"What is a Mortgage Broker?"

A Mortgage Broker is basically a "middle man" between you and all the banks and mortgage lenders out there in the Canadian mortgage market. A Mortgage Broker searches and shops the market for you to find you the best interest rate, mortgage product and options FOR YOU, NOT THE BANK!

There are hundreds of different mortgage products and rates in the market that most people don't even have access to. A mortgage broker's job is to find them for you! We can usually offer you better rates and products, even from your own bank.

A Mortgage Broker is for EVERYONE...whether you have excellent credit, poor credit, a large downpayment, no downpayment, refinancing for a lower rate, need extra money on your existing mortgage, mortgage renewals, vacation home purchases including US Homes and much more!

It costs nothing to use a mortgage brokers services...they are FREE to you since the banks pay a finders fee to the broker for finding them new business.

Mortgage Brokers are flexible with your schedule and usually available 7 days a week, including evenings. They can arrange the whole mortgage by phone, fax &/or email and are also available to meet in person at your convenience.

So why not check out your options first with a mortgage broker for one of the biggest investments you will ever make..it could save you THOUSANDS!

Find Trusted Saskatoon Mortgage Brokers listed here in the SASKATOON MORTGAGE Category on THE Saskatoon directory of excellence.

Tip provided by Tamara Mezzo- who was a Previous Trusted Saskatoon Mortage Broker

TRUSTED Ssakatoon realtor Real estate TIP for First Time Home Buyers 

Thinking About Buying Your First Home?

With interest rates low, many renters are starting to think about purchasing a home of their own. While simple rental cost vs. mortgage cost comparisons can be very attractive, buying a home is a serious commitment, and there are many factors to consider:

How long you plan to live in the home.

Selling a home costs money. If you potentially may have to move in the short term, the value of your home may not have appreciated enough to cover the costs of buying and selling. The length of time that it will take to cover those costs depends on various economic factors. Average appreciation tends to sit at around 5% per year. In this case, you should plan to stay in your home at least 3-4 years to cover buying and selling costs. The real estate market can be particularly volatile, however, and dramatic swings up and down are not uncommon.

How long the home will meet your needs.

What features do you require in a home to satisfy your lifestyle now? Five years from now? People tend to remain in homes longer than they initially intend, primarily due to the work and expense associated with moving. Therefore it is worth considering a home with room to grow. Could the basement be turned into a den and extra bedrooms? Could the attic be turned into a master suite? Having an idea of what you'll need will help you find a home that will satisfy you for years to come. Your financial health - your credit and home affordability.

Is now the right time financially for you to buy a home?

Would you rate your financial picture as healthy? Is your credit good? While you can always find a lender to lend you money, people with poor credit tend to pay far more to borrow. Some say that you should refrain from borrowing as much as you qualify for because it is wiser not to stretch your financial boundaries. The other school of thought says you should stretch to buy as much home as you can afford, because with regular pay raises and increased earning potential, the big payment today will seem like less of a payment tomorrow. It is, however, important to stay within your comfort zone. Purchasing a house involves many up-front and ongoing costs, and the stress of worrying about those costs often outweighs the satisfaction that may come from owning a slightly nicer home. To determine how much home you can afford, talk to a lender or go online and use a home affordability calculator. Good calculators will give you a range of what you may qualify for. Then call a lender. While some may say that the "28/36" rule applies, in today's home mortgage market, lenders are making loans customized to a particular person's situation. The "28/36" rule means that your monthly housing costs can't exceed 28 percent of your income and your total debt load can't exceed 36 percent of your total monthly income. Depending on your assets, credit history, job potential, and other factors, lenders can push the ratios up to 40-60% or higher. While we're not advocating you purchase a home utilizing the higher ratios, it’s important for you to know your options.

Where the money for the transaction will come from.

Typically, homebuyers will need some money for a down payment and closing costs. However, with today's broad range of loan options, having a lot of money saved for a down payment is not always necessary - if you can prove that you are a good financial risk for a lender. If your credit isn't stellar but you have managed to save 10-20% for a down payment, you will still appear to be a very good financial risk to a lender. High-ratio mortgages can be a good option for those who haven’t managed to save a large chunk of money (who has?), but naturally, these have additional costs associated with them.

The ongoing costs of home ownership.

Maintenance, improvements, taxes, and insurance are all costs that are added to a monthly house payment. If you buy a condominium or townhouse, a monthly homeowner's association or maintenance fee will be required. If these additional costs are a concern, you can make choices to lower or avoid these fees. Be sure to make your Realtor® and your lender aware of your desire to limit these costs. If you are still unsure if you should buy a home after making these considerations, you may want to consult with an accountant or financial planner to help you assess how a home purchase fits into your overall financial goals.

check out the Trusted Saskatoon Realtors on their listing here in the SASKATOON REAL ESTATE Category on THE Saskatoon directory of excellence.

Stay Trusted my friends..Safe and Trusted of course!

Get into the Christmas spirit with www.trustedSaskatoon.com.

We would love to reach the magic number 1000 fans....so we have an incentive...like the Trustedsaskatoon.com Facebook Group here then share the Facebook post on our wall about this incentive, which invites people to Fan Trustedsadskatoon.com. Once we reach 1000 fans...a lucky fan will be selected at random to receive $500- $250CASH for themselves and $250 which will be donated to a local Saskatoon charity of their choice! It always pays to be a fan of Trusted.....

So FAN,  LIKE and then SHARE the post on your wall to be eligible to win...the quicker we get to 1000...the quicker someone wins and a local charity benefits too!!!

In our short history Trusted has a history of Community involvement here are just some of the previous blogs about this on www.trustedcanada.com

In August 2011:  Trusted community involvement Trusted believes in giving back and will be having a consistent presence in community charities/ non profits and events in all of the Trusted cities we service..in July we sponsored the Tourism Saskatoon golf tournament , we are partners with Tourism Saskatoon , as we know many newcomers visit places they are moving to BEFORE they move and we want to be able to provide them with Trusted resources..think about it .. things like Trusted Hotels for when they visit ...and then Trusted realtors, mortgage brokers, legal and financial services to assist them if they are considering relocation to the city..then of course we have all the Trusted services and stores they need once they get here..how better to give a good impression to potential newcomers than to provide a helpfull resource like www.trustedsaskatoon.com to ensure their first experiences are positive ones...check out Tourism Saskatoons banner ad that appears on our home page!

With that in mind, we are thrilled to be sponsoring a WONDERFUL Fundraising event for Child Find Saskatchewan at the Saskatoons Broadway Theater on Wed September 21st at 7pm. Child Find Saskatchewan is a Provincial charitable organization that educates and advocates for the protection and rights of children and youth. They believe all children have the right to be safe. They are excited to present The amazing : Dr. Draw. Dr.Draw is a Canadian electronic band, after the nickname of their leader Eugene Draw. Draw plays electric violin like you have never seen before and incorporates a guitarist, an electronic keyboardist, an electric harpist, an electric cellist, a rock bassist and a drummer. Dr. Draw’s musical repertoire spans the globe, incorporating many different elements such as rock, classical, pop, electronica, fusion, world and new funk, making this eclectic mix appealing to a diverse audience. Dr. Draw made indie music history in Toronto in 2007 as all three of his albums charted on the official Top 30 Nielsen Sound scan sales chart for his CD “Adagio” Monies raised at this fundraiser will help Child Find Saskatchewan promote awareness of the issues relating to missing children...and it will be a darn good show too! "A MISSING CHILD IS EVERYONES RESPONSIBILITY" Tickets : $40 Tickets can be purchased by calling Child Find Office (306-955-0070). Broadway Theatre will also have tickets for sale (website and from box office). www.broadwaytheatre.ca/eve​nts.php

Nov 2011: Trusted founder Sara Wheelwright is one of the 100 Women in 100 days for Habitat for Humanity Regina inititiative 2012 posted by Trusted Canada | December 15, 2011 07:58 www.trustedregina.com 's first OF MANY non profit and community projects that Trusted founder Sara is supporting across the province , she is one of the 100 women involved in this amazing initiative! Trusted believes in giving back to the community as an ongoing commitment. Regina Habitat for Humanity 100 Women in 100 Days - Nov. 1 - Feb. 8, 2012 What is 100k in 100 Days? 100k in 100 Days is an initiative being undertaken by a group of exceptional women in Regina. The goal of the group is for 100 women to raise $100,000 in 100 days. $100,000 will cover the costs of materials to build a home for a hard-working family who will put in a minimum of 500 sweat-equity-hours towards the building of their home and then pay an interest-free-mortgage. The interest-free-mortgage will allow them to escape high rent payments and begin saving for their future. Participants in this exciting initiative are encouraged to not only contribute financially to this build but also by volunteering on site as well. Build volunteers need not have experience. Our journeyman carpenters will oversee the project from beginning to end ensuring the family has a solid, well-built home to live in. Teams of five or six volunteers will enjoy time on the job site learning and contributing to the house that will become a dream come true for a family looking for their very own home. If you'd like to be one in a hundred contributors/volunteers please call Trish Bezborotko, Director of Fund Development and Communications, Habitat for Humanity Regina at 522-9700 or email tbez@habitatregina: Cheques can be made payable to Habitat for Humanity Regina, please put in subject line 100 K in 100 Days and mail to 1740 Broder St., Regina, SK S4N 2H7. We can also process your donation on VISA or Mastercard. Please call us at 522-9700 to donate using a credit card.

Wiseguys Mattresses offers incredible value to their customers through a boutique style shopping experience, customized service and unbeatable prices. They aim to have every customer leave the store confident in their decision to buy, and with a guaranteed good night's sleep.

Marks from Wiseguys Trusted Tip

A mattress is the most important piece of furniture you will ever buy... because if you don't sleep right, you don't function right.

You can get away with a cheap T.V. or a cheap sofa and it won't affect your quality of life, but not sleeping properly will. When buying a new mattress, avoid all the gimicks and worry about 2 things only, comfort and durability. Two of the biggest gimicks to avoid are the 50% or more "off" sales and the free gifts.Those sales are off of there regular retail price and not the value of the bed. As an example, I had a bed that I retailed for $899 taxes included. The exact same bed was being sold at 70% off at another store. Their "retail" price was $3200. Unfortunitly, people fall for this type of advertising all the time. Do houses or cars or boats go on 50%, 60% or 70% off sales? Then why would mattresses? The same principal works with the free gifts. Often the cost of this gift is worked into the retail price of the mattress, or the free gift is valued far more than it's worth. These are just some of the smoke and mirror tactics that some retailors use to get you into their store. Why is it that these sales are always going on at certain stores, or that some stores have a flyer every week always saving 50%? Unfortunatly because it works on people. They are hoping that you are not aware of what you have just learned.

Again,at the end of the day you should only be worried about 2 things.. comfort and durability. So what have we learned today? That price or preceived savings or free whatever IS NOT a indication of quality or comfort.

Find Wiseguuys Mattress , Circle Dr. E. Saskatoon,,fan them on Facebook or check out their listing here in the Saskatoon Furniture Category on THE Saskatoon directory of excellence. They are YOUR Trusted experts right here in Saskatoon!

At Fitness Focus, the goal is to offer a fitness center with a welcoming; fun; and safe environment that all ages can enjoy. They are a forerunner in the fitness industry in Saskatoon . With the ever changing fitness demands of new and improved classes, training; and nutrition.

This Fitness Focus Trusted Tip is about Designing Your Own Program

There is no substitue for a professionally desgned program for the gym. But if you consider yourself experienced in the gym and insist on planning your own training routine, make sure to keep your program well rounded but specific towards whatever goals you might have laid out for yourself.

Here are some of the main components to designing your program and deciding how to spend your time in the gym:

One: Cardiovascular training should be well balanced with some high intensity and some low-moderate intensity. Just like your resistance training, your body will adapt to stress if the same stress is applied consistently so it is important to diversify your cardio. Use incline and speed intervals to keep your body guessing.

Two: Muscle conditioning needs to focus on exercises for upper body, lower body, core: including abdominals, sides and lower back, as well as full body workouts including circuits. When choosing your specific exercises you must understand the fundamentals; understand what the function of each muscle does to choose proper exercises.

Print a Free 2-Week Trial Membership for you and your friends. If you're looking for a gym in Saskatoon and have never tried Fitness Focus, this pass is for you to come experience the great atmosphere, people and all the major ammenities Fitness Focus offers. For 2 weeks you will have access to The Weight Room, Cardio Theatre, All Group Fitness Classes, Unlimited Tanning, Free Towel Service, Free Lockers and more... click HERE to print yours

Find Fitness Focus Health & Athletic Centre at 1250 Ontario Avenue, or check out their listing here in the Saskatoon Fitness & Gyms Category on THE Saskatoon directory of excellence. They are YOUR Trusted experts right here in Saskatoon!