Investing in real estate

Fear of rising interest rates is causing more Canadians to opt for fixed-rate mortgages over variable-rate alternatives that could save them thousands of dollars in payments, according to a leading expert.

Justin Thouin, CEO and co-founder of LowestRates.ca, is calling for consumers to base their mortgage decisions on 30 years of downward trending rates, rather than locking in on a guess about what the Bank of Canada will do during the life of a mortgage.

“Canadians have become more concerned about not being able to pay their mortgage. They want to lock their mortgage rate in so they know the amount they have to pay in interest,” he told CTVNews.ca. “It’s a fear-based response.”

The Bank of Canada cautiously held its key interest rate at 1.25 per

British Columbia's NDP government will introduce tax measures designed to push down the price of housing by targeting vacant homes owned by out-of-province investors.

Finance Minister Carole James said she hopes this and other changes will cool real estate costs, but would not predict how much, or what will happen if they take a bigger bite out of housing values than intended.

"We are treading on new ground," she told reporters on Tuesday as she unveiled her first full budget.

"We will be doing the analysis as we implement them."

The $54-billion balanced budget also promises historic investments in child care to create new spaces and train more caregivers, while giving tens of thousands of families access to two new programs to subsidize

Canada’s federal housing agency says new mortgage rules intended to cool hot markets are “working better than hoped.” However, housing markets remain out of balance with recent price spikes driven by large single family homes at the expense of much needed rental stock, Evan Siddall, CEO of Canada Housing and Mortgage Corp.

“I think the evidence shows that worked out a little better than we hoped,” said Siddall. “People either bought smaller houses or found another way to find a down payment and that’s okay. We were worried about the strong housing market taking money out of the productive economy – out of business investment, and I think mission accomplished.”

Siddall acknowledged the new guidelines, known as B20, are keeping many young people out

As the real estate landscape changes, renting to own may provide a win-win for both owners and tenants.

The changes to the mortgage rules last July are making it more difficult for first time buyers to get approved for a mortgage. Other buyers may have good credit but not enough of a down payment. At the same time, landlords are looking for good tenants to rent their units. Rent-to-own may provide a win-win for both owners and tenants.

Here’s how it works:

A landlord rents the home or condominium under a basic home lease. For an extra payment, the tenant receives an option to buy the home at a later date, for a set price. Let’s say the home is worth $250,000. The parties agree the tenant will have the right, but not the obligation, to buy the

Guidelines requiring financial test for uninsured buyers go into effect Jan 1, 2018

New guidelines that will soon place restrictions on uninsured borrowers looking to secure a mortgage have — as one Ottawa realtor puts it — kicked the pursuit of a home into "overdrive."

Earlier this month, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) released guidelines for the mortgage industry that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2018.One of the major new rules is a requirement to subject uninsured borrowers to a "stress test." At the moment, anyone who puts down more than 20 per cent of the value of a home doesn't have to pay for mortgage insurance, and is considered an uninsured borrower.Only insured borrowers — those who put down less than

Buying to rent: tips from a seasoned real estate investor

Buying to rent is a way to ride out the ups and downs of the real estate market and the economy, said Ann Kaplan, president and CEO of national consumer finance company iFinance Canada. (Kaplan also appeared on The Real Housewives of Toronto, a show run by Slice, one of the brands owned by Corus Entertainment, which also owns Global Television and Global News.) Kaplan, who gradually built a portfolio of  seven residential and commercial properties in Vancouver, Victoria and Toronto, has some advice for those buying investment properties as a means to enter the market:

Decide what price you want to pay and be prepared to walk away if you don’t get it. When you’re buying investment property,

Canadian Airbnb hosts and the Canada Revenue Agency

Contrary to popular belief, Airbnb hosting is not “free money”. In the eyes of the taxman, it’s rental income. That status, however, depends on a number of factors I’ll describe in this section.

Of primary importance is that hosts are documenting expenses and retaining receipts to reduce the impact of tax assessments, come CRA filing time. Credit card receipts don’t cut it with the Agency, as these don’t identify specific items purchased. You need to present the CRA with an actual receipt. This includes receipts for all the little things that make your property special – bathing products, toothbrushes, a selection of special teas, or coffee. That means that hosts are on the hook for every single

Owner Financing good or bad?

It would seem a bit counter intuitive for someone to allow a buyer to pay over time for their property. After all, wouldn’t it be better to get all the money in one go thereby requiring the buyer to get financing from a bank? Well, sometimes it’s more lucrative for the seller if they can make it work to offer financing. As always TAKE ADVICE when it comes to anything to do with finance and assets. This is a huge undertaking for anyone to make and without the proper fiscal and legal mechanisms in place could be a risk that you would not want to take. There are obviously good reasons to offer owner financing as detailed below.

1. Better Selling Price

In a buyer’s market, it can take a while for a property to sell,

Local real estate has proven to be an effective long-term wealth creator

By owning rental housing you get the added advantage of earning regular income from your investment.

Could stepping up now and getting into the rental property market be the right choice? If so, how can you help ensure it's a profitable venture?

Understand why you're buying

There are three main reasons people invest in rental property, and a lot depends on whether you're an investor or a speculator. If you're a speculator, timing is everything. When's the best time to invest in a rental property? Catch the market in an upswing and you might make money. But stretch your finances to buy in as the market peaks and you could lose. Do you want to bet on what housing

Becoming a landlord can seem very appealing. 

There is a large influx of people to BC, Alberta and Ontario and they all need a place to live.  But before you dive headfirst into this potentially lucrative pool, there are some things to consider. Aren’t there always?

Down Payment

You will need at least 20% of your own resources to put down.  That can be a lot of money.  On a $300,000 property you will need $60,000.  On top of this, you have the other costs to complete the purchase such as legal fees, title insurance and potential mortgage insurer fees.  Some lenders will still utilize the mortgage insurers to lessen their overall risk on a rental property and that cost is passed onto the purchaser.

Ongoing Costs

Being a Landlord is not a