Posted on
May 29, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at 1 ¾ per cent.The Bank Rate is correspondingly 2 per cent and the deposit rate is 1 ½ per cent.
Recent Canadian economic data are in line with the projections in the Bank’s April Monetary Policy Report (MPR), with accumulating evidence that the slowdown in late 2018 and early 2019 is being followed by a pickup starting in the second quarter. The oil sector is beginning to recover as production increases and prices remain above recent lows. Meanwhile, housing market indicators point to a more stable national...
Posted on
May 28, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
Burnaby council advances SFU gondola despite concerns.
Councillors want Forest Grove residents consulted before TransLink approves route.
Burnaby city council has given TransLink the go-ahead to keep planning for a gondola to Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby Mountain campus. The city’s mayor and councillors voted unaminously Monday to support, in principle, TransLink’s plan to link the school with a SkyTrain station.
TransLink carries 25,000 people to SFU’s Burnaby Mountain campus every day, making it the biggest transit destination in the city without a SkyTrain...
Posted on
May 27, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
Curious about the Real Estate market in Vancouver? Want to learn more about the basics of how to "get in the market"? Find out the potential investment returns real estate can offer for free! Join us for a casual evening of drinks, appetizers & door prizes, on us! June 25th at Twin Sails Brewing Port Moody BC. Meet like minded peers and industry professionals that can answer your questions.
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Posted on
May 24, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
The CEO of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is forcefully defending mortgage stress test rules and warning federal policy-makers to hold the line amid calls for softening the measure from industry associations.
"My job is to advise you against this reckless myopia and protect our economy from potentially tragic consequences," wrote president and CEO Evan Siddall in a letter dated Thursday to the Standing Committee on Finance.
He urged the committee to "look past the plain self-interest" of the parties lobbying for easing the changed rules and implementing other measures, like offering...
Posted on
May 21, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
It's difficult to tell what part of the $89 billion in real estate market equity losses in Metro Vancouver are due to government policies rather than changing market forces.
The downturn in the Metro Vancouver real estate market has resulted in an estimated paper loss of $89.2 billion for property owners in the past year, according to a new analysis.
The study used assessed values reported in January to estimate the total value of residential properties after the decline in median home prices for all housing types in Metro Vancouver between April 2018 and April 2019.
From this, it estimated the...
Posted on
May 15, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
Statistics released today by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) show national home sales climbed in April 2019.
Highlights:
- National home sales improved by 3.6% month-over-month (m-o-m) in April.
- Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity was up 4.2% year-over-year (y-o-y).
- The number of newly listed homes climbed 2.7% m-o-m.
- The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) eased by 0.3% y-o-y in April.
- The national average sale price edged up 0.3% y-o-y.
Home sales recorded via Canadian MLS® Systems rose by 3.6% m-o-m in April 2019. After having dropped in February to the lowest level...
Posted on
May 14, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 6,652 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in April, a decline of 18.9 per cent from the same month last year. The average MLS® residential price in the province was $685,304, a decline of 6.2 per cent from April 2018. Total sales dollar volume was $4.6 billion, a 23.9 per cent decline from the same month last year.
“BC home sales were essentially unchanged from March on a seasonally adjusted basis,” said BCREA Chief Economist Cameron Muir. “Prospective...
Posted on
May 9, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
An independent report has found that $5 billion was laundered through British Columbia's real estate market last year and increased the cost of buying a home by five per cent.
The report by former B.C. deputy attorney general Maureen Maloney estimated that $7.4 billion overall was laundered in B.C. in 2018, a figure she says is conservative and added the total amount across Canada was about $47 billion.
Attorney General David Eby told a news conference on Thursday that money laundering is a ``malignant cancer'' on society and a ``national-level crisis.''
The provincial government commissioned two...
Posted on
May 9, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
The BC government released reports today on the findings of two examinations into potential money laundering activities in the real estate market.
Real Estate of Board of Greater Vancouver President Ashley Smith issued the following statement on the findings of these investigations.
Our position on the money laundering concerns raised in recent years has remained consistent. The real estate profession is here to do everything we can to assist law enforcement in combating money laundering, or any other criminal activity, in our communities. Where there’s evidence of an individual violating...
Posted on
May 3, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
Huge 1 Bed & Den
243sqft Fully Covered Patio
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Looking for a home with more space? Your search is over! Welcome to this exceptionally large 1 bed & den (easily 2 bed), 1 bath, 829sqft home. Located in Altaire, a concrete building at UniverCity; Vancouver's premier lifestyle neighborhood. Features: spacious open layout, dining & living rooms to accommodate full size furniture, a kitchen with plenty of counter & cupboard space, SS apps, cozy F/P, extra storage plus a 243sqft fully covered patio. The well sized master has...
Posted on
May 3, 2019
by
Hafez Panju
Decreased demand continues to allow the supply of homes for sale to accumulate across the Metro Vancouver* housing market.
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 1,829 in April 2019, a 29.1 per cent decrease from the 2,579 sales recorded in April 2018, and a 5.9 per cent increase from the 1,727 homes sold in March 2019.
Last month’s sales were 43.1 per cent below the 10-year April sales average.
“Government policy continues to hinder home sale activity. The federal government’s mortgage stress test has reduced...