Tag Archives: spending

Canada, debt, equity, rates

Who’s worried about debt?

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100 Comments

According to this article over at the CBC, Canadians love a good home equity line of credit – they’re practically addicted to that sweet sweet HELOC money at rock bottom rates.

“We are addicted for sure. Who wouldn’t be addicted to something so easy [to get]?” says 35-year-old Ali about the free-flowing lines of credit that have enabled him to splurge on the finer things in life.

“It’s easy, accessible cash at a very cheap price. The banks make it so easy for you to obtain it,” says the software engineer.

Some people say the national reliance on debt is a risk to our economy and to the lifestyles of the indebted.  But the Canadian Bankers Association isn’t worried and spenders say they are aware of the risks:

While Ali and Haji like to spend, they believe they’re behaving responsibly and say they’re aware of potential pitfalls. That’s why they’re still undecided about another loan.

“If you get a line on this [house] and God forbid something happens to me or [my wife] and we are unable to sustain our lifestyle or stream of income that we have, then we would be in trouble and that may lead to us losing this house,” says Ali.

And that’s why some rooms in the family’s home remain empty. Ali shows CBC News his large, mostly barren master bedroom and talks about his grand plans to furnish it — sometime in the future.

“Without the credit line, it’s slow,” he laments.

But things could always change. The couple says just last week the bank called, inquiring if the family was interested in another loan.

Read the full article here.

 

Open Topic

FFFA! Red Flags, BS, Inventory, Learning

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109 Comments

You survived the rain!

And here we are at the end of another work week, could life get any better?

And since it’s the end of another week, what say we do our regular Friday Free-for-all post?

This is our end of the week news round up and open topic discussion thread for the weekend. ok? Lets do it!

Here are a few recent links to kick of the chat:
–BOC raises red flags over housing
–A new generation of renters
–Bloated debt risk to economy
–BS Talk?
–Spending Vigour?
–What I learned on VCI
–Inventory Graph
–

So what are you seeing out there? Post your news links, thoughts and anecdotes here and have an excellent (though perhaps slightly soggy) weekend!

advice, BC, economy, opinion

Homebuilder says it’s a great time to buy

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Before I make a major investment, I always like to do a bit of research and consult an expert.

Before I buy a new car I always ask a car salesman if it’s a good time to buy. They’re the experts after all.

And when it comes to real estate, who better to ask than a builder if it’s a good time to buy?

Looking at 2011 numbers related to the economic impact of residential construction in B.C., we can easily see that this industry is a massive contributor to British Columbia’s well-being and future success, as well as a huge indicator of the province’s economic climate. Just think: For every single home we build, 3.5 person years of employment are created and more than $60,000 is generated in spinoff spending.

Ah yes, it’s not just a good time to buy, it’s the right thing to do for the economy. Without Real Estate our economy would be in the crapper. What could possibly go wrong?