February 2010

The Canadian housing market has rebounded well from the lows in sales experienced at the beginning of 2009. Sales climbed back to healthy levels across the country because the cost of home ownership remained affordable in most areas.

Compared to last January, the market has returned to balance. Increasingly confident consumers moved to take advantage of the affordability created by lower interest rates.

“Expect strong annual growth rates for existing home sales and average price through the first quarter as we continue to make comparisons to the weak market conditions at the beginning of 2009,” said Jason Mercer, Toronto Real Estate Board’s (TREB) Senior Manager of Market Analysis. “The rate of sales and price growth will be lower in the second half of…

Moving can be stressful for every member of the family—children included. Depending on the age of children, their fears about a move vary from child to child, but most children approach the idea of moving with some hesitation.

One out of five Canadian families move into a new home each year. Some families experience a stressful time two weeks before and two weeks after a move. For many families, the actual move is a time when everyone pitches in and works together. Reality starts to sink in about a month later. People then begin to realize how much they miss friends and places they left behind. Confusion, frustration, and anger are common emotions at this time. Even if you are upgrading to a bigger house in a nicer neighbourhood, adjusting can be…

The rebound that occurred in the Canadian housing market in 2009 was nothing short of incredible. Having started the year a dismal 47% off 2008 levels, sales steadily clawed back. Purchasers who held off in the final quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009 quickly acclimatized to new market realities and moved to take advantage of favourable lending rates. Yet, inventory levels proved a significant impediment, as supply struggled to meet demand—down considerably for much of the year.

Consumer confidence started to return in the second quarter and the real estate market was the first place in the country to show signs of the recovery.

Housing proved to be a safe harbour for much of the year. Rock bottom rates fueled much of the activity, but…

Finding a qualified contractor for your home remodeling project can be daunting and confusing but it's not a difficult task. You can easily search the web or look in the yellow pages and find many home remodeling contractors listed in your area. But the questions are: Which one do you hire for your home remodeling project? Which one will perform quality work, charge a fair price, and get the job done on time?

By following these tips you will make the selection process easier and be better prepared to make an informed decision that best suites your needs.

1. To reduce the risk of hiring the wrong home contractor you should first do a little preparation yourself for the home remodeling project. Sketch out and write down what you want to get done.…