The US is seeing the odd combination of high unemployment and rising job vacancies. Canada has so far been able to avoid that, but signs of it occurring are beginning to appear, according to BMO. Douglas Porter, the bank’s chief economist, took a dive into business hiring data. Businesses are increasingly slowing activity due to […]
Canadian home prices made a big jump in the second quarter, especially existing homes. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows large advances in the Big Six real estate markets in Q2 2021. Both new and existing home prices increased very quickly. However, existing home prices grew at twice the rate of new homes. Canada’s Big […]
Lumber prices pushed the cost of building a home higher — a lot higher. Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) data shows members saw lumber costs soar. In fact, more than half of builders said lumber costs increased at least $30,000 in Q2 2021. Even though lumber prices have since crashed, don’t expect cheaper housing. Not […]
Canadian real estate went from being a boost for the economy, to being a drag in just over a year. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows real gross domestic product (GDP) fell in May. Amongst the sectors causing the slowdown was real estate, having peaked in March. Since then the sector has been deteriorating at […]
Never has it been so obvious that government data on housing costs don’t reflect the cost of buying. Home prices are on a tear, and while CPI’s shelter component is high, it’s miles away from soaring home costs. That’s because of the way it’s measured, says BMO chief economist Douglas Porter. Here’s his breakdown on […]
Canadian home builders have faced soaring labor and material costs, and now there’s confirmation. The Statistics Canada (Stat Can) building construction price index made a record climb in the second quarter of 2021. Costs jumped significantly higher for homebuilders, even if just compared to non-residential construction. Homebuilders saw the fastest increases in “hot” housing markets […]
Canadian real estate is cooling from record demand, and luxury homes are no exception. Global luxury brokerage Engel & Völkers (E&V) released its latest luxury market report. They looked at markets with homes priced over $1 million and found sales slowed recently. In the near term, this should help the market normalize and stabilize price […]
High inflation is probably transitory, and central banks should tell people that… but totally be ready in case they aren’t. That’s the take from the IMF today, who released its latest global outlook. The agency said high inflation should ease, and central banks should communicate that message. However, it may not be transitory, and monetary […]
US housing is all of a sudden cooling very quickly. US Census data shows single-family home sales fell for a third consecutive month in June. The decline in sales helped to push new housing inventory to pre-pandemic levels. Prices are still elevated, but they did give back a significant amount of gains last month. US […]
Despite a booming US real estate market, foreign buyers have been sitting this one out. National Association of Realtors (NAR) data shows foreign buyers made a big drop in the year ending March 2021. The pandemic didn’t have much of an impact on budgets, but fewer buyers came to market. Foreign Buyers Spent 27% Less […]
