• Fixed mortgage rates are climbing as bond yields rise • Sub-4% fixed mortgage rates are becoming scarce • The best variable mortgage rates remain in the mid- to high-3% range • July home sales fell 5.3% • Nationally, house prices may be starting to stabilize Is the housing market finally approaching its bottom? It is too early to say so, but some early signs may indicate the bottom is being set.read more
China’s real estate market has effectively erased much of the gains made over the past 20 years. Yet, the People’s Bank of China was able to manage a massive highly leveraged housing bubble without triggering a single quarter of economic contraction or completely derailing growth in the broader economy. Perhaps there’s something Canada could learn from this approach. Sometimes allowing a painful adjustment in the short term is necessary to build a healthier and more sustainable market over the long term. I honestly wish Canada would take a similar approach to make housing more sustainable and accessible. Driving younger generations out of the market or forcing them to leave the country in search of affordability is not a healthy outcome. Eventually that comes with economic and social consequences. And I say this as a homeowner myself since 2018. I’m completely okay with some short term pain if it means creating a stronger, more sustainable housing market for the long term. I’d rather see prices and expectations reset now than continue kicking the can down the road. $XRE$ZRE$VRE$CHIR
Real estate is the clearest early concentration, with $O and $AHR making up 10 of the 19 entries. $ALL adds a sizable insurance presence, while $BURL brings retail into the mix.
i just opened a fhsa and was wondering what stock or etf i should buy to put in? i did look at xbal and vbal but i’m not sure i also look at xeqt and veqt but i wanna know if there other options!! thanks
Here is the updated credit score needed to buy a home: Conventional: 620 is the industry baseline. FHA: 580 (for a 3.5% down payment) or 500 (requires a 10% down payment). USDA: 640 (automated approval baseline; no official government minimum, but lenders prefer 640). VA: 580 – 620 (no official government minimum, but this is the standard lender requirement). Jumbo: 700 – 720+ (strict private bank requirements).read more
Your Balance Sheet Is the Real Risk Test Most people hear “invest based on your time horizon” and treat it as complete advice. It isn’t. Time only answers one question: how long the money has to bounce back if markets drop. It says nothing about whether you can actually absorb that drop without wrecking your plans. Take a house down payment in seven years. Two people can have the exact same timeline and the same account, yet face completely different realities: • One has $80k in an FHSA and other savings that make up nearly their entire liquid net worth. A 40% decline forces them to delay the purchase, settle for a smaller place, or walk away. • The other has millions overall and just happens to keep $80k in the FHSA. The same decline is an inconvenience, not a crisis — they can cover the gap from elsewhere without blinking. Same clock. Totally different capacity to take risk. The popular rule of thumb only works as a rough proxy because, for most people, a down payment is a huge chunk of what they have. But a proxy is still just a proxy. Time tells you the recovery window. Your balance sheet tells you whether you can afford to wait out the storm.read more
The perfect house is a myth. Everybody compromises on something even the wealthy when it comes to renting and/or ownership. You just have to decide which headache you're most willing to live with
I know comments are mostly negative online when it is about Real Estate but the U.S. housing market currently has 51% more sellers than active buyers. Buyers have options & currently have massive leverage to negotiate lower prices and better deals. 🇺🇸
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When deciding how aggressively to invest money earmarked for a future goal (house, car, etc.), what matters more to you?
