If you’ve been laundering money through US real estate, you might encounter a few hurdles soon. Today the US Treasury’s Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN) gave notice of upcoming rule changes for home buying. They warn that real estate is vulnerable to money laundering by a wide range of criminals. Consequently, the regulator believes it […]
Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s most important stories. Canadian Real Estate The Bank Of Canada Only Sees 2 Real Estate Bubbles And Vancouver Isn’t One Of Them Global agencies are ringing the alarms, but Canada’s central bank only sees 2 bubbles. The HPEI, the Bank of Canada’s exuberance indicator, only flagged Hamilton […]
US real estate prices are looking frothy, according to central bank researchers. The US Federal Reserve (the Fed) recently updated its exuberance index for Q2 2021. The little-known index exists to identify housing bubbles early, to minimize damage. For the first time since 2007, that indicator is now warning that US real estate prices are […]
The trend of US home buyers fleeing expensive coastal regions is still happening, according to the latest contract data. In October, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) showed a mixed movement. The national index is lower than last year but that’s not the case for half of the regions. Last […]
Time for your weekly cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Canada Goes All-In On Real Estate With “Excess” Home Sales Hitting 6% Of GDP: BMO Canada went all in on home sales to the point where excess home sales are now 6% of its GDP. Existing-home sales reached $500 billion in […]
Are Canadian investors beginning to think real estate returns are a little stretched? Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data on net investment in foreign securities shows big growth for September. Investors have accelerated sending funds out of the country — primarily into US investments. At the same time dollar volumes for Canadian real estate investment have […]
The US housing boom is experiencing a few hiccups but it’s not due to a lack of demand. The US Census Bureau released October housing starts and new building permit data. Housing starts slipped lower but remain historically high. Permits, which show future building intent, still remain elevated compared to last year. The number is […]
Commercial real estate has been in a bit of a rut and it looks like it’s not going to end as fast as some hope. Commercial real estate giant CBRE released its annual Tech 30 report. The firm’s assessment is these markets are in the middle of a contraction phase and have yet to stabilize. […]
Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Canadian Banks Moved $167 Million From Dodgy Sources, And Even Issued Mortgages We look at one exhibit from the Cullen Commission, BC’s Inquiry Into Money Laundering in Canada. Counsel found a family was able to move $132 million from dodgy sources without […]
The US is signaling the end of easy money might be near. The Federal Open Market Committee (the Fed) announced a taper to quantitative ease (QE). The central bank plans to reduce asset purchases this month and the program could wind up by next summer. This will translate into more expensive credit and may pump […]
