Toronto
Police in 55 Division in the city’s east end are warning that a number
of thefts that have occurred recently during real estate open houses.
Police
have been investigating allegations into the theft of valuables,
notably jewelry, during recent open house tours. Investigators say some
people posing as potential home buyers have allegedly removed valuables
from the open houses.
To
protect [...]

Canada’s
housing affordability “mildly deteriorated” in the fourth quarter of
2005 due to relatively weak growth in household income, says the latest
Housing Affordability Index released by RBC Economics.
“The erosion in Canada’s
housing affordability was largely attributed to slower growth in
household income compared to the rest of the year. This was unable to
offset increases in mortgage rates, house prices [...]

Despite recent
interest rate increases, a majority of Canadians believe their current
mortgage interest rates are manageable, says a report by the Canadian
Institute for Mortgage Brokers and Lenders (CIMBL). It says 42 per cent
of residential mortgage holders polled have not seen their overall
standard of living significantly affected by the recent mortgage rate
increases.
 
However, a further
increase of one-half of [...]

Coldwell Banker Canada is expanding its operation in southern Alberta. The former Realty Executives Chinook City and Coldwell Banker Kalwest Realty, both of Calgary, have joined forces.  The new combined company will operate as Coldwell Banker Chinook City under the leadership of Broker/Owner Lynn Martin.
 
“This evolution into
a new larger operation is an important step forward [...]

RBC Royal Bank’s 13th
Annual Homeownership Survey says a record 90 per cent of Canadians, the
highest level since 1998, say buying a home is a good investment.
Seventeen per cent of homeowners say their homes will be their
primary source of retirement income.
 
“There’s a definite
consensus among Canadians when it comes to the financial benefits of
owning a home,” says Catherine [...]

AIG
United Guaranty, whose affiliate companies provide mortgage guaranty
insurance, will start serving the Canadian market during the second
half of 2006, pending regulatory approval.
 
The company will
provide mortgage default insurance products for consumers, mortgage
brokers, financial institutions and secondary capital markets.
 
Andy Charles, a
well-known veteran in the Canadian mortgage industry, will serve as
president and CEO of Canadian operations. Mario Vachon [...]

A Vancouver-based new condominium marketer has captured the U.S. home building industry’s highest condominium marketing award for his team’s work selling a new luxury condo project in Seattle’s South Lake Union urban neighbourhood.
 
Cliff Bowman and his Vancouver company Builders International Real Estate Marketing Corp. (BireM) and Seattle
partner, Dean Jones of Real Estate Applied Logics (REAL), [...]

Sutton Group – Select Realty in London,
Ont. annually selects one of its 100 agents as winner of the Michele
Montour Award For Excellence in Real Estate. The award honours
colleague Michele Montour, who died of cancer in 2000.
This year’s winner
was Jan Lesser. “Like Michele, Jan is never without a word of
encouragement for others,” says a company news [...]

Royal
LePage Executive Realty Services opened for business recently to serve
the Brampton/Mississauga, Ont. market. Iqbal Bhangu and Ranjeet
Khangura opened the new office with 20 sales associates on Derry Road, just west of Dixie Road in Mississauga.

Nancy MacKellar has
been promoted to manager, sales services for Royal LePage. She began
her career in real estate more than 15 years ago and joined the Royal
LePage Canada
team in September 2004. MacKeller is a past-president of the Red Deer
Real Estate Board and has held committee positions with the Alberta
Real Estate Association (AREA).
She has been involved with [...]