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

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

After years of turbulence, small clothing designers struggle for a sustainable model

After years of turbulence, small clothing designers struggle for a sustainable model

Amid high inflation, rising operating costs and shrinking Canadian demand, clothing designers in Nova Scotia say they’re struggling to find a sustainable business model. Designers say they’ve had to adjust to significant changes in consumer behaviour, supply chain disruptions and inflation as they’ve navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. “We’ve made a lot of hard decisions. … Read more