Zakiya Kassam

Toronto

Writer and Journalist at Freelance

Writer at STOREYS

indoor cat, associate editor @storeyspub

Articles

Diana Chan McNally On Joining Toronto's Housing Rights Advisory Committee

1 month ago | storeys.com | Zakiya Kassam

In late-April, Diana Chan McNally found out she has been appointed as a public member to the City of Toronto's . "She is a fierce advocate for the unhoused, and I think many of us appreciate the work she does to give voice to the people in our city who don't have a voice," said Ward 18-Willowdale City Councillor Lily Cheng before her fellow Council members at an April 23 meeting.
Ontario Regulator Lays Charges Against Stateview Homes

1 month ago | storeys.com | Zakiya Kassam

Ontario's Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) has laid a set of charges against companies (seven in total) operating under Vaughan-based Stateview Homes.
Ontario's 2025 Budget Earmarks Millions For Modular Housing, Waterfront Toronto

1 month ago | storeys.com | Zakiya Kassam

Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy presented Ontario's budget for 2025 at Queen's Park on Thursday afternoon, predictably putting a strong emphasis on ongoing trade tensions with the US in his remarks. With tariffs turning the economy on its head and unemployment on the uptrend, this year's $232.5-billion budget accounts for a $14.6-billion deficit over the 2025-2026 fiscal year. A "path to balance" isn't anticipated until the 2027-2028 fiscal year.
CPI Capital's August Biniaz On How Tariffs Are Stifling Cross-Border Real Estate Investing

1 month ago | storeys.com | Zakiya Kassam

If there's one thing we can take away from this week's Liberal election win, it's that tariffs continue to weigh heavily on the minds of Canadians. Prime Minister Mark Carney built his platform around Canada's tariff response and, in fact, his first order of business is meeting with US President Donald Trump in an attempt to resolve trade tensions and get tariffs lifted. However, for businesses that rely on cross-border investment, damage has already been done.
Toronto Moves To Freeze DCs Ahead Of May Increase

2 months ago | storeys.com | Zakiya Kassam

At last week's Toronto City Council session, members voted 18 to 2 in favour of freezing development charges at their current rates, effective May 1. This came a week before DCs in the city were set to rise by 4%, and offers some semblance of reprieve for new housing development in the city, which has been trampled by the excessive cost of doing business.
Don Kottick Resigns As President & CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada

2 months ago | storeys.com | Zakiya Kassam

After six years in the role, Don Kottick has resigned as President and CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, effective April 23.
Bank Of Canada Holds Interest Rate For First Time In A Year

2 months ago | storeys.com | Zakiya Kassam

On Wednesday morning, the Bank of Canada (BoC) announced an interest rate hold for their April decision — the third of 2025 — keeping the policy rate steady at 2.75%. This marks the first rate pause since April 2024, and follows a 25-basis-point cut from mid-March. “Inflation was 2.3% in March, lower than in February but still higher than 1.8% at the time of the January MPR.
“Tariff Turmoil” Pulls Canadian Home Sales Down 20% Since November

2 months ago | storeys.com | Zakiya Kassam

We may be seven (soon to be eight?) Bank of Canada interest rate cuts in, but “tariff turmoil” has kept buyers on the sidelines and put Canadian home sales on a months-long downtrend. The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) reported on Tuesday that sales fell 4.8% month over month in March, and have slipped 20% from their “recent high” in November. Without adjusting for seasonal effects, national sales also fell 9.3% year over year and had the slowest March on record since 2009.
Where Every Big Bank Stands On Wednesday's Interest Rate Announcement

2 months ago | storeys.com | South D Street |Zakiya Kassam

Amidst the incessant flurry of tariff talk, this week will bring the third interest rate announcement of 2025. Since June, the Bank of Canada (BoC) has eased the policy rate seven straight times, and the last cut (25 basis points) on March 12 landed it at 2.75%. Leading up to the March meeting, economists were in agreement that the Bank had every reason to hold the policy rate steady at 3% — if not for the tariff curveball.
In A Slow Market, What Does It Take For A House To Sell Over Asking?

2 months ago | storeys.com | South D Street |Zakiya Kassam

In early March, a two-storey semi at 87 Berkshire Avenue sold for $286,000 over the asking price after spending about 24 hours on the market. Listing agents Shane Little and Jenny Simon tell STOREYS that they had 30 showings booked for the property in South Riverdale, but ultimately went with a bully offer of $1,435,000. The success of 87 Berkshire isn’t unheard of, but it’s also not representative of what’s happening throughout the Greater Toronto Area.