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Should the RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) be expanded and modernized? That’s what the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is proposing. CREA has put forward a number of proposals, the biggest of which is “intergenerational RRSP loans” to help first-time homebuyers. At first glance this seems like a good idea. Home prices are rising fast… Read more
Canada’s banking regulator OSFI (short for Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions) has become quite the water cooler conversation topic these days. “How ‘bout them Blue Jays?” has been replaced with “did you hear about the latest mortgage rule changes?” Although these were perhaps the most anticipated mortgage rule changes in history, there’s still… Read more
The housing market has seen a lot of changes over the past several months. It all started with the new stress test on insured mortgages last year. Then there was Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan in the spring. More recently we’ve seen higher mortgage rates. If that hasn’t been enough changes to get used to, OSFI… Read more
MY HUSBAND AND I bought our first house a few years ago. Before we even closed, we had dreamt of all the imaginative, colourful ways to decorate and renovate our house. We felt prepared, excited, and optimistic. Until we started the actual renovations that is. Like so many other newbie home renovators, we had a VERY steep… Read more
Last week the Ontario Liberals released a 16-point plan ahead of this week’s provincial budget aimed to cool the red-hot real estate market in Toronto. With the premier’s approval rating at a woeful 12 percent and a provincial election set for June 2018, it became too politically costly not to do something. When the government… Read more
It’s finally spring! The crocuses and tulips are beginning to show themselves, days are a little brighter and the birds are singing again. But before you get too comfortable, let’s get you to work! Each season brings new opportunities for preventative maintenance on your home…Spring is no exception. Regular upkeep of your home can save… Read more
Just because you upgrade doesn’t mean you’ll profit when it comes time to sell. If you’re hoping to increase your home’s value (above and beyond the cost of an upgrade itself), you should know that the upgrades you value might not be valuable to potential buyers. In fact, you may never recoup the full cost of… Read more
Buying a home is a stressful thing – I mean, it’s not something you do everyday so you want to make sure you’re making the right decision. But what should you look for? We’ve helped thousands of home buyers over the past couple of years and have found that ultimately there are three things you… Read more
Clutter can be incredibly frustrating. After cleaning sometimes you may be satisfied, but other times your house still looks dirty. What is all this stuff and where did it come from? There’s also multiple forms of clutter. Sometimes it’s obvious, like knickknacks or toys or books. (Things you said you were going to put away… Read more
There are many reasons why you may be selling during the holiday season – maybe you’ve finally decided to move across the country in the New Year, you’re getting transferred to another office overseas, or you’re downsizing to a smaller condo so you can finally travel the world. What ever the reason, the holiday season… Read more