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Strong Sales/Price Growth Continue in 2012

TORONTO, February 3, 2012 — Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,567 sales through the TorontoMLS® system in January 2012. This number was 8.8 per cent higher than the 4,199 sales reported in January 2011. Sales growth was strongest for low-rise home types in the regions surrounding the City of Toronto.


“A favourable affordability picture bolstered by very low posted fixed mortgage rates has kept home buyers confident in their ability to achieve the Canadian goal of home ownership,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver.


“The buyer pool remains diverse in the GTA with strong interest in home types across the pricing spectrum,” continued Silver.


The average selling price for January 2012 transactions was $463,534 – up by almost nine per cent compared to January 2011.


 “Low inventory levels have kept competition between buyers strong, resulting in robust annual rates of price growth over the last year. Strong price growth is expected to attract more listings. A better supplied market should result in a slower rate of price growth, especially in the second half of 2012,” said Jason Mercer, the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

January 2012  Toronto Real Estate Market Watch
 

2012 Housing Forcast for Ontario
 
 


December 2010 Toronto Real Estate Board Market Watch
 
November 2010 Toronto Real Estate Market Watch 2010
 
October 2010 Toronto Real Estate Market Watch 2010

 

August 2010 Toronto Real Estate Market watch

August 2010 Toronto Real Estate Market Charts
 
 
 July 2010 Toronto Real Estate Market Report

 


  

Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 10,898 sales through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in April, representing a 34 per cent increase compared to April 2009. There were also 20,683 new listings in April – a 59 per cent annual increase. Both the sales and new listings results amounted to new records for the month of April under the current Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) boundaries.

 

“The GTA resale market is functioning properly. Sales were high as buyers continued to take advantage of affordable home ownership opportunities. Listings grew as home owners reacted to strong sales and price growth,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Tom Lebour. “More balanced market conditions will result in sustainable rates of annual price growth in the second half of 2010.”

 

The average price for April transactions was $437,600 – up 13 per cent compared to the average of $385,641 recorded in April 2009.

 

"Home sales continue to be driven by many different segments of the market, with sales growth for all major home types in both the City of Toronto and surrounding 905 regions," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of Market Analysis. "Home sales will remain strong in the second half of 2010, but will slip from the current record pace as borrowing costs rise.”

 

Toronto Real Estate Market Report - April 2010

 

Toronto Real Estate Market showes a 48% increase in listings.

 

The Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) during the first two weeks of April. This represented a 25 per cent increase compared to the 3,681 sales recorded during the same period in 2009. New listings increased by 48 per cent annually to 9,512. “The fact that annual growth in new listings outstripped growth in sales suggests that the GTA existing home market is becoming better supplied,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Tom Lebour.

 

"Home owners are reacting to strong sales and price growth by listing their homes in greater numbers. They are confident they will receive offers in line with their asking price."

 

The average price for April mid-month transactions was $430,271 – up 12 per cent compared to the average of $383,361 recorded during the first 14 days of April 2009. "The average annual rate of price increase has declined and we are shortly going to see a return to sustainable single-digit rates of growth," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

 

"As home buyers experience more choice in the marketplace, there will be less upward pressure on the average selling price in the GTA.”

 

This looks like April will mark the turning point for Toronto's Real Estate Market. For the first time in years we saw new listings increase at a faster rate than sales.

 

Toronto's real estate market has suffered from a shortage of new listings ever since the market rebounded a year ago.


Canadian Realtors report busy spring

Resale market sees nearly 100,000 homes listed for sale in March. Seasonally adjusted sales scaled new heights in Toronto and Ottawa.

 

 

Homebuyers have more choice heading into the busy spring buying season, with new supply in Canada's resale housing market setting a record for the month of March. While resale housing demand remains strong, rising numbers of new listings are resulting in a more balanced national resale housing market. According to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), some 97,663 residential properties were listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLSvSystems of Canadian real estate Boards in March 2010. This is an increase of 20 per cent from the previous March record set in 2008. A total of 233,402 new listings have come on stream since the beginning of the year, more than in any other first quarter period on record.

 

"Negotiations still favour sellers during the home buying process in a number of major Canadian housing markets," said CREA President Georges Pahud. "The rise in new listings means that buyers may shop around more before making an offer."

Demand remains very strong, but has edged lower compared to the record levels posted at the end of 2009. Seasonally adjusted national home sales totalled 130,072 units in the first three months of 2010. This represents the fourth highest quarterly level on record, down 3.4 per cent from the quarterly peak in the fourth quarter of last year. Sales activity in Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland & Labrador rose to new records in the first quarter. Higher activity in these provinces was offset by a decline in activity in British Columbia (-17.8 per cent) and Alberta (-9.7 per cent).

Actual (not seasonally adjusted) sales numbered 111,110 units in the first quarter of 2010. This is the third highest level ever for the first quarter period.

 

A total of 43,621 homes traded hands through Boards' MLS(R) Systems on a seasonally adjusted basis in March 2010. This is an increase of 1.4 per cent from February, as further gains in Toronto more than offset a decline in activity in Vancouver.

Unadjusted national sales activity numbered 49,256 units in March. This marks the second highest level on record for the month of March. On a year-over-year basis, sales were up 40.8 per cent, smaller than those of the previous five months. Since a year will soon have elapsed following the recessionary decline and subsequent rebound for the Canadian resale market, year-over-year comparisons are expected to continue shrinking in the months ahead.

 

The national average price of homes sold via Canadian MLS® Systems in March was $340,920. This is the second highest national average price on record, just $300 below the peak reached last October. Compared to March 2009, the national average home price was up 17.6 per cent. As with sales activity, the increase was smaller than those recorded over the past five months, and year-over-year gains are expected to become further subdued as the year progresses.

 

The price trend is similar but less dramatic for the national weighted average price, which compensates for changes in provincial sales activity by taking into account provincial proportions of privately owned housing stock. It climbed 16 per cent on a year-over-year basis in March 2010.

 

The residential average price in Canada's major markets climbed 19 per cent year-over-year to $373,835 in March. As with the national counterpart, the price trend is similar but less dramatic for the major market weighted average price, which rose 17 per cent from levels reported in March 2009.

 

There were 214,312 homes listed for sale on Boards' MLS® Systems in Canada at the end of March 2010, a decline of nine per cent compared to the elevated levels of one year ago. This is the smallest year-over-year decline in active listings since June 2009.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) number of months of inventory in March 2010 stood at 4.4 months. While well below where it stood one year ago (6.7 months), and down slightly from March 2008 (five months), months of inventory are higher compared to March from 2004 through 2007. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, months of inventory stood at 4.6 months in March. This was little changed from February, but stands above levels reported in the previous four months.

 

"The erosion of housing affordability is crimping activity in some of Canada's priciest markets in the lower mainland of British Columbia," said CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump. "Higher mortgage interest rates and the rise in new listings may also soon reduce some of the urgency to purchase in Toronto. Sales activity in British Columbia and Ontario is expected to ease over the second half of 2010 once the HST comes into effect, pulling national activity lower. Rising supply and lower activity will take the steam out of the pricing environment following upbeat home sales this spring."

CREA cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate actual prices in centres comprised of widely divergent neighborhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas. Statistical information contained in this report includes all housing types.

GTA Realtors report on the March Resale Home Market.

 

Greater Toronto Realtors reported 10,430 sales through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in March, pushing total first quarter 2010 sales to 22,418 – the best result on record under the current Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) boundaries. The average price for March transactions was $434,696. The average price for the first quarter was $427,948.

"The strong rebound in the existing home market was one of the initial drivers of economic recovery," said TREB President Tom Lebour. "While we don't expect to see the same rates growth moving forward, GTA households will remain confident in ownership housing as a quality long-term investment, especially as economic recovery expands across all industries."

 

The annual rate of growth for new listings continued to accelerate in March. The number of new listings grew by 42 per cent compared to March of 2008. "The average home price in the GTA will continue to grow this year, but the pace will slow as we move through the spring," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of Market Analysis. "As growth in new listings starts to outstrip growth in sales, buyers will experience more choice, resulting in more sustainable single digit rates of average price growth."

 

Click Here for Complete Market Watch report(PDF).

Toronto's luxury home market is hot

Forest Hill and Bridle Path are the hottest spots for real estate worth $1 million-plus as February sales and prices soar.

 

 

A heated Toronto real estate market is lifting sales of luxury homes as the economy starts to improve and move-up buyers regain confidence, says a report by Coldwell Banker Terrequity Realty released Wednesday.

The top-performing area with sale prices in excess of $1 million in 2009 was Forest Hill, where 280 homes changed hands at an average price of $1.42 million.

 

 

The Bridle Path area was in second place, with 221 sales and an average price of $2.1 million.

Oakville, west of Toronto, came in third with 174 properties sold with an average value of $1.67 million.

GTA residential real estate market continues to soar.

 

Toronto area realtors reported 7,291 sales through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in February, representing a 77 per cent increase over February 2009. The average price for these transactions was up 19 per cent year-over-year to $431,509. Sales and average price increases represent both increased demand for ownership housing and the base year effect, which involves a comparison of economic recovery this year to a period of economic decline last year.

“Increases in existing home sales and average price were noted across the GTA in low-rise and high-rise home types. Similar rates of growth were experienced in the City of Toronto and surrounding 905 regions,” said TREB President Tom Lebour. “This suggests that first time, move-up and down sizing buyers are all active in the existing home marketplace.”

 

New listings also increased in February, climbing 24 per cent compared to the same month last year. “Annual growth in new listings is expected to continue. New listings growth will start to outstrip sales growth as we move through 2010,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis. “As the market becomes better supplied, we will see more sustainable single-digit rates of price growth.”

 



Low inventory heating Spring market

Lack of inventory will be the greatest challenge facing housing markets across the country this Spring, according to a report released today by RE/MAX.

 

 

The RE/MAX Market Trends Report 2010, which examined real estate trends and developments in 16 markets across the country, found that unusually strong activity during one of the traditionally quietest months of the year has led to a sharp decline in active listings in 81 per cent of markets surveyed. The threat of higher interest rates, tighter lending criteria, and in British Columbia and Ontario, the introduction of the new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) have clearly served to kick-start real estate activity from coast-to-coast, prompting an unprecedented influx of purchasers. As a result, 87.5 per cent of markets posted an increase in sales in January. Average price appreciated in 81 per cent of markets surveyed.

“There have never been so many motivating factors in play at once,” says Michael Polzler, Executive Vice President, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada. “We’re in for a heated Spring market that will, in all probability, spill over into the summer months, as the window of opportunity draws to a close. The supply of homes listed for sale has been drastically reduced, housing values are once again on the upswing, and banks and governments are moving in unison toward stricter lending policies.”

 

Markets experiencing the tightest inventory levels include Toronto (- 41 per cent); Kitchener-Waterloo (-33 per cent); Ottawa (- 30 per cent); Victoria (- 30 per cent); Greater Vancouver (- 27 per cent); Halifax-Dartmouth (- 19 per cent); London-St. Thomas (- 18 per cent); Regina (- 16 per cent); and Winnipeg (- 13 per cent). Conditions were still balanced, but starting to tighten in Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon, particularly in the single-family detached category.

 

The highest year-over-year sales gains were reported in Greater Vancouver (152 per cent), Kelowna (121 per cent), Greater Toronto (87 per cent), Victoria (69 per cent), Hamilton-Burlington (58 per cent), London-St. Thomas (55 per cent) and Calgary (47 per cent). Western Canadian cities dominated the list of centres with the highest increases in price appreciation. These included Victoria at 25.5 per cent, Kelowna at 22 per cent, Greater Vancouver at 19.5 per cent, and Winnipeg at 17 per cent. St. John’s (23 per cent) and Toronto (19 per cent) were also among the frontrunners for price growth.

 

“Affordability is the catalyst for the vast majority of purchasers in today’s housing market,” says Elton Ash, Regional Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of Western Canada. “While homeownership is still within reach in many major centres, levels are slipping. There is a growing sense, on both sides of the fence, that the time to act is now.”

 

While buyers are taking advantage of favourable conditions, sellers too are reaping the rewards. Competing bids are a factor in the marketplace once again, with well-priced listings—especially at the entry-level price point—experiencing multiple offers. Properties priced at fair-market value will likely sell quickly for top dollar. The overall pressure on sales and price is significant across the board – and it’s not likely to subside unless more inventory comes on-stream.

 

“The level of frustration is growing, as pent-up demand builds,” says Polzler. “For every successful offer, there are those that will walk away empty-handed. They’re thrust back into the buyer pool and the process starts all over again. Some buyers are upping the ante, while others are considering alternate housing options. Still, purchasers remain cautious in their bids, with most careful not to max out debt service ratios.”

Recent revisions to lending criteria will add fuel to the fire in the short term. Buyers considering a variable rate mortgage will step up their plans for homeownership in the next month or so just to get in under the wire. In the longer term, buyers will adjust, but move forward. Compromise has long been a reality—particularly in the larger centres. This simply means they may go smaller or further in their pursuits.

 

“It’s been a 180 degree turnaround from this time last year,” says Ash. “It’s clear that real estate from coast to coast has roared back to life and markets are once again firing on all cylinders. The vast majority of markets are now recovered and fully-evolved, with all segments working in tandem. At the luxury price point, activity was brisk in 73% of centres surveyed, with momentum ramping up in the remainder. Opportunity exists in some areas, but the question is for how much longer? ”

 

Low inventory levels set stage for heated Spring market

in most major Canadian centres, says RE/MAX

 

Active listings down in 81 per cent of markets in January

 

 

Lack of inventory will be the greatest challenge facing housing markets across the country this Spring, according to a report released by RE/MAX.

 

The RE/MAX Market Trends Report 2010, which examined real estate trends and developments in 16 markets across the country, found that unusually strong activity during one of the traditionally quietest months of the year has led to a sharp decline in active listings in 81 per cent of markets surveyed.  The threat of higher interest rates, tighter lending criteria, and in British Columbia and Ontario, the introduction of the new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) have clearly served to kick-start real estate activity from coast-to-coast, prompting an unprecedented influx of purchasers. As a result, 87.5 per cent of markets posted an increase in sales in January. Average price appreciated in 81 per cent of markets surveyed.

 

There have never been so many motivating factors in play at once.  We’re in for a heated Spring market that will, in all probability, spill over into the summer months, as the window of opportunity draws to a close. The supply of homes listed for sale has been drastically reduced, housing values are once again on the upswing, and banks and governments are moving in unison toward stricter lending policies.

 

Markets experiencing the tightest inventory levels include Toronto (- 41 per cent); Kitchener-Waterloo

(-33 per cent); Ottawa (- 30 per cent); Victoria (- 30 per cent); Greater Vancouver (- 27 per cent); Halifax-Dartmouth (- 19 per cent); London-St. Thomas (- 18 per cent); Regina (- 16 per cent); and Winnipeg (- 13 per cent).  Conditions were still balanced, but starting to tighten in Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon, particularly in the single-family detached category.

 

The highest year-over-year sales gains were reported in Greater Vancouver (152 per cent), Kelowna (121 per cent), Greater Toronto (87 per cent), Victoria (69 per cent), Hamilton-Burlington (58 per cent), London-St. Thomas (55 per cent) and Calgary (47 per cent). Western Canadian cities dominated the list of centres with the highest increases in price appreciation.  These included Victoria at 25.5 per cent, Kelowna at 22 per cent, Greater Vancouver at 19.5 per cent, and Winnipeg at 17 per cent.  St. John’s (23 per cent) and Toronto (19 per cent) were also among the frontrunners for price growth.

 

Affordability is the catalyst for the vast majority of purchasers in today’s housing market.  While homeownership is still within reach in many major centres, levels are slipping.  There is a growing sense, on both sides of the fence, that the time to act is now.

 

While buyers are taking advantage of favourable conditions, sellers too are reaping the rewards.  Competing bids are a factor in the marketplace once again, with well-priced listings—especially at the entry-level price point—experiencing multiple offers.  Properties priced at fair-market value will likely sell quickly for top dollar.  The overall pressure on sales and price is significant across the board – and it’s not likely to subside unless more inventory comes on-stream. 

 

The level of frustration is growing, as pent-up demand builds.  For every successful offer, there are those that will walk away empty-handed.   They’re thrust back into the buyer pool and the process starts all over again.  Some buyers are upping the ante, while others are considering alternate housing options.  Still, purchasers remain cautious in their bids, with most careful not to max out debt service ratios.

 

Recent revisions to lending criteria will add fuel to the fire in the short term.  Buyers considering a variable rate mortgage will step up their plans for homeownership in the next month or so just to get in under the wire.  In the longer term, buyers will adjust, but move forward.  Compromise has long been a reality—particularly in the larger centres.  This simply means they may go smaller or further in their pursuits.  

 

It’s been a 180 degree turnaround from this time last year.  It’s clear that real estate from coast to coast has roared back to life and markets are once again firing on all cylinders.  The vast majority of markets are now recovered and fully-evolved, with all segments working in tandem.   At the luxury price point, activity was brisk in seventy-three per cent of centres surveyed, with momentum ramping up in the remainder.  Opportunity exists in some areas, but the question is for how much longer?



Toronto Real Estate Board reports:

GTA realtors mid-month resale housing market statistics.

 

Greater Toronto realtors reported 3,555 sales through the Multiple Listing Service during the first two weeks of February. This represented a 74 per cent increase compared to the 2,044 sales recorded during the same period in 2009 when resale transactions had dipped due to the recession. The February mid-month sales total was also 7.7 per cent above the previous high set in 2006.

"Home ownership demand remains strong in the GTA, as households remain confident that economic recovery is at hand and that ownership housing will continue to be a quality long-term investment," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Tom Lebour.

The average price for February mid-month transactions was $429,997 - an 18 per cent increase over 2009. New Listings within the Toronto Real Estate Board boundaries were up 15 per cent to 6,212.

"Double-digit price increases will persist through the first quarter of the year," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of Market Analysis. "However, as new listings continue to increase creating a better supplied market, we will see the annual rate of price growth moderate into the single digits."

 

 

Government of Canada Takes Action to Strengthen Housing Financing

Jim-FlahertyThe Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced a number of measured steps to support the long-term stability of Canada's housing market and continue to encourage home ownership for Canadians.

"Canada's housing market is healthy, stable and supported by our country's solid economic fundamentals," said Minister Flaherty. "However, a key lesson of the global financial crisis is that early policy action can help prevent negative trends from developing."

The Government will therefore adjust the rules for government-backed insured mortgages as follows:

       Require that all borrowers meet the standards for a five-year fixed rate mortgage even if they choose a mortgage with a lower interest rate and shorter term. This initiative will help Canadians prepare for higher interest rates in the future.

       Lower the maximum amount Canadians can withdraw in refinancing their mortgages to 90 per cent from 95 per cent of the value of their homes. This will help ensure home ownership is a more effective way to save.

       Require a minimum down payment of 20 per cent for government-backed mortgage insurance on non-owner-occupied properties purchased for speculation.

"There's no clear evidence of a housing bubble, but we're taking proactive, prudent and cautious steps today to help prevent one. Our Government is acting to help prevent Canadian households from getting overextended, and acting to help prevent some lenders from facilitating it," said Minister Flaherty. "If some lenders aren't willing to act themselves, we will act. These measures demonstrate the Government is committed to taking action when necessary to support the long-term stability of a sector that is so vital to our economy and the financial well-being of Canadian families."

These adjustments to the mortgage insurance guarantee framework are intended to come into force on April 19, 2010. See link below........

 

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100216/business/mortgage_rules

 

 

So what does this mean to you??? Well, if you're an existing homeowner that holds a Variable Rate mortgage, it means very little, just enjoy your low rate mortgage. The above changes doesn't mean rates are on the rise, but rather the government is using other means to slow down a hot real estate market. With unemployment currently at 8.50%, a strong Canadian dollar sitting at 95 cents and core inflation at 2%, means that there is not a huge panic for the Bank of Canada to raise rates aggressively for now.

 

Of course, this could all change as certain key indicators and new data come to the market.

 

 

 

Still a seller's real estate market

but it's not a bubble economists say

 

Canada's housing market is on the rebound after a decline in 2009 with resales expected to set a new annual record this year and home building is off to a strong start, according to two reports Monday. There in't a bubble because of a lack of speculation in the real estate market, said Scotiabank senior economist Adrienne Warren.

Prices are being driven by more buyers than sellers, not unexpected with a tight supply, and buyers may be overpaying a little in some markets, she said. "We don't think there's a bubble," she said from Toronto.

 

The Canadian Real Estate Association is forecasting resales for homes will set a record in 2010, largely driven by activity in the first six months of this year.

 

The resale housing market is expected to reach 527,300 units this year, up 13.3 per cent from 2009. This would be a new annual record, up 1.2 per cent above the previous peak in 2007, CREA said Monday.

 

"You are not hearing about a lot of speculative buying," Greg Klump, the national real estate organization's chief economist, said from Ottawa. "Nor is there a lot of speculative building."

Low interest rates and buyers wishing to avoid the harmonized sales tax before it comes into effect in Ontario and British Columbia will help fuel resales in the first half of this year, he said. In the second half of 2010, sales are expected to be lower as interest rates are expected to increase marginally, Klump said.

 

New housing starts have also gone up, according to figures Monday by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts reached 186,300 in January, up 5.8 per cent from 176,100 in December. CMHC reported actual housing starts for 2009 totalled 149,081 units, with activity improving as the year progressed.

 

TD Bank economist Pascal Gauthier said there's talk of a bubble because of how strong housing markets have rebounded after the economic downturn. "Our expectation is that it will not be sustained. The market will cool off. You could only really have a bubble if that was to continue," Gauthier said. Gauthier said he expects housing starts to cool off by mid-year.

 

The CMHC said urban starts increased 4.4 per cent to 165,200 in January. Urban multiple starts rose 5.7 per cent to 76,300, while single urban starts increased 3.3 per cent to 88,900.

The improving market comes as the federal Competition Bureau said Monday it's challenging rules imposed by the Canadian Real Estate Association, a body that represents nearly 100,000 real-estate brokers, agents and salespeople.

 

The federal agency says the CREA rules limit choices for consumers and force them to pay for services they don't want, also stifling innovation in the market for residential real estate services.

 


Toronto HST Tax

 

But wait .. next year may be too late. The new 13% harmonized sales tax comes into effect in Ontario on July 1, 2010, and it will likely hit the whole housing market hard. If you haven't sold by July 1, you may well be out of luck. And if you haven't bought by then, well, maybe you'll want to change your mind. And the funny thing is, hardly anyone seems to realize it.

"There are going to be a lot of very surprised people on July 1," says Jim Flood, director of government relations for the Ontario Real Estate Association. "It's a massive tax increase."

So here's the bad news: Although resale houses will not be taxed, everything to do with the sale will be -- the house inspection, the agent's commission, the moving costs and legal fees.

There will even be tax on the home energy audit all sellers are now compelled to carry out thanks to the Green Energy Act the McGuinty government passed in May. And speaking of the home energy audit, why isn't anyone concerned about that?

Altogether, that means the extra tax on a resale house priced at $369,000 will come in at roughly $2,000 (largely the tax on the agent's commission) and double that and more on many ordinary houses in Toronto, before you even remember you have to pay Toronto's onerous land-transfer tax, too.

 

It's enough to make you wonder exactly why you're thinking of moving. Or to get you packing your bags and calling the mover today.

 

But it's worse news for new home buyers, although not as bad as it was originally expected to be. Under pressure from groups like the Ontario Home Builders Association, the province has decided not to levy the tax on the first $400,000 of any new home purchase. (GST has been payable for a number of years but builders tend to hide it in the house price.)

 

So on a $500,000 house, the extra HST hit will be $6,000 instead of $30,000 (builders get a 2% tax credit that lowers the overall tax hit from 8% to 6%). Without that change, the loss of a potential 21,200 jobs in the GTA alone looked probable. That's enough to scare off first-time home buyers and potentially many other people struggling to make ends meet.

Easy, according to the OREA's Flood: "There's a lot of ignorance. I don't think the average consumer is even aware of the tax." The HST will impact many things you haven't even thought of yet -- but the housing-related taxes are killers.

 

How new tax adds to cost of a sale:

Realtor Commission $1,100- $1,700

Mortgage insurance $470

Legal costs $80 *

Home Inspection $32

Title Insurance $15

Total $1,747 -$2,297

(Estimates based on house less than $400,000, from Ontario Real Estate Association)



Toronto finds itself in a surprising situation: The economy stalled, but house prices didn't.

W

hat happens if you had a recession and housing prices didn't really go down? That's the scenario Toronto could be in by the end of 2009, as economists scramble to revise this year's real estate market forecasts.

 

Toronto housing economist Will Dunning is forecasting that the average price of an existing home in the Greater Toronto Area will be $378,700 by the end of this year. His previous forecast was for prices to decline to $358,100, or about 5.6 per cent from 2008. That's in line with the estimates of about a 5 per cent decline from most major housing analysts.

 

"The forecast has been raised substantially," Dunning says. "For the past three months, resale activity has been much stronger than I had been anticipating."

 

A $378,700 price is spitting distance of the $379,347 average price recorded at the end of 2008. Dunning says this year's average price could surpass last year's.

 

Five must-haves for flipping houses

Many people assume that they can simply 1) buy a house, 2) apply a fresh coat of paint, 3) trim some bushes, and then 4) resell the home at a profit. Unfortunately, this process, called "flipping" is not that easy. After all, if it were, everyone would be doing it. There are several skills and people that every potential investor/flipper should have in place before even considering entering into a real estate transaction of this nature. Here are the top five "must-haves" you'll need to succeed in this endeavour.

 

1. A Group of ExpertsWhile a house flipper can certainly go it alone, it will certainly help to retain individuals that are familiar with the legal, accounting and construction ramifications of flipping houses.Flippers typically work against the clock, so they must renovate a home on budget and then turn it around and sell it before the financing costs eat up their profits. In any case, a bevy of experts including a real estate agent, a lawyer, a contractor or renovator, an accountant, a home inspector and an insurance agent can ensure that the work is completed in a timely and efficient manner.

2. A Handyman or Knack for Home ImprovementThe house flippers that make the most money buying and selling homes tend to be handy people. That is, they have the ability to step in and lend a helping hand when time or money constraints kick in. Most flippers can do things like change a sink, install a countertop, do basic electrical or plumbing work, and/or shingle a roof.Why is being handy so important?The obvious answer is that if you can do the work yourself, you won't have to pay someone to come in and do it. However, there are other advantages to being handy as well. For example, there are times when it will be impossible to get an electrician to install an attic fan on short notice. There are also times when a job must be completed without warning at the last second in order to obtain a certificate of occupancy. In these instances, having the ability to navigate your way around a tool box is very valuable.

3. A Good Lay of the LandThe buyer should know about the area in which they are buying property. A buyer should know, for example, what characteristics (acreage, number of rooms, type of home, etc) are the most desirable in the area in which they are looking to buy. Equally important is knowing what houses in the general vicinity have sold for and if there is likely to be any future development in the community (such as a new school, condominium or shopping center) as this could affect supply and demand.

4. A Good EstimatorBy definition, house flippers attempt to buy a property and then resell it at a profit in relatively short order. In order to do this, however, the flipper must typically make some structural and/or cosmetic changes to make the property more appealing to the next buyer.If the flipper underestimates the costs associated with the refurbishment he or she may be exposed to large monetary losses. Therefore, a flipper should be familiar with construction materials (their use and their cost), as well as local construction codes, the cost of local labor and the time it should take to do a given job.This is no small feat. In fact, it takes even the most seasoned construction professional many years before he or she is aware of all the nuances that exist. In any case, before becoming involved in "flipping", be certain of your abilities to estimate a job in terms of both cost and time.

5. A Dose of PatienceOne of the biggest obstacles to making money in the real estate market is that buyers tend to overpay for a given property.Why do buyers overpay?Typically, buyers become emotionally attached to a property or develop some other bond with it, which in turn forces them to enter into a contract on less than favorable terms.However, savvy flippers have the ability to avoid emotional purchases, and the desire to find diamonds in the rough and properties on the cheap. They also understand that if they aren't buying a property at a favorable price and with favorable terms, it makes sense to simply move on to greener pastures.The bad news is that patience is a difficult virtue to teach and hone. In general, either you have it or you'll lose a lot of money trying to learn it. The Bottom LineWhile quitting your job and becoming a full-time house flipper may sound like an attractive proposition, be sure that you have these five "musts" before investing in a real estate project.

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