Mortgages are a funny thing. On the one hand they allow you to become a home owner without saving up enough money to purchase the home outright, which is a really good thing. On the other hand, even at today's really low interest rates, as they are amortized over a really long time (most of the time 25 years), they can cost you a lot more money in the long run. With the government tightening mortgage qualification, chances are securing your most recent mortgage wasn't a painless process.

I was given such a great opportunity beginning of July! Many of you may know that I participate with JCI (Junior Chamber International) which is an Under 40 group that empowers individuals to be the leaders of tomorrow. In Edmonton our group participates with many not-for-profits, like Ronald McDonald House, creates events for social responsibility, personal and leadership development but what many don’t know is there is an international aspect that is truly eye opening. As the current elected Executive Vice President for JCI Canada (our national organization) I was chosen to participate in the 34th Leadership Academy, in Karuizawa Japan.

A local Mom blogger has created a great resource for families with the Edmonton Summer Fun Map. This interactive map has everything from playground to donut shops.
There is also the opportunity to submit requests for places to be added to the map.

It's a common held belief that if you've made your mortgage payments on time throughout the entirety of your mortgage term, that your lender is somehow obligated to renew your mortgage. This is simply not the case. The truth is, a lender is never under any obligation to renew your mortgage. The initial mortgage contract was drawn up for a defined time, when that term comes to an end, the lender has every right to call the loan.