A new peer-reviewed study from Simon Fraser University (SFU) shows that the “decoupling” of property prices from incomes in Metro Vancouver and to a lesser extent Toronto has been caused by “significant sums of foreign capital that have been excluded from official statistics”. In particular, Richmond, West Vancouver, the city of Vancouver and Burnaby have
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Hyperinflation hits New Zealand property after RBNZ drops ball
New Zealand house prices rocketed in October to another record high, according to the REINZ: Extraordinary growth is being recorded, with the seasonally adjusted median price surging by 4.7% in October and by 20.0% year-on-year: Sales volumes have also soared, rising 25.8% year-on-year: The price rises are being driven by the top half of the
New Zealand property bubbles
The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) has released its house price data for September, which has reported booming sales and record high prices: As shown above, the seasonally adjusted median house price soared 14.1% year-on-year in September, with Auckland rising 11.8% year-on-year and regions outside of Auckland rising 16.3%. Sales volumes have also
Airbnb smashed from pillar to post
With the global tourism industry in turmoil, Airbnb has axed one-quarter of its global workforce: In the note, written by Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky, the company said that 1,900 employees will be laid off, or 25.3% of its 7,500 workers. The layoffs will impact a number of internal product groups, including Transportation and
Canadian house prices hurtle into virus
The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for February has been released, which shows that Canadian house prices rose another 0.4% across the 11 major markets, with annual growth improving to 2.9%: After falling for 14 straight months, Vancouver house prices have clearly bottomed, rising by 1.6% since their trough in September 2019. However, Vancouver’s house
UK banks join Italy’s in suspending mortgage payments
Yesterday, we learned that Italy has suspended mortgage repayments amid the coronavirus crisis: Italy’s deputy finance minister has said the government will suspend mortgage payments and other household bills across the entire country during the coronavirus outbreak. Laura Castelli, part of the Five Star Movement side of Italy’s coalition government, said in an interview with
Canadian house prices rebound
The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for January has been released, which shows that Canadian house prices rose another 0.1% across the 11 major markets, with annual growth improving to 2.1%: After falling for 14 straight months, Vancouver house prices have clearly bottomed, rising by 0.8% since their trough in September 2019. However, Vancouver’s house
Vancouver house prices climb off bottom
The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for December has been released, which shows that Canadian house prices rose by 0.2% across the 11 major markets, with annual growth improving to 2.0%: After falling for 14 straight months, Vancouver house prices have bottomed, rising by 0.6% since their trough in September 2019 However, Vancouver’s house prices
The Economist does the housing affordability disaster
The Economist has published an article on the West’s “horrible housing blunder”, which pins the blame for unaffordable housing well and truly on supply-side constraints, combined with inefficient demand-side subsidies: At the root of that failure is a lack of building, especially near the thriving cities in which jobs are plentiful. From Sydney to Sydenham,
Vancouver house prices continue to dive
The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for September has been released, which shows that Canadian house prices rose by 0.1% across the 11 major markets, with annual growth improving to 0.7%: However, prices in Vancouver continued to fall, declining by 0.5% in September and down 7.4% since peaking in July 2018. Meanwhile, the Real Estate
Vancouver’s housing bust coming to an end?
The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for August has been released, which shows that Canadian house prices rose by 0.4% across the 11 major markets, with annual growth improving to 0.6%: Across the three major markets, values fell by 0.8% in Vancouver in August, but rose by 0.8% in Toronto and by 1.1% in Montreal.
Vancouver’s vacant property tax enrages Chinese speculators
Vancouver’s speculation and vacancy tax is proving hugely successful, raising $115 million and exceeding the target set out in last year’s budget, and more than 2,500 homes found to be vacant: To date, the province has collected $115 million from property owners in major urban centres deemed to be extremely unaffordable and subject to land
Vancouver house prices keep falling
The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for June has been released, which shows that Canadian house prices rose by 0.8% across the 11 major markets, with annual growth falling to 0.5%: Across the three major markets, values fell by 0.3% in Vancouver in June, but rose by 1.3% in Toronto and by 0.8% in Montreal.
Vancouver house prices continue to fall
By Leith van Onselen The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for May has been released, which shows that Canadian house prices rose by 0.5% across the 11 major markets, with annual growth falling to 0.7%: Across the three major markets, values fell by 0.2% in Vancouver in May, but rose by 0.7% in Toronto and
Canada launches another daft first home buyer subsidy
While the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has advised the Canadian Government to maintain strong macroprudential controls to prevent irresponsible lending, the Government is doing the opposite, summoning the first home buyer (FHB) patsies in a scheme that will launch on 2 September. From Global News Canada [my emphasis]: Under the plan, the government would
London drives UK house price rebound
By Leith van Onselen Acadata has released its latest house price results for the UK, which shows that annual price growth climbed back into the black driven by a rebound in London: In the year to May, UK house prices climbed by 0.3% (up from -0.1% in April), driven by Greater London where value losses
Millennials don’t prefer apartments, they want a backyard
By Leith van Onselen Back in March, The AFR has published a propaganda piece claiming “Millennials don’t want to buy Boomers’ sprawling, multi-bedroom homes”: Boomers and Millennials also want very different types of houses… Fifteen years ago, Boomers were building large, elaborate houses in states like Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, The Wall
Canada’s CMHC shames corrupt APRA on mortgage risks
While Australia’s captured prudential regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA), is busy cutting lending standards, in the form of the shredded interest rates buffer, just months after the Hayne Royal Commission lambasted Australia’s banks for shoddy lending, and just five months after APRA said is was permanent. The head of Canada’s state-run mortgage insurer,
Vancouver house prices dive as credit, Chinese buyers dries-up
By Leith van Onselen The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for April has been released, which shows that Canadian house prices were flat in April with annual growth falling to 1.2%: Across the three major markets, values fell by 0.4% in Vancouver in April and by 0.2% in Montreal, whereas values rose by 0.3% in
How laundered money blew-up Vancouver’s housing market
By Leith van Onselen Late last year, Global News Canada reported that Chinese organised crime had laundered around $1 billion through Vancouver property in 2016, and $5 billion since 2012, which helped to partly explain Vancouver’s explosive price growth: While the study only looked at property purchases in 2016, an analysis by Global News suggests
Chinese exodus sucks down Vancouver housing
By Leith van Onselen The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for February has been released, which shows that Canadian house prices fell 0.4% in February with annual growth falling to 1.9%: Across the three major markets, values fell by 0.7% in Vancouver in February and by 0.2% in Toronto, whereas values rose by 0.4% in
Chinese exodus hits Vancouver housing
By Leith van Onselen The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for November has been released, which shows that Canadian house prices were flat in January with annual growth falling: Across the three major markets, values fell by 0.3% in Vancouver in January, whereas values rose by 0.1% in Toronto and 0.2% in Montreal. In the
Housing bust spreads across global markets
By Leith van Onselen From Bloomie comes analysis on how a synchronised housing bust is developing across global cities once considered ‘safe havens’: In Manhattan, the median condo price dipped below $1 million for the first time in three years. Hong Kong home values endured their longest losing streak since 2008, while prices in outer London neighborhoods fell for the first
UK house price growth slowest in 6 1/2 years
By Leith van Onselen Acadata has released its latest house price results for the UK, which shows that house price growth has fallen to its slowest level since April 2012, falling in real terms: House prices largely continue to flatline, and the rate of annual growth has fallen consistently since August. It now stands at
Canadian house prices rebound from post-GFC low
By Leith van Onselen The Teranet-National Bank House Price Index for November has been released, which shows that even though Canadian house prices fell in November, annual growth continues to bounce back from August’s post-Global Financial Crisis (GFC) low: Home values nationally declined by 0.3% in the month of November, driven by a 0.6% fall
How Chinese laundered money blew-up Vancouver’s housing market
By Leith van Onselen According to Global News Canada, Chinese organised crime laundered around $1 billion through Vancouver property in 2016, and $5 billion since 2012, and this partly explains Vancouver’s explosive price growth: The study findings, obtained by Global News, are a startling look at what police believe to be the massive money laundering occurring
The dopey thinking pervading the housing debate
By Leith van Onselen The cognitive dissonance on display at Interest.co.nz over the weekend was clear as day with two contradictory articles appearing side by side: one cautioning against lowering immigration and the other lamenting the huge increase in Auckland’s housing shortage: The second article on Auckland’s housing shortage is particularly alarming as it shows