Our committment to thought leadership
We have assembled a collection of thought provoking articles, reports, surveys, industry information, and other interesting content for your enjoyment.
by Yvonne von Jena | May 14, 2018
New housing developments are popping up everywhere in Calgary; from the city centre to the inner-city and even in the suburbs. Altogether, about 6,600 homes are being built in the next few years. Many of these are condos, as condo developers bet that Calgary's economy is on the rise. The expectation maybe not back to boom times, but towards one of sustained growth and a much more highly developed skyline.
by Yvonne von Jena | May 11, 2018
The interest rate used by the Bank of Canada for mortgage stress testing went up by 20 basis points last week to 5.34% from 5.14%, where it had been since mid-January of this year. It has now gone up five times since last May, when it stood at 4.64%. The impacts of this will affect mortgage affordability as well as home prices due to market supply and demand.
by Yvonne von Jena | May 7, 2018
Residential real estate and mortgage players such as realtors and others, are raising concerns about the impact that the home cultivation of cannabis will have on property values.
by Yvonne von Jena | May 4, 2018
Rising floodwaters across New Brunswick have caused evacuations, property damage, and the closing of a large section of the Trans-Canada highway between Moncton and Fredericton.
by Yvonne von Jena | May 1, 2018
PwC’s recent consumer study “Digital Mortgage 2.0” provides some very good insights into what recent and prospective borrowers nationwide expect in their home lending experience. Even in just a couple of years, it is fair to say that there has been a meaningful shift in consumer attitudes where there is no question that almost all consumers want digital mortgages.
![[Royal LePage] What the Average Peak Millennial Can Afford Across Canada](https://rpsrealsolutions.com/img/blog/2018/04/RLP-Home-for-Sale.jpg)
by Yvonne von Jena | April 30, 2018
According to Royal LePage, what peak millennials (people born between 1987 and 1998) can afford significantly differs across the country, has been reduced by the OSFI stress tests, and is causing changes in behavior and expectations amongst this cohort. For example, in Greater Vancouver, one can expect to afford 12% less living space on average. In the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the impact is causing movement away from the city centre to more affordable properties.
by Yvonne von Jena | April 20, 2018
Some builders in the Toronto condo market are walking away from big towers that they have pre-sold due to higher construction costs. This reflects the possible profitability challenges builders are facing. In turn, this is leaving some buyers in the lurch.
by Yvonne von Jena | April 13, 2018
Home sales numbers released by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) were down by 22.7% from March last year and marked a 4-year low for the month.
by Yvonne von Jena | April 11, 2018
Over the past year and a half, there have been at least ten factors that are putting the break on home sales. They cover mortgage and housing regulation, higher interest rates and lower consumer confidence. Click here to read the list of factors.
![[RBC] At Last, Some Affordability Relief For Ontario Homebuyers](https://rpsrealsolutions.com/img/blog/2018/04/RBC Housing Trends and Affordability.png)
by Yvonne von Jena | April 5, 2018
According to RBC’s latest Housing Trends and Affordability report, the steady and rapid deterioration in home ownership affordability over the past two years in Canada finally came to a stop in the fourth quarter. It was, for the most part because home prices dipped in Ontario. Although it would be tempting to view the fourth quarter’s affordability improvement as the start of a better trend for homebuyers, RBC believes it is unlikely to be the case.