Monthly home sales ticked up in August, but housing market activity ‘stuck in holding pattern,’ says CREA

Monthly home sales ticked up in August, but housing market activity ‘stuck in holding pattern,’ says CREA

Canadian home sales increased 1.3 per cent on a month-over-month basis in August, though monthly activity was down 2.1 per cent from the same time a year ago, the Canadian Real Estate Association said on Monday. The association said that a second interest rate cut from the Bank of Canada in late July gave another gentle boost … Read more

Lawyer couple found in contempt of court amid evidence they stole millions from homebuyers

Lawyer couple found in contempt of court amid evidence they stole millions from homebuyers

A pair of Toronto lawyers accused of embezzling nearly $7 million from real estate clients has been found in contempt of court for failing to hand over financial records and answer questions about where the money went.  Singa Bui and her husband Nicholas Cartel face penalties that could include fines or even imprisonment, and will … Read more

July home sales dipped on monthly basis, but up from a year ago, says CREA

July home sales dipped on monthly basis, but up from a year ago, says CREA

Canadian home sales dipped by 0.7 per cent in July from the month before, the Canadian Real Estate Association said on Thursday. But monthly sales activity was 4.8 per cent higher than it was during the same period a year earlier. The number of newly listed properties increased 0.9 per cent month over month, led by a … Read more

Fewer home sales and lower average housing prices in Canada compared to last year

Fewer home sales and lower average housing prices in Canada compared to last year

Real estate activity across Canada in June showed a drop in both sales and housing prices compared to June 2023, says the Canadian Real Estate Association, though sales perked up a bit compared to May 2024.  According to the latest numbers from CREA, home sales activity as registered in the Canadian Multiple Listing Service (MLS) went up … Read more

New home construction rose while home sales came down in May

New home construction rose while home sales came down in May

The annual rate of new home construction was up in May, while home sales were slightly down, according to data released separately on Monday by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Canadian Real Estate Association. Referred to as housing starts, new home construction was up 10 per cent in May compared to the previous … Read more

Mortgage debt is growing at its slowest pace in 23 years — but that could be short-lived, says CMHC

Mortgage debt is growing at its slowest pace in 23 years — but that could be short-lived, says CMHC

Mortgage debt grew at its slowest pace in 23 years in February, amid high borrowing costs and reservations related to the Bank of Canada’s key interest rate — but the slowdown likely won’t last, according to Canada’s housing agency. Canadian mortgage debt totalled $2.16 trillion that month, up 3.4 per cent from the same period last year — a historically low … Read more

Home sales and new home construction both drop in April

Home sales and new home construction both drop in April

The annual rate of housing starts in Canada fell slightly by one per cent compared with March 2024, while the number of residential home sales dropped in the same period of time, according to separate sets of numbers released today by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Canadian Real Estate Association. The CMHC, … Read more

Home sales and prices edging up as housing market ‘could get interesting,’ reports say

Home sales and prices edging up as housing market ‘could get interesting,’ reports say

The housing market could soon get “interesting,” economists say, as home prices and sales start to edge up, according to a pair of new reports released Friday. In its latest quarterly Home Price Update and Market Forecast, Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Canada will increase nine per cent in the fourth … Read more

Realtors group to pay $418M to settle lawsuit over inflated commissions

Realtors group to pay 8M to settle lawsuit over inflated commissions

The National Association of Realtors said on Friday it has resolved a slew of litigation accusing the trade group and brokerages of conspiring to keep real estate commissions artificially high nationwide. Under the settlement, the realtor group would pay $418 million over about four years. The accord also resolves claims against more than 1 million members, state … Read more

Bank of Canada worries a rate cut now could overheat the spring housing market

Bank of Canada worries a rate cut now could overheat the spring housing market

The Bank of Canada is trying to thread a needle. It’s keeping rates higher for longer at least in part because it’s worried a rate cut now could undermine the last two years of pain and progress. “We don’t want to keep monetary policy this restrictive for longer than we have to. But nor do … Read more