Renx Homes News Canada (RENXHOMES)
c/o Squall Inc.
P.O. Box 1484, Stn. B
Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5P6

thankyou@renxhomes.ca
Canada: 1-855-569-6300

Affordability has many Canadians considering major moves

5 months ago

Affordability has many Canadians considering major moves

Half of respondents from the Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal areas would consider moving to one of Canada’s 15 most affordable cities if they were able to find a job or work remotely, according to a Royal LePage survey.

Canada’s residential mortgage debt hits $2.16 trillion

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says total residential mortgage debt totalled $2.16 trillion as of February this year, up 3.4 per cent year-over-year and representing the slowest growth in 23 years. 

Making homeowners into home builders

To address the housing shortage, all hands are required. Homeowners can play a role in increasing supply, as noted by Housing Minister Sean Fraser. To enable them, a new Calgary venture aims to equip homeowners with the know-how they need.

Construction permit delays 'unacceptable': Montreal mayor

On average, in 2023, Ville-Marie district took 18 months to authorize new construction, compared to seven months pre-pandemic. The wait is longer in Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve: over 20 months on average last year. The delays are largely attributable to municipal authorities.

Ontario extends cooling-off period to new houses

Decades after creating a 10-day cooling-off period for purchasers to reconsider a new-build condominium contract, the Ontario government has extended the right to purchasers of new detached and freehold homes, among a raft of new consumer protections. 

Feds and Ontario reach $357M housing agreement

The federal government and Ontario have agreed on a national housing strategy that will see the province unlock $357 million in federal funding, after Ottawa said it would send the money directly to municipalities instead. 

Oakville rejects density plan, must pay back over $1 million

The Ontario town has been asked to pay back over $1 million in federal funds after reneging on a deal on housing density. Town council — led by the mayor — rejected a motion to add “gentle density” policies, including four-plexes.   

Report calls for universal access to housing

Canada needs to treat housing as something that should be universally available, akin to health care, according to a new report to the federal government that calls for preserving lower-cost apartments, building more of them and better supporting renters.

What will $700,000 buy you across Canada?

Home prices have been rising, making it harder to achieve homeownership. The average sale price for a home in Calgary in April was $499,505, while the average price in Canada was $703,446, a Canada Housing Market report says.

Rising rents: what $2,000 a month will get you around Canada

According to Statistics Canada’s April Consumer Price Index, rent prices in Canada rose 8.3 per cent year over year. Alberta saw the largest increase at 16.2 per cent, in its eighth consecutive month of rising rents, coinciding with interprovincial migration.

Toronto Real Estate Board backs city's Major Streets plan

The City of Toronto approved a motion allowing townhomes and small six-storey residential units along major streets. President of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board Jennifer Pearce says elected leaders must now deliver policy action to make a meaningful impact.

B.C. announces online permit to speed up homebuilding

The British Columbia government says a new online "hub" will speed up building permit processes across jurisdictions. Premier David Eby says "slow and complicated" building permit processes have delayed housing development at a time when it's urgently needed.

Cost concerns in Vancouver over decarbonizing large bldgs.

Vancouver is introducing new emissions reporting requirements for the city's largest buildings, as part of a plan to decarbonize retail and office space. The bylaw, which comes into effect June 1, applies to buildings over 100,000 square feet or larger.

Could energy efficient goals make housing less affordable?

Will the push for greener buildings in Delta start making them less affordable? That question was posed during council’s discussion on the city’s updated Community Energy and Emissions Plan, which contains a series of strategies to reduce greenhouse gases.

New Edmonton district plans for 15-minute communities

Edmonton city council is hearing input on new guidelines for neighbourhood development as the city prepares to grow to two million people. Council has scheduled three days of public hearings on the district policy and accompanying district plans. 

Toronto councillor calls for more visitor parking

A Toronto councillor is calling for an overhaul of visitor parking requirements at new housing developments, saying the current minimums are so low, they could have a negative impact on families and seniors. 

Cape Breton RM growing faster than rest of Nova Scotia

After decades of declining numbers and an aging population, Cape Breton Regional Municipality was the fastest-growing area in Nova Scotia last year and the population is getting younger, according to new figures from the province's finance department.

PWC report concludes Greg Martel ran a massive Ponzi scheme

Victoria mortgage broker Greg Martel was running a massive Ponzi scheme and investors who are out more than $317 million will never see a dime of that money, which Martel never used to make bridge loans as promised. 

'It’s depressing being a 40-year-old stuck at home'

By 2021, Ryan Fehr had grown tired of renting. Single father Fehr, 40, found there was no limit on how much landlords could raise the rent in Calgary, and he yearned to put down some roots in a house. 

US Covid-era homebuyers face huge rate hump

A small but mostly affluent group of Americans are about to see their mortgage payments skyrocket. They are the more than 1.7 million owners of homes bought since 2019 with an adjustable-rate mortgage. 

Industry Events