Lora Behm

Why Your Credit Score Might Look Different to a Lender Did you know there are actually two different credit bureaus in Canada? The first is Equifax. The second is TransUnion. And depending on the lender, they’ll typically use one or the other when reviewing your...

Monitoring Your Credit: What You See Isn’t Always What Lenders See Monitoring your credit is one of the best habits you can have when preparing for a mortgage. In fact, if you’re checking your credit regularly — gold star for you. Everyone should be doing it. But...

What You May Not Know About Getting a Mortgage After Bankruptcy One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is this: “I can’t apply for a mortgage until seven years after my bankruptcy, once it’s off my credit bureau.” That’s simply not true. While bankruptcy does have a...

Renewal vs. Refinance: Why They’re Not the Same A lot of people use the terms renewal and refinance interchangeably, but they are actually two very different things. And understanding the difference matters — especially when it comes to the rate you’re offered. What...

Mortgage Renewal Coming Up? You Have More Time Than You Think When people think about mortgage renewals, they often wait until the renewal letter shows up from their lender. By that point, it can feel rushed, stressful, and like there aren’t many options. The reality...

What Credit Score Do You Actually Need to Get a Mortgage? One of the most common questions I get is about credit scores — specifically, what score you actually need to qualify for a mortgage and whether a higher score always means a better rate. What Is Considered...

Fixed vs. Variable Mortgages: How to Decide With variable rates now lower than fixed rates at many lenders, more people are considering variable mortgages again. But choosing fixed versus variable isn’t a one-size-fits-all decision — it really depends on why you’re...

Using Child Tax Credit and Child Support to Qualify for a Mortgage When getting pre-approved, one of the most common things I see is income being left off — and sometimes, that missing income can make a real difference. Many people don’t realize that Child Tax Credit...

Bridge Financing: Why It’s So Confusing (and When You Actually Need It) Bridge financing is one of the most confusing topics in mortgages — and honestly, it can be confusing for me too! But when you need it, understanding how it works can save you a lot of stress....