Tag Archives: Financial Planning
Outside Influences Impact Spring Real Estate Market in Victoria
A total of 688 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this March, 25.9 per cent fewer than the 929 properties sold in March last year, but a 26.2 per cent increase from the month previous. The sales of condominiums were down 28.2 per cent from last year in March with 211 units Continue Reading »
BC’s new real-estate taxes: what you need to know
MIKE KOZAKOWSKI, CITIFIED.CA Published February 26, 2018 The provincial government has introduced new tax legislation as part of its BC Budget for 2018 that it hopes will cool British Columbia’s rapidly escalating housing prices. Here’s what you need to know if you’re a homeowner in the Capital Region or are planning to purchase property in Continue Reading »
Should You Stress About the Stress Test? What you should know about new mortgage rules.
On October 3rd, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced that new mortgage rules will include more stringent “stress testing” for borrowers. The new rules are designed to lower debt levels, enforce some belt-tightening, and protect the housing market over the long term. Here’s how these new rules will affect Canadians. THE HIGH-RATIO RULE There has been Continue Reading »
Should I Buy a House Now or Wait?
In the market for a new home this year? Then you must be quaking in your snow boots after the news agencies reported the recent catastrophic predictions of Duetsche Bank. According to the international Bank’s chief international economist, Torsten Slok, Canadian homes are 63% overvalued—the single largest prediction of doom for this country’s housing market. Continue Reading »
CMHC to Increase Mortgage Insurance Premiums
OTTAWA, February 28, 2014 — Following the annual review of its insurance products and capital requirements, CMHC will increase its mortgage loan insurance premiums for homeowner and 1 – 4 unit rental properties effective May 1, 2014. The increase applies to mortgage loan insurance premiums for owner occupied, self-employed and 1-to-4 unit rental properties, including Continue Reading »
Canadian Third Quarter Real GDP Growth
The Canadian economy grew 2.7 per cent at an annual rate in the third quarter, the fastest pace of growth in almost two years. The economy was given a boost by an uptick in business investment which helped to offset a slight deceleration in household spending and a dip in exports. Moreover, while third quarter Continue Reading »
Should I buy now or wait for prices to fall?
Even though this article focuses on the Toronto condo market, the advice and information can be used for any real estate market including Victoria’s. I’m often asked this question if it’s the right time to sell or buy and it’s always a somewhat difficult one to answer as there are so many factors and individual Continue Reading »
5 Mobile Apps to Make Homebuying Easier
There is now a mobile app for just about anything. The 5 iPhone and iPad apps below will help make the home buying process a little bit easier. From mortgage calculations to moving organization. There’s an app for that! Zoocasa Real Estate Search Searching for real estate in Canada just got easier! Take advantage of Zoocasa’s powerful Continue Reading »
Retirement rationalizations: 6 misconceptions about RRSPs
By The statistics are clear: most Canadians are not preparing for retirement. According to a new poll by CIBC, more than half of Canadians surveyed said they did not feel adequately prepared for this later stage of their lives. When we at GoldenGirlFinance.com published an article about the importance of investing in Registered Retirement Savings Continue Reading »