Real Estate

Condo ‘Catch-22’ Ensnares Toronto Real Estate Investors

  • Investors battered by high interest rates and rent pressure
  • Biggest test for the condo market since 1991, economist says

The Toronto skyline.

Photographer: James MacDonald/Bloomberg
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Shemeer Ahmad is stuck with a condominium investment located near Toronto that’s losing hundreds of dollars every month.

The entrepreneur purchased a two-bedroom apartment in 2019, as rents were rising and real estate seemed like a safe bet. Now, he’s losing around C$830 ($604) every month as high mortgage rates and other costs suck up more than what he receives in rent. He could sell — but he’s worried he would lose tens of thousands of dollars on it.