Real Estate Articles
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The Disappearing Office Space
Real Estate > Personal Finance > Mortgage In recent years, North American cities, particularly Toronto, have witnessed a significant shift in the commercial real estate landscape, marked by increasing vacancy rates in office buildings. This trend, initially...
Buy a Property for $10 in Ontario
Discover how the town of Cochran in Ontario is selling land for just $10, making homeownership a reality for everyone. Explore the perks of living in this unique community and learn about the innovative investment opportunities it offers.
Navigating the CMHC Newcomers Program
Discover your pathway to home ownership in Canada with the CMHC Newcomers program, offering tailored support and mortgage options.
Taxed to the Rafters
If it feels like your paycheque doesn’t stretch as far as it used to, you’re not imagining things. Canadians today spend more on taxes than on food, shelter, and clothing combined—the very basics of living. According to the Fraser Institute’s Canadian Consumer Tax Index (2025), the average family hands over more than 43% of its income to taxes, while only about 36% goes to life’s necessities.
Introducing Home Value Appraisal Services
A misaligned or problematic appraisal can delay financing, reduce loan amounts, or even derail a deal entirely. That’s why I only refer my clients to appraisal firms that are experienced, thorough, and aligned with lender expectations. Home Value Inc. is one such firm I trust to deliver professional, lender-sensitive valuations that help get deals across the finish line.
Mortgage Availability in a Flood Zone?
Desjardins, the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, based in Quebec, will no longer offer new mortgages for properties in high-risk zones due to the certainty of a flood every 20 years in the province. It is reasonable to assume other lenders will...
OMG!!! What’s with the Stairs???
I’ve seen a lot of ridiculous staircases in my time — stairs so steep, so narrow, and so poorly thought out they might as well come with a warning label. These designs don’t just look intimidating — they actively scare away anyone over 45 (who are the buyers with the...
Who’s Buying Real Estate Right Now?
If you’ve been chatting with clients or colleagues lately, you’ve probably noticed that the question on everyone’s mind is: Who’s actually buying real estate right now? It’s a fair question. The headlines are full of doom and gloom about affordability, interest rates, and a supposed ‘market freeze’ — yet deals are getting done.
The Consequences of Walking Away
Trees don’t grow to the sky; and neither do real estate prices. Sometimes, real estate prices go down. This can be particularly troubling when it comes to new construction. There is a time lag between when the home is ‘purchased’ and when the home is completed and the deal can ‘close’. During this lag time, substantial changes can occur in the real estate market that causes home prices to fall; sometimes meaningfully. When that happens, does it make sense for a new home buyer to close the deal, or should you walk away?
The Risks of Blanket Appraisals
If you’ve recently purchased a pre-construction property or are navigating the Toronto condo market, you might have heard the term “blanket appraisal” popping up more frequently. It’s a term that’s been around for a while, yet many homebuyers are still unfamiliar with exactly what it entails, who uses them, and when and why they’re typically employed. Allow me to demystify blanket appraisals and explore whether they’re genuinely advantageous for home buyers.
Cottage Aqueducts and Wells
As a realtor, when you’re helping a client buy a cottage or rural property, you already know it’s not your average suburban transaction. The property may be cute as a button, the lake view breathtaking—but if the water source doesn’t pass muster, your deal could hit a wall faster than a raccoon on a screen door.
Understanding Construction Financing in Canada
Whether you’re looking to build a home from the ground up, add a legal secondary suite, or undertake a major renovation, understanding how construction financing works can make or break your project’s success. In this article, I’ll walk you through what construction financing is, who offers it, why it’s not widely available, and why—despite its complexity—it remains one of the most strategic tools in real estate financing today.
PeakHill Capital: Multifamily Financing
Whether you’re developing purpose-built rentals, acquiring stabilized income properties, or seeking long-term financing under CMHC’s MLI Select program, PeakHill brings depth, insight, and executional excellence to every file.
Are You the Missing Middle?
Let’s cut to the chase—owning a home in the Greater Toronto Area used to be a realistic goal for middle-income Canadians. Now? Not so much. If you’re earning a decent salary but still can’t afford to buy (or even rent without stress), you’re probably part of a growing group called the “missing middle.” This article will walk you through what that means, who’s affected, why it’s happening, and what you can do about it—especially when it comes to mortgages.
Co-op Appropriate Use
Co-ops don’t work like condos — not in how they’re owned, not in how they’re financed, and definitely not in how they’re used. And if you’re planning on leveraging the property to generate rental income or make investment plays, you need to understand this right now:
How to Move from Ontario to Alberta
Here is the situation: A single woman wants to move from Ontario to Alberta. She has saved $150,000, has a good credit score, and wants to buy a 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom, 1600 sq ft bungalow in Edmonton that presently goes for $500,000. She needs a $350,000 mortgage. The...
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