Spring is in full bloom, which means this is one of the peak seasons for buying and selling homes. If you want your kids settled in a new school by September, the time to start looking is now.

Admittedly, this can mean getting drenched in a downpour while checking out your options if you’re in beautiful British Columbia, but there’s the occasional sunny day too.

If you come see Steve at Drake Entrust Mortgage Brokers before you start your house-hunting in earnest, you can shop with confidence, knowing what you pre-qualify for. Don’t get caught in a shower of uncertainty. Shine some light on your options now. 1-866-798-2313 or

steve@entrustmortage.ca

Many people don’t put too much thought into obtaining a mortgage. They simply go to the same bank that they’ve dealt with for several years and accept whatever rate is offered to them. Sound like you?

- Maybe you’re busy and don’t think you have time to shop around.

- Maybe you’re not very assertive and don’t like the idea of putting yourself out there in the mortgage market.

- Maybe you’re a private person and don’t want to have to talk about your finances with numerous financial representatives.

- Or maybe you don’t know enough about the mortgage industry to represent your interests well.

A mortgage broker can help address all of these concerns:

- They can have access to multiple sources of funding and can find the deal that best suits you.

- They can talk to the banks for you, so you don’t have to spend your lunch hours at meetings or stand up for yourself in what can be an intimidating situation.

- They can analyze your financial situation and seek a solution tailored to your needs.

- And they are experts in the mortgage field and can help you make intelligent choices and avoid pitfalls and poor decisions.

- They work for you, but get paid by the financial institution you end up choosing, so there’s usually no charge to you. They are committed to finding you the best deal for your situation.

Members of the Mortgage Brokers Association of British Columbia must adhere to a very strict Code of Ethics and can help you avoid fraudulent or unethical behavior. They can also refer you to qualified professionals, from property appraisers to lawyers and notaries.

So when it comes time to obtain or renew your mortgage, make a mortgage broker your first stop.

Congratulations to Tom Schouten of Chilliwack, who was the lucky winner of our Valentine's prize for being a fan of the Entrust Mortgage Facebook page. Tom won an Undine's spa gift card. Another reason to LOVE being an Entrust client!

Ah, February, when our thoughts turn to the ones we love, and our need to put some money into our RRSPs.

One of the best ways we can take care of our spouses and families is to take advantage of the long-term profit potential that can come from being invested in a solid real estate market.

Young couples dream of getting into the real estate market, partly because it’s a symbol of commitment and a prosperous future together.

Plus, it’s nice to have a secure roof over your head and a nice home to raise a family in.

So as you cosy up to your beloved this Valentine’s Day, think of how buying real estate together, or ‘trading up’ to improve your home, is one of the best ways of saying a mutual “I love you.”

Once you’ve paid for the four-course meal, roses, or chocolates, it’s time to think about pulling together some cash for your RRSP investment, because the deadline is looming!

With today’s low interest rates, it might make sense to consolidate your debts and re-mortgage in order to free up some cash to invest in your retirement savings. You may be able to use the tax refund you get to pay down your mortage and it’s always a good idea to save for the future.

Whether you’re investing in real estate for the first time, or re-mortgaging or renovating, Entrust Mortgage Brokers can help you get the best rate. Take advantage of record-low interest rates now.

And hop over to Facebook and ‘like’ our Entrust Mortgage Facebook page before February 11. We’re giving away an Undine’s spa experience for you or your sweetie! Wouldn’t that make the ultimate Valentine’s gift?

Call Steven Brouwer at 1-866-798-2313 or email steve@entrustmortgage.ca Find us on Facebook at Entrust Mortgage.

We’re a little late on the New Year’s musings, but we wanted to give you a week to recover from the post-Christmas hangover. No, not the boozy hangover you get from too much New Year’s revelry -- the financial hangover many of us suffer when we realize we spent too much at Christmastime.

Mid-January is a great time to take stock of you financial situation and set some goals for the new year and the years ahead. Maybe you want to reduce consumer debt and the move what you owe into a lower-interest bracket by consolidating some loans. Or maybe you want to pay your mortgage sooner by reducing your interest rate. With the record-low rates we’re seeing these days, sometimes it’s even worth getting out of your old mortgage before the contract expires and paying the penalty.

If you’re looking at options, talk to us. Steven Brouwer can help you find the best option for your situation.

 It’s been a busy few weeks on the community connections front at Drake Entrust.

We believe in supporting good community causes, and since Drake Entrust owner Steve Brouwer and his wife Judy both love volleyball, it was a no-brainer to enter a Drake Entrust team in the 25th annual Chilliwack Athletes for Turkeys and Tots charity volleyball tournament recently, hosted by the Chilliwack-Mount Cheam Rotary Club. The annual two-day event raises money for Chilliwack Community Services' Christmas Sharing Program.

On Dec. 4, Drake Entrust took over Bravo, one of Chilliwack’s top dining restaurants, for an evening of fine food and conviviality celebrating the Christmas season.

On Dec. 8, many members of the Drake Entrust team took part in a day of professional development and networking at a special Dominion Lending Centres University day in Coquitlam. It was great to see colleagues in person and learn more about the field of mortgage services.

Then on Dec. 10, Steve got his Elf on, and had the honour and pleasure of taking part in the inaugural Elf Olympics at Minter Country Gardens.

He was in competition with about a dozen other local gentlemen.

Challenges included making a centerpiece, gift-wrapping a watering can, answering Christmas trivia questions, cutting out snowflakes, stringing popcorn garlands, a pinecone and spoon race, and putting four marshmallows into one's mouth with out using hands.and then singing White Christmas with the marshmallows in the mouth (he got to join city councillo r Chuck Stam in that one). Each competitor was in the running to win $1,000 to donate to his favourite local charity (which in Steve’s case was Unity Christian School). And the winner was…Steve! Chilliwack Secondary teacher Steve Anderson that is! Steve Brouwer came a close second.

1. 85% of all people in the USA use a mortgage broker

and we are

2. I shop the best rates and products from 90 different Banks, Credit

catching up quickly here in Canada.

On January 17^th, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced adjustments to the rules for government-backed insured mortgages that will come into force March 18^th, 2011.

Today, Terri Fisher has joined our firm. Terri lives in Chilliwack and has a long standing career in the financial services area. For the last 4 yrs, Terri has been practicing as a mortgage broker will great success. We welcome Terri to the team!

Just a heads up! We are no longer part of The Mortgage Group.  As of last week, we are officially part of Dominion Lending Centres (DLC). 

Dominion Lending Centres is a national mortgage brokerage and leasing company with more than 1,200 mortgage professionals offering free expert advice across Canada - taking the hassles out of the mortgage process and simplifying your life.  DLC is Canada's leading consumer financing company! 

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call!

We had a staff meeting on Friday and we found out that all three of us at Entrust Mortgage Services are VERY busy. Rates are so low that many people are refinancing. There are lots of purchases happening as well as people are taking advantage of the good prices out there and the good mortgage rates.

Just a note on refinancing - you will most likely have a penalty when you cash out your old mortgage so talk to a mortgage specialist at Entrust about the best way to refinance your home with these good rates.

Don't wait as rates will soon start to increase - we just don't know when.

Come back soon. Steven

Happy Easter to everyone out there.

I am now officially a blogger