John Morrissy – Financial Post

Homes prices edged down 0.2% in February from the month before but were still 6.1% higher than a year ago, according to a well-watched housing index.

The month-over-month decline was the third such retreat in the past four months for the Teranet-National Bank National Composite House Price Index, released Wednesday, which measures price changes for repeat sales of single-family homes.

In January, prices rose 0.1%.

Teranet’s report showed prices falling from the previous month in six of the 11 metropolitan markets surveyed.

In Canada’s two hottest real-estate markets, prices in Vancouver fell 0.3%, the fifth consecutive decline, while prices in Toronto rose by just 0.1%. On a yearly basis, however, Toronto prices were 10% higher.

Nationally, prices were 6.1% higher than a year ago. In January, prices were 6.5% higher.

The data is likely to show up on the radar of Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who has repeatedly warned that Canadians are piling on too much debt as they buy homes whose prices keep rising.

At a House of Commons finance committee meeting Tuesday, Carney warned that house prices in relation to income levels are now running 35% above historical norms.

Last week, the Canadian Real Estate Association reported that seasonally adjusted sales in March rose 1.6% from year-earlier levels, although the national average home price declined 0.5% to to $369,677.

“It is a fact that according to CREA (the Canadian Real Estate Association) data for March, five of the 11 markets covered were rather favourable to sellers (Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Halifax and Quebec City). Overall, the Canadian market is nevertheless balanced,” said National Bank senior economist Marc Pinsonneault.

—————————————————————————————————–
Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960

Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
—————————————————————————————————–

wilfred veinot rating

Related posts:

1. New home prices show signs market is cooling By Heather Scoffield – Globe and Mail Prices for new homes...
2. Canada June home price index rises for 7^th month Canadian home resale prices rose in June, their seventh consecutive...
3. Canada home resale price index up, no crash seen Canadian home resale prices climbed in March for an 11th...
4. Home prices show return to sales cycle, not a boom Canadian home prices are continuing to recover from the economic...
5. Canada resale home price index up sharply in April Canadian home resale prices rose in April for a 12th...