Hello my friends :) As we have all heard by now, Canada’s inflation rate has increased in the month of December to 3.4% from 3.1% in November  Before we freak out, let’s take a deeper dive into what that really means… WHAT CAUSED THE INCREASE? The headline inflation rate ticked up from 3.1% in November, largely because of a sharper decline in gasoline prices a year ago compared with last month. Economists were widely expecting this rise due to a base... [read more]

The Bank of Canada today published its 2024 schedule for policy interest rate announcements and the release of the quarterly Monetary Policy Report. It also reconfirmed the scheduled interest rate announcement dates for the remainder of this year. In addition, the Bank published its schedule for the release of the Business Outlook Survey and the Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations, and the Financial System Review. Interest rate announcements and... [read more]

All across Canada, condominiums are being constructed on every corner, particularly in major urban centres. In fact, it was recently reported that the Toronto real estate  market had the greatest number of cranes in the air, topping that of New York City and Tokyo. Impressive. During this phase, many people purchase pre-construction condo units. By doing this, buyers may receive discounts and perks. Of course, along with the pros there come some cons. So, here is a question that... [read more]

New this tax season is the Underused Housing Tax (UHT). This is a Federal Canada wide new tax and declaration form. It came into effect on January 1, 2022. But more information has now been provided by Canada Revenue Agency and the form is now available. What is it; This is a 1% annual tax on the greater of the assessed value or FMV of non-resident, non-Canadian owned residential real estate that's considered to be vacant or underused. Why it’s important; Unless you are an... [read more]

For many buyers and sellers in the Canadian housing market trade-offs have been incorporated into the homebuying strategy. Working with their real estate agents, families are balancing must-haves with nice-to-haves, meaning that they are prioritizing what needs to be included – internally and externally – in the home. Since this is the most significant purchasing decision they will make in their lifetimes, Canadians are engaged in a balancing act and trying to buy a residential... [read more]