The federal budget included a proposed measure that would see the federal government take on part of the costs of buying a home. The basic elements of the plan are: It will be available only to first-time homebuyers; It will be administered by CMHC and will only be available for CMHC-insured mortgages; Buyers must have… Read More
Toronto Condo Market Continues to Soar
March 7, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Toronto area condominium apartment prices continued to move upward last month, with average prices 6% higher than February, 2018. Almost certainly we will see another all-time high for condominium prices before the spring is over. Under-pricing and bidding wars are rampant and buyers are eager (even desperate) to buy condos now before prices go even… Read More
Reverse Mortgages Becoming More Popular
February 15, 2019 By Leave a Comment
It’s a common story. A retired couple living in Toronto has a home that they purchased in 1985 and paid off years ago. Their home is worth about $1.5 million, but they have only a modest pension, they have been dipping into their meager savings to pay the monthly bills and maintain the house, and… Read More
Toronto Market Continues on Steady, Balanced Trend
February 6, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Toronto area prices were slightly (1.6%) higher in January than last January, while the total number of homes sold was almost exactly the same. The inventory of homes for sale was the same as last year, as well as last month, and right on the 3 months’ supply level that is regarded as ‘balanced’, that… Read More
New Mortgage Qualification Rules – Unintended Consequences
January 20, 2019 By Leave a Comment
When the federal government introduced ‘stress test’ rules in early 2018, the intention was to make sure that buyers would be able to afford their mortgage payments should interest rates increase by the time they need to renew. Basically, the new rules require that buyers prove that they could afford to buy their home if… Read More
Toronto Homes Among the Most Overvalued in the World
January 2, 2019 By Leave a Comment
The Economist magazine has published a very cool interactive chart that allows you to see at a glance how home prices in major cities around the world compare to each other over the past 20 years, and how ‘overvalued’ they are in terms of the ratio of price to household income. As you can see… Read More
CREA Forecasts Higher Prices & Sales for Ontario in 2019
January 2, 2019 By Leave a Comment
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is Canada’s national association of real estate agents, similar to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in the United States. Among other services, CREA publishes data on MLS sales across the country and has recently published their province-by-province forecasts for home prices and sales volumes in 2019 (see charts… Read More
Toronto Area Market Remains Balanced Through The Fall
December 7, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Once again, year-over-year average prices in the Toronto area were higher in November than last November, though both sales and active listings were lower. Prices continue to track 3-5% above last year, as they have every month since the summer. If the seasonal pattern holds true, prices should drop about 4% in December; this will… Read More
Toronto Prices and Sales Move Higher in October
November 14, 2018 By Leave a Comment
In a continuation of the ‘return to normal’ trend that we have seen since early this year, Toronto area prices and sales in October were higher than both the previous month and the previous year. The seasonal pattern that we saw repeated year after year over the past 20 years (up until the bubble started… Read More
Rising Interest Rates Are Causing Increased Anxiety
November 11, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Results of a recent cross-Canada Ipsos poll conducted by MNP Ltd. show that Canadians in general and Ontarians in particular are concerned about continued increases in interest rates. One third of respondents said that they are worried that higher interest rates could push them closer to bankruptcy – up 6% from the same poll three… Read More
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