Have We Been Starting Too Many New Homes in Canada? Nope – BMO It seems that every time you open the newspaper (metaphorically speaking of course) there is another article warning of impending doom in Canada’s housing market. Sal Guatieri, [...]
With interest rates in the high teens and low twenties, credit card debt can be a huge burden on household finances. Making minimum payments will have you paying off that debt for years, with more and more of your hard-earned [...]
A recent survey released by Square One estimates that two-out-of-five house-owners in Vancouver rent out part of their home. According to the insurance agency, this is more than twice the number two ranked city of Toronto. This article explains the [...]
Nine Credit Repair Tips This article presents some helpful tips on how to repair and protect your credit score. Your credit score affects many areas of your life. True, it won’t directly impact your cooking or what’s on Netflix tonight. [...]
Conservative Party Promises to Study Foreign Ownership in Canada In a recent campaign pledge (watch here), Stephen Harper announced that a Conservative government would spend $500,000 to collect data on foreign ownership, calling it something “we can and should do something [...]
What You Should Know About the Fraser Valley Real Estate Market – Prices, Trends, and Outlook Great attention is often paid to the Greater Vancouver area, and the City of Vancouver itself. At Home Equity Solutions, we operate throughout [...]
BC’s Dependence on Alberta This article highlights research on the dependence of BC’s economy and housing market on Alberta and the potential implications of the on-going economic turndown. Summary Of all the regions in Canada, BC is the most [...]
An Explanation of the “Shadow Mortgage Market” in Canada This article explains what “shadow lending” is in the context of the Canadian mortgage market, outlines third-party estimates of its size and growth rate, and summarizes concerns policy makers have [...]
CMHC has announced changes to their underwriting policy that will make it easier for some homeowners to qualify for a loan Who Does it Affect? The changes affect anyone looking for a mortgage on a dwelling with a legal, secondary suite. [...]
A recent report by TD bank argues that the Bank of Canada’s recent rate cut will not have a significant impact on Canada’s housing market. This article summarizes the arguments put forth. The recent report is largely in line with a recent post [...]
We have talked in the past about affordability problems in Vancouver. We argued then, as we argue now, that single-detached homes are likely to remain out of reach for most families within the city and that we need to re-evaluate how [...]
Foreign investors take a lot of flack in Vancouver and are generally blamed for the rise in home prices in recent years. The unease is completely understandable as the average single-detached home in the Greater Vancouver Area now costs [...]