The Canadian government has tabled legislation which, if approved, would allow consumers to purchase homes with a minimum down payment of just 20% without any requirements to purchase mortgage insurance. Currently, anyone who purchases a residence with a down payment lower than 20% is required to insure the mortgage against default with the Canadian [...]
Update: In 2008 the Canadian government took actions to eliminate 40-year mortgages.
Mortgage amortization periods of 40 years are now available in Canada through many of the major lenders for both conventional and high-ratio mortgages. The changes are fresh enough that some of the big ones haven’t had the opportunity to update their online [...]
Knowing what’s inside your credit report is more than just a good idea, it’s an essential element of any prudent financial plan.
Identify theft continues to be a problem across the country. Thieves are racking up massive debts, using the good names and credit of their victims and leaving behind a financial mess [...]
A new Carriage Trade Luxury Properties Report released today by Royal LePage Real Estate Services finds that sales of luxury homes far outpaced the general market across Canada. Year-over-year unit sales more than doubled in Calgary, Edmonton and Halifax.
While Saskatoon is not mentioned specifically in the report, I can confirm that a similar trend [...]
The Saskatoon Star Phoenix ran a story today on the front page of the Business section with the headline, “City house prices stable.” The story, written by Murray Lyons, Star Phoenix Business Editor references the national Century 21 fall house price survey and suggests that Saskatoon house prices will see substantially less appreciation [...]
You might say that some residents of Briarwood in Saskatoon are getting a little “tired” of the racket that seems to be prevalent in this prestigious area at all hours of the night.
Topping the list of noisy culprits was the city of Saskatoon who thought it was okay to run bobcats around the clock [...]
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) just released it’s findings on MLS® sales across Canada for the month of October and Saskatoon stands out as one of the “major markets” showing exceptional performance.
“Resale housing in Canada’s major markets remains on solid ground. With just two months to go in 2006, MLS® home sales [...]
In my recent post, “Deceptive Agent Practice Could Costs Sellers Money,” I discussed how some agents seem to go out of their way to try to keep other agents from finding out about their newest listings. I speculated that the underlying motivation is that they want to have an opportunity to try to sell [...]
There’s a disturbing practice occurring all too often, which is padding the pockets of some unethical agents at the cost of their sellers. If you’re considering selling a home you should know about it and make certain it doesn’t happen to you.
We are currently in a market of low supply and high demand. [...]
An agent I know listed a charming little home, in a beautiful location. The house had seen numerous upgrades in recent years including new windows, heating system and a host of cosmetic upgrades. The kitchen and bathrooms were renovated, hardwood floors refinished, it had been painted not long ago and the house is generally [...]
We’ve always known that the poorest people living in our communities are much more likely to experience health problems when compared to the broad population base. What may strike some as surprising, even shocking, is the extent of the health gap disparity which apparently exists between the wealthiest and the poorest Saskatoon residents. [...]
