The federal government unveiled the details of a two-year ban on foreign home buyers set to kick in on January 1st (and as last-minute Christmas shoppers, we really get leaving the announcement to the very last minute).

What happened: The regulations will bar non-Canadians (anyone who isn’t a citizen or permanent resident) from purchasing houses in Canada for the next two years, with some exceptions.

Starting in January, profits from sales of houses occupied for less than a year will be 100% taxable as income—barring certain exceptions, like death or work relocation.

The pain of rising interest rates is starting to spread across the housing market, and more people may soon find themselves facing larger monthly mortgage payments.

In 2017, the government launched its National Housing Strategy to create more affordable housing, which includes a sub-plan aimed at cutting chronic homelessness in half by 2028.

Five years in, are the feds any closer to this goal? The short answer: No one knows. 

Is it the beginning of the end of Canada’s real estate downturn? RBC thinks so.

As interest rate hikes drive up borrowing costs and, in turn, lower housing prices, many Canadians are asking for a break when it comes to their mortgage qualifying rate. 

Canada’s top financial regulator responded with a firm: “Nah, we’re good.”

You’ve got your textbooks, LED light strips, and a fern that you’re definitely going to take care of this time, but if you’re heading back to college or university this week, there may be one small thing you’re missing: somewhere to live.

Driving the news: Soaring rents and a shortage of on-campus residences are making it virtually impossible for many of the country’s 1.5 million post-secondary students to secure housing before classes begin this week.

The phrase “short-term pain, long-term gain” has never been more true for homeowners.

Forget heavy courseloads and unrequited crushes, Canadian post-secondary students have a bigger problem as they head back to school this year: Finding somewhere to live.

RRSPs and TFSAs better move over, because there’s a new registered savings account in town: it’s the Tax-Free First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and everyone’s talking about it. 

Driving the news: New details about the design of the FHSA released by The Department of Finance show it will work like a souped-up TFSA or RRSP, combining some of the advantages of each.