Flaherty calls on banks to ‘fix’ mortgage market

Canada’s finance minister said on Wednesday he would rather not tighten mortgage rules again to curb high household debt and that banks themselves are taking on that job by becoming more strict with their lending criteria.

The upside of higher rates

For three years, the word on the street has been that interest rates have nowhere to go but up. But few Canadian commentators – other than David Rosenberg – got the call on rates right.

Is there gold in foreclosed homes?

NEW YORK – Dan Magder recently gave up a top job with private equity firm Lone Star Funds to strike out on his own and become a landlord.

Spain introduces ‘most austere budget’ in its history

Spain, under threat of falling victim to the region’s debt crisis, will raise corporate taxes and slash public spending to trim the deficit this year by more than a third.

Residential property providing best returns for investors in German markets

Residential property is providing the best investment returns for the German real estate sector, according to the DIX German Property Index for 2011 published by IPD.