Deciding to move is a significant life choice that requires careful consideration of various factors. When contemplating a move, it is essential to reflect on both the financial and emotional aspects that come into play. While the excitement of a new beginning may entice you, taking a step back to evaluate your current situation can help you make a more informed decision.

If you are thinking about moving, consider the following:

• Length of time living in your next home: When evaluating a move, consider how long you'll need to stay in your new home to cover initial expenses like the down payment and moving costs through appreciation or savings.

• Mortgage penalties: Aligning your home sale with your mortgage renewal can help you avoid penalties or ...

When you read or watch the news about the real estate market, it may seem reasonable to make the assumption that the information applies equally to your street or community.

But, that isn’t always true.

In fact, the characteristics of your local real estate market can differ in many respects from the regional or national market.

Say the regional real estate market is most active during certain months of the year. That might be true of your neighbourhood, too. But, there may also be some caveats. If, for example, buyers are eagerly awaiting listings to come up in your community, then that micro market might heat up faster than other areas in the region.

Knowing how your local market works and how it differs from the larger regional market...

Imagine you’d been keeping your eye on a desirable neighbourhood over the years. You had hoped that one day you could buy a home there. But then you saw prices creeping up — to a point where they became unaffordable.

“Oh well,” you’d thought. “I guess we won’t be moving there!”

That scenario is familiar to many homeowners. In fact, you too may have been keeping your eye on a neighbourhood you’d love to get into but have decided it’s become too expensive.

If that’s so, it might be worth taking a second look.

The real estate market changes. One year an area might be a red-hot seller’s market with prices soaring. The next year, things may have cooled, and prices stabilized....

Positive Buyer Strategies for a Tough Market

With the way the housing market is at present, it’s tough for buyers to compete and even harder to stay positive, and things may seem especially hopeless for first-time homebuyers; they have no previous home on which to draw equity, and they can also be dealing with sky-high rent and high student debt balances, making it extremely difficult to save for a down payment.

Buying a home is always emotional, and having to deal with disappointment and uncertainty just adds to the stress levels. So how can buyers stay positive in a market like this? We’ve put together a few tips on how buyers can make smart decisions, and move in the right direction towards finding their new home.

1) Mortgage ...