CMHC Announces New Changes For Financing Rental Properties

With the Province of Ontario pushing the concept of intensification and the rising cost of home ownership especially in places like Toronto, many would-be buyers are looking at an accessory apartment in their home as being a way to help make higher mortgage payments.  Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has just announced new rules that will make it easier for homeowners wishing to rent out a portion of their residence to obtain financing.

Effective September 28, 2015, homeowners will now be able to use 100% of their rental income when qualifying for a mortgage, prior to this just 50% of the rental income was allowed. In order to qualify for this new CMHC financing option the following conditions must be met.

• The property must be owner-occupied.
• The property being insured can have only two units (i.e., a duplex or a single home with a legal secondary suite). 
• Rental income cannot be used if the suite is “illegal/non-conforming” but “legal non-conforming” is okay. (Non-conforming means that the suite was grandfathered in before zoning/regulations restricted such units. You can check with the city to confirm if a suite is legal.)
• The suite must be self-contained with its own entrance.
• Property taxes and heat must be factored into the borrower’s debt ratios (which is currently not the case when using rent from legal secondary suites).
• For existing units, there must be two-year history of rental income from the suite. The maximum rental income allowed for qualification is a two-year average of the unit’s rent.
• For new units, a market rent appraisal can be accepted if an appropriate vacancy rate has been applied to the estimated rental income.
• Mortgage applicants must “demonstrate a strong history of managing credit” with a minimum credit score of 680.

  This new changes offer some great benefits for consumers.  Borrowers will now have easier access to mortgages when looking to buy a property that contains an accessory apartment.  This will make home ownership more affordable while also potentially increasing the number of rental units available for tenants.  As with every positive there is a potential negative.  Easier financing for properties with rental units could further heat up markets such as Toronto but overall I would have to say that this is a good example of public policy making.

 Locally in our market there is a strong need for good quality rental units.  As of the end of June, the 12 month average price for a single family home in our area was $338,000.  Being able to use 100% of any rental income you might have from a basement apartment etc. can go a long way in helping a buyer qualify for a mortgage while hopefully over the long term, providing for an increase in much needed rental units.

Area Real Estate Sales Up 22% In June

 The seemingly insatiable demand for and brisk pace of area real estate sales shows no signing of slowing down even as we head into the summer vacation period.

  MLS® sales in June as reported by the Southern Georgian Bay Association of REALTORS reflected a 22% increase over June 2014 with 275 properties sold during the month representing $89.1 million dollars in total value.  Year-to-date MLS® unit sales for the first six months of 2015 are 20% higher than last year with 1,145 sales reported compared to 952 during the same period in 2014.  Dollar volume for the year now stands at $384.5 million which represents a 27% increase year-over-year.

  Conversely to the sharp increase in sales activity that we have seen thus far in 2015 is not being mirrored when it comes to listings and available inventory.  The number of new MLS® listings coming onto the market in 2015 is running well below last year. For the first six months of 2015 there have been 2,518 new listings input to the local MLS® system compared to 2,917 new listings in 2014, a reduction of almost 14%.  Similarly, the number of expired listings has decreased 27% year-to-date stemming from (a) increased sales activity, (b) fewer listings coming to market.  Some sellers whose price expectations were overly aggressive had have elected to take their properties off the market which in turn has reduced the number of listings overall.

  MLS® single family home sales through the end of June are up 20% with 763 sales year-to-date versus 633 last year.  The demand for area condominiums has also continued remain strong with year-to-date sales of 227 units representing a 16% increase over 2014.  After a couple of years of weak demand, MLS® vacant land sales have rebounded quite strongly in 2015 with 89 sales through the end of June reflecting a 41% increase from the first six months of last year.

MLS® Single family home sales in most area municipalities are running well ahead of 2014 with one exception, Grey Highlands where sales are down 12%.  Sales in Wasaga Beach reflect the largest increase year-to-date up 37% from 2014 followed by the Blue Mountains up 16%, Clearview up 15%, Collingwood sales are up 13% while the Municipality of Meaford shows a 9% increase year-to-date.

  Properties in the $350,000 to $$500,00 range are in the greatest demand with year-to-date sales up 46% over last year.  Sales between $800,000 and $1 million are also very strong with 26 sales in 2015 reflecting a 44% increase from 2014 while sales between $200,000 and $350,000 are up 18%.  We have in fact seen multiple offers on some properties with a home in Collingwood selling for $295,00 versus a $259,000 list price while a chalet near Georgian Peaks sold for almost $60,000 over the $799,000 asking price.

  As we head into the second half of 2015, the biggest threat to a slowdown in our market may very well be the lack of available inventory to meet demand, only time will tell if that proves to be the case.