New home sales are finally starting to slow down across the US, but they have a long way to go to get to typical levels. US Commerce Department data shows new home sales fell in April. The drop was also accompanied by a large revision for the previous month. It’s too soon to tell if […]
The US economy’s booming recovery has created a temporary bump to inflation… that may not be temporary. BMO believes part of the jump in the consumer price index for April was due to a fleeting base effect. However, the bank’s senior economist Robert Kavcic argues there’s a little more to it. More recent growth is […]
Canadian home prices grew much faster than American home prices, but did incomes? In Canada, home prices have grown at a rate more than double that seen in the United States. However, disposable incomes over the same period grew at basically the same rate. Let’s take a dive into how shelter costs evolved in the […]
America’s flight from big cities to small ones continues, and it’s really driving rental prices up. Data from Zumper, an online rental portal, show the median price of a one-bedroom is just a little higher in April. Virtually all of the gains are attributed to soaring prices in small cities. Traditionally expensive markets are actually […]
The number of U.S. existing-home sales is falling, but it’s definitely not a drag on price growth. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) data shows existing-home sales fell in March. The drop in sales is largely attributed to falling inventory. This has created more pressure on home prices, driving them to new record highs. U.S. […]
U.S. home prices are rising very quickly, and so is fraud to obtain mortgages to buy homes. The CoreLogic National Mortgage Application Fraud Risk Index made a big jump Q1 2021. The rapid increase of the index means more red flags are being found in the application process. Hot markets with a sudden surge in […]
North American lumber prices are soaring, sending homebuilding costs higher with it. The good news is, relief may be just around the corner. BMO Capital Markets updated its Benchmark Western Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF) lumber forecast for April. The bank sees lumber prices dropping in the second half of the year. By 2022, they expect lumber prices […]
“It’s pent-up demand, bro – the market’s recovered” is one of the most common things I hear these days. Unfortunately, most people parroting the words don’t actually understand what they’re saying. Pent-up demand means a temporary surge of buying activity, that falls when demand catches up. Temporary being the key word. Under normal circumstances, this […]
American real estate buyers are regretting the decision to jump into the market during a pandemic. LendEdu, a US rate comparison site, surveyed homeowners that bought after March. The survey found a significant number of happy homeowners, taking advantage of record low rates. However, the majority of buyers have regrets about pulling the trigger on […]
Canadians with supersized mortgages are requesting payment relief at a much higher rate than across the border. Both the US and Canada worked with banks to offer mortgage payment deferrals since March. Both countries launched their programs and had a sharp initial uptake at the same time. The rate of US mortgage deferrals have since […]
