Honest, in-depth guides for first-time home buyers in Calgary. Written for people working hard shifts, saving unti-unti, and dreaming of a place to finally call home.
New series
One short lesson a day, for 30 days. Money, credit, shopping, closing — unti-unti. Written for Filipino families in Calgary.
Unti-unti — little by little. A calm, honest system for building a down payment while life keeps moving.
Read the guide →Your two superpowers as a first-time buyer in Canada — and how to stack them without losing tax room.
Read the guide →The full checklist of cash you should have ready before you write an offer — reserves, inspections, insurance, legal, and the deposit timing trap. Walang gulat.
By Hervin Pesa, CFP — Aware Financial Planning
Read the guide →The boring policies that quietly keep the roof over your family if life goes sideways. Why the bank's mortgage insurance is a trap — and what to buy instead.
By Hervin Pesa, CFP — Aware Financial Planning
Read the guide →The honest both-sides answer — when sweat equity pays off, and when it eats you alive.
Read the guide →If you might move within seven years, the math often favors renting. A financial planner's counterintuitive take.
By Hervin Pesa, CFP — Aware Financial Planning
Read the guide →For most families — especially multigenerational Filipino ones — a house tends to win. Here's the honest case.
By Hervin Pesa, CFP — Aware Financial Planning
Read the guide →You're not buying a house — you're buying a daily life. A field-tested framework, plus a printable checklist.
Read the guide →Free guide
Get the First-Time Home Buyer's Guide — Calgary edition, plus a friendly first conversation whenever you're ready.
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