A. Q. Mufti's blog

March 23, 2023

The latest news from Statistics Canada shows that inflation in February fell to 5.2%, a decrease from the previous month's 5.4%. The easing of inflation is largely attributed to lower energy prices and while grocery prices, in general, remained high, the growth in prices for other food items slowed down on a year-over-year basis in February compared to January, which includes non-alcoholic beverages (+11.1%), meat (+6.2%), vegetables and vegetable preparations (+13.9%), and bakery products (+13.9%).

The collapse of and the recent acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS in a $3.25 billion deal was not entirely unexpected, given the bank's history of fraud allegations and questionable practices. Credit Suisse has faced allegations of tax evasion, money laundering, and insurance claims, among other things. The consequences of these activities by financial industry giants extend beyond local economies and have a global impact.

Dear Reader,

Spring is here, and it is time to start thinking about taking care of your home. With the warmer weather and longer days, it is the perfect time to tackle some home maintenance tasks and get your house in tip-top shape for the season. Here are some spring home care tips to help you get started:

March 6, 2023

February-2023 Housing Report Review

Toronto Region Real Estate Board (TRREB) has released its February-2023 housing market report, here is a quick review of the report for your benefit.

It seems like the market is still struggling, with a decrease in the number of residential properties exchanged ownership compared to last year. However, there is some good news with an uptick in the number of real estate transactions compared to January-2023.

I am a firm believer that all our government policies should be citizens centred.

The policy and decision-makers should thoroughly analyze the impact of their policy changes and decision-making.

Theories and book knowledge is good but those are as good as a tool. We should know if that tool is still good or outdated. It is a constantly changing world and old theories get replaced by new research and new ideas to guide us to face the challenges of the new world.

November 5, 2022

October-2022 Housing Report Review

The Toronto Region Real Estate Board (TRREB) has released its October-2022 housing market report, here is a quick review of the report for your benefit.

The Sellers are holding tight onto their properties as a result there were 11.6% lesser new listings in the market compared to last year.

November 4, 2022

Housing supply and affordability is a hot topic forever but have become even more important nowadays, considering the rising home prices we have witnessed recently.

As a professional Realtor, I face this question every day: How can the public in general and our youth in particular, afford to ever acquire their own home?

November 3, 2022

Yes, you can for just shy of $650K. The motivated seller has reduced the price to sell. Comparable properties in the neighbourhood are/have selling/sold in the range of $700K to $800K.

October 15, 2022

When I wrote the blog on Toronto city’s offering of interest-free loans, I received several messages inquiring if similar loans are available in other cities.

Today I am glad to bring you the good news you were waiting for, the Federal government is offering up to $40K in interest-free loans payable in 10 years through the program called Canada Greener Homes Loan.

September 8, 2022

Bank of Canada’s aggressive stance to control inflation has not changed the course with its, most anticipated, announcement on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, of a .75% increase in the overnight lending rate, bringing it to 3.25%, the fifth increase this year. The BOC started with a .25 percent rate at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The experts expect that we may see one or even two increases of .50 by the end of the year.