Happy Halloween - Safety Tips

Trick-or-Treaters
Carry a flashlight
Walk, don't run.
Stay on Sidewalks
Obey traffic signals
Stay in familiar neighborhoods
Don't cut across yards or driveways.
Wear a watch you can read in the dark.
Make sure costumes don't drag on the ground.
Shoes should fit (even if they don't go with your costume)
Avoid wearing masks while walking from house to house.
Carry only flexible knives, swords or other props.
(If no sidewalk) walk on the left side of the road facing traffic
Wear clothing with reflective markings or tape.
Approach only houses that are lit.
Stay away from and don't pet animals you don't know.


Parents
Make your child eat dinner before setting out.
Children should carry quarters so they can call home.
Ideally, young children of any age should be accompanied by an adult.
If your children go on their own, be sure they wear a watch, preferably one that can be read in the dark.
If you buy a costume, look for one made of flame-retardant material.
Older children should know where to reach you and when to be home.
You should know where they're going.
Although tampering is rare, tell children to bring the candy home to be inspected before consuming anything.
Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect.


Homeowners
Make sure your yard is clear of such things as ladders, hoses, dog leashes and flower pots that can trip the young ones.
Pets get frightened on Halloween. Put them up to protect them from cars or inadvertently bitting a trick-or-treater.
Battery powered jack o'lantern candles are preferable to a real flame.
If you do use candles, place the pumpkin well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing.
Make sure paper or cloth yard decorations won't be blown into a flaming candle.
Healthy food alternatives for trick-or-treaters include packages of low-fat crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins and single-serve packets of low-fat popcorn that can be microwaved later.
Non-food treats: plastic rings, pencils, stickers, erasers, coins.

Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP)

Established in 1994, the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP), formerly the Canadian Institute of Mortgage Brokers and Lenders, is Canada’s national mortgage industry association. CAAMP has assumed a leadership role in the industry it serves and has set the standard for best practices for Canada’s mortgage practitioners. In 2004, CAAMP created the Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) designation as part of an ongoing commitment to increasing the level of professionalism in Canada’s mortgage industry.

As a membership-based organization, CAAMP strives to develop its network of professionals and to represent the interests of these individuals to government, media and consumers. CAAMP has attracted over 11,000 members and 1,100 companies from across Canada – representing over 90% of Canada’s mortgage activity. CAAMP members make up the largest and most respected network of mortgage professionals in the country. CAAMP's membership base consists of mortgage lenders, brokers, insurers and other industry participants.

CAAMP’s other primary role is that of consumer advocate. On an ongoing basis CAAMP aims to educate and inform the public about the mortgage industry. Through its extensive membership database, CAAMP provides consumers with access to a cross-country network of the industry’s most respected and ethical professionals.
In September/October 2007, Maritz Research conducted a 21-question telephone survey with 2,000 Canadian consumers. A sample of 2,000 Canadians ensures an accuracy of + 2.2%, 19 times out of 20.

A copy of the survey is available at www.caamp.org

I am a member of CAAMP and am working towards my AMP designation.

Financial crisis: How to deal

[Source - CanadianBusiness.com - Calvin Leung]

This is a great article from Mr. Leung which discusses and compares our current economic situation with historical economic situations and the ways they were handled in different countries. There is also some advice on what to do in these times including the following:

"Diane McCurdy, a Vancouver-based financial adviser and author of How Much is Enough, shares the sentiment that timing the markets is hard. She has recommended to her clients to stick to their investment plan, which includes maximizing an RRSP and putting the refund toward a mortgage. McCurdy also says dollar-cost-average investing can help you buy cheap now."

and

"Investors too scared to put money in the market might want to consider real estate. “The bad financial news on the TV is forcing people to hunker down and not buy homes, and you can get some pretty darn good deals,” says Don Campbell, author of Real Estate Investing in Canada. Resale house prices in 25 major markets fell an average of 6.2% in September. Campbell, however, cautions against trying to flip a property. Instead, he says, find a rental property whose monthly cash flow covers all expenses including mortgage payments, and look in cities whose population is growing and jobs increasing.Areas that he says look particularly attractive include Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Barrie and Orillia, in Ontario."


Read Complete Article Here

Toronto Real Estate Board Hosts Resale Housing Market Panel Discussion

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire) - All media representatives are invited to see top executives from some of Canada's largest real estate companies gather at the Toronto Real Estate Board's 88th Annual General Meeting October 27th to discuss the state of the current resale housing market and the future of real estate.

Greater Toronto REALTORS® are passionate about their work. They adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and share a state-of-the-art Multiple Listing Service. Serving over 28,000 Members in the Greater Toronto Area, the Toronto Real Estate Board is Canada's largest real estate board. Greater Toronto Area open house listings are now available on www.TorontoRealEstateBoard.com

We will post the highlights of this discussion when they are made available.

Don't lay global housing bubble on U.S. doorstep

With all the news we receive each day and night regarding the current global economic crisis, most of the blame is aimed at the US, its housing market and its sub prime mortgages. Neil Reynolds of the Globe and Mail has written an interesting article on why there is more blame to go around and specifically in Europe.

His findings are sourced from the International Monetary Funds research and publications. From the IMFs world economic outlook it appears Canada is not so bad off with respect to the house price gap nor inflated property values.

Read his article here:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081024.RREYNOLDS24/TPStory/Business

If you are interested in reading the World Economic Outlook Report, published in October 2008 or the Global Financial Stability Report, published this month; visit International Monetary Funds Website here: http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm

Canadian Mortgage Trends interviews Gary Mauris of DLC

Canadian Mortgage Trends is one the best blogs on the Canadian mortgage industry online and I read it daily. Recently they interviewed the President of the company I work for - Dominion Lending Centres.

Dominion Lending Centres is one of the fastest growing mortgage brokerages in Canada. It opened its doors in January 2006 and flew under the radar for about 18 months before exploding onto the scene. Dominion is now on track to close a very respectable $7 billion in mortgage volume in 2008, and has its sights on the #1 broker volume ranking in 2009.

The interview yielded some rather interesting observations about Dominion Lending, as well as market-wide developments.

Some of the key points of the interview include: why customers should use mortgage agents versus the bank; why dealing with Dominion Lending Centres brokers and agents also has its advantages; using the Internet for mortgage services; and recent changes in the mortgage industry.

Read the whole interview here: http://www.canadianmortgagetrends.com/canadian_mortgage_trends/2008/10/dominion-lending-a-chat-with-gary-mauris.html

Big 6 Banks drop prime rate following Bank of Canada

Variable rate mortgage holders will be happy as the major banks reduced prime rate to 4.00% after the Bank of Canada reduced the key lending rate by another 1/4 point yesteraday.

Other lender's who have reduced their prime rates to 4.00% include: Laurentian Bank, Street Capital, Caisse Centrale Desjardins, Dominion Lending White Label, ATB Financial, Merix Financial, and Scotia Express.

If you are interested in purchasing a home soon, or your current mortgage is coming up for renewal and you would like to speak to a professional regarding fixed vs. variable rates, please contact Greg Barrow at gbarrow@dominionlending.ca. You can also try calling 416 807 7123. I would be happy to answer any of your questions.