There are few things more emotionally distressing – to say nothing of financially difficult – than cleaning up a home after a flood. Finding badly damaged, much-loved items is particularly heart-breaking. Yet even the unprepared should take heart: while some damaged items will have to be thrown away, others can be restored. Clothes and linen…
Read more
The question of how much foreign buyers influence the Australian property market can be controversial with claims their participation bolsters prices and worsens housing affordability for ordinary Australians. New research by PropTrack, part of the portal realestate.com.au, has recorded a 20% increase in searches from overseas buyers compared to the five-year average. This surge is…
Read more
The debate about the future of real estate in Canada often swings around to the topic of the housing shortage. The Royal Bank of Canada has voiced its opinion on the question of affordability, highlighting its estimate that a million households will not be able to afford a home by 2030. It also claims that…
Read more
New housing initiatives valued at $8.5 billion and designed to boost the real estate market were released in the recent Federal Budget. The Government’s biggest promise was a pledge to construct 3.87 million homes by 2031. Buyers will also be allowed to withdraw up to $60,000 via the Registered Retired Saving Plan (RRSP) Home Buyers’…
Read more
Anyone who doubts the value of real estate as an investment might want to consider the disparity between the average price of a home today and the cost in 2014. The price difference is almost 60%: an excellent result for homeowners and investors alike. It’s tough to hear for those who are seeking to enter…
Read more
Canadians under the age of 35 are carrying greater financial debt than two years ago and face increasing challenges to achieving home ownership, according to the agency Statistics Canada. Young households had seen their mortgage burden increase over the past 12 months, and their accumulation of wealth was slowing. StatCan pointed to higher interest rates…
Read more
Hopes for a continued strong selling season have been boosted by data showing that real estate values across Canada have increased 3.5% year-on-year, taking the average home value to $685,809. The provinces enjoying the most significant gains were New Brunswick, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) figures for…
Read more
The compulsory purchase of insurance by a mortgage borrower to protect their lender from a loan default is under investigation, according to a report from the leading financial news agency, Bloomberg. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is questioning the validity of forcing borrowers as a condition of a loan to pay for insurance that…
Read more
Two big Hollywood names, along with the most famous of all the tech sector mega-rich, are headlining the real estate market at the moment. The Beverly Hills home of iconic sex symbol Raquel Welch, who died in February last year aged 83, has just been put on the market for $3.95 million. It’s a beautiful…
Read more
Performing 24/7, 365 days of the year, fridges are the crucial quiet achiever of the kitchen. Yet they are also the most under-appreciated appliance so, when they stop working unexpectedly, both food and budgets can also rapidly suffer. With so many areas of the US having hot summers, it’s difficult to imagine how early generations…
Read more
