Monday 24 October 2011

Celebrating Halloween in Calgary

One of the things that makes Calgary such a great place to live is the cultural and entertainment diversity available here.  With end of October is fast approaching the Calgary scene is offering some incredible options for your Halloween fun this year ranging from Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s take on Psycho to child friendly nights at the Zoo.  Events around the city range from the truly terrifying to general family fun ensuring there is something for everyone and for every scare threshold. 

The Screamfest Haunted House and Freak Show: 5 unique Haunted Houses and shows at Canada Olympic Park that will scare and entertain you.  Admission starts at $20 with packages available for VIP passes and other onsite attractions.  According to their website this attraction is intended for a mature audience – no one under 13 will be admitted and over 18 is recommended.  http://www.screamfest.ca/ 

Boo at the Zoo: The Boo at the Zoo that you love to fear is back! Voted BEST Halloween event by Calgary’s Child Magazine.  This event runs from October 28th to October 30th and is a great option for a younger audience.  Children can Trick or Treat through the Zoo and there is a Scare rating system so you can customize your trip for your family. http://www.calgaryzoo.com/content/view/29/287/#boo   

Ghouls' Night Out at Heritage Park: Evening activities include a Halloween dance, a Toy Shop of Horrors, a gruesome Ghouls’ Feast and more. Perfect for families with little ones aged 3 to 9, the event runs from October 26th to October 30th from 6pm to 9pm each evening.    http://www.heritagepark.ca/specialevents.htm

Psycho, The Movie and the Music: This Halloween, experience Hitchcock as never before. See Norman Bates return to the big screen as the Orchestra provides the chilling soundtrack at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. Viewer discretion is advised.  http://www.cpo-live.com/main/event_detail.php?event_id=538

Cemetery of Sound: This event is at the Big Four building and open to ages 18 and up.  The premiere Halloween electronic dance music event, bringing together the city's best promoters and some of today's most exciting DJ talent for an epic, thrilling night!   http://unionevents.com/shows/view/2824/cemetery-of-sound

If you feel like getting dressed up and going out on the town for Halloween, many of the local bars and nightclubs have special events planned for the Halloween weekend.  To see a complete list of the different themed events check out http://calgary.beforelastcall.com/happenin/8/calgary_halloween_events.html

Have a great and safe Halloween 2011 Calgary!

Larry Arnason, Calgary’s Mortgage Broker  

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Why use a mortgage broker?

When you are shopping for a house more than likely you are about to make one of the largest purchases in your lifetime. Chances are you are using a realtor to help you shop. They are experts working for you to find you a house that suits your needs and they will help you to negotiate for the best price on the house. If you are refinancing you will want to make sure your investment is protected and that you will not be paying more than you have to.

This is what a mortgage broker will do for you:

They will analyze your short term and long term goals and match them to a product that best suits you needs. They will do all the leg work for you, gather the financial information, documentation, coordinate with your realtor and lawyer to make the transaction as smooth as possible.

There are many lenders out there with hundreds of products to offer each with their on rates, terms, features and benefits. A mortgage broker has access to almost all of them. There are some mortgage lenders in the market place with some of the best products that deal almost exclusively with mortgage brokers. When you deal with a bank you are dealing with an employee of the bank that has the banks interests in mind when they are offering you products and rates. If your bank happens to offer the best product to suite your needs then your mortgage broker can negotiate the best rate for you.

Mortgage brokers are paid based on the size of the mortgage not the rate they get you and they work for you not the lenders therefore they will always be looking out for your interests. In almost all cases a mortgage broker is paid by the lender so there is no cost to you to have the benefit of their expertise and knowledge.

If you are thinking about purchasing a home, refinancing you current mortgage, a debt consolidation, or a home equity loan, please contact us for a free no-obligation review of all your mortgage options.  To learn more about our services you can also visit our main site: http://www.larryarnason.com

Thursday 6 October 2011

Calgary Mortgage Broker services now available in other Alberta cities!

Due to the increasing demand for effective and successful mortgage broker services in Alberta we are expanding our Calgary business to include several new cities in Alberta and rural Alberta with a focus on individuals and families that have credit challenges or non-traditional incomes such as self-employment.

When purchasing a home, revenue property or looking for refinancing and debt consolidation options the approval process can be challenging; for people with low credit scores, past credit challenges, or income streams that are not the standard norm the challenges are exponentially more difficult and often result in applications being turned down or approved at a much higher rate that they could actually qualify for.

Additionally, with the announcement from Canada’s financial regulator (The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions) this week that it is stepping in “to increase monitoring of home loans and lines of credit” issued by the big banks in Canada, the approval process will be getting tighter and many individuals will need to access the services of a mortgage broker to help navigate the mortgage application process.

With all of the recent changes in the mortgage industry people shopping for a mortgage can get caught in a negative cycle of having to submit multiple applications in an attempt to get approved and get the best terms, what they often don’t realize is that every application they submit results in a credit check which can further negatively affect their overall credit score. As a broker I am up to date on all of the industry changes which enables me to help my clients complete their application with the highest chance of success. I also have access to more competitive rates and alternative financing options that individuals would not typically be able to reach on their own and we only need to do one credit check regardless of how many lenders we approach on their behalf.

With this expansion we are also hoping to increase awareness of what a mortgage broker can do for individuals and families and clear up many common misconceptions about brokers including the wide-held mistaken beliefs that brokers charge a fee for their services, that they only handle new mortgages, and that they do not work with major banks.  We work on behalf of our clients to secure mortgage financing from a variety of lenders including banks and financial institutions. There is absolutely no cost or fees for our clients whether they are applying for a mortgage, refinancing, debt consolidation, or a mortgage renewal to use the services of a broker.

We are now accepting applications from new clients seeking mortgages or financing in Calgary, Airdrie, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Edmonton, and rural Alberta at our website http://www.larryarnason.com/ or by phone through the new toll free number for Alberta 1 888 722-5086