Examining The Health Of The Real Estate Market In Canada

The Canadian residential sector has remained strong despite the economic mortgage issues that affected the US, and the predicted nationwide housing market bubble doesn't seem to become reality.   The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) program to encourage credit by approving high-risk mortgages had concerned experts since it raised the ratio of housing values to a 7.4:1 ratio, which was more than 50% more than American homeowners witnessed prior to their housing bubble meltdown. As a result of the CMHC's strategy shift, the average Canadian household debt underwent a 9.3 percent increase in just one year. Earlier this year, Stephen Jarislowsky -- the 84-year-old investment consultant presumably worth $1.85 billion -- told reporters that the CMHC's plan had backfired.  In a telephone exchange, Jarislowsky flatly negated statements by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty that there appeared to be no evidence of an impending real estate bubble.  Jarislowsky was convinced that the government's plans had not improved the economy.  " They have in fact encouraged renters to purchase homes based on cheap mortgages." This can be witnessed in the City of Toronto where the prices of Toronto properties as increased by quite a bit over the years as purchasers rushed into the market.In February, the Wall Street Journal examined the possibility of a Canadian housing bubble and highlighted that bold lending tactics adopted after the 2008 crash of the U.S. based Lehman Brothers could have failed unless the government balanced the lending methods.   However as early as January 2010, a representative of the Bank of Canada explained that "if the Bank were to increase interest rates to slow down the housing market" that the result would be like "dousing the entire Canadian economy with cold water, just as it comes out from recession". Condominium owners in Toronto are following this extremely closely because an increase in interest rates would have a huge impact on condos for sale in downtown Toronto which would lower sales.New figures published by the Canadian Real Estate Association this month indicate that there was a steep decrease in residential real estate when the recession began in 2008.   But this rebound was quite short-lived and nowhere near as drastic as anticipated. Even though the May 2010 sales figures indicated a 9.5% decline, the year-over-year price increases actually moderated it to 8.4%.  Now the market is stabilizing, and the supply of houses is growing as the prices rise and purchasers are not as nervous to buy.  If you have a house in Toronto you may be able to afford a fall in the worth of your property however smaller regions like the Hamilton real estate sector could see a substantial decline in housing values.Pascal Gauthier of the Toronto-Dominion Bank explained that the bubble scenario "made a lot of clients nervous," anticipating a huge crash comparable to the 30% drop in U.S. housing prices.  But he says this summer he is finding a "180-degree turn from six months ago," and that the temporary elements that boosted values have only translated in a modest drop in a sector that was undeniably overpriced.  Gauthier believes that the national average may feel a 7 percent decline, but that the areas such as Toronto and Vancouver will bear the brunt of that decrease, and a few sectors like The Prairies and Maritimes could even begin to see increases by the end of the year.