Scott Lilly - Royal Bank of Canada - Mortgage Specialist

08/04/2026

Most Canadians say there's no perfect time to buy a home. Timing matters less than being prepared.

Let's turn your efforts into a real plan. Connect with me and we'll map out exactly where you stand today!

REALTORS® get asked this al the time: when is the right time to buy a home? According to the latest RBC poll, most Canadians don't think there is one.

07/08/2026

🏡 Another family, home.

Richard, thank you. Trusting someone with your mortgage means trusting them with your future, and I never take that lightly. Landing you a great deal (and that cash incentive at the end!) was the easy part; being in your corner when it mattered is what I love most about this work.

To everyone in the Fraser Valley: whether it's your first place, a renewal, or you just want a straight answer about what's possible... my door is always open. No pressure, just honest advice.

And if someone you love is dreaming about a home, I'd be honored to help them too. 💙

07/07/2026

Always time well spent when Tope and I get together.

I caught up again with Tope Sanusi last week to go deeper on how we can better serve each other's clients — and, as always, left with real appreciation for the work he does for startups and growing businesses on RBC's Business Markets team.

A few things that stood out:
• He helps owners get the fundamentals right — payroll, T4s, SOPs and compliance ... so the back office stops being a bottleneck.
• He sits with founders to build bulletproof business plans that protect the investment they've made in their own company.
• He fits the right RBC business solutions to the need: operating lines of credit, credit cards and overdraft - to cover working-capital gaps when clients wait 30/60/90 days to be paid, so their people still get paid on time.

And he does it the right way: on-site visits, regular communication, and genuine relationships.

For my business-owner clients, I can already see the time and money this kind of partnership can save. I'm looking forward to connecting Tope with them and making sure they stay well-served by me and the wider RBC family.

Thanks for the insight, Tope — until next time. 👊

06/18/2026

Buying your first home in BC feels impossible — until you see what happens when you stack these 6 programs together. 👇

Most first-time buyers know 1 or 2 of these. Almost nobody stacks all 6 — and that's the difference between "maybe in 5 years" and "let's write an offer."

1️⃣ INSURED MORTGAGE CAP BOOST
Insured purchases now go up to $1.5M — 5% down on the first $500K, 10% on the rest. No more waiting years to save 20% for that $1M+ home. (Mortgage insurance premium applies.)

2️⃣ 30-YEAR INSURED MORTGAGE
First-time buyers can amortize 30 years on insured mortgages. Lower payments, better cash flow, and it can help you qualify for more. Trade-off: more interest over time.

3️⃣ FIRST HOME SAVINGS ACCOUNT
Save up to $40K ($8K/yr). Tax-deductible going in like an RRSP, tax-free coming out like a TFSA. The best tool if you're 1–5 years from buying.

4️⃣ RRSP HOME BUYERS' PLAN
Withdraw up to $60K per person tax-free — $120K per couple. Repay over 15 years starting year 2, or it's taxed as income.

5️⃣ NEW HOME GST/HST REBATE
Up to 100% of the GST back on new builds — full rebate to $1M, partial to $1.5M. Up to $50,000 in savings.

6️⃣ BC PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX EXEMPTION
Two ways to win: full exemption up to $835K on any home for first-time buyers, OR up to $1.1M on newly built homes — and that one doesn't even require you to be a FTHB.

The right combination depends on your income, savings, and timeline — stacked properly, it can mean tens of thousands in savings.

💾 Save this for when you're ready.
📩 DM me "STACK" and I'll map out which ones apply to you. It costs nothing to find out where you stand.

Scott Lilly | RBC Senior Mortgage Specialist [email protected] | 604-798-0030 | Chilliwack, BC

General information only — not financial, tax or legal advice. Consult your professional advisor.

06/12/2026

The Bank of Canada held again — fifth time in a row. RBC Prime remains at 4.45%.

And every time this happens, my feed fills up with the same post:

“Rates unchanged.”

Cool. Now what?

Here’s what often gets missed: a rate hold is not “nothing happened.” It’s a window.

Here are three ways to actually use it:

1️⃣ Variable-rate holders
Your rate is likely not moving for at least five more weeks. That’s certainty. Use it to stress-test your budget against the next move instead of reacting to it.

2️⃣ Buying this year
A pre-approval can lock today’s rate for up to 120 days while you shop. If rates rise, you have protection. If rates drop, you may still be able to access the lower rate. Either way, you have more clarity than someone waiting on the sidelines.

3️⃣ Renewing in the next 6–12 months
The worst time to negotiate is the week your renewal letter arrives. Shop around. The best time is during a stable market — which is exactly what we’re in right now.

The Governor said the next move could go either direction.

You don’t need to predict it.

You need to be positioned for both.

And that’s a 20-minute conversation... not a leap of faith.

Next decision: July 15. Talk to me before then. 📲

05/07/2026

Homeownership in Canada is changing – and so is the way some homes are built. A growing number of Canadians are discovering that manufactured and modular homes could offer a more affordable and quicker path to owning a home.

Discover how manufactured homes are providing Canadians with modern, customizable and affordable housing options, and how financing supports this growing trend.

05/04/2026

Waiting for rates to drop? Here’s what most buyers don’t know. 👇

In Canada, your qualifying rate has a floor: 5.25%. Once you hit it, lower rates won’t increase how much home you can afford.

Meet the Hopefuls — same clients, three rate environments:
📉 Peak 2023: $758K
📍 Today: $1,000,000
🎯 Best case: $1,045,000

We’re already 84% of the way to the floor. The biggest gains in buying power have already happened.

The takeaway: $242,299 of buying power has already returned.

Only $45,466 of upside remains before the qualifying floor caps any further gain. The window is now open.

Curious what your number looks like? DM me.

Scott Lilly
Senior Mortgage Specialist | RBC Royal Bank
📲 IG:
📞 604.798.0030

05/02/2026

Your homebuying journey doesn’t end when a seller accepts your offer. Understand what it takes to seal the deal, including expected costs and typical timelines.

A complete guide to closing on a house

04/13/2026

RBC Real Estate Partner Appreciation is back!

Real Estate Partner Appreciation Month celebrates the cornerstone of our success: you. Your expertise and commitment directly enhance the home buying experience for our shared clients.

As a valued partner of RBC, you are invited to join us for an exclusive virtual event:

RBC Global Asset Management: Global Economic Update with David Richardson on April 21, 2026, at 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm EST

Sign-up here

As an eligible professional* in our client’s home buying journey, sign up for the RBC Referral Awards program and you could receive Avion® points on your Avion Rewards credit card or your RBC bank account* for every eligible mortgage referral* plus access to our team of mobile mortgage specialist...

04/11/2026

New housing affordability report is in! Find out where we are at, now.

Housing affordability continues to improve in Canada. RBC’s national aggregate affordability measure eased for an eighth consecutive quarter to 52.4% in Q4 2025 from an all-time high of 63% at the end of 2023. A fall in the measure represents an increase in affordability.