Getting the Best Mortgage Rate

What’s the trick to a better mortgage rate? That’s what folks at the Bank of Canada (BoC) wanted to know. It led them to undertake an extensive study on mortgage discounting. A draft of that study was released this month and below are its conclusions. All quotes that follow originate from the paper’s authors: Jason Allen, Robert […]

Saskatoon paying renters to buy houses

As the housing boom in Canada continues, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is taking the unprecedented step of giving renters money to help with a down payment. While home prices are high across Canada, the boom is being felt even more in the Prairies. Housing has traditionally been less expensive than in the rest of the country, but demand […]

Housing Activity to Move in Line with Demographic Fundamentals in 2011

OTTAWA, February 17, 2011 — After trending lower in the second half of 2010, housing starts are forecast to stabilize at levels consistent with demographic fundamentals in 2011 and 2012, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) first quarterHousing Market Outlook, Canada Edition.1 Housing starts will be in the range of 157,300 to 192,900 […]

Canada’s home price index snaps slide

Reuters · Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011 TORONTO — Canadian home resale prices broke a three-month string of declines in December as five of six metropolitan markets rose, the Teranet-National Bank Composite House Price Index showed on Wednesday. The index, which measures price changes for repeat sales of single-family homes in six metropolitan areas, showed overall prices […]

Selling a house? Beware the costs

If you’re thinking of selling your house to make a little money before rising interest rates squeeze the real estate market, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is you’re almost certainly making money because home prices in Canada have been rising for the past few decades, particularly in the greater Vancouver area, […]

The five most overlooked problems in a home inspection

After you find a home that is aesthetically appealing, the next step is to ensure the house is in top condition with a home inspection. Once the buyer and seller have settled on price, it’s the last safeguard for the buyer to know that the soon-to-be-purchased home is really worth the money inside and out. […]

Treat your marriage like a business

What’s our plan for paying off debt? The following excerpt is from The 10 Commandments of Money by Liz Weston. Not many people come to marriage without some financial baggage, often in the form of credit card debt, car payments and student loans. Each dollar you spend on interest, though, is a dollar you don’t […]

3 ways to deal with rising mortgage rates

By Moshe Milevsky Here we go, again. The economy is generating more jobs, a handful of banks raise mortgage rates and all of a sudden you’re being advised to lock-in your mortgage before the bank doors slam shut. In fact, some say you’d better hurry-up and buy a house now before mortgage rates go so […]

Commercial real estate booming again – now what?

The commercial real estate market saw an unprecedented recovery last year, with investment growing 48 per cent as the economy improved and investors returned to the market. Canadian commercial real estate sales volume reached $18.9-billion in 2010, according to CB Richard Ellis, from $12.7-billion in 2009 – though it’s still a long way from the […]

Why buying U.S. real estate is still a gamble

The resurgence of the loonie and continued degradation of U.S. home prices are spurring more Canadians to invest in property south of the border. But while this might appear an opportune time to snatch up a retirement home or dream vacation property, experts warn that jumping into these major purchases without doing extensive research is […]

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