Canadian households began to sock away a little extra cash before the pandemic. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows the household savings rate reached a 20 year high in Q1 2020. The rate had been growing steadily since 2018, as households diverted their spending to savings. Here’s what it means. Household Savings Rate The household […]
Canada’s state-owned mortgage insurer sees prices dropping in major real estate markets. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), is forecasting price declines across Canada. This week they provided additional data, showing the expected impact to major markets. The agency sees Toronto and Vancouver falling from last month’s prices, even in a best case. As […]
Canada’s wealth inequality issues are bigger than previously estimated – which really is something. The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), a non-partisan office that advises the Canadian government, has created a new model to estimate wealth held by the country’s richest households. The new estimate shows Canada’s one-percent actually holds a much bigger share of total […]
Canada’s largest bank is calling the top for real estate prices in the near term. RBC economists took a dive through the latest Canadian real estate sales for May 2020. In addition to noting prices have stalled, they believe the bounce in sales is overstated. Combine this with an observation on supply outpacing demand, and […]
Canada’s immigration has slowed due to the pandemic, at least for a few months. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data shows a steep decline in the number of new permanent residents in April. The drop is one of the sharpest in recent history, with large real estate markets most impacted. Fewer Permanent Residents Admitted […]
Canadian homeowners love spending their home equity, but how much is left for an emergency? Bank of Canada (BoC) data shows homeowners have drawn a little over a third of available HELOC credit in Q4 2019. That doesn’t sound bad, until you realize what the distribution looks like. A significant number of homeowners were already […]
Canadian real estate markets may be getting another inventory headwind soon. National Bank of Canada (NBC) research estimates AirBNB hosts may contribute to oversupply later this year. As the slowdown impacts hosts, many may be incentivized to sell. By their estimates, just a quarter of hosts selling would cause inventory in cities like Toronto and […]
Canada’s national housing agency isn’t just forecasting price declines, they’re preparing for them. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced changes to its mortgage insurance. Homebuyers with less than 20% down should now expect lower debt service maximums, a more stringent credit quality check, and a ban on borrowing down payments. If those sound like […]
The head of Canada’s national housing agency rang off yet another warning to homebuyers. Evan Siddall, the head of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), warned people to question the motives of anyone that says home prices will rise in the near-term. He does so before rattling off a list of economic pressures against […]
Canada’s Big Six banks are preparing for a lot more bad loans. Canadian banks reported Q2 earnings this week. A common theme in all reports was a sharp increase in provisions for credit losses (PCLs). These have been rising over the past year, as delinquencies begin normalizing from lows. This trend has accelerated quickly however, […]
