Despite a year-over-year decline in residential sales for the month of December, Calgary’s condominium apartment and townhouse sectors set records in 2014. A total of 4,742 condominium sales took place in the region in 2014, an 18 per cent increase from 2013.

Statistics gathered in September marked 2014 as a record-breaking year for condo completions in Toronto, according to an article from the Toronto Star by George Carras, President at RealNet Canada Inc. (RealNet). Completions in the first nine months of the year broke the previous year’s record of 16,668 units. Carras attributes this growth to intensification policies and growth plans introduced in Ontario in 2005.

The latest Rental Market Survey from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) revealed that investor-owned Toronto condominiums represent 2.4 per cent of the region’s inventory. According to the CMHC, that number is the highest among major Canadian metros surveyed in the report. In Vancouver and Montreal, foreign ownership in condominiums totaled 2.3 per cent and 1.5 per cent, respectively.

New home builder Mattamy Homes (Mattamy) has agreed to purchase Monarch Corporation (Monarch), the Canadian division of US homebuilder Taylor Morrison Home Corporation. Monarch is involved in the development of condominiums in Toronto, Ont. Currently, the purchase price for Monarch is set at approximately $330-million.

The past year has seen several storm events that have resulted in significant damage to trees in southern Ontario. The ice storm that hit the

ONE BLOOR, a 75-storey condominium development located in the heart of downtown Toronto, has received international praise at the International Property Awards in London, U.K. The awards, which strive to recognize the best developers worldwide, are considered one of the most prestigious property competitions in the world. Great Gulf, the developer responsible for ONE BLOOR, earned the International Property Award for Best International High-Rise Residential Development.

The Government of Alberta is moving ahead with plans to modernize condominium legislation throughout the province, a change the Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Alberta (CHBA – Alberta) welcomes with enthusiasm. The new legislation, known as Bill 9, coincides with the New Home Buyer Protection Act, introduced earlier this year, to provide 10-year warranty protection to single or multifamily home buyers.

Year-to-date sales growth in Calgary’s condominium market is breaking records, according to data collected by the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB). Throughout the region, all housing types experienced a growth in year-to-date sales. However, condominium apartment and townhouse sales are currently standing at record levels, with a combined increase exceeding 19 per cent.

According to the latest Housing Market Outlook Report from RE/MAX, the Canadian condominium market is expected to remain strong and healthy in 2015. Throughout 2014, “condominiums continued to grow their share of the market in many regions,” the report stated. As such, a lack of affordable single-family homes in areas such as Toronto and Vancouver, made condos an attractive option for first-time homeowners and young families.

A developer’s instincts for untapped demand underpin plans for new purpose-built rental housing in midtown Toronto. The proposed luxury building near the intersection of Yonge

Owners rightfully expect that directors will fulfill their role ethically and in the best interests of the condominium corporation. But what happens when a director

When last winter’s ice storm walloped Toronto days before Christmas and knocked out power in parts of the city for upwards of a week, it

The Randall Residences, a luxury condominium development in Oakville, O.N., has entered construction. The amenity-rich project by Rosehaven Homes, inspired by Parisian Beaux Arts architecture, is over 60 per cent sold and only three of ten two-storey penthouse suites remain available for purchase.

According to a recent Housing Trends and Affordability report from RBC Economics, housing affordability in Canada increased in the third quarter of 2014, despite an upward trend in house prices. Factors affecting affordability included declines in fixed mortgage rates, rising incomes and reduced utility costs, say economists.

A new mixed-use condo and commercial development has been announced for Calgary, A.B. The Royal, a 223-unit project with 90,000 square feet of retail and office space, will be developed by Embassy BOSA and First Capital Realty Inc.

Apart from modest overvaluation — and a cautionary note about overbuilding in Montreal and Toronto — Canada’s housing markets largely align with underlying demographic and

The North tower of a two-building luxury condominium development in Kingston, O.N. has sold out in less than a month. The University Suites Condominiums, located at Princess St. and University Ave. near Queen’s University, are attracting both homeowners and investors.