Millennials with debt face rent-or-buy dilemma

Johanna and Jack have landed good jobs so they’re eager to pay off their student loans. They also want to buy a house and in time, get married and have children. He is 29, she is 27. They live comfortably in a Toronto-area suburb and enjoy weekend getaways every couple of months. Together, they bring […]

Young family craves vacation retreat, but should they wait

Lena and Louis have good jobs and manage their money well. She is 38, he is 39. They have two children, ages 1 and 3. Lena is in the Canadian Armed Forces, while Louis works as a manager. Like many parents, they are eager to buy a vacation retreat while their children are small, but […]

Toronto house prices’ heady gains expected to continue into 2015

Canada’s largest housing market continues to show price gains which the Toronto Real Estate Board says will continue into 2015. The board said the average sale price in November was $577,936, a 7.4% increase from a year ago. Year-to-date prices are up 8.4% to an average of $567,198. Related Great news coming if you’re renewing […]

Despite spiking house prices, ownership became slightly more affordable in the third quarter, says RBC

TORONTO — Home ownership became more affordable in Canada in the third quarter despite a broad spike in home prices, according to the latest survey by RBC Economics. How to co-buy a home with your friend in Canada’s expensive market As housing costs rise, many first-time homebuyers are being priced out of the market and […]

IMF can’t stop worrying about Canada’s so-called housing bubble

Canada’s housing market is likely to achieve a soft landing but authorities may need to tighten mortgage rules further to contain vulnerabilities to a crash, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday. Canada avoided the housing market crash that accompanied the financial crisis in the United States. But a post-recession housing boom, fuelled by record-low […]

Joe Oliver wants to lower taxpayer exposure to the housing market — but there’s no specific plan to do it

  TORONTO — Finance Minister Joe Oliver says Ottawa won’t be making any protective moves in Canada’s housing market. At a news conference Thursday, Oliver says the government’s long term aim is to gradually reduce taxpayer exposure to the residential real estate market, but there is no specific plan. Oliver’s predecessor, Jim Flaherty, moved four […]

Black Friday mortgage specials see rates dip close to historic lows

Forget about lining up to buy a flat screen television, Black Friday may be all about mortgage rates this year. Thanksgiving in the U.S. is a tough day to find a broker but an Atlanta-based mortgage organization says Americans who can find someone working can get the best deal in months – something that can […]

Why the price of your home may not be up as much as you think

The national average home price rose in October but the impact of Canada’s two largest markets is continuing to influence Canada-wide numbers, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. Toronto and Vancouver home prices pass Rome and close in on Paris Canada’s two priciest cities for homes can now be included in an international class […]

Housing starts miss expectations as condo construction cools

OTTAWA — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the pace of housing starts was down in October, compared with September, as the rate of new multiple-unit homes starting construction, including condominiums, slowed. The agency estimates the standalone monthly seasonally adjusted annual rate was 183,604 units in October, down from 197,355 the previous month. Economists had […]

One way to lose money even when you’ve made 5000% on your home

Joe and his wife are both 84. They bought their house in 1956 for $14,000. Demand for their almost 60-year-old bungalow in midtown Toronto is strong. A week never goes by without some realtor or developer knocking on the door or leaving a note asking the couple to sell. The cold calls offer a dazzling […]

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