Garry Marr And Theresa Tedesco, Financial Post   The Canadian Real Estate Association has proposed an overhaul of its rules in the wake of allegations by the federal competition watchdog that some of CREA’s practices are anti-competitive, according to internal documents obtained by the Financial Post. The documents show the proposed amendments, which will be voted […]

Feb. 10, 2010 Since last October, home resale numbers have almost doubled, up 41.5 per cent and setting new records in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, all according to figures from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). It’s stats like these that prompted economists from Scotia Capital, Derek Holt and Karen Cordes, to publish a report […]

ING president speaks out against tighter mortgage rules | Tuesday, 9 February 2010 After providing several comments on the potential housing bubble in Canada, ING Direct Canada president Peter Aceto told the Globe and Mail that Ottawa shouldn’t tighten mortgage rules. “High level, one-stroke fixes are too simple, and can have a very large impact,” […]

Garry Marr, Financial Post  Canadian real estate sales and prices are poised to set records this year, according to a new forecast that is bound to reignite calls in some quarters for tighter lending rules. The Canadian Real Estate Association, which represents 100 boards across the country, said Monday it expects existing-home sales to reach […]

| Thursday, 4 February 2010 Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney said Canada is not experiencing a housing bubble and he doesn’t see the need for structural changes to the country’s mortgage market, according to a report in Reuters. “The Canadian mortgage market has functioned I think exceptionally well during the course of the last […]

ACTIVE PRE-OLYMPIC HOUSING MARKET IN THE FRASER VALLEY (Surrey, BC) – The Fraser Valley experienced a return to typical home sale levels plus an early surge in new listings in January, according to the latest figures from the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Paul Penner, President of the Board said, “Compared to last January, the […]

Demand for home loans rose on a mini refinance wave, with borrowers pushing to lock in rates before the expected climb later this year. Call today we have a great 3.79% for a 5 year term and variable rate mortgages at prime less .25% or currently 2% on approved credit.

A study of the 50 largest metro areas in Canada has revealed the six most attractive spots to newcomers, regardless of origin. The study, by the Conference Board of Canada, found that regardless of the educational background of the individual, the six most appealing metro areas in the country in terms of ability to attract […]

With the Jan. 31 deadline just around the corner, anyone who still wants to take advantage of the federal government’s popular home renovation tax credit had better hurry. “The most important thing for people to know is that they still have a week to buy and take delivery of materials that they are thinking of […]

Once again, the Bank of Canada announced it would keep the key interest rate at a record-low 0.25 per cent to achieve its inflation target of two per cent. While the Bank said economic growth in Canada resumed in the third quarter of 2009 and there has been a slightly higher than expected rate of […]