Bank of Canada holds interest rates steady


The Bank of Canada announced on May 25th, 2016 that it was keeping its trend-setting target overnight lending rate at 0.5 per cent.

The announcement repeated many of themes from its announcements and Monetary Policy Reports (MPRs) published in late 2015 and early 2016, with the overall economic outlook evolving largely as the Bank projected in its April MPR. Chief among these themes is how the Bank is still counting on stronger U.S. economic growth to buoy Canadian exporters amid ongoing weakness in Canadian business investment and hiring intentions.

The Bank indicated it expects that recent wildfires in Alberta will cause the Canadian economy to shrink slightly in the second quarter and then rebound in the third as oil resumes production and reconstruction begins in affected communities.

With inflation largely in line with the Bank’s expectations and the economy continuing its uneven adjustment the Bank of Canada is likely to keep interest rates on hold well into 2017.

As of May 25th, 2016, the advertised five-year lending rate stood at 4.64 per cent, unchanged from both the previous Bank rate announcement on April 13th and from one year ago.

The next interest rate announcement will be on July 13th, 2016, with the next update to the Monetary Policy Report released on the same day.

Canadian home sales set record in April


Ottawa, ON, May 16, 2016 – According to statistics released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national home sales in April 2016 rose to their highest level ever.

Highlights:

  • National home sales rose by 3.1% from March to April.
  • Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity was up 10.3% compared to April 2015.
  • The number of newly listed homes was little changed (-0.2%) from March to April.
  • The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) rose 10.3% year-over-year in April.
  • The national average sale price climbed 13.1% in April from one year ago; net of the Greater Toronto Area and Greater Vancouver, it was up by 8.7% year-over-year.

The number of homes trading hands via Canadian MLS® Systems in April 2016 rose by 3.1 percent month-over-month to set a new monthly record.

Sales were up in April compared to the previous month in about 70 percent of all local markets, led by the National Capital Region and Edmonton. Following small declines the previous month, activity held steady in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and edged lower in Greater Vancouver.

“National home sales set new monthly records over the past two months, even as activity in Greater Vancouver and the GTA appears to have topped out,” said CREA President Cliff Iverson. “With almost three-quarters of all local markets posting sales gains in April, there are plenty of other places where sales are climbing as we head into the busiest time of the year for homebuyers. As always, your local REALTOR® remains your best source for information about sales and listings where you live or might like to in the future.”

“Supply shortages and tight housing market conditions have become self-reinforcing in the GTA,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “The Greater Vancouver Area appears to be heading in that direction too. While significant home price gains may entice some homeowners in these markets to list their home for sale, the issue for many is that the decision to move means they would also be looking to buy while competition for scarce listings is fierce. As a result, many homeowners are deciding to stay put and continue accumulating capital gains. That’s keeping listings off the markets at a time when they are already in short supply.”

Actual (not seasonally adjusted) sales activity rose 10.3 percent from one year ago to shatter all previous records for the month of April. It also marked the second highest level for transactions for any single month and stood 16.5 percent above the 10-year average for the month of April.

Activity was up from year-ago levels in about 70 percent of all local markets, led by a number of markets in British Columbia as well as the GTA.

Newly listed homes edged slightly lower (-0.2 percent) in April 2016 compared to March. The number of markets where new supply rose and where it fell was fairly evenly split. New listings were up most in Edmonton and on Vancouver Island but fell in the GTA, London & St. Thomas as well as Newfoundland & Labrador.

The national sales-to-new listings ratio rose to 64.5 percent in April 2016, the ratio’s tightest reading since October 2009. A sales-to-new listings ratio between 40 and 60 percent is generally consistent with balanced housing market conditions, with readings below and above this range indicating buyers’ and sellers’ markets respectively.

The ratio was above 60 percent in about half of all local housing markets in April, virtually all of which are located in British Columbia, the Greater Toronto Area or in Southwestern Ontario.

The number of months of inventory is another important measure of the balance between housing supply and demand. It represents the number of months it would take to completely liquidate current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.

There were 4.7 months of inventory on a national basis at the end of April 2016, the lowest level in more than six years and a reflection of increasingly tighter housing markets in B.C. and Ontario. The number of months of inventory currently sits at or below two months in a growing number of local markets in British Columbia, the GTA and environs and in Southwestern Ontario.

The Aggregate Composite MLS® HPI rose by 10.3 percent on a year-over year basis in April 2016, the biggest gain since May 2010.

For the third consecutive month, year-over-year price growth accelerated for all Benchmark property types tracked by the index.

Continuing the trend seen in recent months, two-storey single family home prices posted the biggest year-over-year gain (+12.3 percent), followed by townhouse/row units (+9.8 percent), one-storey single family homes (+9.4 percent), and apartment units (+7.9 percent).

While 9 of the 11 markets tracked by the MLS® HPI posted year-over-year price gains in April, price growth among housing markets continues to vary widely.

Greater Vancouver (+25.3 percent) and the Fraser Valley (+25.6 percent) posted the largest gains, followed by Greater Toronto (+12.6 percent), Victoria (+12.0 percent) and Vancouver Island (+8.2 percent). By contrast, home prices fell by 3.5 percent and 2.4 percent in Calgary and Saskatoon respectively, which are smaller declines than those posted by these markets in March.

Year-over-year price growth advanced further into positive territory in Regina (+1.9 percent) and edged higher on a year-over-year basis in Ottawa (+1.1 percent) and Greater Montreal (+1.3 percent). Home prices in Greater Moncton recorded their ninth consecutive year-over-year gain, rising 6.6 percent from where they stood one year earlier.

The MLS® Home Price Index (MLS® HPI) provides a better gauge of price trends than is possible using averages because average price is prone to being distorted by changes in the mix of sales activity.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in April 2016 was $508,097, up 13.1 percent on a year-over-year basis.

The national average price continues to be pulled upward by sales activity in Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto, which are among Canada’s tightest, most active and expensive housing markets. If these two housing markets are excluded from calculations, the average is a more modest $369,222 and the year-over-year gain is reduced to 8.7 percent.

Even then, this reflects a tug of war between strong average price gains in housing markets around the GTA and in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia versus flat or declining average prices elsewhere in Canada. The average price for Canada net of sales in British Columbia and Ontario in April 2016 was down 1.7 percent year-over-year to $301,951.

– 30 –

PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this news release combines both major market and national sales information from MLS® Systems from the previous month.

CREA cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate actual prices in centres comprised of widely divergent neighbourhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas. Statistical information contained in this report includes all housing types.

MLS® Systems are co-operative marketing systems used only by Canada’s real estate Boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada’s largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 109,000 REALTORS® working through some 90 real estate Boards and Associations.

Further information can be found at http://www.crea.ca/statistics.

For more information, please contact:

Pierre Leduc, Media Relations
The Canadian Real Estate Association
Tel.: 613-237-7111 or 613-884-1460
E-mail: [email protected]

Canadian home sales set record in March


Ottawa, ON, April 15, 2016 According to statistics released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national home sales posted their third monthly increase and broke all previous monthly records.

Highlights:

  • National home sales rose by 1.5% from February to March.
  • Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity was up 12.2% compared to March 2015.
  • The number of newly listed homes fell by 1.4% from February to March.
  • The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) rose 9.1% year-over-year in March.
  • The national average sale price rose 15.7% on a year-over-year basis in March (net of Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto, it climbed by 10.4 percent year-over-year).

The number of homes trading hands via Canadian MLS® Systems rose by 1.5 percent month-over-month to set a new all-time record in March 2016. Though sales edged lower in Greater Vancouver (-0.3%) and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) (-1.8% m-m), both remain near record highs reached the month before. (Chart A)

Sales in March were up from the previous month in about 60 percent of all local markets, including Victoria, Chilliwack, the Okanagan Region, Edmonton, Calgary, Woodstock-Ingersoll, Kingston, Barrie and Montreal.

“Greater Vancouver and the GTA are heading into the spring home buying season with soaring demand and a shortage of listings,” said CREA President Cliff Iverson. “Meanwhile, other major urban markets in Canada are well balanced or are amply supplied. All real estate is local, and REALTORS® remain your best source for information about sales and listings where you live or might like to in the future.”

“Single family home sales in the Lower Mainland of BC and the GTA set new records for the month of March in the range between a-half and one-million dollars – as did sales above a million dollars,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “Meanwhile, sales below a half-a-million dollars, which were not subject to recently tightened mortgage regulations, are being increasingly restrained in these markets by a short supply of listings. If current sales and listings trends persist, price gains may pick up further this spring.”

Actual (not seasonally adjusted) sales activity was up 12.2 percent from one year ago and set a new record for the month of March. It also stood 14.2 percent above the 10-year average for the month.

It surpassed year-ago levels among nearly two-thirds of all local markets, with B.C.’s Lower Mainland and the GTA contributing most to the year-over-year increase in national activity. Sales in a number of other markets in B.C. and Ontario also posted double-digit gains, with Chilliwack sales double what they were one year ago.

The number of newly listed homes fell 1.4 percent in March 2016 compared to February. The national decline was led by the GTA and Hamilton-Burlington.

With sales up on the month and new listings down, the national sales-to-new listings ratio rose to 61.7 percent in March 2016, the ratio’s tightest reading since October 2009. A sales-to-new listings ratio between 40 and 60 percent is generally consistent with balanced housing market conditions, with readings below and above this range indicating buyers’ and sellers’ markets respectively.

The ratio was within this range in fewer than half of all local housing markets in March and was above the range in a nearly equal number of markets, almost all of which are in British Columbia and Ontario.

The number of months of inventory is another important measure of the balance between housing supply and demand. It represents the number of months it would take to completely liquidate current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.

There were 5.0 months of inventory on a national basis at the end of March 2016, the lowest level in more than six years and a reflection of increasingly tighter housing markets in B.C. and Ontario. The number of months of inventory currently sits at or below two months in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, the GTA, Hamilton-Burlington, St. Catharines, Barrie, Brantford, Oakville-Milton, Guelph and Woodstock-Ingersoll.

The Aggregate Composite MLS® HPI rose by 9.1 percent on a year-over-year basis in March 2016 – the biggest gain since June 2010. For the second consecutive month, year-over-year price growth accelerated for all Benchmark property types tracked by the index. (Chart B)

Two-storey single family home prices posted the biggest year-over-year gain (+10.8 percent), followed by townhouse/row units (+8.6 percent), one-storey single family homes (+8.1 percent), and apartment units (+7.3 percent).

Year-over-year price growth continues to vary widely among housing markets tracked by the index, with 9 of the 11 markets tracked by the MLS® HPI having posted year-over-year price gains in March.

Greater Vancouver (+23.2 percent) and the Fraser Valley (+22.1 percent) posted the largest gains, followed by Greater Toronto (+11.6 percent) and Victoria (+10.8 percent). Meanwhile, year-over-year price growth on Vancouver Island picked up slightly to 7.1 percent.

By contrast, Calgary home prices were down 3.7 percent from where they stood a year ago, while Saskatoon slipped by 2.7 percent. Year-over-year price growth remained in positive territory (+0.5 percent) in Regina and edged higher on a year-over-year basis in Ottawa (+1.2 percent) and Greater Montreal (+1.5 percent). Home prices in Greater Moncton recorded their eighth consecutive year-over-year gain, rising 4.9 percent from where they stood one year earlier.

The MLS® Home Price Index (MLS® HPI) provides a better gauge of price trends than is possible using averages because it is not affected by changes in the mix of sales activity the way that average price is.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in March 2016 was $508,567, up 15.7 percent on a year-over-year basis.

The national average price continues to be pulled upward by sales activity in Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto, which are among Canada’s tightest, most active and expensive housing markets. If these two housing markets are excluded from calculations, the average is a more modest $366,950 and the year-over-year gain is reduced to 10.4 percent.

Even then, the gain reflects a tug of war between strong average price gains in housing markets around the GTA and in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia versus flat or declining average prices elsewhere in Canada. The average price for Canada net of sales in British Columbia and Ontario was down one percent year-over-year to $299,591.

– 30 –

PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this news release combines both major market and national sales information from MLS® Systems from the previous month.

CREA cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate actual prices in centres comprised of widely divergent neighbourhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas. Statistical information contained in this report includes all housing types.

MLS® Systems are co-operative marketing systems used only by Canada’s real estate Boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada’s largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 109,000 REALTORS® working through some 90 real estate Boards and Associations.

Further information can be found at http://www.crea.ca/statistics.

For more information, please contact:

Pierre Leduc, Media Relations
The Canadian Real Estate Association
Tel.: 613-237-7111 or 613-884-1460
E-mail: [email protected]

Canadian home sales push higher in February


Ottawa, ON, March 15, 2016 – According to statistics released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national home sales recorded a second consecutive month-over-month increase in February 2016.

Highlights:

  • National home sales rose by 0.8% from January to February.
  • Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity was up 18.7% compared to February 2015.
  • The number of newly listed homes edged up by 0.5% from January to February.
  • The Canadian housing market has tightened but remains balanced overall.
  • The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) rose 8.5% year-over-year in February.
  • The national average sale price rose 16.4% on a year-over-year basis in February; excluding British Columbia and Ontario, it declined by 1.4%.

The number of homes trading hands via Canadian MLS® Systems rose by 0.8 percent in February 2016 compared to January. The monthly increase lifted national sales activity to the highest level since June 2007.

A greater number of local housing markets posted a monthly decline in sales activity than posted a monthly increase; however, the latter accounted for a larger share of national transactions. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Okanagan Region and Fraser Valley made the largest contribution to the monthly increase in national sales activity, offsetting monthly sales declines in Edmonton, Greater Moncton and Montreal.

“Two of Canada’s hottest housing markets look set to stay that way heading into the spring home buying season,” said CREA President Pauline Aunger. “Meanwhile, other major urban markets elsewhere in Canada are well balanced or have ample supply. All real estate is local, and REALTORS® remain your best source for information about sales and listings where you live or might like to in the future.”

Actual (not seasonally adjusted) sales activity rose 18.7 percent on a year-over-year basis in February 2016, standing 12.7 percent above the 10-year average for the month. Activity increased above year-ago levels in February in about three-quarters of all local markets. B.C.’s Lower Mainland, the GTA and Montreal contributed most to the year-over-year increase in national activity.

“The number of single family home sales above one million dollars is rising in Greater Vancouver and the GTA,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “Tightened mortgage regulations apply to homes selling above five hundred thousand dollars and below a million dollars. The tighter regulations combined with a short supply of single family homes will restrain transactions below one million dollars. If recent trends continue, home sales above one million dollars will account for a greater share of activity and will further fuel year-over-year average price increases in these markets. Meanwhile, price growth will remain more modest in other housing markets that don’t have an ongoing or developing supply shortage like the kind we’re seeing in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia or around the GTA.”

The number of newly listed homes edged up 0.5 percent in February 2016 compared to January. The rise in new listings in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, York and Mississauga Regions of the GTA and Hamilton-Burlington helped to push the national figure higher. Monthly increases in new listings in these housing markets were offset by monthly declines in Central Toronto, Calgary and Montreal.

The national sales-to-new listings ratio rose to 59.5 percent in February 2016 versus 59.3 percent the previous month. This marks the ratio’s highest reading since November 2009. A sales-to-new listings ratio between 40 and 60 percent is generally consistent with balanced housing market conditions, with readings below and above this range indicating buyers’ and sellers’ markets respectively.

The ratio was within this range in about 45 percent of all local housing markets in January. A little over one third of all local housing markets recorded a ratio above 60 percent; as in recent months, virtually all these housing markets are located in British Columbia and Ontario.

The number of months of inventory is another important measure of the balance between housing supply and demand. It represents the number of months it would take to completely liquidate current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.

There were 5.2 months of inventory on a national basis at the end of February 2016, the lowest level in nearly six years. The national figure is being pulled lower by increasingly tighter housing markets in B.C. and Ontario. The number of months of inventory is currently sitting at or below two months in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, the GTA, St. Catharines, Brantford, Oakville-Milton and Guelph.

The Aggregate Composite MLS® HPI rose by 8.49 percent on a year-over-year basis in February 2016 – the largest gain since June 2010. Year-over-year price growth accelerated among all property types tracked by the index.

Two-storey single family homes again posted the biggest year-over-year price gain (+10.54 percent), followed by townhouse/row units (+7.41 percent), one-storey single family homes (+7.38 percent), and apartment units (+6.34 percent).

Year-over-year price growth continued to vary widely among housing markets tracked by the index.

Greater Vancouver (+22.18 percent) and the Fraser Valley (19.39 percent) posted the largest gains, followed by Greater Toronto (+11.30 percent). Meanwhile, year-over-year price growth in Victoria accelerated to almost 10 percent in February while Vancouver Island home price growth picked up slightly to 5.7 percent. By contrast, home prices retreated by about three-and-a-half percent on a year-over-year basis in Calgary and by about three percent in Saskatoon. Year-over-year price growth climbed out of negative territory in Regina for the first time in close to three years in February. Additionally, home prices edged higher on a year-over-year basis in Ottawa (+0.82 percent) and rose modestly in Greater Montreal (+1.67 percent). Price growth also strengthened further in Greater Moncton (+6.97 percent).

The MLS® Home Price Index (MLS® HPI) provides a better gauge of price trends than is possible using averages because it is not affected by changes in the mix of sales activity the way that average price is.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in February 2016 was $503,057, up 16.4 percent on a year-over-year basis.

The national average price continues to be pulled upward by sales activity in Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto, which are Canada’s most active and expensive housing markets. If these two housing markets are excluded from calculations, the average is a more modest $355,235 and the year-over-year gain is reduced to 8.7 percent.

Even then, the gain reflects a tug of war between strong average price gains in housing markets around the GTA and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia versus flat or declining average prices elsewhere in Canada. If British Columbia and Ontario are excluded from calculations, the average price slips even lower to $291,510, representing a decline of 1.4 percent year-over-year.

– 30 –

PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this news release combines both major market and national sales information from MLS® Systems from the previous month.

CREA cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate actual prices in centres comprised of widely divergent neighbourhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas. Statistical information contained in this report includes all housing types.

MLS® Systems are co-operative marketing systems used only by Canada’s real estate Boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada’s largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 109,000 REALTORS® working through some 90 real estate Boards and Associations.

Further information can be found at http://www.crea.ca/statistics.

For more information, please contact:

Pierre Leduc, Media Relations
The Canadian Real Estate Association
Tel.: 613-237-7111 or 613-884-1460
E-mail: [email protected]

Canadian home sales rebound in January


Ottawa, ON, February 16, 2016 – According to statistics released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national home sales rebounded in January 2016 compared to the previous month.

Highlights:

  • National home sales edged up by 0.5% from December to January
  • Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity was up 8% compared to January 2015.
  • The number of newly listed homes retreated by 4.9% from December to January.
  • The Canadian housing market has tightened but remains balanced overall.
  • The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) rose 7.7% year-over-year in January.
  • The national average sale price rose 17% on a year-over-year basis in January; however, excluding British Columbia and Ontario, it edged down 0.3%.

The number of homes trading hands via MLS® Systems of Canadian real estate Boards and Associations edged up by 0.5 percent in January 2016 compared to December of last year. The monthly increase lifted national sales activity to the highest level since late 2009.

The number of local housing markets was almost equally split between those where sales were up from the month before, and those where sales were down. Monthly sales increases in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Lower Mainland of British Columbia fuelled the national sales increase and offset monthly sales declines in Calgary, Edmonton and the Okanagan Region.

“Single family home buyers in the GTA and Lower Mainland of British Columbia had been expected to bring forward their purchase decisions before tightened mortgage regulations take effect in February 2016,” said CREA President Pauline Aunger. “If listings in these and nearby markets were not in such short supply, January sales activity would likely have reached even greater heights. Meanwhile, other major urban housing markets have an ample supply of listings, particularly where some home buyers have become increasingly cautious amid an uncertain job market outlook. All real estate is local, and REALTORS® remain your best source for information about sales and listings where you live or might like to in the future.”

“January 2016 picked up where 2015 left off, with single family homes in the GTA and Greater Vancouver in short supply amid strong demand standing in contrast to sidelined home buyers and ample supply in a number of Alberta housing markets,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “Tighter mortgage regulations that take effect in February may shrink the pool of prospective home buyers who qualify for mortgage financing and cause national sales activity to ease in the months ahead.”

Actual (not seasonally adjusted) sales activity rose eight percent on a year-over-year basis in January 2016 and stood 2.6 percent above the 10-year average for the month of January. Activity was up compared to January 2015 among roughly two-thirds of all local markets. B.C.’s Lower Mainland and the GTA again contributed most to the national increase.

The number of newly listed homes fell by 4.9 percent in January compared to December which more than reversed monthly gains that were posted in the final two months of 2015. Canada’s largest urban housing markets contributed to the monthly decline in new listings, including the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Calgary, Edmonton, the GTA, Hamilton-Burlington, Ottawa and Montreal.

The national sales-to-new listings ratio rose to 59.2 percent in January due to the drop in the new supply of listings, January’s reading was the ratio’s highest since November 2009. A sales-to-new listings ratio between 40 and 60 percent is generally consistent with balanced housing market conditions, with readings below and above this range indicating buyers’ and sellers’ markets respectively.

The ratio was within this range in about 45 percent of all local housing markets in January. A little over one-third of all local housing markets recorded a ratio above 60 percent; as in recent months, virtually all these housing markets are located in British Columbia and Ontario.

The number of months of inventory is another important measure of the balance between housing supply and demand. It represents the number of months it would take to completely liquidate current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.

There were 5.3 months of inventory on a national basis at the end of January 2016, down from 5.4 months at the end of last year and the lowest level in nearly six years. The national figure is being pulled lower by increasingly tighter housing markets in B.C. and Ontario. This is particularly true in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, the GTA and Hamilton-Burlington, where months of inventory are currently sitting at or below two months.

The Aggregate Composite MLS® HPI rose by 7.73 percent on a year-over-year basis in January – the largest gain in more than five years. Year-over-year price growth accelerated for two-storey single family homes and apartment units.

Two-storey single family homes continue to post the biggest year-over-year price gains (+9.97 percent), followed by one-storey single family homes (+6.86 percent), townhouse/row units (+6.46 percent) and apartment units (+5.16 percent).

Year-over-year price growth continued to range widely among housing markets tracked by the index. Greater Vancouver (+20.56 percent) and the Fraser Valley (+16.94 percent) posted the largest gains, followed by Greater Toronto (+10.69 percent).

Home prices in Victoria posted a year-over-year gain of just over seven percent while Vancouver Island home prices rose by five-and-a-half percent.

By contrast, home prices retreated by about three percent on a year-over-year basis in Calgary, by about two percent in Saskatoon, and by less than one percent in Regina. While home prices have begun to decline in Calgary and Saskatoon only fairly recently, they have been trending lower in Regina since early 2014.

Prices crept higher on a year-over-year basis in Ottawa (+1.10 percent), rose modestly in Greater Montreal (+1.48 percent) and strengthened further in Greater Moncton (+6.57 percent).

The MLS® Home Price Index (MLS® HPI) provides a better gauge of price trends than is possible using averages because it is not affected by changes in the mix of sales activity the way that average price is.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in January 2016 was $470,297, up 17.0 percent on a year-over-year basis.

The national average price continues to be pulled upward by sales activity in Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto, which are among Canada’s most active and expensive housing markets. If these two housing markets are excluded from calculations, the average is a more modest $338,392 and the year-over-year gain is reduced to eight percent.

Even then, the gain reflects a tug of war between strong average price gains in housing markets around the GTA and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia versus flat or declining average prices elsewhere in Canada. If British Columbia and Ontario are excluded from calculations, the average price slips even lower to $286,911, representing small a decline of 0.3 percent year-over-year.

– 30 –

PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this news release combines both major market and national sales information from MLS® Systems from the previous month.

CREA cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate actual prices in centres comprised of widely divergent neighbourhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas. Statistical information contained in this report includes all housing types.

MLS® Systems are co-operative marketing systems used only by Canada’s real estate Boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada’s largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 109,000 REALTORS® working through some 90 real estate Boards and Associations.

Further information can be found at http://crea.ca/statistics.

For more information, please contact:
Pierre Leduc, Media Relations
The Canadian Real Estate Association
Tel.: 613-237-7111 or 613-884-1460
E-mail: [email protected]

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