Free Advice
-
From CBC.ca – Alberta real estate prices set to rise
CMHC is predicting housing price increases in Alberta. Since they are likely in the know, I wonder if they are factoring in any potential changes to the amortization and down payment requirements. If they are not, it might be an indication that they do not think it will happen.
The real estate market in Alberta appears to be on the rebound, experts in the field say.
House sales will increase as by as much as 10 per cent in (more…)
Popularity: 12% [?]
-
Several of Canada’s financial blogs have a stock picking contest every year. They each pick four stocks and track the returns on a quarterly basis. Last years returns ranged from -8.8% to 81.56%, the TSX by comparison was up approximately 31%.
While I am not officially part of the competition (although hopefully they will be kind enough to let me in), I am going to take part anyways, tracking their results against mine. If you want to participate, put the four stocks you would pick in the comments below, and I will track them for you!
My stock picking strategy will be psychology based. In other words, based on (more…)
Popularity: 40% [?]
-
Beware ‘free’ real estate seminars – Yourhome.ca.
In the next couple of days I will be chronicling a story from two years ago where I got involved with a company who made money by selling real estate courses designed to convince consumers to invest their savings and equity in their homes in real estate backed assets. I ultimately stopped my dealings with the company because I believed that clients were becoming over leveraged without understanding the potential consequences.
In the time being, take a look at this article from Yourhome.ca that discusses the warning signs of a get rich quick scheme.
Typically, what these no-money down programs attempt (more…)
Popularity: 30% [?]
-
Thanks to Garth Turner’s reference to National Bestseller Golf Balls Don’t Float demand has skyrocketed! As a thank you to Garth and his readers, we are putting the book on sale for the price which Garth quoted, $10.
Don’t forget to buy a pre-sale copy of The Mortgaged Millionaire!
See what one of North America’s top teaching professionals has to say about Golf Balls Don’t Float. (more…)
Popularity: 84% [?]
-
From Newswire.ca
Canada’s household debt still manageable: CIBC World Markets Inc.
CIBC – usually one of the most accurate of the banks when it comes to economic predictions re-buttes the Bank of Canada’s analysis of Canada’s credit market.
“Make no mistake: Canada is not doomed to see a U.S.-style housing and mortgage blow-up,” says Chief Economist Avery Shenfeld in the bank’s latest Economic Insights report. “There are three lines of defense for those with high debt service ratios that the BoC analysis ignored.
“One, some mortgage holders will have substantial home equity, even allowing for a house price slide, and could downsize. Two, others have high debt payments because they are making accelerated pay-downs of principal, which they could stop. Three, history suggests that many will jump into fixed mortgages in time to avoid the full brunt of the variable rate shock.
“The result is that the number of Canadians truly at risk could be substantially less than the (Bank of Canada’s) estimate.”
I haven’t seen the data, but wondered myself how Carney and Flaherty so quickly acquire a pulse on the Canadian financial markets. Their crystal balls must be exquisite.
Comment on this post and enter to win an Ipod Touch
Popularity: 22% [?]
