Seniors' empty homes and amortization periods going too far: This week's top real estate stories - The Globe and Mail | Canada News Media
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Seniors' empty homes and amortization periods going too far: This week's top real estate stories – The Globe and Mail

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376 Nelles Rd. North, Grimsby, Ont.OTBx Air

Here are The Globe and Mail’s top housing and real estate stories this week, with the lowest mortgage rates available in Canada today, commentary from our mortgage expert and one home worth a look.

For many seniors, it’s easier to live in big, empty homes than to downsize

More Canadians are living in larger homes with empty bedrooms than before, a Globe analysis of census data shows. The phenomenon suggests more people are staying in place as they age, rather than downsizing, reports Rachelle Younglai. The lack of housing alternatives for seniors and the high costs of housing are driving the trend, experts say.

Government intervention keeps mortgage defaults at bay, at a cost

According to the Canadian Banker’s Association (CBA), just 15 out of 10,000 mortgaged households are 90-plus days behind on their payments, near the lowest level in decades. Together, high household debt, rapidly increasing interest rates, and the cost of living have created severe financial stress, yet, mortgage arrears are near record lows. In his weekly column, Robert McLister looks at why the math doesn’t add up.

This week’s lowest available mortgage rates

Fixed rates edged up again this week as Canada’s bond market followed U.S. yields higher. Canadian yields have had incredible upward momentum, thanks mainly to the North American economy’s refusal to break, reports McLister.

Mortgage borrowers are leaning too heavily on extending amortization periods, regulator says

Lenders and borrowers are too reliant on lengthening mortgage amortizations to cope with higher interest rates, reports Stefanie Marotta. Borrowers with mortgages in which payments are not high enough to cover the interest portion of the loan could experience a “shock” in significantly higher payments in the years ahead, the head of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions told The Globe and Mail.

Home of the week: History lives in Niagara-area Regency-style home

  • Home of the Week, 376 Nelles Rd. North, Grimsby, Ont.OTBx Air

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376 Nelles Rd. North, Grimsby, Ont.

An old house that remained nearly unchanged as it was handed down through the generations of one family, this home is a local landmark.

Many of the home’s unique elements remain, including the names the children etched into the window panes. The original hardware – with keys weighing as much as a pound – remains on many of the doors.

Today the house has approximately 3,500 square feet of living space with four bedrooms and one-and-a-half bathrooms. On the main floor, a large living room has a decorative fireplace, wide plank floors and tall windows with views of the manicured grounds.

What do you think is the asking price for this house?

a. $1,145,000

b. $1,846,000

c. $2,146,000

d. $3.449-million

a. The asking price is $1,846,000.

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Greater Toronto home sales jump in October after Bank of Canada rate cuts: board

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TORONTO – The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says home sales in October surged as buyers continued moving off the sidelines amid lower interest rates.

The board said 6,658 homes changed hands last month in the Greater Toronto Area, up 44.4 per cent compared with 4,611 in the same month last year. Sales were up 14 per cent from September on a seasonally adjusted basis.

The average selling price was up 1.1 per cent compared with a year earlier at $1,135,215. The composite benchmark price, meant to represent the typical home, was down 3.3 per cent year-over-year.

“While we are still early in the Bank of Canada’s rate cutting cycle, it definitely does appear that an increasing number of buyers moved off the sidelines and back into the marketplace in October,” said TRREB president Jennifer Pearce in a news release.

“The positive affordability picture brought about by lower borrowing costs and relatively flat home prices prompted this improvement in market activity.”

The Bank of Canada has slashed its key interest rate four times since June, including a half-percentage point cut on Oct. 23. The rate now stands at 3.75 per cent, down from the high of five per cent that deterred many would-be buyers from the housing market.

New listings last month totalled 15,328, up 4.3 per cent from a year earlier.

In the City of Toronto, there were 2,509 sales last month, a 37.6 per cent jump from October 2023. Throughout the rest of the GTA, home sales rose 48.9 per cent to 4,149.

The sales uptick is encouraging, said Cameron Forbes, general manager and broker for Re/Max Realtron Realty Inc., who added the figures for October were stronger than he anticipated.

“I thought they’d be up for sure, but not necessarily that much,” said Forbes.

“Obviously, the 50 basis points was certainly a great move in the right direction. I just thought it would take more to get things going.”

He said it shows confidence in the market is returning faster than expected, especially among existing homeowners looking for a new property.

“The average consumer who’s employed and may have been able to get some increases in their wages over the last little bit to make up some ground with inflation, I think they’re confident, so they’re looking in the market.

“The conditions are nice because you’ve got a little more time, you’ve got more choice, you’ve got fewer other buyers to compete against.”

All property types saw more sales in October compared with a year ago throughout the GTA.

Townhouses led the surge with 56.8 per cent more sales, followed by detached homes at 46.6 per cent and semi-detached homes at 44 per cent. There were 33.4 per cent more condos that changed hands year-over-year.

“Market conditions did tighten in October, but there is still a lot of inventory and therefore choice for homebuyers,” said TRREB chief market analyst Jason Mercer.

“This choice will keep home price growth moderate over the next few months. However, as inventory is absorbed and home construction continues to lag population growth, selling price growth will accelerate, likely as we move through the spring of 2025.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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Homelessness: Tiny home village to open next week in Halifax suburb

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HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.

Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.

Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.

The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.

Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.

They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.

The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.

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Here are some facts about British Columbia’s housing market

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Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.

Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.

Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500

Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438

Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103

Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015

Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181

Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839

Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359

Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent

How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

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