B.C. realtor fined $258,000 for selling home twice

By Mark Weisleder A B.C. real estate agent was fined $258,000 when he unilaterally cancelled a contract to sell a home and resold it to a second buyer for a higher amount. Hwang Soo Lee of Surrey, B.C., ended up having to compensate his first buyer for behaviour described by a judge as “high-handed and […]

Mortgage fraud on the rise

MONTREAL — Consumer credit company Equifax uncovered roughly $400-million worth of mortgage fraud in Canada last year, an “eyeopening” number industry experts estimate represents only a fraction of the cheating taking place in the country’s real estate market. Atlanta-based Equifax says many financial institutions are tightening lending and, as a result, deceit in the property […]

2011 Canadian Housing Observer

The Canadian Housing Observer presents a detailed annual review of housing conditions and trends in Canada and of the key factors behind them. It is an ideal resource for housing planners; researchers; policy makers; home builders; mortgage and real estate professionals; and municipal, provincial/territorial, and federal housing specialists. Highlighting the State of Canada’s Housing The […]

Buying a condo: New or resale?

When it comes to buying a condo, what’s a better investment? Buying one that’s already built and is being resold, or buying on the hype of a new building that’s yet to be constructed? Jana Masiewich considered both a resale and pre-construction condo before deciding that buying a condo prior to it being built presented […]

Canadians eye cheap Florida real estate

By Susan Pigg | Joe Waddell got the best cross-border bargain of his life last year — a three-bedroom, 1,700-square-foot condo for just under $120,000 (U.S.). The Fort Myers property is just 15 minutes from southwest Florida’s gulf beaches, within an easy drive of Miami nightlife and, better yet, about two hours from Disney World. […]

Searching for a home

By: Wayne Karl   November 4, 2011 – Ever notice how many developers boast their new community is “just minutes from shopping, schools and all the amenities!”? And that “Everything you need is right at your doorstep”? This is not just marketing gimmickry at work. These factors really matter, as such attractions are critical in determining a […]

Seniors taking on debt at alarming pace

Second properties and flashier cars are driving senior citizens into escalating levels of debt, a TD Economics paper says. Many people 65 years old and older are borrowing to buy vacation and investment properties at a time of continued low interest rates and low returns on other investments, says the TD Economics paper released Tuesday. […]

Canadian home prices resilient in third quarter

Toronto— The Canadian Press Royal LePage says home prices remained unexpectedly resilient across Canada‘s housing market in the third quarter, but the overall strength is concealing signs of moderation in some regions. In its House Price Survey and Market Survey Forecast, Royal LePage says that Canada’s residential real estate market benefited from very low interest rates and a […]

20 things to look for in a home inspection

By Mark Weisleder I continue to receive complaints from readers about problems that they discover after closing their home purchase. Most complain about sellers who fail to disclose defects or home inspectors who fail to find them. The system is far from perfect. However, there are steps that buyers can take before and during a […]

The mortgage game With rates predicted to rise, should you lock in, or take a risk and how much should first timers spend?

With anticipated interest rate increases on the horizon, many homeowners are wondering whether to lock debt such as mortgages and secured lines of credit into a fixed-rate mortgage or stay variable. Even some who are mortgage free are concerned with how rate increases will impact secured lines of credit, the financing of vacation homes and […]

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