Major changes are underway in the downtown Toronto Condo market.  I’m not merely referring here to the number of cranes that dot the skyline, but speaking to the underlying economics. 2012 might very well be the last year of the downtown pre-construction condo boom; major condo developers are keenly aware.   It’s no coincidence that there are more new projects being rushed to market at a faster clip than ever before, coupled with all sorts of financial incentives being offered to realtor....

There are many factors that can affect the market value of your property, ranging from home improvements to the mood of the seller. All of this is a lot to internalize, but you can make an informed decision while pricing your home if you tackle these issues one at a time.
1. Location
Your home’s proximity to public transportation, train stations, shopping facilities, schools, etc., plays an important factor in determining your property’s market value. Every location has a high end and a ....

"Hi Stevie, Happy New Year!  Hope all is well with you.  We are considering investing in an income property sometime this year.  Given the price range discussed a while back, what are your thoughts on options to consider outside the typical downtown condo?"
Hi [...], Happy 2012 to you both! Your plans couldn’t be more timely, here's why. The United States Federal Reserve has just indicated that interest rates will remain unchanged until mid to late 2014, which suggests that Canada will ....

At this time last year, we were predicting that Toronto would experience the same sales volumes as 2010 with price increases averaging 5%. Admittedly, we were wrong!  Sales increased by 5% and prices went up by 7%. We also predicted that rental rates would increase by $100 per month and we were right.  Everyone else, from the Bank of Canada to The Economist Magazine, was forecasting lower sales and lower prices. Those who heeded the experts, in an attempt to ‘time the market’ were the big....

Being debt free is the ultimate financial goal for most people. There are many articles advising us how to get out of debt, that we may automatically assume that debt is a bad thing. However, not all borrowing is bad.
There are many occasions when debt can actually be a good thing, here are a few examples.
1. Buying a home
Many people cannot afford to buy a house without borrowing.  A mortgage is a big debt, but it is a better financial proposition than renting. Getting a mortgage is like ha....