How To Be A Landlord: Tips From My First Year + MORE Sep 6th

Earlier this month I celebrated my one year anniversary as a landlord and homeowner. Homeownership has always been a personal dream. Ever since an early age I knew I wanted to pay my own mortgage, and not someone else’s by renting instead of buying.
When I decided to purchase a house in Toronto, one of Canada’s most expensive cities, I had to make a tough decision. I could go the less costly route and purchase a condo, or I could be more ambitious and purchase a house, but with a slight catch – I would have to rent out the upstairs. After thinking long and hard, I decided homeownership was the right choice. Not only did I become a first-time home buyer, but in one fell swoop I also became a first-time landlord – no small feat. Wondering how to be a landlord? Now that I have a year under my belt, here are some of my top tips for others considering the addition of tenants.
Treat Your Tenants Right
Buying a house is no small accomplishment. You’ve worked hard to purchase a house in a nice neighbourhood and you want your tenants to treat your property with the same respect…

Caisse Financial Group 5 year Closed mortgage rate was changed on August 31, 2013

It seems that recent good news regarding the Canadian real estate market wasn't an isolated incident, as new data shows home prices are on the rise.
According to the Teranet-National Bank house price index, home prices increased 2 percent overall on a year-over-year basis during May. This comes after a 2 percent gain in home prices during April, creating a pattern of slow but steady growth.
Seven of the 11 cities across the country tracked by the index saw prices moving up above the national average. Quebec City saw a rise of 6.5 percent, while Calgary and Hamilton each saw an increase of 5.8 percent. Winnipeg saw prices rise 4.6 percent, Edmonton experienced an increase of 4 percent and Toronto showed gains of 3.9 percent.
On a month-over-month basis, prices rose 1.1 percent during May.
Month-over-month gains were led by Calgary, which saw a 2.3 percent increase in home prices when compared to April. According to Richard Cho, senior market analyst in Calgary for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, this increase can be attributed to limited inventory…

Caisse Financial Group 3 year Closed mortgage rate was changed on August 31, 2013

RateSupermarket.ca Expert Panel Points To Economic Policy Unease Among Global Investors
September 3, 2013: Toronto, Ontario – An autumn crispness may be creeping into the air but there’s no cooldown anticipated for bond yields, the main driver of fixed mortgage rates. The new highs hit during the month of August are anticipated to continue throughout September as investors react to a potential withdrawal of U.S. economic stimulus. This will prompt lenders to respond with a hike to their fixed rate offerings. Variable rates, however, are to remain unchanged as Canadian economic growth remains below the benchmarks required to raise interest rates.
Fixed Mortgage Rates: Up
Global bond investors continue to react negatively to the possibility of a quantitative easing scale back in the U.S. This has impacted Canadian bond yields in turn, which hit new highs in the month of August, and are not anticipated to moderate in the short term. This will prompt lenders to increase the price of their fixed mortgage rates…