Canada relaxes some mortgage rules to tackle housing crisis

Canada relaxes some mortgage rules to tackle housing crisis

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday announced changes to some mortgage rules as part of an effort to make housing more affordable, although some housing experts are doubtful that the new measures will have a meaningful long-term impact on housing affordability and say they might even push prices up. The federal government will increase the cap on insured mortgages … Read more

Our dream home turned into a nightmare after a massive 12-metre metal structure was built outside our front door

Our dream home turned into a nightmare after a massive 12-metre metal structure was built outside our front door

A COUPLE have spoken of their frustration after a 12-metre metal structure was built right outside their new home. Ewan Botcherby and his partner purchased a four-bedroom detached house on the Westburn newbuild estate in Callerton, Newcastle upon Tyne, for £359,995 in October last year. 6 A 12-metre metal structure was built right outside a … Read more

First-time homebuyers can now apply for a 30-year mortgage. Is that a good thing?

First-time homebuyers can now apply for a 30-year mortgage. Is that a good thing?

The 30-year amortized mortgages announced in the 2024 federal budget are kicking in on Thursday. First-time homebuyers who are purchasing newly built homes can now qualify for a 30-year mortgage, giving them five additional years to pay off an insured mortgage. For other mortgages where default insurance is required, a 25-year amortization limit is still … Read more

Are you renting with no plans to buy? Here’s what the federal budget has for you

Are you renting with no plans to buy? Here’s what the federal budget has for you

The federal government tabled its annual budget on Tuesday with a promise to open the door to homeownership for millennial and Gen Z renters. You’ll have to read the fine print to find measures for young renters who can’t buy a home — or just don’t want to. In her budget document, Finance Minister Chrystia … Read more

Home sales and prices edging up as housing market ‘could get interesting,’ reports say

Home sales and prices edging up as housing market ‘could get interesting,’ reports say

The housing market could soon get “interesting,” economists say, as home prices and sales start to edge up, according to a pair of new reports released Friday. In its latest quarterly Home Price Update and Market Forecast, Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Canada will increase nine per cent in the fourth … Read more

First-time homebuyer incentive is discontinued, says federal housing agency

First-time homebuyer incentive is discontinued, says federal housing agency

The first-time homebuyer incentive has been discontinued by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the federal agency announced on Thursday. The deadline for new or resubmitted applications to the program is midnight ET on March 21, 2024, according to the CMHC’s website. Launched in 2019, the plan was meant to help reduce monthly mortgage payments … Read more