The government could eventually remove itself from the mortgage insurance game -- an assertion Jim Flaherty reiterated Wednesday, only weeks after becoming what may be the first finance minister to seriously suggest it.

To the growing number of Canadians now ready to take their RRSP investments into the real estate market, wait just one minute, says Brian Pulis, president of Pulis Investment Group. In fact, wait five, and read each of his top five considerations for Canadians interested in those alternatives to mutual funds and stocks.

1.    Gauge your appetite:  Investors need to determine exactly what their appetite for risk is, says Pulis. Some RRSP-eligible real estate investments carry considerably more uncertainty than others. More-jittery investors should stick closer to lending first mortgages than seconds, for example.

2.    Cover the basics: This is new stuff for most Canadians sitting on RRSPs, and they need to identify all the investment opportunities open to them – from mortgages and real estate investment trusts to limited partnerships of all stripes.

3.    Know the time of day: Knowing how long "the long haul" really is of primary consideration for investors. As mortgage lenders they often work with terms as brief as 12 months, while many others loans will require investors to wait two or more years for it to be paid back. Limited partnership terms run even longer on average, usually with a five-year minimum, says Pulis.

4.    Pin down your payday: Although some investments pay dividends quarterly or annually rather than asking the investor to wait until the end of the term, many others pay out only at the very end. Note: investors are often rewarded with a bigger payday for their patience, says Pulis, because that allows for the constant reinvestment of profits.

5.    Do your duty: Know exactly who or what you’re investing in, says Pulis. Everyone has an electronic paper trail, an online track record for would-be partners to follow and to do their due diligence.

Cottage buyers are thinking more and more like property investors, according to a new poll, revealing a growing interest in renting out those seasonal digs to cover the cost of acquisition.

Canada – well, Toronto and Vancouver – may soon be yesterday’s news for Chinese investors, now turning their attention to the U.S. ahead of a crucial deadline.

Buyers intending to flip hotel-condos units this year may be on the frontlines of any Toronto correction – competing with hundreds of other sellers in those new buildings, but also the developers, themselves.

Lenders are increasingly rolling up -- and not out -- the red carpet for Toronto's condo developers. At the same time they're locking the vault when individual condo investors come to call.

Alberta`s real estate speculators are in large part to blame for the highest arrears rate in Canada, according to a new report.

Canadians worried today's condo market will suffer the same crippling correction as in the '90s are biting their nails for nothing, said one leading developer, pointing to a seismic shift in consumer preferences.

A condo growth spurt in Vancouver compensated for a slowdown in single-family construction, creating opportunities for investors frustrated by the dearth of affordable inventory.

The ratio of sales to condo units in the GTA has started to move in the direction most analysts – from local economists to your local barber – predicted.

Investors focused on student rentals are increasingly sticking to tried-and-true markets, rather than betting on ones popping up across the country, says one area specialist.

Just under $140,000 is one heck of a prepayment penalty, charge members of an Ontario co-operative, pointing to CMHC’s demand it pay that sum in order to break a mortgage and seek refinancing throught a credit union.

Canuck investors trolling for foreclosure buys in the U.S. are increasingly moving their search from the Multiple Listings Service to the auction block, an effort to get a jump on a dwindling number of properties in many U.S. markets.

Vancouver investors with visions of affordable houses in their heads, may not, in fact be dreaming.

Canuck investors trolling for foreclosure buys in the U.S. are increasingly moving their search from the Multiple Listings Service to the auction block, an effort to get a jump on a dwindling number of properties in many U.S. markets.

Canadian investors unsure about the impact of foreign buyers on local home prices aren’t alone: the minister of finance isn't exactly sure either.

Getting CMHC to approve deals may soon be tougher for many homebuyers with the introduction of a new bill handing oversight of government-backed mortgage insurance to an increasingly strict regulator.

Too many investors believe you can’t fight city hall -- needlessly leaving thousands of dollars on the table instead of protesting inflated property tax assessments, says one leading advisor.

As investors await more details on the government's plan to tighten up the good ship CMHC, there’s increasing indication the Bank of Canada could move to sink consumer dreams of another year of rock-bottom mortgage rates.

A new poll suggests as much as three-quarters of Canadian homebuyers see monthly fees as a small price to pay for the convenience and amenities of condo life –  something that may ultimately benefit investors looking to pass on those costs to tenants.

A domestic economy regaining ground alongside its U.S. counterpart wasn’t enough stimulus for the Bank of Canada to increase its key overnight rate Tuesday, with the growing threat of global oil prices and uncertainty in Europe encouraging it to maintain the status quo.

It’s an opening in the western frontier that more pioneering Canucks are entering, looking beyond Arizona's residential market to its re-emerging commercial one.

There’s yet more indication investors – even those focused on buying fixer-uppers – will face increased competition from desperate homebuyers, with national sales rising 2.5% in March even as the number of new listings fell.

It’s a controversial suggestion that isn’t about to go away, with new calls for a ban on property buying by foreigners -- increasingly faulted for outbidding local investors.

Trust but verify. That should be the mantra of all property investors funding JV deals, says one industry veteran, suggesting they consider registering second mortgages as part of all such agreements.

Investors with properties too “high-end” for Kijiji or Craigslist may be turning up their noses at success, with listing consultants using those sites to shift as much as 70 per cent of their rentals, including the pricey stuff.

It’s a market property investors in English Canada have shied away from, but growing concern about housing prices in the Montreal area are now fuelling new interest in La Belle Province.

Sunday’s 20-basis-point bump-up in the qualifying rate won’t likely exacerbate an already difficult qualifying process for small investors, say brokers, although it isn't like to help them compete with the growing number of homebuyers still entering the market.

Investors may need to take a second look at commercial, with low vacancies and rising demand pushing the development of 9 million sq.-ft. of office space that may ultimately not be enough.

Shucks!?!

BMO's competitors may want to praise the rate instigator, not bury it, with the bank's record-setting 2.99% forcing a growing number of fence sitters into the market, say mortgage brokers.

It may ultimately work against him, but a veteran Realtor is cautioning small property investors from selling any cash-flowing properties, suggesting ever-tightening mortgage rules may block their ability to buy new ones.

The government seems prepared to sit pat with the current set of mortgage rules -- the Finance minister viewing, with some irony, banker calls for tighter ones.

Hot without the hot prices is how the Alberta housing market is being billed following release of February sales numbers – up 14% from a year ago.

Draft guidelines meant to bring more checks and balances to mortgage underwriting could see banks rein in on the credit increasing numbers of investors rely on.

The writing may now be on the wall for homebuyers, with a top bank economist advocating even tighter mortgage rules that may ultimately benefit real estate investors.

Better-paid consumers may have taken the wind out of the government’s sails as it considers embarking on another round of mortgage rule changes.

With 6,000 clients served and $40 million in funded volume, online realty TheRedPin.com argues its customer satisfaction record speaks even louder about its growing success.

As Canadians face the end of RRSP season, one expert is urging investors to seize opportunities to win some of that money.

If you thought Chinese investors were starting to lose interest in Canadian real estate, think again.

The commercial real estate market in the first three months of 2012 looks very much like 2011’s, according to a new survey of sector players, identifying only modest improvement over last year.

Maybe you shouldn’t believe absolutely everything you read.

A new report confirming consumers have scaled back on their non-mortgage debt may extend investors a reprieve from further tightening of Canada’s mortgage rules.

A new poll suggests economists are increasingly convinced the government will move to ratchet down mortgage rules in 2012 – that even as the broker channel ramps up lobbying efforts to block the move.

It’s a new service meant to address an age-old concern for many investors, providing them the comprehensive insurance history of a property – including claims involving fire, flood and, ahem, drug labs.

It may be the closest thing to a Kumbayah moment for real estate investors, but landlords buying units in the same new condo complex are increasingly banding together to work with one leasing agent -- a way of protecting cash flow in a renter’s market.

Equifax Canada is describing the sheer volume of attempted fraud last year as “staggering,” with almost two-thirds of it coming from mortgage seekers.

It’s increasingly a renter’s market across much of the country, with the latest consumer price index pointing to relatively modest gains in rental values  even as gasoline and other key expenses shot up.

A new report on varying provincial fortunes hints at where to make that next real estate investment. Psst, there's oil there.

National home sales retreated in January from the strong finish reported for December 2011, according to the latest numbers from the Canadian Real Estate Association.

There’s yet more indication investors are finally getting the break they need to beef up their portfolios, with the B.C. Realtor association confirming a near-8 per cent dip in the value of properties sold during the first month of the year.

Condo investors in B.C. will soon face the same challenges as those in Ontario and Alberta -- now grappling with stricter disclosure requirements for condos and the concerns they present both short- and long-term.

This year and next may be déjà vu all over again for property investors looking to buy or sell, with CMHC predicting the national market will see the same kind of restrained growth it experienced in 2011, and not the correction many had feared.

It’s a hard lesson that one real estate investor is anxious to keep novices from learning the hard way, advising them to make sure a prospective acquisition allows for enough cash flow to hire a property manager.

Credit unions are hoping their competitors' loss will be their gain, with Ontario’s largest player actively reaching out to increasingly unwelcome self-employeds

Housing starts slowed January, with multi-family developers – especially those in Atlantic Canada and Quebec -- responsible for applying the brakes.

The search for conventional mortgage financing just got tougher -- and may get tougher still -- with several Canadian lenders moving to cut their rental programs because of tighter access to bulk insurance.

A new home price index may stifle criticism that high-end transactions too often throw CREA's monthly sales data out of whack.

Property investors in Victoria may finally be getting the break they spent much of 2011 searching for, with sellers bringing their price expectations more in line with patient buyers.

Business-for-self lending may, indeed, be headed the way of the dodo bird, with Firstline officially axing that segment of its business effective today, Feb. 1.

Sellers are convinced staging properties works. But convincing landlords it’s worth the time and effort has been a tougher sell, said one real estate investor, now relying on that strategy to grow ROI.

Here may be another reason for a property investor to keep that day job:

B.C. property investors hoping to rack up impressive capital gains as the result of continuing buyer demand, think again.

The new housing critic for the Ontario NDP will continue a fight begun by her predecessor, Cheri DiNovo, pressing for a licensing system to crack down on errant landlords.

It may be another indication of just how fierce the competition is for multifamily investment properties, with an industry leader launching what it calls a “Pre-Offer Home Inspection,” specifically designed to give buyers a leg up in multiple-bid situations.

A seasoned investor is offering joint-venture newbies a word to the wise, asking them to assess their abilities on the management side and think about transferring that role to experts now scouting around for money partners.

The majority of property investors contract a tenant or management company to handle “curb appeal maintenance,” according to a new CREW poll, although nearly as many continue to do that work themselves.

Putting all your eggs in one lender’s basket is increasingly a risky strategy for new players, says one successful buy-and-hold investor, pointing to growing limits on the number of doors allowed any one borrower.

Property investors from outside Nova Scotia have already moved to ferret out opportunities in Halifax following announcement of that $25 billion shipbuilding contract, says one local expert, suggesting those buyers may claim a significant share of acquisitions in the next 12 to 18 months.

The new five-year hold may be more like seven, eight or ten, with stagnant real estate prices in key markets encouraging investors to hold properties longer than the standard half-decade, say Realtor-specialists.

Et tu, Board of Trade?

There seems little doubt in the minds of real estate investors: Toronto should repeal its land-transfer tax – no ifs, ands or buts ... or talk of a $700 million deficit.

Royal LePage is pooh-poohing predictions for a correction in Canadian home prices, suggesting all signs point to a near-3 per cent rise in the national average by the close of 2012.

Economists predicting a correction haven’t yet decided whether to call it a blessing or something else, but a spate of condo projects in Toronto drove the country’s housing starts higher than expected in December – almost 15,000 above the previous month’s.

The already-low pressure to perform “curb appeal maintenance” will fall even further in Alberta and other increasingly tight rental markets this year, says one Calgary expert, at the same time cautioning property investors.

CIBC’s top economist is going one better than TD’s, suggesting Canadian home prices may be as much as 15% overvalued and not just the 10% suggested by his counterpart at that other bank.

Albertans remained the most positive about their financial fitness heading into 2011, suggests a new CIBC poll, supporting growing investor interest in the province.

The IMF is casting its own wary eye over the Canadian housing market, suggesting the average home price is 10 per cent above where it should be, setting the stage for a major correction if really only in B.C.

It may be counterintuitive, but a leading property investor is suggesting now is the time to buy apartment buildings – a glut of condos on the market notwithstanding.

The majority of property investors may be on the same page as the Bank of Canada, convinced the condo market is headed for a correction, although nearly as many, according to a new CREW Online poll, think it will remain buoyant.

The squeaky Toronto investor may just have received some much requested oil, with the city’s mayor confirming he will indeed move on plans to first lower and then abolish land transfer tax.

Canadians looking to snatch up short-sale properties in the U.S. may want to consider a multiple-bids strategy meant to save time and frustration, says a Florida real estate expert, now based in Toronto.

GTA property investors are facing and, indeed, ceding to increased pressure to cut rents in exchange for longer leases -- that ahead of a glut of units expected to hit the market, said one local expert.

The government’s new mortgage rules have, indeed, affected the acquisition strategy of many real estate investors — right along with their home-buying counterparts — suggests a CREW Online poll.

Real estate investors rushing to capitalize on Halifax’s $25B shipyard contract could be jumping the gun, argues one local mortgage broker, suggesting it'll be cheaper to wait rather than buy rental units well ahead of a spike in demand.

It’s a warning condo investors from one end of the country to the next have heard before, but the central bank is once again suggesting a correction may be straight ahead.

Housing starts fell last month by nearly 15% from October's 208,800 units, a decline felt across almost all segments of the construction market.

Alberta investors focused on cash flow today – and capital gains tomorrow -- have hit Canada’s “sweet spot,” said one expert, suggesting the province will likely remain a landlord’s market well into 2014.

Toronto Realtors continue their push for repeal of the city’s land transfer tax, heading to City Hall this week with a new survey supporting the move despite the budget crisis.

IING Direct will move this month to register all new mortgages as collateral charge, paving the way for a new HELOC to be offered by mortgage brokers.

Canadian property investors bullish on their home-grown markets move over.

Property investors need to better capitalize on the boom in private money by using "creative loan structuring" to help lenders access their RRSP savings, said one expert in that niche area.

New CMHC numbers suggest lenders and the default insurer itself are increasingly relying on a borrower’s credit score to evaluate an application – something likely to affect new real estate investors and not their seasoned counterparts.

Refinances remains down from pre-mortgage rule changes introduced this spring, according to a Q3 report from CMHC -- highlighting further easing in consumer demand for debt.

A U.S. proposal to extend year-round residency to foreign property investors would do little to divert international buyers from Canada or, even, encourage snowbirds to expand assets down south, said a leading expert on retirement planning.

A looming hike in insurance premiums has exposed another chink in the "flipping" strategy of many property investors, say opponents of that popular model.

The country’s largest Better Business Bureau saw the number of consumer complaints against brokers more than triple over the last three years – at the same time industry membership, in fact, dropped.

With an originations slowdown sending brokers scrambling to diversify their portfolios, a top Ontario player is arguing “niche” brokering may actually be the best way forward.

Brokers in and around deluged parts of Manitoba are highlighting the “safe” location of properties in their applications, anticipating lender concerns around the worst flooding the province has seen in 14 years.

Lingering caution at the big banks and wealthy clients increasingly bullish on the stock market are helping brokers claim their biggest share of high-end deals in years – with a Re/Max study helping explain the phenomenon.

Subprime lending is back, with institutional players positioning themselves ahead of the expected spike in B business.

New lender Equity  Financial Trust has won CMHC approval – although that's not a signal for brokers to start sending in their A deals quite yet, said its CEO.

While tougher mortgage rules have rekindled interest in condos, rising fees coupled with first-time buyer fears have limited the ability of brokers to capitalize on it.

An increasing number of real estate agents are taking out mortgage broker licenses as a way of better guiding clients and protecting property deals increasingly susceptible to financial turbulence.
 

Ontario brokers not only face a slower short-term market than much of the rest of the country, but a longer-term drop in first-time buyers, a CMHC economist said at Thursday’s IMBA conference.
 

A new survey suggesting Canadian home prices rose no more than 4.3% in the first quarter won’t be the final word on this year’s growth, said brokers Tuesday, anticipating significant gains courtesy of a busy spring season.

While the high-flying Toronto market soared to its second best March on record for existing home sales, it’s likely headed down to earth, say brokers anticipating a soft and protracted landing.

New building permit numbers are pointing to increased liquidity in the commercial sector, presenting both good and not so good news for brokers servicing that increasingly busy end of the market.

The seasonally-adjusted housing starts for March eked out a modest 5,100 gain over February’s numbers, coming in at 188,800 units, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
 

More than 80% of the country’s first-time homebuyers say they’re in good long-term financial health – that self-diagnosis the key finding of a survey from Genworth Financial Canada and the Canadian Association of Credit Counselling Services.

TD Bank’s move to raise rates on its fixed mortgages because of rising bond yields will likely result in a temporary boon for lenders able to resist following suit in the next 24 to 48 hours, said industry professionals reacting to Monday’s move.
 

A new Vancouver outfit offering online rent appraisals – in real-time – is pushing east, planning to offer the automated service in Calgary and Toronto where the number of income suites is on the rise.