Tag Archives: Housing Prices

Outlook Shaky As Consumer Debt Expected to Rise

While the Canadian economy appears to be weathering the economic storm with surprising ease, Canadian consumers are beginning to show signs of distress. Just last week, Statistics Canada announced a net worth drop of $4,600 per household in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Canadians continue to borrow and buy on credit. Household debt per capita is up by $600 from the second quarter for a total of nearly $46,100 or 152.98%.

To put this into perspective, the American banks encountered trouble when the ratio of debt to disposable income hit 160%. Canadians are flirting with disaster if indebtedness levels continue to rise. Continue reading →

Re/Max Report Predicts Robust 2012 Canadian Housing Market

The Canadian housing market showed exceptional resilience in 2011, according to Re/Max’s annual housing marketing outlook. Published early last week, the report states that an estimated 460,000 homes are expected to be sold this year, a significant increase over last year’s 44,010 properties.

Re/Max credits low interest rates for the housing market’s success, along with tight inventory levels and increased urban demand. And while the European debt crisis and worsening American recession continue to plague the global marketplace, it appears to have had little effect on the Canadian housing market. The country’s economic foundations actually grew in the past year, thanks to the addition of more than 200,000 jobs and slow but steady GDP growth. According to Re/Max’s report, economists are already looking forward to increased growth and renewed investment in 2012. Continue reading →

Housing Types

From townhouses to triplexes, there are numerous types of properties available to Canadian consumers. Not sure what layout works best for your family? Then check out our explanation of typical housing types below. Your mortgage payments and regular monthly bills may change depending on the kind of house you acquire, therefore it is vital that you carefully weigh the pros and cons related to each design before you make your final decision.

Condominiums

Condominiums, or condominiums as they’re commonly referred to, are a popular form of housing in larger cities. Inside a condominium contract, you own the unit, but do not own the land the unit is situated on, or any of the common space (lobby, gardens, and so on) outside of your unit. In order to ensure the suitable maintenance of these areas, condo proprietors are generally charged a monthly “condo fee.” Fee’s additionally help take care of things like elevator maintenance tasks, snow removal, and the use of any onsite recreational establishments (swimming pools, work-out devices, etc.). Don’t forget, these types of monthly fees are in addition to your residence mortgage payments. Continue reading →

Renovating Before Selling – Is It Worth It?

Before putting your property on the real estate market, many home buyers ask whether or not their home would probably gain value from the home renovation. It could, but there will be things you need to take into consideration prior to finishing home renovations.

 

Expertise vs. Passion

It’s simple to get up to date watching home renovation episodes on tv and believing it is simple to complete a similar job to enhance your property value. The reality is however, that home owners spend lots of money every day on do-it-yourself home makeovers, and also specialized home makeovers, with no anticipation of turning a profit immediately after selling.

This particular gap frequently occurs because homeowners don’t have the experience to not only know what they are able to actually achieve without specialist help, but also in selecting proper equipment, materials, meeting legal requirements, overcoming building limitations, and in the actual workmanship and completion of the home remodeling.

 

Research your renovation

Before you begin smashing out walls and ripping up flooring, do a marketplace survey, compare your property to some others in the vicinity and area, and find out how the value and amenities of your home can compare to each other. If your house is the very best and most costly on the street, it’ll be difficult to anticipate exactly what the value of property renovations will be. If your residence lacks alot and is located near other, more modern homes, then maybe an easy facelift would certainly help, however major home renovations, especially before your market your property, in many cases are best left to the specialists.

 

Use professional guidance

If your heart is set on remodeling your property for sale, a professional will help you achieve that level of finish, even if you have got a small spending budget. Simple renovations for instance choosing a professional painter to decorate your property with fairly neutral tones and soft contrasts can really revitalize your home prior to it going on the market. Likewise, employing a home stager who brings in fresh and new furnishings while your property is available on the market, can modernize your house and offer it additional appeal.

There you have it. When contemplating home renovations to improve the value of your home prior to sale, your best option would be to discuss your decisions with your real estate agent or other brokers, because there will certainly be a limit as to what is achievable and realistic in terms of getting your money back from pre-sale refurbishments. You never know, maybe the thing that will sell your property that fastest is having that “fixer upper” attraction. If you are looking to finance a larger home renovation, FamilyLending.ca can help.

 

Home Buyers Demand Smarter Designs

 

The results of Better Homes and Gardens magazine’s Next Home Survey are in, and buyers have spoken.

Prospective new home buyers list energy-efficiency, organization and comfort as their top priorities in considering their next move. Demand for traditional McMansions appears to be waning as more and more people come to value intelligent design over wow factor.

“We continue to see a ‘cents and sensibilities’ approach when it comes to buying or improving a home,” said Eliot Nusbaum, Better Homes and Gardens‘ executive editor for home design. “Today’s homeowner is also looking for a home that fits the entire family?from a multi-tasking home office, to expanded storage space, to a living room that can adapt to advancements in home entertainment and technology.”

The results of this survey may influence upcoming new home designs that will go into production later in 2010 and beyond.

Other interesting findings include:

  • 36% of buyers expect that their next home will be “somewhat smaller” or “much smaller” than their current home.
  • 87% plan to have high-efficiency heating and cooling in their next home and 86% plan to have high-efficiency appliances. 24.6% want geothermal heat.
  • 48% say that green building materials and practices will be “more important” when selecting their next home.
  • 59% are interested in floor plans that incorporate space for a home office and 85% want a separate laundry room.
  • 68% want an outdoor grilling and living area.
  • A kitchen with an eating area is a priority for 67% of respondents and 62% consider comfortable family gathering space a top priority.
  • Despite an overall emphasis on downsizing, 37% are looking for a three-car or larger garage, up from 29% in 2008