CMHC announced early Tuesday it is increasing its loan insurance premiums effective March 17 2017. “We do not expect the higher premiums to have a significant impact on the ability of Canadians to buy a home,” said Steven Mennill, Senior Vice-President, Insurance. “Overall, the changes will preserve competition in the mortgage loan insurance industry and contribute to financial stability.” According to the Crown Corporation, the average homebuyer will see a $5... [read more]

Are you looking to update your home in 2017? A visit to the National Home Show is just the ticket - and we have a special offer to our clients both past and new.   Buy 2 tickets for the price of 1 ($20 savings). These are VIP Tickets allowing special entrance and complimentary coatcheck.  You get Front of the Line access to The Dream Home and front row seating at the Main and Idea stages! The Show Runs March 10 - 19  you can also visit Canada Blooms at the... [read more]

  There’s been a sharp rise in the number of homes sold for more than $1 million in the Greater Toronto Area. In the first two months of 2017 there were 2,876 such sales, up from 1,548 in the same period of 2016, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada reports. The firm’s CEO Brad Henderson says that buyers feel confident in paying high prices due to the stronger economy and low interest rates. But he is yet another cautious voice on the issue of a foreign... [read more]

Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa confirmed Monday he plans to include housing affordability measures in his upcoming budget. Premier Kathleen Wynne has said her government is working on a “comprehensive set of plans,” to deal with rising home prices in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), as well as rising rental rates. Sousa said he’d like to include those plans in the spring budget. There is a “suite of options” available to Ontario, but... [read more]

The average sale price of detached homes in the Greater Toronto Area continued to soar last month, hitting a new record high as prices climbed in suburban communities surrounding Toronto. The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) reported Wednesday that the average detached house in the GTA sold for $1,214,422 last month, up 33.4 per cent from $910,375 in March last year. Coming weeks before Ontario is expected to unveil its spring budget, the March sales numbers will almost certainly add fuel... [read more]