Thinking of buying while interest rates are still low? Follow these tips to ensure that your finances are ready for a long-term investment. Continue reading
Category Archives: First Time Home Owner
Slowing Housing Market a Good Thing?
Is a slowing housing market the kiss of death for the Canadian economy? While there’s no doubt that a falling market comes with its fair share of bad karma, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re headed towards a full on market crash similar to the U.S. In fact, a decline in home prices could actually come with some benefits. Here’s a look at some of the best reasons to embrace the slow down. Continue reading
Ottawa Drops the Hammer on Mortgage Rules
Back in April, FinanceĀ MinisterĀ Mark Carney remarked that “in exceptional circumstances, if there are issues that threaten financial stability, such as household debt… the bank could use monetary policy for that purpose.”
Just three months later, those exceptional circumstances have become reality.
On Wednesday, the Federal Government made their move to further tighten mortgage rules, addressing concerns over high Canadian household debt.Ā Continue reading
Fewer First Time Home Buyers Could Signal Trouble
A recent report from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation shows that there are fewer first time home buyers entering the nation’s real estate market. The recently released Renovation and Home Purchase Report, which highlights the key trends, analyses and statistics from ten major Canadian cities, predicts that the housing market could be headed towards trouble thanks to a decreasing number of first time home buyers.Ā Continue reading
How Do Consumers Feel About the Market?
Economists and mortgage experts are always quick to analyze the Canadian housing market. However, these industry leaders often forget to ask for consumer opinions and insights. Luckily, there’s the CMHC Annual Mortgage Consumer Survey to help fill this gap.
Conducting in February and March of 2012, the CMHC Mortgage Consumer Report surveyed 3,502 recent mortgage consumers in order to better understand how market conditions are impacting the average buyer. Findings from the report are extremely useful, not just for first time home buyers and competitive mortgage rate seekers, but also for mortgage brokers and lenders. Here’s a look at some of the top statistics. Continue reading