Co-Founder and chief data nerd at Better Dwelling. Named a top influencer in finance and risk by Thomson-Reuters.
Canadian real estate sales are soaring, and prices are accelerating quickly. Obviously, it’s the perfect time for the government to loosen credit conditions. The Department of Finance (DoF) announced changes to the way insured mortgages will be stress tested. The new changes go live on April 6, 2020, and will lead to a more responsive […]
Canada is in the midst of an immigration boom, but Ontario is losing ground. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows more non-permanent residents arrived in Q3 2019. A lot more, actually. The net increase of non-permanent residents was the highest of any quarter, going back to the 1970s – the last year calculated by the […]
Buyers in Canada’s largest real estate markets aren’t keen on sharing a home with the government. The First-Time Home Buyer Incentive (FTHBI) received few applications from September 2 to December 9, 2019. The poor reception is of note in urban areas, where first-time buyers need the most help. However, only a third of applicants for […]
Not a lot of real estate buyers across Canada are interested in the latest government buying scheme. Government of Canada (GoC) data shows the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive (FTHBI) received a cold reception. From the launch of the program, to the beginning of December, only two provinces represented the majority of applications. Those two provinces, […]
Canadian real estate buyers are still feeling exuberant about the market. The US Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas‘ (Dallas Fed) exuberance indicator shows expectations are still high in Q3 2019. The index measures explosive price growth, that’s detached from fundamentals. Expectations are much lower than they were in 2017, but are still above critical levels. […]
Canada’s sky high debt is meeting with higher than expected inflation, and it’s going to be a problem. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows the median consumer price index (CPI-Median) rising in November. The measure of core inflation is now at the highest level in over a decade. By itself, this isn’t much of an […]
Canadian regulators are asking banks to set aside a little extra cash for a rainy day. Okay, a lot more cash for a downpour. Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) completed their bi-annual domestic stability buffer review. The regulator sees systemic risks, those that can cause instability to the financial system, remain elevated. […]
Canadian real estate prices are soaring, but only a few markets have detached from reality. The ones that have though, boy oh boy – have they ever detached. New numbers obtained from IMF staff, show the gap between prices and fundamentals. For the most part, Canadian real estate prices can be explained through access to […]
Canada’s booming population growth is the only thing separating the country from a recession. There’s been a lot of talk about Canada’s massive growth in gross domestic product (GDP). There’s also been a lot of talk about Canada’s population boom, driven largely by immigration. However, few people seem to be discussing what the combination of […]
Only 17 days until the election, and all parties are promising helicopter money for housing. The NDP plan, with rental subsidies, is probably the most well intended one. Rather than using tax dollars to help buy investments, they’re focusing on core needs. Unfortunately, every time you inject a large amount of cash into a market, […]
