Location: Canada-wide
NIMBYISM and Politics – A Bad Combination
August 7, 2018
Author:
Leor Margulies
Last month we saw most flagrant examples of NIMBYISM combined with political interference for vote-getting purposes occur, which destroyed 3 years of in-depth work on the Mid-town in Focus Study of the Yonge-Eglinton area. 3 years after the City Council directed planning to review the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan, and after tremendous consultation with ratepayers, industry[…]
FAIR HOUSING PLAN – Fair, Unfair, or more than Fair?
May 22, 2018
Author:
John Fox
At the Land and Development Conference last week in Toronto, I was invited to participate on a panel to discuss legislative changes stemming from the governement’s Fair Housing Plan. The panel was seated – no doubt by political co-incidence – from right to left. Mike Czestochowski of CBRE, Steve Diamond of DiamondCorp., myself, and Peter[…]
Tarion’s Adventure into Residential Condominium Conversion
April 25, 2018
Author:
Leor Margulies
Effective January 1, 2018, builders backed by Tarion will be providing new home warranties for residential condominium conversions as a result of amendments to the Condominium Act. As a result, any project whose first agreement of purchase and sale was sold to an arm’s length purchaser after January 1, 2018, will be required to[…]
A Stocking Stuffer from the Ministry of Housing – Inclusionary Zoning – Proposed Regulatory Content
January 2, 2018
Author:
John Fox
On December 18, 2017 the Government of Ontario posted a summary of proposed regulations under the Planning Act relating to Inclusionary Zoning. The Province is inviting commentary, which is due as of February 1, 2018. We have provided a link to the proposed changes below. This Blog provides a brief summary and commentary on the[…]
All Buyers To Be Impacted by New OSFI Mortgage Rules
November 27, 2017
Author:
Leor Margulies
In an attempt to cool the Toronto and Vancouver housing markets, the provincial and federal governments are pulling no punches in throwing big pots of water on what they believe to be raging fires in both communities. Unfortunately, the impact of these rules is not restricted to these 2 very strong real estate markets and[…]
Land & Development Conference 2017 – May 3, 2017
May 8, 2017
Author:
Leor Margulies
When I started attending the Land Conference about 7 or 8 years ago, there were 350-400 attendees. Last year there were 600 attendees. This year there were over 750 attendees. Clearly, the real estate market in the GTA is a hot item. There were a number of great speakers and panels throughout the day. Some[…]
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
March 29, 2017
Author:
John Fox
Author: Matthew Desmond Book Review by John Fox “Eviction does not simply drop poor families into a dark valley, a trying yet relatively brief detour on life’s journey. It fundamentally redirects their way, casting them onto a different, and much more difficult, path. Eviction is a cause, not just a condition, of poverty” Through the[…]
Budget 2017: The Feds are back in the Housing Game
March 27, 2017
Author:
John Fox
Last week’s budget leaves no doubt that the Federal government is coming back into the housing world. However, exactly how they will carry out that engagement is left for another day – the day the National Housing Policy is unveiled – and CMHC could well be at centre stage. Overview – The budget promises $11.2B[…]
An Update to the Update: Municipal Land Transfer Tax Follows Suit to Provincial Land Transfer Tax Increases
March 7, 2017
Author:
Zale Skolnik
In the middle of February before family day long weekend and without much attention, the City of Toronto quietly approved Bill 123, which harmonized the municipal land transfer tax rates with the recently increased provincial land transfer tax rates. Formally enacted on February 16, 2017 and effective as of March 1, 2017, the City gave[…]
The Sweetheart Deal and the Lease that Never Was
February 17, 2017
Author:
John Fox
Here’s a lovely little case involving a sweetheart deal that, in the end, just never happens. Here’s the story: You’re a lender and you’ve loaned money to a home owner (the “Sweetheart Owner”). The Sweetheart Owner defaults on your loan and, as you are negotiating an exit strategy, enters into a really awesome lease with[…]
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