Fresh data on foreign investment in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada's largest cities, will be released next week in a move economists hope will shed light on what is driving demand - and a potential bubble - in the country's housing market.

While the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp has said foreign investment accounts for only about 10 percent of sales activity, policymakers and voters alike have seized on the issue has a driving force behind precarious markets in both cities.

Statistics Canada's C$39.9 million, five-year project to better measure the market - using land registries and tax records,...

The trend in housing starts was 226,270 units in November 2017, compared to 216,642 units in October 2017, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). This trend measure is a six-month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) of housing starts.

“The trend in housing starts reached its highest level in almost 10 years this November, reflecting a second consecutive increase in multiple starts,” said Bob Dugan, CMHC’s chief economist. “This largely reflects construction of multiple units in Toronto, where evidence...

On December 6, 2017, the Bank of Canada announced it was keeping its trend-setting overnight lending rate on hold at 1%. The rate rose by 0.25% in July and again in September. Since then, the Bank has continued to caution that future interest rate increases depend on whether economic data suggest that inflation is starting to percolate.

The Canadian economy has been evolving broadly in line with the Bank’s October forecast. That said, the Bank has pointed to elevated global risks, in particular the renegotiation of NAFTA.

The Bank also remains vigilant for signs of rising inflation and wage...

Metro Vancouver* saw modest home listing changes and steady demand in November.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 2,795 in November 2017, a 26.2 per cent increase from the 2,214 sales recorded in November 2016, and a 7.5 per cent decrease compared to October 2017 when 3,022 homes sold.

Last month’s sales were 17 per cent above the 10-year November sales average.

“We’re seeing steady demand in today’s market. Home buyer activity is operating above our long-term averages, particularly in our townhome...

Time to get ready for a return of the popularity of the five-year mortgage? Twenty years ago, in the mid-1990s —conventional wisdom still held where most home buyers and mortgage holders opted for five-year-closed mortgages, as a hedge against the ominous threat of rising interest rates. The security of locking in a constant, predictable mortgage payment for the long term was more valued than hunting for the lowest possible variable rate mortgage. 

© Used with permission of / © Rogers Media Inc. 2017. The Bank of Canada says to expect higher interest rates...

About five decades ago, Vancouverites lived almost entirely in single-family homes and rental buildings. The majority of the rental was purpose built, a lot of it in West End towers, with midrise rentals scattered throughout other parts of the city.

Some co-op housing had been built. But condos didn't exist.

"If you wanted to build a higher density, you had to build rental," University of Toronto professor David Hulchanski says.

The BCREA Commercial Leading Indicator (CLI) increased for the ninth consecutive quarter, rising  2 points in the third quarter of 2017 to 135.3. That increase represents a 1.7 per cent rise over the second quarter and a 7.3 per cent increase from one year ago.

The sustained rise in the CLI has been driven by several years of strong growth in the BC economy, particularly in sectors beneficial to commercial real estate activity. While we expect that the almost unprecedented cycle of abovetrend growth in the BC economy will end next year, the overall economic environment remains very supportive...

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2017 Fourth Quarter Housing Forecast today. 

Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in the province are forecast to decline 10.4 per cent to 91,700 units in 2018, after an expected 8.8 per cent decrease this year. A record 112,209 unit sales were recorded in 2016. The ten-year average for MLS® residential sales in BC is 84,700 units. Strong economic and demographic fundamentals are supporting elevated housing demand. However, a number of factors are expected to temper home sales in the province next year....

The purchase price you negotiate when buying or selling a home is just one part of the ultimate cost for a home. In addition to the purchase price there are a number of other fees—known as closing fees—that need to be factored in to any purchase or sale price. To help you plan the purchase or sale of your property, here’s a snapshot of the extra fees you can expect to pay out of pocket once you’ve settled on the home sale price.

Buyer’s Closing Costs

→ Land Transfer Tax

Most provinces and some major cities impose a land transfer tax that is calculated as a percentage...

Real estate isn’t just a place to live anymore, it’s now an integral part of your financial plan. But that doesn’t mean you should get in at all cost. To make it work, you need to consider the purchase of a home as part of your overall financial plan. To help you stay on track, here are eight simple steps you can take to start the home-buying process in a fiscally responsible way.

1. Start budgeting

Most people start their home buying process by going to an open house or by going online to the Multiple Listing Service— a collection of private databases...

UniverCity, a City within a City. Enjoy the peace & tranquility this area has to offer. This 2 bed, 1 bath, 800+sqft unit offers a spacious layout & green space views. Located in Novo II, a concrete building offering recreation facilities & rental & pet friendly. Close to: transit, shopping, indoor/outdoor recreation & a host of perks available only to UniverCity residences.

The SFU, UniverCity market boasts one of the lowest vacancy rates & some of the highest rental yields in Metro Vancouver. Looking for an ideal long term real estate invesment? Look no further than UniverCity,...

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 8,677 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in October, an increase of 19.3 per cent from the same period last year. Total sales dollar volume was $6.25 billion, up 41.6 per cent from October 2016. The average MLS® residential price in the province was $720,129, up 18.7 per cent from October 2016.

“BC home sales trended higher in October, up 23 per cent from January on a seasonally adjusted basis,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “A lack of supply...

The trend in housing starts was 216,770 units in October 2017, compared to 215,153 units in September 2017, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). This trend measure is a six-month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) of housing starts.

”The trend in housing starts essentially held steady in October following a decrease in September,” said Bob Dugan, CMHC’s chief economist. ”Nevertheless, new home construction remains very strong in 2017, as the seasonally adjusted number of starts has been above 200,000 units in nine...

Housing affordability is fundamentally linked to the relationship between the housing stock and market demand. Strong economic growth has created rising labour demand and consumer confidence side effects, while net migration and a wave of millennials entering their household-forming years have rounded out a “perfect storm” of demand-side momentum. In turn, the supply of resale homes on the market in Metro Vancouver has plunged to decade lows. This has led to continuing upward pressure on home prices, because elevated consumer demand hasn’t been matched by an equivalent increase...

Metro Vancouver* home sales exceeded typical historical levels in October with the majority concentrated in the townhouse and apartment markets.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in the region totalled 3,022 in October 2017, a 35.3 per cent increase from the 2,233 sales recorded in October 2016, and an increase of 7.1 per cent compared to September 2017 when 2,821 homes sold.

Last month’s sales were 15 per cent above the 10-year October sales average.

"Conditions continue to vary significantly based on property type. The detached home...

Canada’s housing markets remain highly vulnerable¹ with evidence of moderate overvaluation and price acceleration, according to  Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). After a boost in residential construction in 2017, housing starts are projected to decline by 2019, but to remain close to the average level from the last 5 years.

This analysis is from two key CMHC reports released today: the Housing Market Assessment (HMA) and Housing Market Outlook (HMO).

CMHC’s HMA continues to find housing markets in Toronto, Hamilton, Vancouver, Victoria...

The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at 1 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1 1/4 per cent and the deposit rate is 3/4 per cent.

Inflation has picked up in recent months, as anticipated in the Bank’s July Monetary Policy Report (MPR), reflecting stronger economic activity and higher gasoline prices. Measures of core inflation have edged up, in line with a narrowing output gap and the diminishing effects of lower food prices. The Bank projects inflation will rise to 2 per cent in the second half of 2018. This is a little later than anticipated in July...

After back-to-back interest rates hikes, the Bank of Canada can stay on the sidelines for longer than first anticipated, with tighter mortgage rules slowing the housing market and uncertainty about NAFTA clouding the outlook.

While more rate increases are on the horizon, possibly before the end of the year, the central bank is expected to hold rates at 1 percent on Wednesday as the list of unknowns and a moderating economy force policymakers to watch and wait.

© REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo FILE PHOTO - A sign is pictured outside the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa 

The unknown...

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 8,340 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in September, an increase of 9.9 per cent from the same period last year. Total sales dollar volume was $5.8 billion, up 30.2 per cent from September 2016. The average MLS® residential price in the province was $693,774, up 18.5 per cent from September 2016. 

“BC home sales rose nearly 5 per cent from August on a seasonally adjusted basis,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “Total active listings...