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We have assembled a collection of thought provoking articles, reports, surveys, industry information, and other interesting content for your enjoyment.



[Bank of Canada] Balancing Monetary Policy and Financial Stability
[Bank of Canada] Balancing Monetary Policy and Financial Stability

by Yvonne von Jena | November 23, 2018

Bank of Canada deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins spoke recently about how monetary and macro-prudential policies interact with each other and how they affect financial stability. She provided some clear, interesting and insightful examples that highlight the impact.

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HELOC Policy Changes and Expected Impact
HELOC Policy Changes and Expected Impact

by Yvonne von Jena | November 14, 2018

A little-known HELOC policy is increasingly being adopted by lenders and has received attention in the media. Under this policy, applicants must prove they can afford the theoretical monthly HELOC payment based on the limit of that HELOC, rather than the amount that has actually been used. Notes Rob McLister in the Globe and Mail, “every credit-policy tightening adds up and weighs on home prices.”

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CMHC's Evan Siddall on Recent and Future Regulatory Changes
CMHC's Evan Siddall on Recent and Future Regulatory Changes

by Yvonne von Jena | October 31, 2018

CMHC’s Evan Siddall spoke about regulatory changes and B-20 at the MPC Expo in Montreal this past weekend. The discussion revolved around federal mortgage rule changes, including the new stress test introduced as part of the revised B-20 guidelines, refinance restrictions and much more.

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OSFI to Take New Measures to Address Certain Equity-Based Mortgages
OSFI to Take New Measures to Address Certain Equity-Based Mortgages

by Yvonne von Jena | October 11, 2018

Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) is signaling that it will be taking more action to address mortgage approvals that rely on the equity in the property at the expense of assessing the borrower’s ability to pay the loan.

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Cannabis Home Grows: Risk, Appraisals and Other Things You Need to Know
Cannabis Home Grows: Risk, Appraisals and Other Things You Need to Know

by Yvonne von Jena | October 10, 2018

It’s just about here. We are now one week away from cannabis being legalized in Canada, which includes the ability to grow cannabis at home if allowed by the given jurisdiction. Here is some of the latest information that you need to know.

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CREA Will Post Sales Data without Password
CREA Will Post Sales Data without Password

by Yvonne von Jena | October 6, 2018

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) says it will soon be adding historical sales data to its realtor.ca website without a password.

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Is Open Banking Coming to Canada?
Is Open Banking Coming to Canada?

by Yvonne von Jena | October 5, 2018

This week, the Minister of Finance Bill Morneau launched an Advisory Committee on Open Banking. As many countries around the world have either launched or are launching open banking, it will be interesting to see if open banking comes to Canada also.

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Canadian Housing Market Softness: the "Big One"ù or a Recalibration?
Canadian Housing Market Softness: the "Big One"ù or a Recalibration?

by Yvonne von Jena | October 2, 2018

In his most recent MacroMemo, RBC Global Asset Management chief economist Eric Lascelles, notes that the unusual weakness experienced by Canada’s housing market in the past year is likely a recalibration rather than the beginning of the end of a housing boom. However, he continues to look for rather more sluggish growth, pockets of housing weakness, and a variety of other factors to continue to impact the market.

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[RBC] Rising Rates keep Squeezing Home Affordability
[RBC] Rising Rates keep Squeezing Home Affordability

by Yvonne von Jena | September 28, 2018

According to RBC’s latest Housing Trends and Affordability report, its affordability measure and home ownership costs continued to deteriorate due to higher mortgage rates.

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TREB Allows Realtors to Post GTA Home Sales Data
TREB Allows Realtors to Post GTA Home Sales Data

by Yvonne von Jena | September 19, 2018

TREB has agreed to allow real estate companies to post GTA home sales data on their password-protected websites. Beginning Wednesday, September 19, home buyers and sellers can now access sold prices and other real estate data which were previously not publicly available.

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