Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/3768/Pioneering-the-Current-Economic-Situation.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/3768/Pioneering-the-Current-Economic-Situation.html James Dicks examins the need for business to be innovastive in order to exit the current recession successfully and profitably. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/3768/Finding-a-Fresh-Path-for-the-New-Year.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/3768/Finding-a-Fresh-Path-for-the-New-Year.html James Dicks reexamines what is important in light of the holidays and this past year's recession. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Self-Employed-Mortgage-|-Business-for-Self-Mortgage-|-AltA-|-CMHC-Self-Employed-Simplified.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Self-Employed-Mortgage-|-Business-for-Self-Mortgage-|-AltA-|-CMHC-Self-Employed-Simplified.html As the number of self employed Canadians grows, so do their options for obtaining a self employed mortgage. Traditionally, to obtain a no income verification mortgage, a virtually impossible down payment of 35% is required. Now there are other options with much more reasonable rates. Many times, business for self mortgages will require that you have at least two years of self employment tenure, but that is not always the case. Depending on how long you were employed and what kind of work you did before you became self employed, you may still qualify. Also, other options like an Alt-A mortgage, low doc mortgage, and stated income mortgage are all options for the self employed. If these options sound more manageable to you as a self employed Canadian looking for viable mortgage options, read on. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Mortgage-Pre-Approvals--Examining-the-Importance.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Mortgage-Pre-Approvals--Examining-the-Importance.html For those of you that have never owned a home before, you likely do not grasp the importance of mortgage pre-approvals. It is a crucial facet of making the purchase of a home go faster and less stressful. While the outset of shopping for a home can be thrilling, it loses its attraction when you continually get let down with high prices you cannot afford. By starting your housing search with a pre-approval, you will know exactly how large of a loan you will be able to acquire. This means, once you pass the information to your Realtor, that you will only be shown homes you can actually afford. This is beneficial in saving you time and minimizing frustration. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Mortgages-for-Self-Employed--Finding-Viable-Options.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Mortgages-for-Self-Employed--Finding-Viable-Options.html About one out of every five income earners in Canada are self employed. This is a fairly large demographic, and the statistics suggest it is continuing to grow. This promotes any self employed person to ask why it is so challenging to obtain mortgages for self employed workers through charter banks. The reason is because business owners who work for themselves subtract expenses from extra income, which is not something many banks recognize. What you need if you are looking for mortgages for self employed workers is a lender that will look at your credit history rather than a combination of your business finances and taxes. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Toronto-Real-Estate--Mortgage-Trend-and-Market--What-is-the-Current-Outlook.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Toronto-Real-Estate--Mortgage-Trend-and-Market--What-is-the-Current-Outlook.html As you look into the Toronto real estate trend and market, you will undoubtedly be doing so in an effort to derive the affordability of renting and buying a home in the area. If you have lived in Toronto long or have conducted a bit of research, you understand that the market took a big hit in 2008 and continued to see effects from it at the start of 2009. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/3827/Gold-Reaching-AllTime-Highs.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/3827/Gold-Reaching-AllTime-Highs.html The gold and silver ETFs are on fire as they continue to surge higher. Being ready for a sharp reversal is important if you want to lock in gains on a portion of your position. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/3768/Create-a-Personal-Financial-Survival-Plan.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/3768/Create-a-Personal-Financial-Survival-Plan.html James Dicks examines the need to prepare for financial hardships ahead of time. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Debt-Consolidation-and-Refinancing--Is-it-Right-for-You.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Debt-Consolidation-and-Refinancing--Is-it-Right-for-You.html Debt consolidation and refinancing is a common desire of many Canadians these days. One reason may be because of high levels of debt, but beyond that, refinancing is simply a sensible idea. Making the effort to refinance by taking equity out of your home during a time like this when interest rates are high could save you up to 17 percent every month, just on interest! http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Variable-Rate-Mortgage--Choosing-the-Best-Deal.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Personal-Finance/5040/Variable-Rate-Mortgage--Choosing-the-Best-Deal.html Even though the idea of a variable rate mortgage is not a new thought in Canada, there are more kinds now than ever before that you should familiarize yourself with. This kind of mortgage is evolving constantly to provide a better match for each person and their situation.