Taylor Hallahan, Home Financing Advisor

Here are some compelling stats on Canadian real estate illustrating current and historical data. While some charts aren't surprising, others put into perspective how much speculation can influence popular opinion.

Here's a different approach to work-life balance. A recent study concluded "that employees who kept their work life and personal life highly segmented, with many boundaries between the worlds, experienced higher levels of depletion and stress."

Here are some interesting takeaways from TREB's 2017 market outlook.

The Toronto Real Estate Board predicts that average resale home prices will rise to $825,000 in 2017. Shocking! Yet not so shocking considering the shortage of listings relative to demand.

A recent CMHC report says that a one per cent house price shock in the GTA would cause a 1.4 per cent price change in Hamilton. In other words, if there is a 10% increase in Toronto home prices then Hamilton home prices would increase by 14%!

More changes in the mortgage industry! CMHC will be increasing Mortgage Insurance Premiums as of March 17th, 2017. These changes will apply to applications submitted on or after that date.

"BoC keeps interest rate unchanged and emphasized that the country’s economy will take a material hit from a more protectionist U.S. under Donald Trump. At this time the BoC is not ready to quantify the potential damage and is taking a wait and see approach."

Really looking forward to this event!

Are you considering beginning the process of buying your first home? We will be breaking down the entire transaction for your home purchase with advice from professionals in ever step of the process. For more information please visit: timetobuymyfirsthome.ca or contact me to register

ATTENTION: First Time Home Buyers!! Looking for your first home? This process can feel overwhelming and even frustrating at times, yet with the right support an...d advice it becomes an enjoyable and stress free experience for everyone involved. I will be joined by: Taylor Hallahan, Home Financing Advisor at Scotiabank Paul Silva, Real Estate and Wills Lawyer at Iler Silva Law Offices David Comrie, Home Inspector at A Buyer's Choice Home Inspections Oakville We will be breaking down the transaction and process from each of our individual professions. We'll be sharing tips, tricks, what to look for and what to expect when buying your first home. Join us on Sat Jan 28th 1-3pm or Tues Jan 30th 7-9pm to learn everything you need to know about buying your first home. visit timetobuymyfirsthome.ca to register and for more information

Recently, there have been many articles posting predictions on what will happen in the Canadian real estate market this year. The only consistency in these predictions seems to be the general lack of consensus! It will be interesting to see how much or how little these five factors will impact the market in 2017.

Whether you're installing built-in shelving, remodelling your kitchen, or gutting your house and starting from scratch renovations are challenging. We can show you how to use your home equity to make your dream home a reality. When you're ready, contact me.

The BoC pointed to undiminished uncertainty and a significant amount of slack in the Canadian economy as it held interest rates steady. It will be interesting to see how significantly the transition to a new president and the U.S. Fed's expected plan to increase their interest rates will impact the Canadian economy!

Final 5 candidates for next Canadian woman on banknote revealed by Bank of Canada! Who would you vote for?

I think "focused" Financial literacy courses should be part of the Ontario curriculum! Not just simple budgeting and saving strategies. Understanding the implications of your borrowing habits on your credit profile and how to perform personal accounting/taxes are vital to your success in today's world.

With recent mortgage regulations implemented to slow down demand in the housing market; this article makes some great points on why the focus should be on supply.

Here is some encouraging news for First-time homebuyers!

"According to a recent survey by Ben Myers; domestic investors may be playing a larger role on inreased housing prices than foreign buyers. His figures mesh with a new report by Urbanation that finds there are 10 times more domestic investors than foreign buyers in the market for new high-rise units in Toronto."

This happened quietly last week. Although Genworth’s day-to-day operations are not expected to change; I wonder if they will make any changes to their mortgage insurance products?

"Winter is Coming!" Save Money and Keep your Home Cozy with These Home Maintenance Tips.

This is an interesting article that illustrates the difficulty with using national averages for developing policies and consensus. Some markets - outside of Toronto & Vancouver - that don't require a "cool down" to housing prices may be negatively affected by the new mortgage rule changes.

Thanks to everyone who came out this weekend to support our Charity Pumpkin GiveAway! It was a great success; we handed out a ton of pumpkins and raised a bunch of money for Easter Seals. Another big thank you to Gears Bike Shop for hosting this event. Looking forward to doing it again next year!

Please come out this Saturday to our Charity Pumpkin Give Away in support of Easter Seals. There will be prizes, hot chocolate and, ofcourse, Free Pumpkins! Big thanks to Gears Bike Shop for hosting this event.

Has the BoC become more dovish in favour of lower rates? Changes to mortgage rules in Canada can make rate cuts more tolerable, without creating more imbalances in the housing market. Do you think we will we see a rate cut in 2017?

Toronto real estate research firm Urbanation suggests there will no doubt be a sizeable chunk of demand taken out of the homeownership market that will be directed into the rental market. What do you think?

"Many mortgaged-backed securities in Canada are supported by government-insured mortgages, making them attractive to investors. Their appeal may even grow if issuance declines as a result of the new measures."

"Ontario Home Builders Association recommend municipalities change their zoning and development charges to help builders create more affordable housing options such as mid-rise, family-sized condos that are close to transit."

Ottawa tightens mortgage requirements and targets foreign money. If you're thinking about entering the market make sure you know how these changes could affect your affordability.

"A recent Statistics Canada report found young people between 18 and 35 are more likely to be still living at home than they are to be in any other living arrangement the first time in history that has been the case"

Get up to $1,200 to cover switch costs. It’s a great time to switch to Scotiabank and get a mortgage that’s right for you. You deserve a mortgage that gives you flexible options to help manage your total financial health. When you're ready, contact me.

I get asked this question a lot. You are eligible to use HBP a second time; however, there are some stipulations.

It looks like there will be some changes coming in 2017. How do you think this will affect affordability? Prepare yourself for your home purchase by keeping a strong credit score, low unsecured debt and consider having multiple incomes/borrowers.

The moment we’ve been waiting for! Team Canada takes on Team Europe in game one of the #WCH2016 final tonight at 8PM

"Toronto’s index hit a record of 204.83 last month, meaning prices have increased by 104.83 per cent since June 2005."

8 Teams. One Champion. The best NHL players in the world come together for the #WCH2016, beginning September 17th.

"Homeowners should not be looking at the average price and concluding that the value of their family home is suddenly in free fall. A more accurate gauge of the value of a typical house is calculated by the industry based on what they call the benchmark."

"Some economists speculate that the bank’s surprisingly pessimistic tone may be part of an effort to keep downward pressure on the Canadian dollar and short-term interest rates."

This woman wants to retire at 60, should she sell or keep her house? What do you think?

Forget the "Canadian" market. Real estate is local.This is exactly why it is important to work with a real-estate professional that really knows the local market you are buying or selling in.

While I don't agree with all of the opinions in this article, it still touches on some good points. I constantly hear people discussing homes prices being over-valued but not really knowing what the consequences of that means. This article at least points you in the right direction.

23 clever ways to declutter your garage

"If you are looking at policies focused on the housing market, don’t just look at demand side and ways to see fewer sales. Also look at whether or not there are policies in place hampering new supply from coming on and also look at ways to promote new supply,

This only takes into account the affordability for downtown condo markets but it is an interesting comparison between major cities and where we rank. It could be worse!

You can still get up to $1,200 to cover your switch fees when you transfer your mortgage to Scotiabank. Ask me how!

To my realtor partners: how would you advise your clients on dealing with the SPIS form? It seems like it would be best to have clients speak with a lawyer first to try and protect themsleves against any potential liability.

Millennials, here’s how to keep the home ownership dream alive. "Start a down-payment savings plan so aggressive it hurts. That will train you well for home ownership." This is pretty on point!

Now that the energy sector is no longer a major economic driver, a healthy housing sector is even more essential - Will Dunning, chief economist with Mortgage Professionals Canada

"Rapid growth in house prices (or a rising ratio of house prices versus incomes) is not sufficient evidence of a bubble. These supposedly strong indicators are not definitive proof and may actually represent healthy outcomes within existing conditions. Agree or Disagree?

I definitely agree there should be more transparency within the industry. How do you think these investigations shape the public's opinion of the industry currently?

Simple and straightforward - You don't have to accomplish all of them but doing 2 or 3 can really make a difference to a potential buyer!

Dear Bay Street, from Gen Y provides an interesting perspective. Also, there's always the option to get a course credit in "managing millenials"!

The ‘pink mortgage’ trend is growing exponentially! "Women tend to be more cautious and analytical when jumping into the real estate market than single men are."

The question everyone is asking, when will the inventory increase?!

An interesting article about high housing prices versus individual affordability. What do you think about the B.O.C's current outlook towards the Canadian Economy?

Some brilliant ideas just in time for summer. Might be worth incorporating into your backyard renovation plans!

Burlington ranked best mid-sized city 4th year in a row - this can't be a fluke! Original MoneySense article on Best Places to live and full rankings are linked within.

Some great tips here if you are refinancing and renovating or buying and looking to update. "Remember that the style of your kitchen should be compatible with the rest of your home."