Canada’s real estate market is now expected to grow this year rather than decline, as buyers take advantage of continued low interest rates that are intended to offset recent economic turmoil, economists said Tuesday.  The comments came after the Canadian Real Estate Association revised its 2011 national forecast for home resales, citing stronger than expected […]

Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney is expected to confirm the obvious Friday when he speaks for the first time in almost a month: Canada’s economy is slowing down. A lot has happened since July 20th, the last time Carney spoke publicly. Then, on the heels of his latest economic forecast, he said Canada’s recovery […]

The Pitfalls of Adding Parents or Children to the Title of your Home in order to qualify for a mortgage Here is an article on of our private lenders forwarded over to me I thought I would share. Tune into The Mortgage Show Saturdays at 7pm on CKNW AM980 with 2009 AMP of the Year […]

The upside in a global stock market rout may ironically be a healthier housing market – at least in the short term, say economists. “The housing market has nine lives. Every time interest rates are supposed to go down, something happens and it helps to keep the market going,” said Benjamin Tal, senior economist at […]

What do falling rates mean for borrowers? This clearly falls into the 88% of the time where borrowers get significantly ahead by having a variable-rate mortgage. With the mess in the US expected to take several years to get sorted out, we’re in an unprecedented time where we can safely assume rates will remain low. […]

By David Olive Business Columnist How to put this politely? While not a deadbeat, the U.S. is no longer among the world’s most creditworthy nations. America now has a lower credit rating than Liechtenstein. And the Toronto-Dominion Bank. Mind you, that’s a matter of opinion. On Friday, U.S. credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s for […]

The US stepped back from the brink of default on Tuesday, but congressional approval of a last-ditch deficit-cutting plan failed to dispel fears of a credit downgrade and future tax and spending feuds.  President Barack Obama and lawmakers from across the political divide expressed relief over the hard-won compromise to raise the country’s borrowing authority […]

Turning the key in a lock that no landlord has access to, reading in a hammock in your own backyard and painting your dining room bright red – what could be more exciting than making the leap from renter to first-time homeowner? Getting swept up in all the excitement is a wonderful feeling, but some […]

Yields crash = lower fixed mortgage rates coming. The five-year bond yield nose-dived 16 bps yesterday, crashing through “support” at 2%. It’s the biggest plunge in yields since March 2009.   Yields are hurtling lower in response to a slew of negatives, including: “Austerity measures” (spending cuts) built into Congress’ debt agreement. Those will drag […]

Both an appraisal and a home inspection are important steps of the home-buying process, so it’s well worth your effort to distinguish the differences between them and how they can uncover detailed information about the home’s value and condition.   AppraisalEssentially, home appraisal is a survey activity performed by a professional in order to develop an […]