4 Ways to Access Your Home Equity

Darrell McCollom • May 15, 2024

If you've been a homeowner for many years, it is likely your property value has increased significantly. One advantage of homeownership is the opportunity to build equity. Home equity growth, partnered with the security of living in your own home, is why most Canadians believe homeownership is the best choice for them!

 

While home equity is one of your greatest assets, accessing home equity is often overlooked when putting together a comprehensive financial plan. So if you’re looking for a way to access some of your home equity, you’ve come to the right place!

 

Simply put, home equity is the actual market value of your property minus what you owe. For instance, if your home has a market value of $650k and you owe $150k, you have $500k in home equity.

 

If you want to stay in your home but also access the equity you have built up over the years, there are four options to consider.

 

Conventional Mortgage Refinance

 

Assuming you qualify for the mortgage, most lenders will allow you to borrow up to 80% of your property’s value through a conventional refinance.

 

Let’s say your property is worth $500k and you owe $300k on your existing mortgage. If you were to refinance up to 80%, you would qualify to borrow $400k. After paying out your first mortgage of $300k, you’d end up with $100k (minus any fees to break your mortgage) to spend however you like. 

 

Even if you paid off your mortgage years ago and own your property with a clear title (no mortgage), you can secure a new mortgage on your property.

 

Reverse Mortgage

 

A reverse mortgage allows Canadian homeowners 55 or older to turn the equity in their home into tax-free cash. There is no income or credit verification; you maintain ownership of your home, and you aren't required to make any mortgage payments. The full amount of the mortgage will become due when you decide to move or sell.

 

Unlike a conventional mortgage refinance, reverse mortgages won’t allow you to borrow up to 80% of your home equity. Rather, you can access a lesser amount of equity depending on your age.

 

The interest rates on a reverse mortgage can be slightly higher than the best rates currently being offered through standard mortgage financing. However, the difference is not outrageous, and this is an option worth considering as the benefits of freeing up cash without mortgage payments provides you with increased flexibility. 

 

Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)

 

A Home Equity Line of Credit allows you to set up access to the equity you have in your home but only pay interest if you use it. Qualifying for a HELOC may be challenging as lender criteria can be pretty strict. Unlike a conventional mortgage, a HELOC doesn't usually have an amortization, so you're only required to make the interest payments on the amount you've borrowed.

 

Second Position Mortgage

 

If the cost to break your mortgage is really high, but you need access to cash before your existing mortgage renews, consider a second mortgage.

 

A second mortgage typically has a set amount of time in which you have to repay the loan (term) as well as a fixed interest rate. This rate is usually higher than conventional financing. After you have received the loan proceeds, you can spend the money any way you like, but you will need to make regular payments on the second mortgage until it's paid off.

 

If you’re looking for a way to access the equity in your home to free up some cash, please get in touch. You’ve got options, and we can work together to find the best option for you!

Darrell McCollum

Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Oct 29th, 2025

By Darrell McCollom • October 29, 2025
Bank of Canada lowers policy rate to 2¼%. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario October 29, 2025 The Bank of Canada today reduced its target for the overnight rate by 25 basis points to 2.25%, with the Bank Rate at 2.5% and the deposit rate at 2.20%. With the effects of US trade actions on economic growth and inflation somewhat clearer, the Bank has returned to its usual practice of providing a projection for the global and Canadian economies in this Monetary Policy Report (MPR). Because US trade policy remains unpredictable and uncertainty is still higher than normal, this projection is subject to a wider-than-usual range of risks. While the global economy has been resilient to the historic rise in US tariffs, the impact is becoming more evident. Trade relationships are being reconfigured and ongoing trade tensions are dampening investment in many countries. In the MPR projection, the global economy slows from about 3¼% in 2025 to about 3% in 2026 and 2027. In the United States, economic activity has been strong, supported by the boom in AI investment. At the same time, employment growth has slowed and tariffs have started to push up consumer prices. Growth in the euro area is decelerating due to weaker exports and slowing domestic demand. In China, lower exports to the United States have been offset by higher exports to other countries, but business investment has weakened. Global financial conditions have eased further since July and oil prices have been fairly stable. The Canadian dollar has depreciated slightly against the US dollar. Canada’s economy contracted by 1.6% in the second quarter, reflecting a drop in exports and weak business investment amid heightened uncertainty. Meanwhile, household spending grew at a healthy pace. US trade actions and related uncertainty are having severe effects on targeted sectors including autos, steel, aluminum, and lumber. As a result, GDP growth is expected to be weak in the second half of the year. Growth will get some support from rising consumer and government spending and residential investment, and then pick up gradually as exports and business investment begin to recover. Canada’s labour market remains soft. Employment gains in September followed two months of sizeable losses. Job losses continue to build in trade-sensitive sectors and hiring has been weak across the economy. The unemployment rate remained at 7.1% in September and wage growth has slowed. Slower population growth means fewer new jobs are needed to keep the employment rate steady. The Bank projects GDP will grow by 1.2% in 2025, 1.1% in 2026 and 1.6% in 2027. On a quarterly basis, growth strengthens in 2026 after a weak second half of this year. Excess capacity in the economy is expected to persist and be taken up gradually. CPI inflation was 2.4% in September, slightly higher than the Bank had anticipated. Inflation excluding taxes was 2.9%. The Bank’s preferred measures of core inflation have been sticky around 3%. Expanding the range of indicators to include alternative measures of core inflation and the distribution of price changes among CPI components suggests underlying inflation remains around 2½%. The Bank expects inflationary pressures to ease in the months ahead and CPI inflation to remain near 2% over the projection horizon. With ongoing weakness in the economy and inflation expected to remain close to the 2% target, Governing Council decided to cut the policy rate by 25 basis points. If inflation and economic activity evolve broadly in line with the October projection, Governing Council sees the current policy rate at about the right level to keep inflation close to 2% while helping the economy through this period of structural adjustment. If the outlook changes, we are prepared to respond. Governing Council will be assessing incoming data carefully relative to the Bank’s forecast. The Canadian economy faces a difficult transition. The structural damage caused by the trade conflict reduces the capacity of the economy and adds costs. This limits the role that monetary policy can play to boost demand while maintaining low inflation. The Bank is focused on ensuring that Canadians continue to have confidence in price stability through this period of global upheaval. Information note The next scheduled date for announcing the overnight rate target is December 10, 2025. The Bank’s next MPR will be released on January 28, 2026. Read the October 29th, 2025 Monetary Report

Mortgages Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All

By Darrell McCollom • October 22, 2025
Why the Cheapest Mortgage Isn’t Always the Smartest Move Some things are fine to buy on the cheap. Generic cereal? Sure. Basic airline seat? No problem. A car with roll-down windows? If it gets you where you're going, great. But when it comes to choosing a mortgage? That’s not the time to cut corners. A “no-frills” mortgage might sound appealing with its rock-bottom interest rate, but what’s stripped away to get you that rate can end up costing you far more in the long run. These mortgages often come with severe limitations—restrictions that could hit your wallet hard if life throws you a curveball. Let’s break it down. A typical no-frills mortgage might offer a slightly lower interest rate—maybe 0.10% to 0.20% less. That could save you a few hundred dollars over a few years. But that small upfront saving comes at the cost of flexibility: Breaking your mortgage early? Expect a massive penalty. Want to make extra payments? Often not allowed—or severely restricted. Need to move and take your mortgage with you? Not likely. Thinking about refinancing? Good luck doing that without a financial hit. Most people don’t plan on breaking their mortgage early—but roughly two-thirds of Canadians do, often due to job changes, separations, relocations, or expanding families. That’s why flexibility matters. So why do lenders even offer no-frills mortgages? Because they know the stats. And they know many borrowers chase the lowest rate without asking what’s behind it. Some banks count on that. Their job is to maximize profits. Ours? To help you make an informed, strategic choice. As independent mortgage professionals, we work for you—not a single lender. That means we can compare multiple products from various financial institutions to find the one that actually suits your goals and protects your long-term financial health. Bottom line: Don’t let a shiny low rate distract you from what really matters. A mortgage should fit your life—not the other way around. Have questions? Want to look at your options? I’d be happy to help. Let’s chat.