by Allen Ehlert | June 9, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Real Estate
“Supply, supply, supply.”If you’ve spent any time in the world of Canadian housing policy—or if you’ve even just watched the evening news—you’ve probably heard that phrase tossed around as the magic bullet to solve our housing crisis. But...
by Allen Ehlert | June 8, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Real Estate
We talk a lot about high home prices in Ontario—land costs, construction costs, interest rates. But there’s a quieter, less visible factor that doesn’t get enough airtime: provincial downloading. In plain terms, downloading is when the provincial government offloads...
by Allen Ehlert | June 7, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Real Estate
Why Provinces Download Onto Municipalities: Follow the Money (and the Politics) 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...
by Allen Ehlert | June 2, 2025 | Economy
In the Bank of Canada Staff Discussion Paper 2025-5, titled Will Asset Managers Dash for Cash? Implications for Central Banks, economic researchers discuss how asset managers play a crucial role in financial markets, managing trillions of dollars in securities and...
by Allen Ehlert | May 23, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Real Estate
Anyone who has been following what is going on in the current real estate market knows we are faced with a profound contradiction: too many listings in the midst of a housing crisis wherein we are undersupplied with homes. It’s nuts! In my town, the housing market is...
by Allen Ehlert | May 19, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
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,...
by Allen Ehlert | May 17, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
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...
by Allen Ehlert | May 6, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Personal Finance
Let’s explore the intricate relationship between interest rates and inflation, and how central banks utilize interest rates as a key weapon in their arsenal to control inflation. We will unravel the complexities and real-world implications of interest rate...
by Allen Ehlert | May 4, 2025 | Economy, Home Specifications, Mortgages, Personal Finance, Real Estate
For much of the past century, the dream of owning a home has been a cornerstone of Canadian life — a promise of stability, security, and prosperity. But today, for many Canadians, that dream feels more out of reach than ever before. What happened? How did we go from a...
by Allen Ehlert | May 2, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Personal Finance
As the economy cools and interest rates rise, a new report from RBC warns that millennials and young Gen X homeowners could face significant financial challenges. High debt and vulnerability to a potential economic downturn are raising concerns about the ability of...
by Allen Ehlert | April 15, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Real Estate
Canada is growing—faster than most experts predicted, and certainly faster than many housing policymakers have planned for. As a professional mortgage agent, I’ve seen firsthand how rapid demographic changes can ripple through local housing markets, pushing demand up...
by Allen Ehlert | March 12, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Real Estate
In its latest announcement, the Bank of Canada has reduced its target overnight interest rate to 2.75%, with the corresponding Bank Rate now at 3.00% and the deposit rate set at 2.70%. This strategic decision reflects the bank’s proactive approach to managing an...
by Allen Ehlert | March 1, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Real Estate
The principles of supply and demand are fundamental in determining real estate prices. The balance between the number of buyers in the market (demand) and the availability of properties (supply) governs the real estate market, just like any other market. When demand...
by Allen Ehlert | February 9, 2025 | Economy
Due to a substantial divergence in economic data, the Canadian dollar has been declining relative to the United States dollar. While the U.S. economy has demonstrated stronger growth, wage inflation pressure, rising prices, and sustained consumer spending and business...
by Allen Ehlert | February 6, 2025 | Economy, Mortgages, Real Estate
If a large number of Canadians default on their mortgage, what could happen? The Trump administration has introduced a great deal of economic uncertainty to Canada, the United States, and the world at large. Tariffs introduced by the Trump administration are likely to...
