How your mortgage can set you free of other debt   Credit crunch, debt crisis — call it what you will, but the current economic climate is spurring people to get their own finances in order. For Jack and Sarah Stewart, of Toronto, this means tackling the $40,000 in debt they’ve allowed to balloon during the […]

Click Here to View

8.5% unemployed Paul Vieira, Financial Post  OTTAWA – Financial markets were dealt a reality check yesterday with disappointing December jobs data from Canada and, more notably, the United States signalling an uneven and choppy recovery, and prompting U.S. analysts to scale back expectations on rate hikes. Analysts noted, however, that an improving trend is definitely […]

Re: Amendments to the Strata Property Act Concerning Rentals Announcement     January 11, 2010     There has been a shortage of rental units for years in British Columbia. In order to address this, the Provincial Government recently passed legislation dealing with the rental provisions of the Strata Property Act (“SPA”).   Under the old section […]

  David Paddon, THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – Canada’s residential real estate market is expected to remain unusually strong through the first half of this year after a strong finish to 2009, according to a survey published Thursday by Royal LePage. The Royal LePage analysis is consistent with other recent reports on the state of the […]

  Traders are treading cautiously ahead of Friday’s big U.S. and Canadian jobs reports. Bond yields are hovering just under their 15-month high. Most lenders are holding off on further mortgage rate increases ahead of the report.  Interestingly, only a few lenders chose to raise mortgage rates following December’s big spike in yields. (Why spoil […]

There are many financial terms that are commonly used in daily discussions, however it may be difficult to define some of them if asked. Here are a few simple definitions to assist you with the daily Financial Update Basis PointOne-hundredth of a percentage point. For example, the difference between 5.25% and 5.50% is 25 basis […]

HST and Real Estate: How It Works By Clark Wilson LLP’s Commercial Real Estate Group November 24, 2009 While the BC government is getting out of the sales tax business, the province’s residential real estate developers will have more taxes to cope with than ever before. Chronology On July 23, 2009, the BC government announced […]

The housing market that led Canada out of recession is now so hot that Ottawa is talking about doing something to cool it off, a move economists say carries risks for the economy. Fuelled by record low interest rates, residential real estate prices have gained 20 per cent this year. And Finance Minister Jim Flaherty […]

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/12/21/flaherty-mortgages-.html#   http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/12/21/flaherty-mortgages-.html#