TORONTO (Reuters) – Canadian employers plan to hold staffing levels steady in the second quarter, though hiring intentions are up from a year ago, according to a survey released on Tuesday by employment services company Manpower Inc . The vast majority, 75 percent, of employers expect to maintain their current staffing levels, suggesting stability in […]

More young Canadians taking advantage of low interest rates in housing market By Luann Lasalle, The Canadian Press MONTREAL – Younger Canadians are expected to lead the way with home buying this year as they take advantage of low interest rates, new jobs and what they consider “good prices,” a bank survey says. The survey […]

When getting your home ready to sell, you need to look at your house in a new way. Think of your house as a product about to go on the market where it is probably competing with brand new housing. It needs to show well – which means clutter-free and well kept.   Here are […]

By Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press OTTAWA – The Bank of Canada is keeping interest rates at historic lows for a few more months, while sending out signals that the economy is rebounding strongly and could trigger inflationary pressures. The central bank’s more positive take on the economy followed a Statistics Canada report Monday of […]

Paul Vieira, Financial Post  OTTAWA — Pressure on the Bank of Canada to move early on raising interest rates mounted Monday after data on fourth-quarter gross domestic product suggested the economy is roaring its way out of recession after recording the fastest pace of growth in nearly a decade. The central bank could provide hints […]

*The Bank of Canada should uphold its conditional pledge to keep its key policy rate at 0.25% until July but should then embark on sharp rate hikes of 50 basis points at every announcement date until mid-2011, says an analysis prepared for the CD Howe Institute.    *The call for sharp rate increases after June […]

  OTTAWA — Amid warnings about “reckless” housing speculation and overextended homebuyers, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Tuesday the federal government would make it tougher for people to get a mortgage.   He said at a Tuesday morning media conference that Ottawa would require all borrowers meet standards for a five-year fixed-rate mortgage, even if […]

Gary Marr, Financial Post  Canadian real estate sales and prices are poised to set records this year, according to a new forecast that is bound to reignite calls in some quarters for tighter lending rules. The Canadian Real Estate Association, which represents 100 boards across the country, said Monday it expects existing-home sales to reach […]

Looks like a V shaped recovery afterall Paul Vieira, Financial Post  OTTAWA — Despite all the angst in financial markets over sovereign debt and the populist influence on banking reform proposals, the economies in the United States and Canada have chugged along the road to recovery at a pace that’s surprising even the most skeptical […]

  The Harmonized Sales Tax (also known as the new BC HST) is 12% tax applicable to most goods and services, including new homes, real estate, and property. The new B.C. HST 12% Tax is the combination of the Federal Goods and Services Tax (5% GST) and the Provincial Sales Tax (7% PST). Implementation of […]