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Finally, a little respite in the frenzy of buying Toronto homes! A frenzy, I believe, created by the media, which were predicting prices would increase by over 30% in March. Really, a self-fulfilling prophesy! By the way, this is the same media that a few months back was speculating that Toronto prices were abnormally high, and the bubble was going to burst and prices would fall. My only comment; the media is primarily concerned about ratings and advertising income, so their news and headlines... [read more]

Canada’s banking regulator today unveiled the final changes to its mortgage underwriting standards—Guideline B-20—that will further tighten lending standards and affect borrowers and lenders alike. The most wide-reaching change announced by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) is the establishment of a new minimum qualifying rate, or “stress test,” for borrowers making a down payment of more than 20% of the home’s... [read more]

Well, though I hate to admit it, I was wrong!  I predicted 6,500 homes sold in November when in fact there were 7,374, making November 2017 one of the best Novembers in HISTORY!!  The reason for this is simple, the government announced changes to the mortgage qualifying rules commencing January 1 2018, and a lot of buyers jumped into the market to make sure that they qualified under the old criteria.  This resulted in stronger than usual sales and that trend will continue in... [read more]

2017 was an interesting year for the Toronto real estate market.   It was a roller coaster ride of activity, the highs and lows brought about by government’s decisions to try to slow down home prices increases utilizing negative policy changes.   Record sales in the first quarter of the year were followed by a decline in demand in the spring and summer, as home buyers adopted a wait and see attitude towards purchasing as the Ontario Fair Housing Plan (FHP)... [read more]