Academics theorize why developers won’t create more purpose-built rental housing. They cite everything from user behavior to policy restrictions. For some reason, they never think to just ask a real estate developer candidly. A few weeks ago I shared a popular Twitter thread on real estate rental development. Not a lot of people realize real […]
Canadian real estate markets may have got the first big cooling measure today. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) announced they are moving to tighten uninsured mortgage leverage. The organization that regulates Canada’s banks, eased the mortgage stress test last year. Now that it’s clear mortgages don’t need stimulus, they’re looking to […]
Quantitative ease (QE) is a simple concept, but not well understood by most people. Increasingly folks tell me, “QE inflates home prices,” and “prevents prices from dropping.” The first part is true, but the evidence on the second part is a little shaky. It can help to push home prices higher during a tight market, […]
Canadian real estate prices are one of the biggest threats to the country, said a global agency. The IMF recently completed its regularly scheduled staff report on Canada. Staff found real estate prices present one of the biggest threats to the country. The agency shared the detailed numbers produced by their valuation models with us. […]
We’ve all heard the Canadian real estate stories, especially in Greater Toronto. An agent lists a property below market value, and dozens of offers pour in. It eventually sells much higher than the asking price, and sometimes even higher than the comps. Just one issue. How much did everyone below the winning offer bid? Did […]
Bears have been calling a real estate bubble in Canada for 20 years, and we’re totally wrong. That’s a comment I keep receiving, about an alleged call I made 20 years ago. First of all, I don’t think I spoke to you 20 years ago about housing. Second, if you took advice from a high […]
Canadian real estate markets have become such a large bubble, even a crash can’t fix prices. That’s what the Globe’s Rob Carrick argued earlier this week. The personal finance expert says it’s now too late for young adults in Toronto and Vancouver. Policy failures made markets so inefficient over the past few years, ownership is […]
Canada’s largest bank warned the country’s real estate markets are approaching systemic risk. Not credit risk, banks are more than adequately protected. Instead they see it as a risk for the whole darn economy. RBC senior economist Robert Hogue, who isn’t a traditional bear, warned the market is out of control. Canada’s nurturing of the […]
Canadian households devote much more of their paychecks than their American counterparts. Actually, this is more of a global thing. Canada’s household debt service ratio (DSR) is manageable, but far from normal. An addiction to cheap credit and expensive housing has led to an epic borrowing spree. Households in the country now devote more of […]
One of the world’s largest real estate bubbles is getting a new round of affordability measures. Earlier this year, the New Zealand Government said they would put home prices at the top of their agenda. This week they followed up with the first actions they’ll be taking. Property investors will soon see most tax advantages […]
