Have you ever considered a reverse mortgage?  This product is becoming more popular these days and they are being used for a number of reasons including Income support, to manage debt, renovations to remain in your home, to provide a living inheritance or to help provide funds to assist a relative with a down payment.   […]

In the latest budget the government announced a great new savings vehicle to help Canadians save for home ownership.  Its called teh First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and operates much like a TFSA.  The government timetable for this launch to be on  April 1st but unfortunately none of the big banks can offer this product […]

What did you think of the federal budget that Chrystia Freeland delivered yesterday?  Did you note the increase in the alternative minimum tax or the drop in the criminal rate of interest that can be charged?  What about Health Care spending or Green initiatives?  Click the link below to get details of these items and […]

We have seen a pause in the successive Bank of Canada Interest rates hikes and inflation seems to be slowing coming down.  Is now the time to jump back into the housing market?  Are home prices finally hitting the bottom?  Storeys takes a look at whether the decline in home prices is losing steam and […]

The Bank of Canada met and interest rates climbed for eight consecutive times before the most recent pause at the last meeting.  Is now a good time to get in to the market?  How are the Canadians doing that are already in the market or finally put that deposit together and bought a house in […]

  Finally a pause after eight consecutive Bank of Canada rate increases.   Why now, and where do we go from here?  Dr. Sherry Cooper, Chief Economist for Dominion Lending Centres provides here expert insight to answer those questions and more.    Bank of Canada Pauses Rate Hikes As US Fed Promises Further Tightening. As expected, […]

Do you own a residential property in the City of Toronto?  The city will begin to levy an annual tax of 1% starting in 2023 on all vacant Toronto residential properties.  Toronto residential property owners must complete their declaration of property status by Feb 2/23 to avoid penalties.   Full details in the ‘Vacant Home Tax” […]

I think we have all been reading the headlines and feeling the impact of the rapid rise in variable interest rates.  However, the 5-year fixed rates are now tracking about 120 basis points below the variable rates.  Steve Huebl from Canadian Mortgage Trends provides some insight as to where this might be leading us.   […]

“There have been a number of recent newpaper headlines about frauds being purpetrated against unsuspecting homeowners having their property sold out from under them.  What is Title Insurance and how can you protect yourself?” What to Know About Title Insurance. There are many insurance products when it comes to your home, but not all are […]

Maybe you have a variable mortgage and maybe you are just a little concerned about mortgage interest rates as you approach your trigger rate (the point at which your mortgage payment does not cover the interest due to rising rates).  Dr. Sherry Cooper outlines why she thinks a quarter point interest rate may be coming […]