Karen Boies

Mortgage Planner

  • Housing restrictions add hundreds of thousands to Vancouver home prices

    The cost of land restrictions and zoning regulations has a dollar amount, and in Greater Vancouver, it comes with five zeroes. According to new research from the C.D. Howe Institute, “excessive regulation” around building single-family homes in the region added $600,000 to the price of an average home between 2007 and 2016. The analysis also

  • How to Strengthen Your Financial Fluency

    Regardless of your age, your job or your personal interests, the topic of money will always be relevant to you. You’ve likely heard terms “money management” and “financial literacy” countless times before, and with good reason — having a clear understanding of your finances is non-negotiable if you hope to have a sound plan for

  • What is the “Best” Mortgage Rate?

    “The ‘best’ mortgage rate means the lowest rate available for a mortgage that contains all of the features and terms the client is looking for,” says Laird. He notes that some of the key features rate shoppers should consider include the penalty to break your mortgage; pre-payment privileges (i.e., the lump sum payments and percentage