Real Estate News & Articles

Buying a home, CMHC has put together a team of professionals

2008-04-03

Sun Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make. So when it comes time to signing on the dotted line, make sure you don't make that decision alone. To help you put together the right team of professionals, Canada Mortgage…

Save money with larger down payment

2008-04-03

The size of a down payment can vary. Depending on the type of mortgage, down payments generally range from zero per cent to twenty per cent of the purchase price. Sun To obtain a conventional mortgage, home buyers are required to put down a…

Arm yourself with information prior to househunting

2008-04-03

Sun Buying a home is an exciting prospect. But before you take that step, there are many things you need to know to make a wise choice. The Canadian Bankers Association advises that most importantly, you need to take your time and do your h…

Humble fare done right at Greedy Pig

2008-04-03

Indie music on the side adds to the relaxed mood Mia Stainsby Sun Greedy Pig co-owner Allison McKinnon with a glass of wine. Photograph by : Steve Bosch, Vancouver Sun It has the ring of gourmandizing, being scolded and taunted all at the s…

Hitting the seawall for a run? Reward yourself with a scone

2008-04-03

Ambleside bake shop delivers pure temptation Mia Stainsby Sun Owner/baker Christine Morse at the Flour Bake Shop. Photograph by : Glenn Baglo, Vancouver Sun A good scone is hard to come by. That's why I was happy to find Flour Bake Shop in …

Find some up-and-coming real estate markets

2008-04-03

Matt Woolsey USA Today Tel Aviv, Israel's leading real estate market, is still finding its legs following a late '90s and early 2000s price slump. But conditions in Israel favor more wealth creation, as the economy has corrected its deflati…

Home prices still rising across the country

2008-04-03

LORI McLEOD Other Toronto — Home prices continued to rise in Canada in the first quarter of 2008 in every major market except Edmonton , according to a Housing Price Survey report released Thursday by Royal LePage Real Estate Services…

Flipper or investor, you still can do well in downtown Vancouver/Edmonton/Calgary/Montreal

2008-04-03

Ozzie Jurock Sun Yes, affordability is a real issue...it takes 67 per cent of our income in Vancouver to buy the average priced property. Clearly and substantially out of whack. But supply and demand is in check, we have large inward migrat…

Townhouse units OK'd on edge of tony Shaughnessy

2008-04-02

Christina Montgomery Province Vancouver city council struck a blow yesterday for EcoDensity -- and preservation of a historic city mansion -- with approval of 16 townhouse units on the edge of Shaughnessy . The townhouses would allow the de…

More choices, more credit, more methods and more time to pay

2008-04-02

Doors open to homebuyers Keith Woolhouse Province House hunting this spring? You've never had it so good. Interest rates are heading down and choices abound on the mortgage front, with new lenders competing with the banks and brokers for yo…

Some homebuyers can take a gamble by going a variable rate

2008-04-02

But only those who can absorb payment hikes should go for variable rate Keith Woolhouse Province Nearly every decision when buying a new home hinges on money. The price of the property, the regularity of the payment, the mortgage term and t…

Canadian home sales drop 5.6% in February

2008-04-02

Helen Morris Sun OTTAWA -- Canadian sales of existing homes were down 5.6 per cent to 38,365 units in February compared with a month earlier, the Canadian Real Estate Association said Tuesday. "Overall, the report highlights the moderating …

Canada's mortgage rates on the way down

2008-04-02

Some could fall to 5% over the next year, experts say Keith Woolhouse Sun Canada 's mortgage rates are heading down. At a time when stock markets are volatile and with the economy and income growth slowing, the positive news for those plann…

The one-stop way to a mortgage

2008-04-02

Broker says he can beat the rates offered by the banks because his industry is driven by a smaller profit margin Keith Woolhouse Sun Times have changed since mortgage brokers were the last port of call for homebuyers who had been turned awa…

CMHC changes rules for investment properties

2008-04-02

Moves apply to rental properties with maximum of four units Keith Woolhouse Sun Budding real estate moguls will welcome the news that Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) has relaxed the rules for would-be Donald Trumps to purchase inve…

Mortgage 101 for first-time buyers

2008-04-02

There's a lot to learn before you make a move. Here are some tips Derek Sankey Sun RBC's Don Peard says first-time buyers should see a mortgage specialist and get approved. Photograph by : Greg Fulmes, Canwest News Service Sixty-four per ce…

Potential homebuyers shy away from taking the plunge

2008-04-02

Derek Sankey Province Sixty-four per cent of Canadian adults own their home, but that number could drop because significantly fewer people intend to buy a home in the next two years due to the lack of affordability, according to new researc…

Politician turned developer touts rowhousing scheme

2008-04-02

Art Cowie says he's 'no threat' to neighbourhood Cheryl Rossi Van. Courier Former city councillor Art Cowie hopes rowhousing, such as his project pictured in the above model, catches on in Vancouver. Photograph by : Photo-Dan Toulgoet Inste…

A different point of view on financing

2008-04-02

Calgary-area developer comes up with plan for making first-time home ownership more affordable Derek Sankey Sun When 25-year-old hair stylist Nicole Estrada and her 22-year-old boyfriend Tayo Diening -Verge went looking around Calgary for a…

Get professional advice before buying insurance

2008-04-02

Mortgage life coverage has some drawbacks Darcy Keith Sun Just the thought of it may send shivers up your spine: What if your mortgage outlives you? Few want to confront such a daunting prospect when signing a new housing loan, but it can h…

More options available in buying a second property

2008-04-02

It's easier for buyers to invest in a recreational home Suzanne Beaubien Sun Taking on a second mortgage is not a step most homeowners take lightly. But with more people seeking out second properties where they can escape the city, the fina…

When the bank writes the cheque instead

2008-04-02

Darcy Keith Sun It's a tempting proposition: after years of writing cheques to the bank to pay off your mortgage, the bank will write a nice big cheque for you. That's the allure of reverse mortgages, which allow anybody 60 or older to borr…

The odds favour a variable rate, expert says

2008-04-02

Buyers with a floating rate better off 90.1% of time, survey finds Keith Woolhouse Sun Nearly every decision when buying a new home hinges on money. The price of the property, the regularity of the payment, the mortgage term and the amortiz…

Reciver sorting out buyers and walkers of on-hold Sophia project

2008-04-01

Pre-sale condo buyers offered a choice Derrick Penner Sun The Sophia condominium project's receiver has begun sorting out which pre-sale buyers are willing to pay higher prices for their units to get construction back on track. That project…