Christine Buemann Mortgage Broker

The recent financial crisis and recession have been a worldwide occurrence. The events in the United States since 2008 have garnered most of the headlines because the U. S. has the world's largest economy and national debt, but the reality is that many countries in Europe are in worse financial shape and continue to deteriorate. There are various ways to rank indebtedness, such as debt per capita and deficit or debt as a function of gross domestic product (GDP). This ranking is based on cumulative debt as a percentage of GDP and is limited to an analysis of the 25 largest economies. It is further limited to "external" debt, which is the portion of the national debt that is owed only to foreign creditors. The source for the debt and GDP amounts is the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook most recent numbers from mid to late 2009. 1. Ireland - Debt/GDP: 997% The days of Ireland enjoying one of the fastest growing economies in Europe are over, at least for now. The sto

Are you interested in the local real estate market? Would you like to receive a monthly e-newsletter with interest rate updates as well as other relevant real estate information? E-mail me today or sign up through my website at www.christinejacob.com Your e-mail address will NOT be spammed or used for any other purpose. You will receive one monthly e-mail, and you are able to unsubscribe at any time you choose. Christine Jacob Mortgage Broker Lending Max Mortgage E-mail: cjacob@lendingmax.ca Web: www.christinejacob.com Phone: 250.612.9140 We offer a wide variety of mortgage products and services for Mackenzie, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Fort St. James, Williams Lake, Chetwynd, Vanderhoof, Smithers, Terrace, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake, Tumbler Ridge, Houston, Telkwa, Kitimat, McBride, Quesnel and everywhere in between in BC's Northern Interior.

It could have gone either way last Wednesday but Mark Carney and co. felt Canada’s economy was hot enough to warrant another tightening. The Bank of Canada has therefore raised its overnight rate target to 1%, from just 0.25% three months ago. Here’s the gist of the Bank’s written statement: ●“…Consumption growth is expected to remain solid and business investment to rise strongly.” ●“The Bank now expects the economic recovery in Canada to be slightly more gradual than it had projected…” ●“…Financial conditions in Canada have tightened modestly but remain exceptionally stimulative.” ●“Any further reduction in monetary policy stimulus would need to be carefully considered in light of the unusual uncertainty surrounding the outlook.” As a result of Wednesday’s increase, prime rate climbed to 3.00% last week. It is the first time prime has seen 3% since February 2009. If you’ve got a variable payment mortgage, this hike will add about $13 to your monthly payment, for every $100,000 you ow

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Save thousands by cutting your property tax bill. Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Lady Gaga’s popularity. Your home’s assessed value. Some things just seem utterly incomprehensible. But solving the property tax assessment mystery is worthwhile: appealing an incorrect valuation could save you thousands of dollars. Here’s how to do it: Check for fairness Property taxes, which pay for most municipal services, are the product of your home’s assessed value multiplied by the local tax rate. You can’t change the tax rate, but you can argue that you have been over-assessed. Begin by checking your home’s assessment report. This is typically a computerized estimate of your home’s selling price, based on sales information from a particular assessment date. Is it fair? If a similar house on your block sold for much less than your valuation around the time of the assessment date, you may have evidence of over-assessment. Fix factual errors Assessments are carried out by provincial agencies