The Risks of Borrowing Against Your Home
The real risks of borrowing against your home's equity in Alberta, from rising costs and falling values to losing the home, and how to protect yourself.
Guides
Category: Costs and terms
Assessed Value vs Market Value vs Appraised Value
Why your Alberta property tax assessment, the market value and a lender's appraised value can all be different, and which one matters for borrowing.
Appraisals: How Lenders Value Your Home
How mortgage appraisals work in Alberta, what appraisers look at, why values come in low, and how to prepare your home for an equity mortgage appraisal.
What Equity Mortgages Cost: Rates and Fees
What drives equity mortgage rates in Alberta, the fees to expect, and how to compare offers on total cost rather than rate alone.
How Much Equity Do You Need?
How much home equity Alberta lenders want before they'll lend, why the answer changes by lender and property, and how leftover equity affects your terms.