Real Estate Articles
Your Home, Your Life!
Do You Need Title Insurance for a Condo?
Learn about the special risks that come with condominium ownership and while having title insurance is important.
Provinces Make Housing Expensive
If you’ve ever wondered why Ontario’s cities are straining to pay for everything from public housing to transit to stormwater pipes, the answer lies in a quiet but powerful political strategy called “downloading.” It’s the art of pushing responsibility down the ladder—without sending the dollars to match.
5 Reasons to Escape The Rent Trap
Renting can offer advantages over buying, such as flexibility, lower upfront costs, and freedom from maintenance responsibilities. However, for most people, renting is not a lifestyle choice; it is an economic necessity. Most people would buy something if they could....
Ever Consider a Co Op?
let me introduce you to an underrated gem that’s been quietly helping people live affordably for decades: co-operative housing — or co-ops, for short.
“Will I Get Paid?” What Realtors Need to Know
If you’ve ever sold a home that came with more drama than a Real Housewives reunion, you know how messy things can get when there’s more debt on the property than equity. And if your client has a first mortgage, a second mortgage, and took out some equity to help the kids — well, we’re already in “handle with care” territory.
In Defence of NIMBYism
When homeowners resist changes to their neighbourhoods—particularly the addition of multi-family housing in established single-family areas—they’re often labelled with a pejorative acronym: NIMBY, or “Not In My Back Yard.” The term implies selfishness or resistance to progress. But in reality, the NIMBY instinct is not only understandable—it is grounded in centuries of legal tradition, economic rationale, and the very nature of what it means to own property in a commonwealth nation like Canada.
Foundations Impact Mortgages
A house foundation is the structural base that supports a home, distributing its weight evenly and providing stability against shifting soil, moisture, and environmental conditions. In Canada, where climate and soil composition vary widely, the choice of foundation...
Mortgage Scenario: Self Employed Man Meets Employed Woman
Imagine a man and a woman want to get a mortgage to buy a house. The man has a dry wall business where he doesn't pay himself much to keep his income taxes down, and the woman is a full-time permanent dental hygienist. Should they apply for a mortgage under a prime...
Why Listings Are Killing the Market
The Paradox of Choice is a concept popularized by psychologist Barry Schwartz in his book “The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less.” It refers to the phenomenon where having too many options leads to decision paralysis, increased anxiety, and dissatisfaction—rather than greater freedom or happiness.
10 Ways Development Costs Impact Real Estate
Development costs refer to the expenses incurred in the process of developing a property. These costs can be quite extensive and vary greatly depending on the project's scale, location, type of development, and other factors. Here's a breakdown of typical development...
Understanding Wells and Your Mortgage
In Canada, wells are a crucial water source for many rural and semi-rural properties where municipal water services are unavailable. Homeowners rely on wells to access groundwater for daily use, including drinking, cooking, and irrigation. The need for a well...
Are House Prices Too High?
You don’t need to be a real estate expert to feel it: house prices seem out of reach for the average family. But why? What’s keeping prices so high when affordability has clearly left the building? As someone who gets into roughly a hundred homes every month, I’ve had a front-row seat to the push and pull of today’s housing market—and let me tell you, it’s a fascinating, frustrating, and complex story.
Re-Zoning to Create Affordable, Safer Neighbourhoods ?
While Canadians support increased high-density housing, many neighborhoods have opposed rezoning for multifamily structures.
Natural Disasters, Inflation, and Housing Affordability
Canada is no stranger to natural disasters. From wildfires in British Columbia to severe floods in Ontario and Quebec, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and costly. Beyond their immediate devastation, these disasters also have long-term economic...
The Importance of Private Sector Involvement in Affordable Housing
affordable housing, private sector involvement, Canada housing shortage, economic viability of affordable housing, increasing housing supply
Investing in Real Estate and Infrastructure
Discover the benefits of investing in real estate and infrastructure, where long-term cash flows and natural dividend growth create lucrative opportunities. Explore tax advantages, essential services, and real-world examples in this comprehensive blog.
Featured Publications
Articles
- Extended Amortizations and Hypothetical Calculations
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) - Minimum Qualifying Rate for Uninsured Mortgages
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) - Residential Mortgage Underwriting Practices and Procedures
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) - Guideline on Existing Consumer Mortgage Loans in Exceptional Circumstances Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
Book: “The Program”
- Part 1 – Building Your Down Payment
- Part 2 – Mortgage Payoff Strategies
- Part 3 – Building Wealth Through Real Estate