Canada’s lack of housing affordability is coming for that record top spot. RBC senior economist Robert Hogue published his quarterly affordability assessment for Q4 2020. Home prices have increased almost enough to erase the drop in mortgage rates. The bank sees the current momentum pushing prices higher in the near term. If payments rise even […]
The Canadian government will not be taxing home equity — at least not under the current administration. Minister Ahmed Hussen, who oversees the country’s housing portfolio, said they will not entertain a tax on home equity, today. This comes after increasing calls from academics, and even banks, to consider doing so. It also comes just […]
Canadians are panic hoarding again… but this time it’s real estate and debt, says a Big Six bank. The country’s finance minister recently said they were “watching” housing, and its impact on first-time buyers. This has BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic wondering if they understand the issue. Overheated markets are an issue that extend far […]
The Canadian government hasn’t discussed a capital gains tax on real estate, but the industry is already fighting it. Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) sent a memo to their members this week. In the memo, they explain why they’ve taken an aggressive position against the yet to be proposed tax. It also happens to […]
The Canadian economy is improving faster than expected, meaning supports can start fading. Bank of Canada (BoC) deputy governor Gravelle announced the end of many market support programs on Tuesday. The economy has improved, meaning the gradual withdrawal of stimulus can now begin. As supports begin to taper, overly easy credit is likely to disappear […]
Canadian real estate prices are once again the focus of an international agency. An IMF annual staff audit cites home prices as one of the biggest threats to the country’s economy. The agency suggests avoiding tax deductions and subsidies, which will compound the country’s rising inequality. They also recommend mitigating leverage build up, and taxing […]
Canadian households are taking advantage of the cheap debt flooding the mortgage market. Bank of Canada (BoC) data shows outstanding mortgage credit reached a new high in January. The total size of the debt pile isn’t just a shocker at this point. Over the past year, accumulated mortgage debt was more than 5% the size […]
Canadian real estate prices are rising at a rapid rate, but officially the cost of living isn’t moving. What gives? Douglas Porter, BMO chief economist, discussed inflation and home prices in 2 separate notes this week. The issue has to do with how official inflation numbers are measured. Housing tends to influence inflation in an […]
First-time buyers are said to be driving BC’s residential boom, but that’s not what data shows. BC Government property transfers do reveal more first-time buyers in January. The catch is they failed to grow as quickly as total home sales. First-time homebuyers now represent the smallest part of the market in years. First-Time Buyers Fail […]
The pandemic didn’t slow Canadians from borrowing more to buy real estate. In fact, mortgage data may be showing the exact opposite. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows residential mortgage credit hit a record in 2020. Typically during a recession credit growth is expected to slow down. Last year saw the opposite, with declining rates pushing […]
