https://www.mpamag.com/ca/best-in-mortgage/top-75-brokers-2021/309438 In 2020, the mortgage industry was as stunned as any by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which heralded arguably the greatest professional adjustment that brokers have ever faced: the shutdown of offices and temporary end of face-to-face meetings, as well as profound turmoil in a market where the job security of countless Canadians […]

Hastily saying yes to another term can be a costly mistake When you’re a busy homeowner, renewing your mortgage with your current lender can seem to make a lot of sense. It’s generally easy and uncomplicated, particularly if you have a good relationship with the institution that provided your financing. But renewing your loan with […]

  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 your home,” says Elan Weintraub, co-founder and mortgage broker at Mortgageoutlet.ca. There are many issues and strategies to consider with this kind of financing, Mr. Weintraub says, depending on your real estate status and objectives. Ways to finance a second property Often the best option […]

https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/special-reports/top-independent-brokerages-2021-353552.aspx For Elan Weintraub, director and broker at five-time Top Independent Brokerage Mortgage Outlet, freedom from network influence means more leverage in attracting and retaining quality staff. “We can make decisions quickly, without a sign-off from a mothership,” Weintraub says, citing as an example Mortgage Outlet’s decision to not charge new agents desk or franchise […]

  https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/number-of-highvalue-mortgages-spikes-in-toronto-337501.aspx According to Shawn Stillman, principal broker at Mortgage Outlet, a potent driver of this development was the work-from-home revolution, which pushed down household costs significantly. The prevailing environment of record-low rates and the federal government’s financial assistance programs also significantly boosted the general public’s purchasing power. “People are still looking around and have […]

  https://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/people/the-power-of-referrals-335791.aspx Christelle Mwamba is a wealth of knowledge. She’s spent the past decade working with financial advisors and high-net-worth clients looking to grow their real estate investment portfolios, finding creative solutions and relying on strong lender relationships to get deals done. “With self-employed clients, a lot of their money stays within their business, so […]

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 a craggy, winding one – a fact that Shawn Stillman (pictured), broker and co-founder of the Toronto-based Mortgage Outlet, emphasized in his advice to industry newcomers. “I first got my license in September 2009, but I actually did not close my first deal until March […]

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 people join the country’s debt bandwagon.If you’re 55 or older, you can borrow as much as 55 per cent of the value of your home. Principal and compound interest don’t have to be paid back until you sell the home or die. To keep the […]

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 to save interest and premiums, on the backs of taxpayers. “That’s gaming the system,” says mortgage broker Shawn Stillman of Toronto-based Mortgage Outlet Inc. “But that’s not what the government wants. It wants people in their houses long term because it’s losing money if they’re not. […]

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 us, it’s like pulling a loaded gun on yourself’ When prospective borrowers sit down in the boardroom to negotiate a loan at one of Canada’s largest alternative lenders, they’re greeted by a sculpture of a gun with its barrel twisted back toward the shooter.