A Return to ‘Normal’? The State of Real Estate in 2022   Last year was one for the real estate history books. The pandemic helped usher in a buying frenzy that led to a record number of home sales and a historically-high rate of appreciation, as prices soared by a national average of 19.9% year over year, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.1 There were signs in the second quarter that the red-hot housing market was beginning to simmer down. In June,... [read more]

8 Strategies to Secure a Lower Mortgage Rate Interest rates have risen rapidly this year, triggered by the Bank of Canada’s efforts to curb inflation. And the July MNP Consumer Debt Index found that 59% of Canadians “are already feeling the effects of interest rate increases.”1   Why has the impact been so widespread? In part, due to the rising popularity of variable rate mortgages. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, in the latter... [read more]

Buy Now or Rent Longer? 5 Questions to Answer Before Purchasing Your First Home Deciding whether to jump into the housing market or rent instead is rarely an easy decision – especially if you’re a first-time homebuyer. But in today’s whirlwind market, you may find it particularly challenging to pinpoint the best time to start exploring homeownership.    A real estate boom during the pandemic pushed home prices to an all-time high.1 Add higher... [read more]