Mortgage insurance premiums should be hiked and a new stand-alone fund created — separate from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and private insurance funds — to protect taxpayers in the case of a housing market meltdown, says a new report. More than half of the $1.2 trillion in outstanding mortgages across the country are now backstopped by Canadian taxpayers thro Read more →
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In the wake of a massive condo boom, Ontario is overhauling its outdated rules governing condominium living, giving the province’s 1.3 million condo owners new rights to battle boards and unscrupulous property managers. The province plans to compel condo boards to provide more financial disclosure to owners and prospective buyers, require mandatory education for condo directors an Read more →
Anyone who’s been to or lived in Edmonton will tell you: the big West Ed Mall isn’t the city’s main attraction. “There’s so much more to Edmonton,” explains Mark Slobodan, realtor with RE/MAX Excellence. Considered the blue collar city of Alberta’s oil patch, much of the wealth comes from tradespeople who work in the oil sands. But locals also kn Read more →
Don’t be afraid of multiple offers. You still have some control. There are a few things that can happen if you get into competition. The seller can accept your offer and you will have bought a house. Or the seller can accept someone else’s offer and you need to keep looking. Or the seller can work with your offer, and sign it back to you with a&n Read more →
Buying your first home can be exciting and amazing, and scary. But knowing the common mistakes of first-time buyers will ensure you don’t make the same ones, and can help make the transition to "New Home Owner!" that much smoother. 1) Spending Too Much It’s important to be realistic about what you can afford. The final sale price isn’t the only cost to take into acc Read more →
Establishing your Asking Price Deciding what price tag to put on your home is never easy. Price is often the determining factor for potential buyers. Location, layout and amenities are important but in the end most of us have to look at the bottom line. Many sellers like to think they can start with the price they originally paid, add a healthy mark-up and wait for the offers to roll Read more →
There are many advantages to purchasing a new home: buyers are able to build equity, to enjoy the pride of ownership, and to obtain accommodation that is often larger and/or more luxurious than what is available to rent. Property has also proven to be a relatively safe and profitable investment in the wake of the technology stock plummet of 2000 and the Enron and Worldcom scandal Read more →
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