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A Guide to Recessions and the BC Housing Market

As the Bank of Canada aggressively raised rates over the past year to fight multi-decade-high inflation, fears are mounting that tighter monetary policy will push the Canadian economy into recession. Indeed, central banks have a poor historical track record in achieving “soft landings” following tightening cycles. That is, amid high inflation, central banks often struggle to “thread...

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What is the latest Bank of Canada rate hike means for inflation, consumers

The Bank of Canada hiked its key policy rate by half a percentage point to 4.25 per cent -- the highest it's been since January 2008 -- on Wednesday in its final rate decision of a year that has been marked by stubbornly high inflation and rapidly increasing interest rates.

The bank, which has made a steady succession of large hikes over the course of the year, is widely believed to be nearing an end...

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CMHC’s New Underwriting Criteria: What Changed and What it Means for Home Buyers

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has implemented new underwriting criteria (eligibility requirements) to apply for homeowner transactional and portfolio mortgage insurance. Introduced earlier this summer, these new adjustments from CMHC come as a precaution while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact consumers in the real estate market and many other aspects...

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The BCREA Economics team has created the COVID-19 Reopening Dashboard to help REALTORS® monitor the evolution of the BC economy as the province gradually reopens. This dashboard focuses on the sectors and activities that have been most significantly impacted by the pandemic and the province's subsequent state of emergency.

To monitor the province's progress toward a "new normal," we benchmark...

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Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver reports far fewer home sales in April but benchmark price rises

Not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the number of transactions in the Metro Vancouver housing market.


This morning, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver announced a 56.1 percent decline in sales in April compared to the previous month.


The April sales were a whopping 62.7 percent below the 10-year average for that month and the lowest since the deep recession of...

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Looking to Buy A Home? What Canada’s Stress Test Means for You

Sure, you can afford your home now, but what if mortgage rates go up?


Low interest rates and mortgages have been a fact of life in Canada for some time now. At the time of publication, the 5-year average mortgage rate has hovered around 5% for nearly a decade. This is a far cry from late 1981 when mortgage rates were as much as 21%.


New mortgage rules

In 2017, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial...

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For free Real Estate Advice please call/text me at (604) 537-9791 

Summary Findings: 

  • While it’s unknown how the unfolding COVID-19 outbreak will impact the economy in the long-term, BC is facing a sudden stop in economic activity with little guidance to when things may return to normal. 
  • Based on our scenario analysis, BC home sales and prices will likely face declines in the spring...
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The commercial real estate market in the Lower Mainland saw fewer sales and lower dollar volumes in 2018 compared to recent years.

There were 2,266 commercial real estate sales in the Lower Mainland in 2018, a 13.6 per cent decrease from 2,624 sales in 2017, according to data from Commercial Edge, a commercial real estate system operated by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV).

The total...

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How the Canadian Housing Market Kicked Off the Year

Housing Starts

The annual pace of housing starts – new housing construction projects – slowed, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), but dropped less than what was expected for the beginning of the year.


It’s too early to say where the Canadian housing market is heading. But we can start tracking its direction by looking at some significant January figures.

...
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Penthouse of iconic Vancouver co-op relisted at 25% discount

 

Luxury condo previously listed at $17.3 million was just put back on the market for $12,995,000

View full listing details here


The penthouse of this iconic co-op building right on the beach of Vancouver's English Bay features  2,740-square-foot, two-bedroom-plus-den home was originally listed at a jaw-dropping $17.3 million in October 2018, ranking in as Vancouver's second...

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Home listings increase while buyers remain in holding pattern

 
 
Residential property sales in Metro Vancouver
 

Home listings continue to increase across all housing categories in the Metro Vancouver* housing market while home buyer activity remains below historical averages.


The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales...

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Moe Pourtaghi


"Nothing brings me more joy than seeing my buyers & sellers have success in their Real Estate endeavours. I hope you find the articles on my blog inspiring and educating in your ventures." - Moe Pourtaghi

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Reciprocity Logo The data relating to real estate on this website comes in part from the MLS® Reciprocity program of either the Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR), the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) or the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board (CADREB). Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS® logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by either the GVR, the FVREB or the CADREB which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of either the GVR, the FVREB or the CADREB.