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Canada’s housing prices continue to escalate [there has been no housing
collapse as there has been in the U.S., Spain, U.K., Australia and elsewhere over the past 4-6 years] but concern is rising as to whether they are now, finally, ‘in a bubble’ and about to correct either modestly or severely. This article discusses what would cause a change in direction in Canadian housing prices. Words: 500
So says Ian R. Campbell (www.StockResearchPortal.com) in paraphrased excerpts from one of the components of his subscription service* which is presented here with his kind permission for posting on www.munKNEE.com (Your Key to Making Money!). This paragraph must be included in any article re-posting to avoid copyright infringement.
Campbell goes on to say, in part:
Clearly things that could/would cause the direction of Canadian housing prices to ‘go downward’ include:
- at a micro-level:
- Canadian consumer household debt levels,
- Canadian unemployment rates, and
- future changes to mortgage rates, mortgage rules, and mortgage lending policies; and,
- at a macro-level:
- what happens in the world economy, and if we see further world recession, or worse, the contagion consequences as they affect Canada on a regional basis.
Take Note:
In our integrated world economy…the Canadian economy will not be exempted from further economic downturn. The Canadian populace will not be sheltered from its effects of decreased exports, decreased employment, likely rising food prices, and so on. All these things will negatively impact Canadian house prices – and perhaps no more so than in the major metropolitan areas. As such, watch for Canadian:
- monthly net trade balances decreases;
- manufacturing data downturns;
- negative unemployment data;
- increases in labour unrest; and,
- decreases in consumer confidence in the weeks and months to come.
Don’t be shy about asking retail clerks, automotive salesmen, people who work in new construction, and in particular real estate agents ‘how is business?’. Make sure if you ask that question of real estate agents that you read their body language, not just their lips.
Conclusion
If unemployment data, in particular, begins to worsen that will be an indicator that Canadian house prices likely have peaked and will begin to reverse.
Topical Reference: Will Canada’s housing boom end with a whimper or a bang, from The Financial Post, Pamela Heaven, July 17, 2012 – reading time 2 minutes.
*(The above is just one of many of Stock Research Portal’s daily commentaries, critiques, ‘Think for Yourself’ challenges and ‘Speak For Themselves’ World Headline summaries. Subscribe now to receive our full, unabridged newsletter.)
Editor’s Note: The above article may have been edited ([ ]), abridged (…), and reformatted (including the title, some sub-titles and bold/italics emphases) for the sake of clarity and brevity to ensure a fast and easy read. The article’s views and conclusions are unaltered and no personal comments have been included to maintain the integrity of the original article.
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4. Unlike the U.S and U.K, Canada’s Home Prices Are STILL Rising!
Canada, France and Switzerland stood alone among nine markets measured in recording annual price gains, based on second-quarter data, with inflation-adjusted price increases of 5%, 5% and 4%, respectively, compared to declines of 6% in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, 10% in Spain and 14% in Ireland. In fact, Canada’s home prices have escalated 44% since 2005 – with a high of 68% in Vancouver – and they are up 7.7% in the past 12 months! Words: 1244
5. Believe it or Not: Australia’s Housing Bubble is Worse Than That in the U.S.
The explosion of Australia’s mortgage debt is viewed by many economists and commentators as the key factor behind Australia’s unaffordable housing [and the primary] reason why Australia’s housing bubble is larger than that experienced in the United States in the mid-2000s. [Another factor is] the strangulation of fringe urban land supply via increasingly restrictive planning processes. [Let me substantiate that contention by comparing the two countries housing situation via a number of descriptive graphs. Words: 817