Thanks so much for making the mortgage process so painless. I appreciated the advice and information you provided, and that you then allowed me to make my own decision. Also that you put up with my indecision over whether to go variable-interest or fixed! Ruth Loewen
Instills Confidence!
Dear Tracy and Team,
Uzma and I would like to thank your whole team in making our current and previous mortgage experiences seamless and happy ones. We both appreciate the pleasant atmosphere, top notch and timely customer service at your office. Your role as our mortgage expert instills confidence in us. We hope to continue this relationship in future years. Kasif and Uzma
Best possible solution
My wife and I were looking to consolidate our expenses to ease the burden, and we were referred to Tracy Valko by our current mortgage provider. When we spoke to Tracy about our needs and what we wanted to do, she found us the best possible solution, which would ease the financial strains. She shopped around to get us the best possible mortgage rate and consolidate other expenses. Tracy and her team always kept myself and my wife informed and up to date on the progress of our application with the lender in the best and professional manner, making the whole thing for us run so smooth. We would definitely use Tracy and her team again, and refer her to our friends and family. Thank you Tracy and to your team for all of your help! Truly appreciated! Csaba and Carolyn S.
Hi, I’m Tracy. I’ve been in the finance and banking business for 25+ years. For the past ten years, I’ve been a mortgage broker specializing in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Thanks to my passion for mortgage brokering, coupled with my dedicated team and loyal clients, I’m recognized by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation as a leading mortgage expert in my market. As well, three top lending institutions have awarded me with “status levels”, which means my clients receive preferred pricing as a result of the high volume of annual mortgage business I fund with these lenders. I consistently place in the Top 10 on the Dominion Lending Centres National Top Performers’ Report. I pride myself on my high level of mortgage knowledge, professionalism and experience, which translates into providing my customers with mortgages that are competitively priced and have features that best meet their unique needs.
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University, a mortgage brokering license from Seneca College and I’m a proud Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) member of Mortgage Professionals Canada. Mortgage Professionals Canada is a national association of mortgage professionals dedicated to establishing and maintaining high standards, ethics and professionalism in the mortgage industry.
I opened my first professional office location in the Williamsburg Town Centre nine years ago, and I manage a group of four mortgage professionals, who are set to collectively fund nearly $80 million this year. I’m the proud recipient of the Consumer Choice Award for Favourite Mortgage/Lending Company in Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020!
I have always remained focused on doing what it takes to run a successful business while also spending as much time as possible with my husband and two kids.
I pride myself on forging a long-term relationship with each client so that I become part of their life’s journey – regardless of whether they’re looking to purchase their very first home or move to another location, buy a vacation or investment property, or refinance or renew an existing mortgage. Whatever path my clients choose, I’m there to provide financial advice to ensure they always have the right mortgage suited to their unique situation. Providing strategies for my clients to optimize their hard-earned money throughout their lives as mortgage holders is my top priority.
Tracy Valko is a recognized expert on 570 News’ Ask the Experts! Have questions about mortgages, finanaces, and more? Tune in or watch our previous segments to have all of your questions answered.
The Valko Team is very proud to announce that Tracy has become a member of Mortgage Professionals Canada! Mortgage Professionals Canada works as the voice of Canada’s mortgage broker channel, and to be the leading authority on mortgage issues. They are a leader in our industry for education and leadership!
As of late, Mortgage Professionals Canada, along with Mortgage Brokers, Agents and other industry professionals have been advocating against the recent guideline changes made to mortgage lending. They are working to lessen these restrictions, and help to normalize the real estate market that we are seeing today, making it easier for you to get the house of your dreams!
The start of a new month always comes with a list of to-dos. As Spring is right around the corner, there are a few things you might want to check up on around the house. To prepare your property for the new season, check out our March Home checklist! Check your walkways, driveway, and roof for winter damage Once winter has passed and the snow has melted, check key areas around the exterior of your house for winter damage. It is important to do routine maintenance checkups like this to avoid long-term damage and more expensive repairs down the road. Get ready for tax time The tax-filing deadline in Canada isn’t until April 30, but getting everything organized this month will make things a lot less stressful. Go through your paperwork, update your files, and gather all of your important documents in one place. Spring clean your mirrors and surfaces … Continue reading
The Kitchener-Waterloo housing market broke records in February 2021. The month saw a total of 597 residential properties sold through MLS, up 27.8% from February 2020. “Competition for homes continued to be extremely intense in February, leading to a record-breaking number of home sales for the month,” says Nicole Pohl, President of KWAR. “We continued to see dramatic increases in the average price in February due to the persistent and fierce competition for homes in our region combined with short supply.” Residential properties sold in February 2021 included 337 detached homes (up 23.9% from February 2020), 101 apartment-style condominium units (up 57.8%), 47 semi-detached (up 46.9%) and 112 townhomes (up 13.1%). The average price of a home in Kitchener-Waterloo was $752,289 in February 2021, up 32.9% from February 2020. The month came with a significant milestone as the average price of a detached home was over $900K for the first … Continue reading
This morning’s Stats Canada release showed that economic growth in the final quarter of last year was a surprisingly strong 9.6% (annualized). The surge in growth in January was even more interesting, estimated at a 0.5% (not annualized) pace. If these numbers pan out, it means that Canada did not suffer a contraction during the second wave and ensuing lockdown. The January figure is noteworthy in that retail sales plunged as nonessential stores were closed in key parts of the country as we faced surging numbers of COVID cases. The strength came from resources, housing and government spending and the mild weather likely helped. At its last meeting in January, the Bank of Canada (BoC) estimated that Q4 growth would come in at 4.8% (half the actual 9.6% pace) and that there would be a net contraction in Q1 of this year. The strength in Q4 emanated from very hot … Continue reading
Longer-Term Yields are Rising Despite Central Bank Inaction While central banks hold overnight rates at record lows, anchoring short-term interest rates and the prime rate, mid-to-long-term government yields have been rising since early this month. As the chart below shows, the 5-year Government of Canada bond, upon which mortgage rates are generally tethered, are currently at 0.69%, up 27 basis points since January 29th. This is the highest 5-year yield since late-March 2020. Canadian bond yields have increased more than in the US, perhaps due to the surge in commodity prices, most notably oil, which has climbed 16.9% in just the past month, taking the year-to-date gain to 27%.Growing government debt arising from fiscal measures to cushion the blow of the pandemic and stimulate the economy has set the stage for higher government bond yields in much of the developed world. Inflation concerns are mounting. In a rare move, yesterday Statistics Canada revised … Continue reading
Community Involvement
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