BBQ Season Has Arrived! Five Delicious Recipes for the Meat (And Veggie) Lover in All of Us

Marci • August 2, 2014

The warm, sunny days of have finally arrived, and that means it’s time to bring out the grill. As you get ready for your backyard parties and meals out on the deck, you’re sure to want some new recipes that will tantalize the tongue and bring everyone back for more. Here are five delicious recipes for meat and veggie lovers to enjoy on the barbecue this summer.

Try a Grilled Pizza, Margherita Style!

There’s nothing like pizza cooked on the grill. While this can be modified to become a meat lover’s recipe, Grilled Pizza Margherita is intended for the vegetarian or the person who simply enjoys a refreshing meal that leaves the meat out. You’ll need pizza dough that should be placed in a bowl to rise before grilling. Let it sit for an hour while you preheat the grill, and then split the dough into two pieces. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin, flouring the surface first, and put it on the grill. Let it cook up to five minutes and remove the crusts from the grill to flip them on a plate or work surface. You should brush the crust with olive oil and sprinkle two ounces of Asiago cheese on each crust. Add four ounces of mozzarella cheese to each crust, a half cup of basil leaves on each, and then toss on some sliced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper as a final touch. With your grill turned down to medium, return your crusts to the grill and let them cook for ten minutes.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms: A Fun Veggie Dish

Portobello mushrooms are another grilled favourite that can be added to a sandwich, served on the side with your meat of choice, or serve as the main dish. They are also very easy to prepare. Gather up your washed Portobello mushrooms. Remove the stems and place clean caps in a bowl. Cover them with a mixture of canola oil, balsamic vinegar, onion, and garlic cloves. After they have stood for an hour to absorb the flavour, toss them on the grill for about ten minutes.

Corn On The Cob On The Grill: The Classic Summer Dish

Corn on the cob is a summer favourite that is very tasty when cooked on the grill. Leave the corn in the husks and soak it in a bowl of water for at least an hour before grilling. Next, place the corn, husks and all, on the grill. Keep turning as the leaves become blackened on the outside, checking from time to time to make sure the corn does not burn. The grill brings out the sweetness of the corn and makes it extra juicy.

You Can’t Go Wrong With Steak

Steak is a great choice for your main course. Rib Eye and Porterhouse are excellent cuts of meat that generally have the best flavour. You can prepare your steak however you like, whether that’s with salt and pepper, Montreal steak spice, or a great marinade like garlic and chilli. Watch your steak carefully as you cook. Flip it often and don’t let it dry out. You can test how done your steak is by pressing your finger against it. Here’s a handy reference for how your steak is coming along: On one hand, touch your index finger to your thumb. Then, using your other hand, put pressure on the meaty part of your hand just below your thumb. That’s how your steak should feel when it’s rare. Touch your thumb to your other fingers, moving from index to pinky, and you’ll feel a progressively tougher sensation. When your thumb and ring finger are touching, your hand should feel the way that a medium steak feels.

Stuffed Burgers: A New Spin on an Old Favourite

While burgers are an old standby, you can spice them up with extras added to your ground beef. Toss onions, bits of bacon, and shredded cheese into the mix as you make your hamburger patties. You can add any other ingredients that work for you, making this an easy dish to personalize.

As you plan your next gathering, you may be looking for the perfect backyard to enjoy your summers even more, or you may like to take advantage of the equity in your home. An experienced mortgage lender can help. If you’d like to discuss your existing mortgage or you plan to move soon and you want a new mortgage, feel free to email me today.

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Let’s Talk About Getting Top Dollar for Your Property

By Marci Deane • July 8, 2026
When it comes to selling your home, most people think the first call should be to a real estate agent. But the smartest first step often isn’t with your agent—it’s with an independent mortgage professional. Why? Because your mortgage plays a bigger role in your bottom line than most people realize. Planning to Buy After You Sell If selling means you’ll also be purchasing another property, you’ll want to know exactly where you stand financially before listing. Mortgage rules change regularly, and qualifying once doesn’t guarantee you’ll qualify again. Getting a pre-approval in place ensures you know what you can afford and eliminates surprises later. On top of that, reviewing the terms of your existing mortgage could uncover options you may not have considered. For example, porting your mortgage instead of arranging a brand-new one could save you thousands. Selling Without Buying Even if you aren’t planning to buy right away, there’s still an important step: understanding the cost of breaking your mortgage. Unless your mortgage is open, penalties apply—and they can be significant. By reviewing the numbers with a mortgage professional, you might find that simply adjusting your timeline could reduce or even avoid costly fees. Navigating Life Changes In situations like a marital breakdown, it can feel like selling the family home is the only path forward. But that’s not always the case. With the right guidance and a legal separation agreement, one spouse may be able to buy out the other, keeping the home and providing stability for everyone involved. The Bottom Line Selling your property is more than just putting a sign on the lawn—it’s about creating a financial plan that protects your equity and positions you for the best possible outcome. Before you take the leap, let’s sit down and review your options. 📞 If you’re ready to talk strategy and make sure you get top dollar for your property, I’d be happy to connect anytime.

Don’t Let Collections Derail Your Mortgage Application

By Marci Deane • July 1, 2026
Can You Get a Mortgage If You Have Collections on Your Credit Report? Short answer? Not easily. Long answer? It depends—and it’s more common (and fixable) than you might think. When it comes to applying for a mortgage, your credit report tells lenders a story. Collections—debts that have been passed to a collection agency because they weren’t paid on time—are big red flags in that story. Regardless of how or why they got there, open collections are going to hurt your chances of getting approved. Let’s break this down. What Exactly Is a Collection? A collection appears on your credit report when a bill goes unpaid for long enough that the lender decides to stop chasing you—and hires a collection agency to do it instead. It doesn’t matter whether it was an unpaid phone bill, a forgotten credit card, or a disputed fine: to a lender, it signals risk. And lenders don’t like risk. Why It Matters to Mortgage Lenders? Lenders use your credit report to gauge how trustworthy you are with borrowed money. If they see you haven’t paid a past debt, especially recently, it suggests you might do the same with a new mortgage—and that’s enough to get your application denied. Even small collections can cause problems. A $32 unpaid utility bill might seem insignificant to you, but to a lender, it’s a red flag waving loudly. But What If I Didn’t Know About the Collection? It happens all the time. You move provinces and miss a final utility charge. Your cell provider sends a bill to an old address. Or maybe the collection is showing in error—credit reports aren’t perfect, and mistakes do happen. Regardless of the reason, the responsibility to resolve it still falls on you. Even if it’s an honest oversight or an error, lenders will expect you to clear it up or prove it’s been paid. And What If I Chose Not to Pay It? Some people intentionally leave certain collections unpaid—maybe they disagree with a charge, or feel a fine is unfair. Here are a few common “moral stand” collections: Disputed phone bills COVID-related fines Traffic tickets Unpaid spousal or child support While you might feel justified, lenders don’t take sides. They’re not interested in why a collection exists—only that it hasn’t been dealt with. And if it’s still active, that could be enough to derail your mortgage application. How Can You Find Out What’s On Your Report? Easy. You can check it yourself through services like Equifax or TransUnion, or you can work with a mortgage advisor to go through a full pre-approval. A pre-approval will quickly uncover any credit issues, including collections—giving you a chance to fix them before you apply for a mortgage. What To Do If You Have Collections Verify: Make sure the collection is accurate. Pay or Dispute: Settle the debt or begin a dispute process if it’s an error. Get Proof: Even if your credit report hasn’t updated yet, documentation showing the debt is paid can be enough for some lenders. Work With a Pro: A mortgage advisor can help you build a strategy and connect you with lenders who offer flexible solutions. Collections are common, but they can absolutely block your path to mortgage financing. Whether you knew about them or not, the best approach is to take action early. If you’d like to find out where you stand—or need help navigating your credit report—I’d be happy to help. Let’s make sure your next mortgage application has the best possible chance of approval.

Best Mortgage Options for Canadian Homebuyers

By Marci Deane • June 24, 2026
Thinking of Calling Your Bank for a Mortgage? Read This First. If you're buying a home or renewing your mortgage, your first instinct might be to call your bank. It's familiar. It's easy. But it might also cost you more than you realize—in money, flexibility, and long-term satisfaction. Before you sign anything, here are four things your bank won’t tell you—and four reasons why working with an independent mortgage professional is the smarter move. 1. Your Bank Offers Limited Mortgage Options Banks can only offer what they sell. So if your financial situation doesn’t fit neatly into their guidelines—or if you’re looking for competitive terms—you might be out of luck. Working with a mortgage broker? You get access to mortgage products from hundreds of lenders : major banks, credit unions, monoline lenders, alternative lenders, B lenders, and even private funds. That means more options, more flexibility, and a much better chance of finding a mortgage that fits you. 2. Bank Reps Are Salespeople—Not Mortgage Strategists Let’s be honest: most bank mortgage reps are trained to sell their employer’s products—not to analyze your financial goals or tailor a long-term mortgage plan. Their job is to generate revenue for the bank. Independent mortgage professionals are different. We’re not tied to one lender—we’re tied to you. Our job is to shop around, negotiate on your behalf, and recommend the mortgage that offers the best balance of rate, terms, and flexibility. And yes, we get paid by the lender—but only after we find you a mortgage that works for your situation. That creates a win-win-win: you get the best deal, we earn our fee, and the lender earns your business. 3. Banks Don’t Lead with Their Best Rate It’s true. Banks often reserve their best rates for those who ask for them—or threaten to walk. And guess what? Most people don’t. Over 50% of Canadians accept the first renewal offer they get by mail. No questions asked. That’s exactly what the banks count on. Mortgage professionals don’t play that game. We start by finding lenders offering competitive rates upfront, and we handle the negotiations for you. There’s no guesswork, no pressure, and no settling for less than you deserve. 4. Bank Mortgages Are Often More Restrictive Than You Think Not all mortgages are created equal. Some come with hidden traps—especially around penalties. Ever heard of a sky-high prepayment charge when someone breaks their mortgage early? That’s often due to something called an Interest Rate Differential (IRD) —and big banks are notorious for using the harshest IRD calculations. When we help you choose a mortgage, we don’t just focus on the interest rate. We look at the whole picture, including: Prepayment privileges Penalty calculations Portability Future flexibility That way, if your life changes, your mortgage won’t become a financial anchor. A Quick Recap What your bank typically offers: Only their own limited mortgage products Sales-focused representatives, not mortgage strategists Default rates that aren’t usually their best Restrictive contracts with high penalties What an independent mortgage professional delivers: Access to over 200 lenders and customized mortgage solutions Personalized advice and long-term financial strategy Competitive rates and terms upfront Transparent, flexible mortgage options designed around your needs Let’s Talk Before You Sign Your mortgage is likely the biggest financial commitment you’ll ever make. So why settle for a one-size-fits-all solution? If you're buying, refinancing, or renewing, I’d love to help you explore your options, explain the fine print, and find a mortgage that truly works for you. Let’s start with a conversation—no pressure, just good advice.