New home construction down 22% in August, says CMHC

New home construction down 22% in August, says CMHC

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of new home construction, known as housing starts, slowed 22 per cent in August compared with July. The national housing agency says the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts came in at 217,405 units in August, down from 279,804 a month earlier. The drop came as the … Read more

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

Over 100,000 short-term rentals could be homes: StatsCan report

Over 100,000 short-term rentals could be homes: StatsCan report

A new report by Statistics Canada shows the country’s total number of short-term rental listings increased by more than 60 per cent between 2017 and 2023, while the number of short-term rental units that could be used as long-term housing grew by more than 80 per cent. The report identified more than 100,000 short-term rentals that … 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

Many Canadians in their 20s and 30s are delaying having kids — and some say high rent is a factor

Many Canadians in their 20s and 30s are delaying having kids — and some say high rent is a factor

Anna Smith would like to start a family. But she would also like more space for a baby, as the 27-year-old and her partner currently live in a 500-square-foot apartment in Toronto’s east end for $1,550 per month. Like many Canadians in their 20s and 30s, she says she’s realizing she can’t have both.  So Smith, a University of … Read more

New home construction rose while home sales came down in May

New home construction rose while home sales came down in May

The annual rate of new home construction was up in May, while home sales were slightly down, according to data released separately on Monday by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Canadian Real Estate Association. Referred to as housing starts, new home construction was up 10 per cent in May compared to the previous … Read more

Mortgage debt is growing at its slowest pace in 23 years — but that could be short-lived, says CMHC

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

Mortgage debt grew at its slowest pace in 23 years in February, amid high borrowing costs and reservations related to the Bank of Canada’s key interest rate — but the slowdown likely won’t last, according to Canada’s housing agency. Canadian mortgage debt totalled $2.16 trillion that month, up 3.4 per cent from the same period last year — a historically low … Read more

Home sales and new home construction both drop in April

Home sales and new home construction both drop in April

The annual rate of housing starts in Canada fell slightly by one per cent compared with March 2024, while the number of residential home sales dropped in the same period of time, according to separate sets of numbers released today by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Canadian Real Estate Association. The CMHC, … 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

Apartment construction surged last year but demand still outpacing supply, says CMHC

Apartment construction surged last year but demand still outpacing supply, says CMHC

A surge in new apartment construction drove housing start increases in some major Canadian cities last year, but demand continues to outweigh supply, according to a report released Wednesday by the federal housing agency. The report from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation focuses on six major cities: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa. Their combined housing … Read more