Afford That Mortgage? Here’s How Much You Can Safely Borrow to Buy Your First House’
Can I afford that mortgage? Here’s how much you can…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in CMP Magazine: ‘Is Canada’s Borrowing Landscape Set For Dramatic Change?’
Is Canada's borrowing landscape set for dramatic change? Leah Zlatkin…
This was syndicated across 6 more GTA TorStar papers including the Peterborough Examiner, Niagara Falls Review, The Waterloo Record, The Welland Tribune, and the St. Catherine’s Standard
Big 5 banks swiftly pass on Bank of Canada hike…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Toronto Star: ‘Canadians with mortgages brace for big Bank of Canada rate hike’
https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/04/12/canadians-with-mortgages-brace-for-big-bank-of-canada-rate-hike.html Based on that 2.70 per cent prime rate and…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Toronto Star: ‘This Will Remove Buyers From the Market’: Higher Interest Rates on Wednesday Will Help Tame Frothy Housing Prices, Experts Say’
‘This will remove buyers from the market’: Higher interest rates…
More Borrowers Will Face Jumbo Stress Test Following Higher Rate Hikes
More Borrowers Will Face Jumbo Stress Test Following Higher Rate…
This Risky Trend in Pre-Construction Purchases is Raising Red Flags
https://www.movesmartly.com/articles/this-risky-trend-in-pre-construction-purchases-is-raising-red-flags?hs_amp=true Some buyers are hoping to 'flip' pre-con units before…
Top 75 Brokers 2022
https://www.mpamag.com/ca/best-in-mortgage/top-75-brokers-2022/400482 In spite of predictions to the contrary, COVID-19…
Fixed or Variable? How to decide as interest rates rise
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-fixed-or-variable-how-to-decide-as-interest-rates-rise Fixed or variable? It’s a perennial question for mortgage…
Variable Rates in 2022: What’s in Store Canadian Mortgage Professional (CMP) TV
https://www.mpamag.com/ca/tv/variable-rates-in-2022-whats-in-store/327013 With markets pricing in multiple Bank of Canada rate…
What Rate Hikes Mean for the Housing Market Financial Post
https://financialpost.com/real-estate/mortgages/what-rate-hikes-mean-for-the-housing-market Watch: Leah Zlatkin, mortgage broker with Lowestrates.ca, talks about…
This is What a Rate Hike Will Cost Homeowners The Globe and Mail
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/household-finances/article-this-is-what-a-rate-hike-will-cost-homeowners This is what a rate hike will cost homeowners
Some Homeowners Spend More Time Planning Vacations than Reviewing Their Mortgage Survey Finds CTV News
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/some-homeowners-spend-more-time-planning-vacations-than-reviewing-their-mortgage-survey-finds-1.5748518 As the Bank of Canada is poised to possibly…
Reverse Mortgages Rise in Canada as Stigma Fades
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/topstories/reverse-mortgages-rise-in-canada-as-stigma-fades/ar-AARoIeB Leah Zlatkin, mortgage broker and Lowestrates.ca expert, talks with Financial Post’s…
Canada’s Economy took a shocking second-quarter dive. Where will it go next?
as/https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/09/18/canadas-economy-took-a-shocking-second-quarter-dive-where-will-it-go-next.html?rf A troubling Statistics Canada report last month may indicate that the…
Why variable-rate mortgages rule in the pandemic housing market – and maybe afterward, too
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/article-why-variable-rate-mortgages-rule-in-the-pandemic-housing-market-and/ Why variable-rate mortgages rule in the pandemic housing market…
Leah Zlatkin quoted in the Financial Post: ‘Canadians Consider Splitting A Mortgage With Friends. But it’s Complicated’
https://financialpost.com/real-estate/mortgages/canadians-consider-splitting-a-mortgage-with-friends-but-its-complicated Before signing that mortgage agreement with a group of…
Elan Weintraub Quoted in The Globe and Mail – Liberals’ proposed cut to federal mortgage insurance rates won’t make housing more affordable, experts say
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-liberals-proposed-cut-to-federal-mortgage-insurance-rates-wont-make/ A Liberal Party promise to cut federal mortgage insurance…
Michelle Farrugia and Shabnam Gill – CMP Rising Stars 2021
https://www.mpamag.com/ca/best-in-mortgage/rankings/rising-stars-2021/288849 THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW CMP spotlights 63 up-and-coming young…
Canadian mortgage debt grew by $18 billion in April, biggest monthly gain ever, StatsCan says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/mortgage-debt-1.6071190 Canadians took out almost $18 billion worth of new…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Is the housing market slowing down?
https://www.mpamag.com/ca/news/general/is-the-housing-market-slowing-down/287535 Speaking with Mortgage Broker News, Shawn Stillman (pictured), principal…
Banks Find Ways Around the New Stress Test – Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HS_HfExU6Q
Will the New Mortgage Rules Tame Canada’s Overheated Housing Market
Will the new mortgage rules tame Canada’s overheated housing market?…
Stricter Qualification Requirements could provoke more fraud
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/lowestrates-ca-stricter-qualification-requirements-could-provoke-more-fraud-356395.aspx Tighter borrowing requirements in Canada might lead to an…
Expect rise in attempted mortgage fraud: broker
https://www.canadianrealestatemagazine.ca/news/expect-rise-in-attempted-mortgage-fraud-broker-334647.aspx The confluence of exorbitant housing prices and the incoming mortgage…
Shabnam Gill Winner Canadian Mortgage Award – Young Achiever of the Year
https://canadianmortgageawards.com/winners-finalists/2021#s For 15 years now, the annual Canadian Mortgage Awards…
Elan Weintraub Quoted in The Globe and Mail – Many Canadians made additional mortgage payments during the pandemic
Canadian homeowners haveincreased their additional mortgage payments during the pandemic,…
Shawn Stillman and Phil Cragg – Top 75 Brokers in Canada
https://www.mpamag.com/ca/best-in-mortgage/top-75-brokers-2021/309438 In 2020, the mortgage industry was as stunned as…
Elan Weintraub Quoted in Financial Post – Renewing your mortgage? Here’s why you should think twice
Hastily saying yes to another term can be a costly…
Elan Weintraub Quoted in the Globe and Mail – Thinking about buying a second property? Here’s how to finance it
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/featured-reports/article-thinking-about-buying-a-second-property-heres-how-to-finance-it/ “The goal is to unlock the equity in…
For the 5th consecutive year Mortgage Outlet is one of Canada’s top independent brokerages
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/special-reports/top-independent-brokerages-2021-353552.aspx For Elan Weintraub, director and broker at five-time Top…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Number of high-value mortgages spikes in Toronto
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/number-of-highvalue-mortgages-spikes-in-toronto-337501.aspx According to Shawn Stillman, principal broker at Mortgage…
Christelle Mwamba Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – The power of referrals
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/people/the-power-of-referrals-335791.aspx Christelle Mwamba is a wealth of knowledge. She’s…
Shawn Stillman: Faith and grit are a broker’s most powerful tools
https://www.mpamag.com/ca/mortgage-industry/business-growth/shawn-stillman-faith-and-grit-are-a-brokers-most-powerful-tools/287992 The road to success in the mortgage space is…
Don’t-pay-til-you-die reverse mortgages are booming in Canada as seniors binge on debt
https://financialpost.com/real-estate/mortgages/dont-pay-til-you-die-reverse-mortgages-are-booming-in-canada Reverse mortgages are surging in Canada as more older…
The truth about Ottawa’s First Time Home Buyer Incentive (and you’re probably not going to like it)
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/household-finances/article-ottawas-first-time-home-buyer-incentive-who-wins-and-who-loses/ The truth about Ottawa’s First Time Home Buyer Incentive…
Meet the alternative mortgage lender who’s a last resort for desperate homebuyers bigger banks won’t touch
https://financialpost.com/real-estate/mortgages/meet-the-alternative-mortgage-lender-whos-become-a-last-resort-for-desperate-homebuyers-bigger-banks-wont-touch 'We tell the borrowers if you are dishonest to…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Toronto Stories – Million-Dollar Mortgages in Toronto the New Norm Amid Pandemic: Report
https://torontostoreys.com/million-dollar-mortgages-toronto-lowestrates/ Shawn Stillman, principal broker at Mortgage Outlet, told…
Elan Weintraub Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Tips for rookies from some of Canada’s top brokers
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/tips-for-rookies-from-some-of-canadas-top-brokers-332612.aspx “Top brokers are having record years,” said Mortgage…
Elan Weintraub Quoted on Realtor.ca – Everything you need to know about reverse mortgages
https://www.realtor.ca/blog/postpage/14024/1361/everything-you-need-to-know-about-reverse-mortgages Now more than ever, Canada’s experienced homeowners are…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Faith and grit are a broker’s most powerful tools
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/people/shawn-stillman-faith-and-grit-are-a-brokers-most-powerful-tools-330040.aspx The road to success in the mortgage space…
Phil Cragg Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – What makes a mortgage professional a top contender
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/people/phil-cragg-on-what-makes-a-mortgage-professional-a-top-contender-329580.aspx With an established track record of service to…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on The Financial Post – Some Canadian banks freeze new financing for commercial properties on COVID-19 concerns
https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/some-canadian-banks-freeze-new-financing-for-commercial-properties-on-covid-19-concerns Some owners who are unable to sell their…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Canadian Mortgage Trends – Why Are Mortgage Rates Rising?
https://www.canadianmortgagetrends.com/2020/03/mortgage-rates-rising/ “I think if you’re a bank, you’re scared…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on WealthProfessional.ca – Doors open for stronger reverse-mortgage use in Canada
https://www.wealthprofessional.ca/news/industry-news/doors-open-for-stronger-reverse-mortgage-use-in-canada/324942 The costs of taking on a reverse mortgage…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on BNN Bloomberg – Don’t-pay-til-you-die reverse mortgages are booming in Canada
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/don-t-pay-til-you-die-reverse-mortgages-are-booming-in-canada-1.1316615 “When they think of their cash flow, they’re…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on The Globe and Mail – The truth about Ottawa’s First Time Home Buyer Incentive (and you’re probably not going to like it)
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/household-finances/article-ottawas-first-time-home-buyer-incentive-who-wins-and-who-loses/ It’s an especially good tactic for short-term homeowners…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Toronto real estate ripe for laundering money
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/toronto-real-estate-ripe-for-laundering-money-255966.aspx In the broker channel, Shawn Stillman, says there…
Elan Weintraub Quoted on Mortgage Broker News –BoC touts long-term mortgages to open MBS market
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/boc-touts-longterm-mortgages-to-open-mbs-market-257119.aspx Lenders are chary about propagating the advantages of…
Elan Weintraub Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – TREB joins chorus demanding B-20 repeal
https://www.mpamag.com/ca/news/general/treb-joins-chorus-demanding-b-20-repeal/284841 “The most important thing to consider with the…
Elan Weintraub Quoted on Livabl – Where are Canadian mortgage rates headed in 2019? Experts weigh in
https://www.livabl.com/2019/01/canadian-mortgage-rates-2019-experts.html While that may still be a majority consensus…
Fixed Versus Variable – THE Mortgage Question
I’ve been meaning to write this blog post for many,…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Unique partnership expedites turnaround times
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/alternative-lending/unique-partnership-expedites-turnaround-times-251338.aspx Ultimately, forging indomitable relationships with up-and-coming as well…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on The Globe and Mail – A quiet rule change will make it tougher for Canadians with a HELOC to get a second mortgage
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/household-finances/article-a-quiet-rule-change-will-make-it-tougher-for-canadians-with-a-heloc-to/ Lenders often try to approve borrowers for the maximum…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Mortgage Broker News -Toronto has rebounded
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/toronto-has-rebounded-247704.aspx “The condo market is still on fire—it never…
Elan Weintraub Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Honesty is the best policy for lenders
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/honesty-is-the-best-policy-for-lenders-243747.aspx Mortgage Outlet won Best Newcomer Mortgage Brokerage at…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Federal Conservatives decry B-20, push for study to examine effects
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/federal-conservatives-decry-b20-push-for-study-to-examine-effects-243748.aspx Mortgage Outlet’s Principal Broker Shawn Stillman doesn’t believe…
Do NOT renew your mortgage – unless you enjoy wasting thousands of dollars
When a mortgage term is almost complete, banks send letters…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on The Financial Post – Meet the alternative mortgage lender who’s a last resort for desperate homebuyers bigger banks won’t touch
https://financialpost.com/real-estate/mortgages/meet-the-alternative-mortgage-lender-whos-become-a-last-resort-for-desperate-homebuyers-bigger-banks-wont-touch There’s no question Firm Capital would be considered…
Elan Weintraub Quoted on Mortgage Broker News -Some semblance of solace for domestic buyers?
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/broker-networks/some-semblance-of-solace-for-domestic-buyers-237926.aspx As of this month, the charter bank discontinued…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Borrowers finally coming out of woodwork
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/broker-networks/borrowers-finally-coming-out-of-woodwork-237002.aspx According to Mortgageoutlet.ca Principal Broker Shawn Stillman, buyers…
Mortgage Pre-approvals Should Be Illegal In Canada
Lately, I’ve been getting panic calls from real estate buyers…
Elan Weintraub Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Getting one step ahead
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/alternative-lending/getting-one-step-ahead-235418.aspx Mortgageoutlet.ca, one of the largest brokerages in Canada,…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on The Financial Post – Canada’s housing risks haven’t gone away — they’ve just moved to the shadows
https://financialpost.com/real-estate/risk-shifts-to-shadows-in-canadas-whac-a-mole-housing-market Despite the expectation that MICs will see more business,…
Shawn Stillman Quoted on Mortgage Broker News – Toronto brokers react to latest sales stats
https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/toronto-brokers-react-to-latest-sales-stats-226408.aspx “I think there’s no reason to panic. I…
