(Source: CANWEST NEWS SERVICE) With new mortgage rules, a new harmonized sales tax in some provinces and the possibility of higher interest rates all set to kick in this summer, Canadian home buyers are on a tear and it is only going to get busier leading up to this summer, according to the Re/Max Market Trends Report 2010 released Wednesday. The report, which examined real estate trends in 16 markets across the country, found that unusually strong activity in January … Read More

(Source: Toronto Star) In a market where listings are down significantly compared with those of a year earlier, it has become standard practice for some agents to try to stimulate multiple offers for a property. The controversial marketing method has caused frustration with buyers and agents. And it has also created something of a backlash by those who say it is misleading, if not unethical. But the tide may be turning. Some vendors are deciding not to participate. And some … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Corp.February 28, 2010 Yorkville. The land of Canada’s rich and famous. The land where people do not like change. Well, looks like some change is coming to the glamorous and historic street of Hazelton Avenue, much to the dismay of the lobby group “SAVE YORKVILLE!“. Check out Hazelton 36 [map]. I don’t know much about the current plans for this building, but am excited for it! Intensification! A 5 minute walk to two subway lines. A 2 minute walk … Read More

No land for new singles in Ottawa and so builders turning to townhomes…city putting brakes on development of land outside urban core…wants intensive mult-unit urban development… Source: The Ottawa Citizen) Three decades ago, most townhouses in Ottawa got little attention. They were, after all, considered mere entry-level homes. Optional features were virtually non-existent, charm often at a premium. Their side-by-side sameness was the price you paid when you were only paying about $80,000. By comparison, today’s towns, with price tags … Read More

Cliff Peskin BuzzBuzzHome Feb 27, 2010 We suspect there’s lots of building going on in Israel. We know that there’s ample new construction of settlement homes in the West Bank ‘territories’. This new construction housing is tracked meticulously by the BBC. We know that Israel real estate is hot. Prices have climbed more than 30% in the last two years forcing Israel to be one of the first modern economies to raise interest rates in the post-recession era. This we … Read More

Warren Buffet says the U.S. has reduced new housing starts to a number far below the rate of household formation which means that within a year or so residential housing problems should largely be over… (Source: The Wall Street Journal) Warren Buffett, in his annual letter to shareholders, steers clear of discussing prospects for the overall economy. But he touches on real estate and housing finance as they affect Berkshire Hathaway’s Clayton Homes, which makes modular housing units. Mr. Buffett … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Corp. February 26th, 2010 Whenever a new Condo launches, the one thing that we are pretty much guaranteed to see in the advertising is an image of an impeccably dressed model gazing mystically to the side of the camera, perhaps a glass of wine in their hand, or striking a pose that no mortal would ever normally be striking. It’s pretty much a modelling shot. Yes, it’s supposed to convey a certain lifestyle and project a certain aura, and … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Feb 26, 2010 Rumor has it that Great Gulf Homes is launching sales for Toronto’s Number One Bloor [map] in none other than a tent! The tent, however, is supposedly just temporary while they they renovate the official 1 Bloor sales centre. I don’t know much about tents but this one looks like a good one…

Kiyoko Fujimura Buzzbuzzhome Corp. February 26, 2010 With money flying around the world in futures, derivatives, hedge funds, mutual funds, commodities trading, T-Bills, bonds, currencies and the like (Phew!), real estate investing offers the buyer something unique: a tangible object that one can actually OWN. That feature, coupled with the fact that housing prices seem to be endlessly going up in Canada, make how to invest in real estate a hot topic right now. So here’s some tips from the … Read More

Cliff Peskin BuzzBuzzHome Feb 26, 2010 The following is an email I received from some American friends after Canada lost in hockey to America – Americans LOVE this email, they can’t get enough of it… Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 12:01 PM Subject: Can We Just Annex Canada And Get It Over With Already? Email Body: Cmon on Canada. I mean if you can’t even beat us at hockey what’s the point of you guys existing? And spare me the … Read More