https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/article-why-variable-rate-mortgages-rule-in-the-pandemic-housing-market-and/ Mortgage-industry estimates of the percentage of people who break a mortgage before maturity range from 33 per cent to 60 per cent. “People underestimate how much life circumstances can change in five years,” said Leah Zlatkin, mortgage expert for LowestRates.ca and principal broker at Brite Mortgage Inc. “There could be a relationship issue, there […]

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 buddies, there’s a few things you should take into consideration. “There’s quite a bit of a legal back-end that you need to take care of…” Leah Zlatkin, LowestRates.ca expert and mortgage broker, told the Financial Post. “You’d probably want to have a contract with a […]

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 rates by 25 per cent is unlikely to make housing more affordable, but will increase risks for taxpayers, industry experts say. The proposed cut to the cost of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) insurance is one of a number of election campaign promises announced […]

https://www.mpamag.com/ca/best-in-mortgage/rankings/rising-stars-2021/288849 THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW CMP spotlights 63 up-and-coming young professionals who are making waves in the Canadian mortgage industry. Starting out in the mortgage industry can be daunting for young professionals at the best of times. While potentially hugely rewarding, the industry can also be intense and demanding, with an often-heavy work-load and a […]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/mortgage-debt-1.6071190 Leah Zlatkin, a housing market expert with Lowestrates.ca and principal broker at Brite Mortgage in Toronto, says growing mortgage debt makes perfect sense considering what’s happening in the housing market right now. Home prices continue to climb to an average of just over $688,000 last month — a figure that has increased by 38 […]

https://www.mpamag.com/ca/news/general/is-the-housing-market-slowing-down/287535 Speaking with Mortgage Broker News, Shawn Stillman (pictured), principal broker and co-founder at Mortgage Outlet, said that an eventual cooling off in the market was inevitable, with prospective homebuyers repeatedly frozen out in the hyperactive bidding process. “What I think is happening is that buyers have gotten frustrated with the market because they were […]

Leah Zlatkin, LowestRates.ca expert and Principal broker at Brite Mortgage speaks to Financial Post’s Larysa Harapyn about the mortgage stress test that came into effect June 1. 

Will the new mortgage rules tame Canada’s overheated housing market? Experts surveyed by the Star say they doubt it | The Star Asked if the stress tests and federal bank concerns would help slow home-price growth, mortgage industry expert Leah Zlatkin was much more dismissive. “My quick answer is absolutely not,” says Zlatkin, a consultant […]

https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/lowestrates-ca-stricter-qualification-requirements-could-provoke-more-fraud-356395.aspx With the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions raising the qualifying rate for borrowers who have at least a 20% down payment from 4.79% to 5.25%, the new regulatory environment might become an excuse for some would-be borrowers to cheat a bit. Misrepresentations might prove especially appealing among those refinancing from new lenders, […]

https://www.canadianrealestatemagazine.ca/news/expect-rise-in-attempted-mortgage-fraud-broker-334647.aspx The confluence of exorbitant housing prices and the incoming mortgage stress test could encourage some Canadians to misrepresent their earnings on mortgage applications, warns a broker. “I do foresee instances of fraud for shelter becoming more prevalent because the market has heated up so much that housing is out of grasp for a lot […]