The First Time Home Buyers' Program reduces or eliminates the amount of property transfer tax you pay when you purchase your first home. If you qualify for the program, you may be eligible for either a full or partial exemption from the tax. If one or more of the purchasers don’t qualify, only the percentage of interest that the first time home buyer(s) have in the property is...
Canadian Real Estate Market Sentiment 56 per cent of Canadians who are planning to engage in the real estate market say they expect to do so within less than a yearAlmost half (44 per cent) of Canadians believe that the real estate market will bounce back to the strength it was before COVID-19 by 202129 per cent of Canadians believe that before the end of 2020, the Canadian housing market will return...
Canadian real estate has been a tough nut to crack for some homebuyers, and those with less than 20 per cent as a down payment now face another challenge, with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s (CMHC) tighter qualification rules for borrowers of high-ratio mortgages. This move is in response to the global pandemic that has left many Canadians vulnerable. The changes, which include lower debt...
According to research by the National Association of Realtors, there are huge benefits to working with a real estate agent, including higher sale prices. However, every homebuyer and seller would be wise to do some “home work” to find a real estate agent who knows his or her market and who has a proven track record. Treat your vetting process like you would a job interview: ask lots of...
Being “kitchen savvy” means knowing what foods to buy, when to buy them, how to store them, and how to prepare them. In this issue, we offer some suggestions to help save money and eat better.Bon appétit! Meal Planning Meal planning can not only save money, but you’ll be putting more thought into your cooking and be more likely to try new things. And meal planning makes it much easier...
Years ago, you would most likely be laughed at if you asked for a toilet lock at the hardware store, or if you wanted to hire a professional babyproofer for your home. These days there is every contraption available that you can think of to help keep your toddler safe. Of course we still need to watch them with our super human hawk-eye abilities, but to make our lives a bit easier, and to keep our...