The next few months may only bring stagnation but a full-blown recession is more likely
‘Financial repression’ refers to governments or central banks, such as the Bank of Canada or the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, intervening in financial markets to suppress interest rates. Central banks have been intervening for nearly two years, causing a serious disruption in the financial markets. The official rates of the Bank of Canada and the Federal…
Housing regulations often limit people to Tesla-level homes or nothing
I’m an economist, so I’m not flattered by those who say you could teach a parrot to be an economist. The bird would need to know only two words, the joke goes: supply and demand. When the supply of any good or service increases, its price goes down. If the supply decreases or is less…
The $493 billion in oil and gas revenues paid to governments since 2000 is more than family allowance and children’s benefits since 1970
By Mark Milke and Lennie Kaplan Canadian Energy Centre Humans are wired to respond to stories that paint a relatable picture of an issue at hand. And those stories are easier to remember. If we repeat a Rex Murphy story about how out-of-work cod fishery workers from Newfoundland saved their homes and marriages by moving…
Construction and design features matter more to buyers than price or age of properties, engineering researchers find
Physical features such as construction materials, interior finishes and air conditioning are better determinants of how well a condo sells than price or building age, according to a University of Alberta study looking to pinpoint design-related features that increase the probability of a condo’s sale. “We’re trying to provide a framework through which builders can evaluate…
At the heart of the COVID-19 crisis sits the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. and its low-income borrowers
The shutdowns ordered by Canadian governments to slow the spread of COVID-19 have caused unemployment to leap. And put mortgages in peril. Many of the millions of workers laid off have been low-income and lower-middle-income earners. They’re just the sort of people who qualify for home mortgages insured by the federal Canada Mortgage and Housing…
Although real estate is what economists call a 'lagging indicator', it appears that the first signs of a real slowdown are starting to be felt, especially in Canada's largest housing markets. After the initial response to news about the spread of Covid-19, which entailed drops in traffic on real estate platforms like Point2 Homes and…
Although the spring months usually represent the beginning of the homebuying season, this year the momentum of the housing market was cut short. What looked like an amazing start for both the ‘for sale’ and the ‘rental’ segments became a dream on hold for the majority of home seekers and renters in the country. Social…
From pickup trucks to minivans, what vehicle to rent, beg, borrow or even buy when you're moving - depending on the size of your home
On the fun scale, moving is right up there with looking for a job, root canal and shovelling snow off the driveway. And it’s made even worse if you don’t have the right vehicle (not to mention friends who have suddenly all left town). Borrowing your buddy’s hatchback and cramming it full of your stuff…
Interest in owning islands is on the rise. Are people seeking the quiet life or simply trying to escape societal woes?
Born and raised to the age of eight in the largest, noisiest, sharpest-elbowed city in Canada, I gave no thought to the pastoral life of country folk I’d occasionally see on CBC television during the supper hour. All that began to change in 1971 when my father managed to acquire a 10-acre piece of land…
The risk of housing price declines piles onto the risk CMHC already takes on when insuring mortgages
Canada’s federal government will soon participate in the property bubble in a direct, equity-owning way through its new First-Time Home Buyer Incentive. But the merits of the program are questionable. Since the end of the Second World War, it’s been federal government policy to help low-income would-be home buyers via Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.…
‘Financial repression’ refers to governments or central banks, such as the Bank of Canada or the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, intervening in financial markets to suppress interest rates. Central banks have been intervening for nearly two years, causing a serious disruption in the financial markets. The official rates of the Bank of Canada and the Federal…
