Annual inflation hits 3.7% in Canada—a new election issue. Canadian inflation hits highest reading in two decades. This morning’s Statistics Canada release showed that the July CPI surged to a 3.7% year-over-year pace, well above the 3.1% pace recorded in June. This is now the fourth consecutive month in which inflation is above the 1% […]

Today the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) released statistics showing national existing home sales fell 3.5% nationally from June to July 2021–the fourth consecutive monthly decline. Over the same period, the number of newly listed properties dropped 8.8%, and the MLS Home Price Index rose 0.6% and was up 22.2% year-over-year. While sales are now down a cumulative […]

While the Liberals don’t have any new plans to tackle housing to date — the party’s latest platform promise includes $10 a day child care for families — the party’s ongoing platform features three housing components. As part of a new, ten-year investment of nearly $20 billion in social infrastructure, the Liberals say they will prioritize significant new investment in […]

Canada’s NDPs say they have a plan to target the housing crisis and make housing more affordable, and here’s how they promise to accomplish this if elected: Go after big money investors by: Singh and the NDP say they will go after big money investors by putting a 20% Foreign Buyer’s tax on the sale […]

Conservatives propose a three-pronged strategy that targets the housing crisis which involves increasing housing supply, tackling money laundering and foreign investors, and making mortgages more affordable. Increase supply by implementing a plan to build 1 million homes in the next three years by: Leverage federal infrastructure investments to increase housing supply. We will: Build public […]

It takes time for our policy interest rate decisions to filter—or be transmitted—through the economy and financial system. Four transmission channels When we adjust our policy interest rate at the Bank, we don’t expect immediate results. It usually takes 18 to 24 months to see the full effects. Interest rate changes affect the economy through […]

Today the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) released statistics showing national existing home sales fell 8.4% nationally from May to June 2021, marking the third consecutive monthly decline. Over the same period, the number of newly listed properties fell 0.7%, and the MLS Home Price Index rose 0.9%, a marked deceleration from previous months. Activity nonetheless remains historically high, but in contrast […]

The Bank of Canada raised its inflation forecast in the newly released July Monetary Policy Report (MPR), making it one of the most hawkish central banks in the world. The Bank announced its third action to reduce its emergency bond-buying stimulus program by one-third. The central bank was among the first from the advanced economies to shift to […]

Article written by Jessy Bains – can be viewed here The gap between variable and fixed-rate mortgages has widened (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) Low rates have helped fuel the real estate rally and today, Ratehub.ca says the best 5-year variable rate on its site dropped to 0.98 per cent, which it says is the lowest 5-year variable-rate […]

Published by the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce 2021 The Government of British Columbia has just announced BC’s Restart Plan and outlined the road the recovery. BC’s Restart – a four-step plan to bring BC back together will be a slow and gradual return to a more normal life, with safety and health protocols such as […]