Mark Carney Hints at Higher Rates - The Globe and Mail

This may be a a sign to go with a longer term fixed rate mortgage, as apposed to a variable rate. It's hard to judge what you should do on this hint of higher rates, but the Bank of Canada has been prepping for a return to higher rates for the last year. As discussed in this article, the government is concerned about how house hold debt will be...

I am a proud recipient of a 2011 Medallion Award, for the third year in a row! This award is given by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver to recognize the accomplishments of top producers, meaning the winners are in the top 10% and excel in combined MLS Listings, sales and dollar volume.

I am also a RE/MAX Platinum Club Member, which is the second higher sales award level that RE/MAX awards it's...

Good news for all of you who are eligible for an HST New Housing Rebate! The cap level has been increased from $525,000 to $850,000, meaning a higher maximum rebate of $42,500 (from $26,250). Pending approval by the BC Legislature, these changes will be effective from April 1 2012 to March 31 2013 (when HST is transitioned back to PST/GST).

More Information (and frequently asked question) can be found...

Today, the Provincial Government announced a temporary one-time refundable personal income tax credit worth up to $10,000 for First Time New Home Buyers. Details are can be found here , and are summarized below.

From the BC Budget website:

Subject to Approval and effective February 21, 2012 to March 31, 2013, this First Time New Home Buyers' Bonus is a one-time refundable personal income tax credit...

Article via HouseHunting.ca

Below is an interesting survey from mercer.com about the most expensive cities, surprisingly Toronto has now out ranked Vancouver as the most expensive Canadian city, with Ottawa being the least expensive.

• Luanda in Angola is the world’s most expensive city for expatriates; Karachi is the cheapest

• Top 10 ranked cities are dominated by Africa, Europe and Asia

• London drops 1 place to rank 18; Singapore...

Climbing home prices and tighter mortgage rules are closing doors to the real estate market for some new homebuyers, contributing to a near 15 per cent year-over-year decline last month in Canadian homesales.

The national average home price rose by eight per cent in April even as housing sales fell by 14.7 per cent from the year before, according to data released Tuesday by the Canadian Real Estate...

News release from the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver

Vancouver, BC - The Greater Vancouver housing market remained in balanced market conditions in January, although higher levels of buyer demand were seen in some of the region’s largest communities.

The number of properties listed for sale and those sold on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) last month outpaced the 10-year average in both...

The house Manyee Lui is showing today is listed at $2.2 million. Although the lot is only 33 feet wide and the house is nothing more than a blandly handsome two-storey, Lui expects it to sell quickly, even though the market’s turned a little tepid. With 2,900 square feet, the place is big enough for four bedrooms and an additional self-contained suite. All things considered, she says, “It’s not so ...

But the number four in an address hurts price