January 11, 2019 - Bill 16 was officially adopted on January 10, 2020. Several of the measures it contains have come into force, but others will come into force at a later date, such as the mandatory introduction of a contingency fund survey and a maintenance logbook.
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November 22, 2019 - A major real estate developer is experiencing financial difficulties these days, therefore many of his co-ownership projects may remain unfinished, and also be burdened by legal hypothecs of construction. In addition, deposits paid by buyers may be lost if they have not yet been paid to the notary.
July 25, 2019 - The transactions in co-ownership are not simple. They require unfailing rigour, because the devil is in the details. A notary who executed the sale of a condo (in 2018) learned this at his own expense in the Court of Québec - Small Claims Division, because of a professional misconduct he committed by not referring to the declaration of co-ownership.
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June 27, 2019 – Toronto and Vancouver are the two worst cities, in the country, in terms of affordability of property. Despite the threshold of housing affordability having improved significantly in Toronto, in 2018, it remains higher than ever. Vancouver is no exception, where the affordability crisis also persists in this region. This is reflected in RBC's recent report Housing Trends and Affordability.
March 21st, 2019 — A brand new service, the 24 Legal Hours, is now provided to real estate brokers who conduct business in the field of co-ownership. Because dealing with the peculiarities of condominiums may at time prove tiresome, consulting with an expert team of lawyers may help bring up practical solutions and strategies.
Relying on the know-how of experienced attorneys and notaries, de Grandpré Joli-Coeur knows better than anyone that a transaction involving a condominium may hide several traps one would be wise to avoid. Considering that in the context of a transaction many prospective buyers and sellers will entrust their needs to a real estate broker, nothing should be left to chance.
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March 20th, 2019 — Co-ownership is becoming more and more popular in Montréal. Whether one focuses on the island itself or on its South or North Shores, it is clear that the condominium market is in full bloom.
In fact, Yanick Desnoyers, as director of the Market Assessment department of the Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards (QFREB), recently pointed out that “In 2018, transactions involving a condominium accounted for 53% of the real estate market, whereas they reached a mere 19% in 2000.”
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July 4, 2018 - Condo buyers dealing with a real estate broker now have at their disposal a new tool to better protect their transaction. The coming into force of the mandatory form Declarations of the seller upon the immovable - Divided co-ownership, on July 1, 2018, will allow purchasers to obtain crucial information to govern them during their purchase.
Prepared by “l’Organisme d’autorèglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec [the Quebec organization for the self-regulation of real estate brokerage (OACIQ)]," it allows the seller to declare the current state of his property", to protect him from a possible recourse. As for the buyer, this document provides the necessary details so that he can "make an informed decision," states OACIQ.
April 4, 2018 - Homeowners living alone in Canada are increasing in number. And Quebec is well ahead in this regard. Statistics Canada indicates that, in 2016, Quebec had the highest proportion of single person private households (33.3%).
If one adds the numerous single-parent families to this equation, the critical mass of individuals living alone and prospective property buyers should increase dramatically. For the time being, in 2006 couples accounted for 54.3% of private households in Quebec, and 53.0% in 2016.
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January 17, 2018 - The notion of real estate brokerage should be better defined, to avoid confusion regarding the protection of the public. This is what Nadine Lindsay, President and Chief Executive Officer of “l’Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier” (Real Estate Regulatory Organization-OACIQ), believes.
Nadine Lindsay recently took position on this issue at the occasion of Bill 141 tabled in September 2017, by means of a brief presented to the National Assembly. It includes four recommendations to "better protect the public" during a real estate and hypothecary transaction.
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October 11, 2017 - Condo fever has truly resumed in downtown Montreal. Several major projects are planned, including the Tour des Canadiens (Phase III), near the Bell Center.
Another sign of the bullish business climate in the borough, Broccolini announced last week, the construction of a 150 million project. The 628 Saint-Jacques, in the heart of Square Victoria. It will include 251 condominium units on 35 floors. Several other projects will soon be announced, as the lull observed over the last two years seems to be a thing of the past.
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August 28, 2017 - A violent death must be declared by an owner selling his home or condo. This information may be crucial to potential buyers who may not want to acquire a residence with a gruesome past. Not revealing it may result in a lawsuit based on the buyer’s defect of consent.
Article 1401 of the Civil Code of Québec specifies in this regard that a party's error caused by fraud vitiates consent in all cases where, otherwise, the party would not have contracted or contracted under different terms.
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August 22, 2017 – The number of properties sold without the legal warranty is growing in Quebec. Without it, a buyer will not be able to exercise a recourse against his seller, should a latent defect unknown to the latter be discovered. On the other hand, if the former owner was aware of a problem, the buyer could then claim against him, because he has an obligation to declare it.
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July 5, 2017 - Following a difficult period in Quebec, condo sales rebounded in 2017. They rose 24% in May, compared with the same period last year. This is what emerges from a study prepared by Desjardins.
This study shows that, overall, in the Greater Montréal, total sales (houses and condominiums) grew by 15%, while Gatineau and Québec posted respective increases of 25% and 11%.
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June 23, 2017 - Downtown Montreal is a favorite borough for condo construction. The year 2017 shows, once again, that this area abounds with condominium units. In the first quarter (January to March) 700 were sold. It is the 3rd best performance since 2011.
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June 2, 2017 - A training course on the Guarantee Plan for New Residential Buildings has just been created. It will be offered this fall by EQUER (Undertaking for the quality of residential buildings). The courses offered are intended for homeowners, syndicates of co-ownerships, condominium managers, and also for co-owners and those who plan to become co-owners.
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May 31, 2017 - The Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards (FCIQ) has revised its forecasts for 2017. Last January, it expected sales to fall by 7%, while it is now anticipating a 2% rise in sales in Québec, compared to 2016. This turnaround is due to three factors: strong job creation, a large increase in net immigration and consumer confidence.
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May 17, 2017 - Real estate is a major economic force. Its total value far exceeds the annual revenues of a country. In 2016, the aggregate value of Québec real estate (including residential, commercial, industrial buildings and land) was $ 1.07 trillion.
This amount is equivalent to 2.7 times the gross domestic product (GDP) of the province, in which the entire real estate inventory grew by 91% in value, since 2006.at which time its value was $ 560 billion in 2016 dollars. This considerable gain over 10 years is due in part to the number of appraisal units that rose by 13% on account of new construction.
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January 10, 2017 - The majority of buyers (52%) of new condos (in Toronto) are investors who do not intend to occupy them, reveals a survey conducted by Urbanation Inc. in the greater Toronto area, during the third quarter of 2016. The survey also found that 5% of new apartment buyers are foreigners.
]]>October 28, 2016 - The residential real estate market is in a slight recovery in Quebec. Price and sales increases were mainly driven by growth in the Greater Montréal (Montréal Metropolitan Region- MMR).
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October 12, 2016 - Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau, will impose three new measures to ensure a stable realestate market, to avoid a possible housing bubble.
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