Reports

OPINION: The strength of 12-month home price growth at the national level is mostly explained by three markets: Toronto, Hamilton and Victoria (top chart). The Toronto market is especially worrisome. In a city where apartments account for only 26% of home sales, affordability of other types of dwellings has become an acute problem (middle chart). For various reasons, supply (number of listings) on the home resale market is at an historical low, and this surely contributed to 12-month home price growth exceeding 20% over the last two months for dwellings other than condos. Even in that pricy environment, demand for dwellings other than apartments is at a historically high level (bottom chart). In order to accurately assess the Canadian home resale market, it is essential to recognize the dichotomy between markets like Toronto, Hamilton and Victoria, where price growth is in the double digits, and other markets where the progression of home prices has been much more moderate, if not negative.

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OPINION: On a 12-month basis, national house prices were growing in January at their fastest post-recession pace (top chart). With prices in Vancouver having declined a cumulative 2.5% over the last four months, the strength at the national level really reflects Toronto, nearby Hamilton and Victoria (top chart). Incidentally, those are the three sole markets where house prices, together with the Composite Index, are at a record level (middle table). In the eight other metropolitan markets covered, house prices have some way to go just to come back to their previous peak. House prices in Toronto currently grow at the highest 12-month growth rate since the inception of the index. This is mostly due to dwellings other than condos (middle chart), where supply is notoriously tight. Given that Toronto is a relatively expansive market, house price growth is weighing on affordability for first time home buyers. This, together with the new rules on qualification for an insured mortgage, should sooner or later take steam out of that market.

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OPINION: National house price inflation has shed some momentum in recent months as Vancouver continues to deflate. Canada’s priciest city experienced its third consecutive monthly decline, and more is in store. The price drop so far was mostly concentrated in dwellings other than condos. This is consistent with house sales decline (since their February peak) mostly concentrated in detached dwellings (top chart). In contrast, according to Toronto Real Estate Board, existing home sales reached another record in 2016, while the market faced a very tight supply (middle chart). We have yet to see it, but sooner or later, low affordability and the new ruling regarding the qualification for an insured mortgage will take some steam out of demand and prices. In the meantime, Toronto, Hamilton and Victoria are the three metropolitan regions pulling up the Composite index growth month after month. Apart from Vancouver and these three regions, house prices have been flat over the last six months (bottom chart).

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OPINION: In Vancouver, prices declined in November for a second month in a row, for a cumulative drop of 1.9%, concentrated in dwellings other than condos. This is consistent with the fact that the decline in house sales since their peak last February started in detached dwellings, and is so far deeper in that category (top chart). Due to measures imposed by government (qualification for an insured mortgage, 15% tax on foreigners’ acquisitions, etc.), house prices still have downside in Vancouver. In contrast, sales continued to rise in Toronto, reaching record levels whether in the apartment category or for other types of dwellings (middle chart). We have yet to see a slowdown in response to the new ruling regarding the qualification for an insured mortgage. Toronto, Hamilton and Victoria are the three metropolitan regions pulling the Composite index up month after month. Apart from Vancouver and these three regions, house prices have risen minimally over the last twelve months or have declined.

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