Real Estate News - December 2009

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Commentary

This month came with more encouraging news, tempered by a cautious air of concern. Canada has officially emerged from the recession and the housing market is hot. A survey showed the sentiment of senior accounting executives on the economy rose sharply in the third quarter. However, consumers remain cautious amid concerns over employment and the strong Loonie. 

Due to a stronger currency, Canadians have been able to more easily afford luxury imports, vacations, or properties abroad - the National Hockey League has even benefited. The strong Loonie helped spur the highest operating profits for several Canadian NHL teams in more than a decade. One team's president said, "There are always two absolutes: Winning is good, and it's always better when the Canadian dollar is stronger."

The Bank of Canada has not indicated any intention to discontinue its conditional commitment to hold key interest rates steady until the end of the second quarter of 2010. However, there is concern that the low interest rates could potentially spur financial bubbles.

Canada, like most other countries emerging from a recession, is seeing several positive signs, but should expect recovery to come in small steps. This is especially true as Canada depends on strong demand from other countries to import its goods.

Housing Market

Home Sales

Sales activity reached the highest level ever for the month of October. National resale housing activity had a record-breaking month with 45,818 units trading hands. This is up 45 percent compared to October 2008 and 74 percent above the decade low reached in January. Low interest rates, coupled with upbeat consumer confidence, continue to release pent-up demand from last year and early this year, boosting national sales activity.

Average Home Price

The national average home price reached new heights in October, rising 21 percent to $341,079 from the same month last year. A sustained increase in sales activity, including a sharp rebound in Canada's priciest markets, continues to draw the national average home price upward.

Inventory

Sales-to-Listings Ratio

The number of new listings coming onto the market in October declined from year-ago levels for the tenth consecutive month. New listings fell 15 percent from October 2008 but inched up on a month-over-month basis to 65,148 units. According to CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump, "New listings are still expected to rise in the coming months in response to headline average price increases." Nationally, there were 4.1 months of inventory in October. The sales-to-listings ratio was 70 percent, signaling a stronger seller's market.

Mortgage Rates

Average for: 25-Year Amortization, 5-Year Term

A recently released study from the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals shows Canadians are benefiting from the lower interest rates. The average mortgage rate negotiated in the past year was 4.55 percent, down from 5.41 percent a year ago. In October, the 5-year conventional mortgage rate edged down to 5.59 percent, 1.61 percent lower than this time last year.

Sources: Conference Board, The Canadian Real Estate Association, Royal Bank of Canada, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Bank of Canada

Notable News

Canada's Recession Officially Ends

As the third quarter's GDP numbers come in, they show an official end to the recession.  Although the positive 0.4 percent growth is less than the 1-2 percent expected, it is nonetheless a positive sign. In terms of unemployment and GDP decline, this recession was less severe than those of the early ‘80s and ‘90s. The less-than-expected growth also signals that this may very well be a slow recovery and, like many of the other countries emerging from recessions, Canada is not fully out of the woods.

The concerns largely remain unchanged-unemployment and the still high currency value. A strong Canadian currency makes spending domestic dollars abroad or on imports more enticing because they are now cheaper, but it also sends the economic benefit of that purchase abroad rather than keeping it at home. It also makes Canadian goods more expensive for other countries to import, and this is a major component of Canada's economy. A concern that has more recently cropped up is that the cheap and readily available credit could be creating asset bubbles in gold, housing, and some other financial products.

The strength of the domestic economy has "saved the day." Because the credit problems that plagued many other major nations were not largely seen in Canada, it has allowed it to take advantage of the low interest rates in ways that other countries could not. This has helped stir a rapid and dramatic recovery in the housing market and will likely have a spillover effect, as the new homeowners purchase new items for their homes and complete renovations. It has also helped spur a surge in personal and in business investment not seen since 1997. 

Source: Canada.com

Credit Card Guidelines

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has issued a new, voluntary code of conduct for credit and debit card companies. If not widely adopted, the code may become government regulations.

The initiative intends to promote fair business practices by creating transparency for merchants and consumers to clearly understand the costs and benefits of the cards. The fees credit card companies charge merchants can vary widely, and this announcement now comes after years of consumer groups and businesses voicing concerns that the disparity of fees can cause unpredictable harm to the bottom line.

The code will be on a sixty-day consultation period where credit card companies and businesses alike will have the opportunity to provide feedback before the code goes into effect.

Source: The Toronto Sun

Timely Topics

5 "End of the Year" Tax Tips

1. Fix up the house. The deadline for the home renovation tax credit (HRTC) is coming up quickly. It's a 15 percent tax credit and applies to purchases between $1,000-$10,000 for a maximum of $1,350. Materials must be purchased in 2009 but can be installed in 2010, but only labor completed in 2009 may be counted.
    
2. 2.Contribute to your children's education. If your child or grandchild doesn't have a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) and they turned 15 in 2009, the last chance for them to get in is December 31, 2009. By contributing at least $2,000 this year, they will be able to collect a 20 percent Canada Education Savings Grant for 2009 and be eligible for 2010 and 2011. Missing this year's deadline will make them ineligible for the next two years as well.
3. Donate. Donations must be made by December 31 in order to get a tax receipt for 2009.
4. Contribute to a registered disability savings plan. This tax-deferred plan is open to residents that are eligible for the Disability Tax Credit, their parents, and other eligible contributors. A maximum of $200,000 can be deposited and there are no annual limits.  Contributions in 2009 may be eligible for the 2009 Canada Disability Savings Grant and the Canada Disability Savings Bond.
5. Splurge on office furniture. Even if you purchase at the end of the year, you can still take half a year's depreciation on new office equipment and furniture for small business owners and self-employed. Computer equipment purchased between January 27, 2009 and January 30, 2011, can be written off 100% in the year it is purchased.

Source: The Financial Times

Lydia Pollard, Sales Representative
Keller Williams Real Estate Associates, Brokerage
Direct:   905-272-4764
Office:   905-812-8123
Fax:       905-812-8155

Lydia@LydiaSellsHomes.com
www.LydiaSellsHomes.com

Keller Williams
Real Estate Associates, Brokerage
Independently Owned And Operated
7145 West Credit Ave. Bldg.1, Suite 100, Mississauga, ON L5N 6J7

Contents

1. Commentary

2. Housing Market

3. Notable News

4. Timely Topics for 
    Homeowners and 
    Buyers