Entries by Mahyar Rezapour

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Investors remain confident in GTA housing market says CBRE

The moderation of the single-family housing market in the Greater Toronto Area has not dampened the market for residential land. Demand and prices remain strong as population growth meets with constrained supply. That means increased competition for residential land which will in turn impact home prices. According to a new report from CBRE Canada, residential […]

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Home Equity Loan vs HELOC: Which is Right for You?

Whether it’s to afford a home renovation, invest in a child’s education or simply pay for unique expenses – like weddings and funerals – a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit are popular borrowing options for Canadian homeowners. While mortgage debt accounts for 66% of all household debt, only 11% is […]

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Real Estate Mentoring The risks for an investor who ignores help

Real estate investors who think they can do everything are playing a very risky game. Whether it comes from an elevated sense of pride or a desire to save money, investors who refrain from educating themselves and finding mentors are seriously inhibiting their own chances of growing a successful portfolio. “An investor who takes that […]

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TREB releases Oct. home prices

TORONTO _ Strong sales in the condo and higher-density low-rise markets helped drive home prices in the Greater Toronto Area higher last month, compared with a year ago. The Toronto Real Estate Board says the average sale price was $807,340 in October, up 3.5 per cent from $780,400 year-over-year. Adjusted seasonally, the average selling price […]

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Private lending attracts Toronto homeowners

Toronto homeowners are reportedly turning to private lenders for mortgage loans, due to increasing interest rates and tougher lending standards implemented by most banks and conservative lenders. According to Toronto brokerage Realosophy and property data provider Teranet, 20% of refinancing for mortgage deals in the second quarter was facilitated by private lenders. This marked a […]

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Report shows satisfaction rates up among young homeowners

A recent report revealed that, despite admitting to making some compromises, most modern families in key urban areas throughout Canada are satisfied with their property purchases. In a recent report released by Mustel Group and Sotheby’s International Realty Canada on home ownership trends among modern families, 82% of families surveyed believed that they made some […]

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Industrial, retail spaces feeling the pressure of pot shortages

Major cannabis producers and sellers are struggling to keep up with the enormous demand for the plant after it was legalized last month. Canadians’ craving for the herb was such that shortages have become all too apparent in the few short weeks after October 17. “The response has been pretty unbelievable,” Canopy Growth Corp. CEO […]

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Private mortgages soar in popularity, are ripe for investment

According to a report released this week, private lenders funded 20% of mortgage refinances in the second quarter of this year, highlighting how profitable mortgage investment is becoming. The joint report between Teranet and Realosophy also revealed that private mortgages during Q2 2018 jumped 67% compared to the same period two years ago. While much […]

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Real estate agent lists abandoned New Zealand village for $2.4m

A real estate agent in New Zealand has gained worldwide attention for an unusual listing. Kelli Milmine of One Agency in Oamaru is handling the listing of a village that has been mostly abandoned since 1989 after its main employer, a dam, was automated. Lake Waitaki near Canterbury on the South Island includes eight 3-bedroom […]

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Ontario Realtors support repeal of mandatory home energy audits

A decision to put the brakes on mandatory home energy audits has been welcomed by Ontario Realtors. The government’s decision to repeal the Green Energy Act 2009 is good news for home sellers who would have been required to include results from the audits on their listings. David Reid, president of Ontario Real Estate Association […]

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Canadians should get slighter bigger pay checks next year

Pay checks for non-unionized Canadian workers should grow slightly more in 2019 than they did this year. A new report from the Conference Board of Canada forecasts an average 2.6% year-over-year increase in wages next year, up from 2.4% in 2018. Those working in the food, beverage, and tobacco products industry should lead the wage […]

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New GTA condo prices up 11% despite increased supply

Condo prices continue to rise in the Greater Toronto Area even as new supply eases inventory pressures. The average selling price of actively-marketing projects in the third quarter of 2018 was $745 per square foot, up 11% year-over-year. For unsold units, asking prices gained 19% to $972 psf on average. Urbanation’s Q3 2018 condo market […]

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Flippers might not be the problem in Toronto and Vancouver

Often blamed for overheating in major markets, flippers actually represented only a minor proportion of home transactions in Toronto and Vancouver, according to a Bloomberg analysis that looked at Teranet Inc.’s land and housing registry. In Toronto, flipped condos represented just 1.8% of total sales for that housing type as of June 2018. This was […]

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New home sales in the US down to near 2-year-low

Housing affordability issues south of the border have driven down sales of newly built homes across the US. Figures released Wednesday by the HUD and US Census Bureau shows a 5.5% decline in new home sales in September compared to August (which was revised downwards) – a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 553,000 units. Only […]

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Commercial property owners are overburdened with tax says Altus

Owners of commercial real estate are carrying a disproportionate property tax burden across Canada according to a new report. The Altus Group’s analysis in association with the Real Property Association of Canada (REALPAC) looks at property tax rates in 11 major urban centres across the country. The report reveals that in eight of the 11 […]

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GTA new home sales jumped in September

There was an improvement in sales of newly-built homes in the Greater Toronto Area last month. Data from the Building and Land Development Association (BILD) shows that 1,747 new homes were sold in September, up sharply from the 974 in August. There was an improvement in sales of newly-built homes in the Greater Toronto Area […]

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Interest rate announcement left out an important word

The Bank of Canada’s decision to increase interest rates to 1.75% Wednesday was not a surprise to many, but an omitted word is perhaps more so. Dr Sherry Cooper, chief economist of Dominion Lending Centres says it was interesting that Governor Stephen Poloz did not continue to say that rates would rise “gradually”. “Market watchers […]

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New ‘dot real estate’ domain names to launch next month

A new domain name suffix will be opened up to all in November following a pre-registration period for Realtors. The .realtor designation will be available through around 20 domain registrars including GoDaddy and get.realestate and unlike the .realtor top level domain it is available to anyone from November 26. As an international recognized and descriptive […]

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Avison Young set for global Day of Giving

Staff at Avison Young will join together for the firm’s fifth annual global Day of Giving on Thursday. The Toronto-based real estate firm’s initiative began in 2014 and this year will take place across 84 offices as part of the company’s global citizenship strategy. Each Avison Young office has chosen its own community volunteer project […]