Welcome to Plan My Mortgage

by Katherine Martin


You Plan Your Home, I'll Plan Your Mortgage.

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Katherine Martin


Hi, I’m Katherine, thanks for visiting my website. If you are looking for someone to help you arrange mortgage financing, look no further, I would love to help you plan your mortgage.


A little bit about me… I was born and raised in Montreal and after attending Concordia University I moved out west to Vancouver. Honestly, I have never looked back, I absolutely love it here. I spent 8 years in the mutual fund industry before starting my career as a mortgage broker in 2004. In 2005 I was voted “Rookie of the Year” and over the next 10+ years I have enjoyed helping my clients plan for the biggest investments of their lives!


I have a wonderful husband (I say wonderful because he truly is wonderful) and two children (who are also wonderful, but I didn’t want to sound too repetitive!), I have a career that inspires me and I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! Life is good!


Mortgage Services

Home Purchase

If you are looking to purchase a property, understanding all the mortgage options available to you can seem overwhelming. That’s where I come in; I do this everyday and I love it. I will help you make sense of all the numbers and provide you with options that make sense to you and arrange the mortgage that suits your goals!

Preapproval

Before you go out and start shopping for a new house, you need a plan. It doesn’t matter if this is your first time buying a home or your hundredth, financial situations change, rules change, interest rates change. The best place to start is with a preapproval, so you know exactly how much buying power you have.


Professional Clients

Throughout my career I have been fortunate to have worked with many professional and self-employed clients. As such, I have developed relationships with lenders who offer exclusive products to high net worth and professional individuals. So if you are a young professional starting out in your career or if you are well established in the business community, I understand your specific needs and can accommodate them perfectly.


Refinance

Are you looking to access some of the equity built up in your property? Maybe you want to consolidate some debts, start a new business, buy a vacation or investment property or travel the world… regardless, I can discuss all your mortgage refinancing options with you!

Renewal

The best time to start looking at renewing your existing mortgage is 120 days before your maturity date. If your existing lender has sent you a renewal offer in the mail, the first thing you should do is send it to me so I can give you a second opinion. Never just sign the offer, there is always room to negotiate, and I am here to help you so that you don’t have to do those negotiations alone!


Contact Me Anytime!

Obviously there are a lot more services I can offer and a lot more information I can share with you. Consider this my invitation to contact me with your questions, I would love to work with you and help you figure out a plan not only to get you a mortgage, but to help you get rid of it. Talk soon!


Lenders

I have developed excellent relationships with lenders across the country; let's figure out which one has the best product for you. 

John Doe's Image
I was introduced to Katherine through my financial planner 10 years ago and she has assisted me in the sometimes complex financing of several properties since that time. Her commitment to providing prompt service with responsible, comprehensive and professional service truly makes her stand out in the industry. To say she goes above and beyond what’s expected would be an understatement.

I have referred several friends to her with confidence that they will receive excellent personalized service and they have been equally impressed with her work.

S. Fitzpatrick

John Doe's Image
Katherine has been an absolute SUPERSTAR for my family’s mortgage needs. We are thrilled with her professionalism, honesty, and knowledge. She has gone above and beyond to make sure that we always have a painless experience and don’t regret our decisions. It’s not just about the paperwork and phone calls with Katherine, it’s about her clients and guiding them through a huge life decision!

I would highly recommend Katherine to anyone who is looking for a mortgage Broker.

J. Bilodeau

John Doe's Image
Katherine took the time to get to know my individual financial situation and objectives, and gave me pragmatic and tailored advice based on those factors. She has always been very responsive and I have complete trust in her abilities to execute. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a mortgage broker with great client service delivery.

M. Stephens

John Doe's Image
Katherine has been our mortgage broker for 10 years now and has brokered 4 mortgages for us. We had a unique and challenging situation arise with our last renewal. Katherine’s expertise, confidence and tenacity was invaluable as she navigated us through the intricacies of this situation. She not only went to bat for us, she went above and beyond. Her knowledge, skill, support and guidance are greatly appreciated.

Katherine is a mortgage broker of the highest quality and integrity.

Thank you Katherine for your excellent service.

Lesli and Robert

John Doe's Image
Katherine is amazing to work with. As a first time home buyer I appreciated that she was there to answer any and all questions and concerns I had. She went above and beyond for me. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking for a mortgage broker.

T. Holbeche

Mortgage Blog

This is the main education hub on my website, have a look around, let me know if you have questions!

By Katherine Martin April 23, 2025
You’d think an online calculator is a pretty straightforward device, one that you should be able to place your confidence in, and for the most part, they are. Calculators calculate numbers. The numbers are reliable, but how you interpret those numbers, not so much, especially if the goal is mortgage qualification. If you rely on the numbers from a “What can I afford” or “Mortgage Qualification” calculator without talking to an independent mortgage professional, you’re going to be misinformed. Don’t be fooled. Even though an online mortgage calculator can help you calculate mortgage payments or help you assess how additional payments would impact your amortization, they’ll never be able to give you an exact picture of what you can afford and how a lender will consider your mortgage application. While mortgage calculators are objective, mortgage lending isn’t. It’s 100% subjective. Lenders consider your financial situation, employment, credit history, assets, liabilities, the property you are looking to purchase. Then, they will compare that with whatever internal risk profile they are currently using to assess mortgage lending. Simply put, they don’t just look at the numbers. An online calculator is a great tool to help you run different financial scenarios and help assess your comfort level with different payment schedules and mortgage amounts. However, if you rely on an online calculator for mortgage qualification purposes, you’ll be disappointed. The first step in the mortgage qualification process is a preapproval. A preapproval will examine all the variables on your application, assess your financial situation, and provide you with a framework to buy a property based on your unique circumstance. Securing a preapproval comes at no cost to you and without any obligation to buy. It’ll simply allow you the freedom to move ahead with confidence, knowing exactly where you stand. Something a calculator is unable to do. Please connect anytime if you’d like to talk more about your financial situation and get a preapproval started. It would be a pleasure to work with you.
By Katherine Martin April 16, 2025
Bank of Canada holds policy rate at 2¾%. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario April 16, 2025 The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at 2.75%, with the Bank Rate at 3% and the deposit rate at 2.70%. The major shift in direction of US trade policy and the unpredictability of tariffs have increased uncertainty, diminished prospects for economic growth, and raised inflation expectations. Pervasive uncertainty makes it unusually challenging to project GDP growth and inflation in Canada and globally. Instead, the April Monetary Policy Report (MPR) presents two scenarios that explore different paths for US trade policy. In the first scenario, uncertainty is high but tariffs are limited in scope. Canadian growth weakens temporarily and inflation remains around the 2% target. In the second scenario, a protracted trade war causes Canada’s economy to fall into recession this year and inflation rises temporarily above 3% next year. Many other trade policy scenarios are possible. There is also an unusual degree of uncertainty about the economic outcomes within any scenario, since the magnitude and speed of the shift in US trade policy are unprecedented. Global economic growth was solid in late 2024 and inflation has been easing towards central bank targets. However, tariffs and uncertainty have weakened the outlook. In the United States, the economy is showing signs of slowing amid rising policy uncertainty and rapidly deteriorating sentiment, while inflation expectations have risen. In the euro area, growth has been modest in early 2025, with continued weakness in the manufacturing sector. China’s economy was strong at the end of 2024 but more recent data shows it slowing modestly. Financial markets have been roiled by serial tariff announcements, postponements and continued threats of escalation. This extreme market volatility is adding to uncertainty. Oil prices have declined substantially since January, mainly reflecting weaker prospects for global growth. Canada’s exchange rate has recently appreciated as a result of broad US dollar weakness. In Canada, the economy is slowing as tariff announcements and uncertainty pull down consumer and business confidence. Consumption, residential investment and business spending all look to have weakened in the first quarter. Trade tensions are also disrupting recovery in the labour market. Employment declined in March and businesses are reporting plans to slow their hiring. Wage growth continues to show signs of moderation. Inflation was 2.3% in March, lower than in February but still higher than 1.8% at the time of the January MPR. The higher inflation in the last couple of months reflects some rebound in goods price inflation and the end of the temporary suspension of the GST/HST. Starting in April, CPI inflation will be pulled down for one year by the removal of the consumer carbon tax. Lower global oil prices will also dampen inflation in the near term. However, we expect tariffs and supply chain disruptions to push up some prices. How much upward pressure this puts on inflation will depend on the evolution of tariffs and how quickly businesses pass on higher costs to consumers. Short-term inflation expectations have moved up, as businesses and consumers anticipate higher costs from trade conflict and supply disruptions. Longer term inflation expectations are little changed. Governing Council will continue to assess the timing and strength of both the downward pressures on inflation from a weaker economy and the upward pressures on inflation from higher costs. Our focus will be on ensuring that Canadians continue to have confidence in price stability through this period of global upheaval. This means we will support economic growth while ensuring that inflation remains well controlled. Governing Council will proceed carefully, with particular attention to the risks and uncertainties facing the Canadian economy. These include: the extent to which higher tariffs reduce demand for Canadian exports; how much this spills over into business investment, employment and household spending; how much and how quickly cost increases are passed on to consumer prices; and how inflation expectations evolve. Monetary policy cannot resolve trade uncertainty or offset the impacts of a trade war. What it can and must do is maintain price stability for Canadians. Information note The next scheduled date for announcing the overnight rate target is June 4, 2025. The Bank will publish its next MPR on July 30, 2025. Read the April 16th, 2025 Monetary Report
By Katherine Martin April 9, 2025
Divorces are challenging as there’s a lot to think about in a short amount of time, usually under pressure. And while handling finances is often at the forefront of the discussions related to the separation of assets, unfortunately, managing and maintaining personal credit can be swept aside to deal with later. So, if you happen to be going through or preparing for a divorce or separation, here are a few considerations that will help keep your credit and finances on track. The goal is to avoid significant setbacks as you look to rebuild your life. Manage Your Joint Debt If you have joint debt, you are both 100% responsible for that debt, which means that even if your ex-spouse has the legal responsibility to pay the debt, if your name is on the debt, you can be held responsible for the payments. Any financial obligation with your name on the account that falls into arrears will negatively impact your credit score, regardless of who is legally responsible for making the payments. A divorce settlement doesn’t mean anything to the lender. The last thing you want is for your ex-spouse’s poor financial management to negatively impact your credit score for the next six to seven years. Go through all your joint credit accounts, and if possible, cancel them and have the remaining balance transferred into a loan or credit card in the name of whoever will be responsible for the remaining debt. If possible, you should eliminate all joint debts. Now, it’s a good idea to check your credit report about three to six months after making the changes to ensure everything all joint debts have been closed and everything is reporting as it should be. It’s not uncommon for there to be errors on credit reports. Manage Your Bank Accounts Just as you should separate all your joint credit accounts, it’s a good idea to open a checking account in your name and start making all deposits there as soon as possible. You’ll want to set up the automatic withdrawals for the expenses and utilities you’ll be responsible for going forward in your own account. At the same time, you’ll want to close any joint bank accounts you have with your ex-spouse and gain exclusive access to any assets you have. It’s unfortunate, but even in the most amicable situations, money (or lack thereof) can cause people to make bad decisions; you want to protect yourself by protecting your assets. While opening new accounts, chances are your ex-spouse knows your passwords to online banking and might even know the pin to your bank card. Take this time to change all your passwords to something completely new, don’t just default to what you’ve used in the past. Better safe than sorry. Setup New Credit in Your Name There might be a chance that you’ve never had credit in your name alone or that you were a secondary signer on your ex-spouse’s credit card. If this is the case, it would be prudent to set up a small credit card in your name. Don’t worry about the limit; the goal is to get something in your name alone. Down the road, you can change things and work towards establishing a solid credit profile. If you have any questions about managing your credit through a divorce, please don’t hesitate to connect anytime. It would be a pleasure to work with you.
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