Profits and pitfalls: Buying an off-campus property

The spring before their oldest daughter started her second year of studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, Joe and Ileen Capone decided to buy a four-bedroom townhouse in Waterloo, the southwestern Ontario town where the university is located. Their plan? Instead of paying for off-campus residence, the Capones intended to have their daughter live in the […]

Are you shopping for a home?

Are you trying to navigate Canada’s red-hot real estate market, sick of renting and on the prowl for a home to call your own? On May 1st, Globe Investor launched a new month-long Home Buying site, packed with stories, videos and expert opinions to help readers make what for many will be the biggest financial decision […]

Four tips to ensure you can deduct interest on your debt

TIM CESTNICK | Columnist profile | Last week I shared the story of Nina Sherle. Ms. Sherle owned a principal residence and a rental property. She owned her residence free and clear without any debt secured by the property. She had taken out a mortgage to purchase the rental property and was able to deduct her interest on […]

Home ownership trumps renting in personal finance stakes

Owning the roof over your head should still be a goal for most Canadians as paying rent is like paying someone else’s mortgage, experts say. The Bank of Canada gave its clearest signal so far this week that interest rates are set to rise, while a growing number of real estate watchers and some economists […]

Surge in renters lowers vacancy rate

It’s increasingly difficult to find rental housing across the country, as a lack of new inventory and a surge of would-be renters pushed the national vacancy rate lower. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said Thursday that the vacancy rate for Canada’s rental stock was 2.5 per cent in April, 2011, compared to 2.9 per cent […]

How to give up renting without going broke

DIANNE NICE Globe and Mail Blog No matter how many stories I read about housing price bubbles and rising interest rates, there’s no way I would go back to renting, and most Canadians feel the same way. For three long, miserable years, my husband and I rented a unit attached to our landlord’s sprawling house […]

Check owner-to-renter ratio when buying a condo

Buying a house is a big learning experience for most of us, since we do it infrequently. Buying a condo presents even more challenges. I always advise people to do lots of research, talk to neighbours and check the minutes of the condo board meetings. Don’t make an impulse purchase, as Jody White described doing […]

Buying a vacation home: 10 things to know

Buying a vacation home: 10 things to know The first question to ask when buying a vacation property is how you plan to use it. Big gatherings, or quiet getaways?Dick Loek/Toronto Star file photo Real Estate: T.O’s priciest home is $27M Tighter mortgage rules here 2010’s best-read housing stories Be careful when buying U.S. property […]

« Previous Page