Categories for Economics

Sketching Out the Potential Impact of COVID-19 on the BC Housing Market

Summary Findings While it’s unknown how the unfolding COVID-19 outbreak will impact the economy in the long-term, BC is facing a sudden stop in economic activity with little guidance to when things may return to normal. Based on our scenario analysis, BC home sales and prices will likely face declines ...

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BC Housing Markets Off to a Strong Start in 2020

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 4,426 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in January 2020, an increase of 23.7 per cent from the 3,579 units sold in January 2019. The average MLS® residential price in BC was $725,370, a 9.1 ...

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Housing Markets Flat in 2019 After Strong Second Half

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 77,331 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in 2019, a decline of 1.5 percent from the 78,516 units sold in 2018. The annual average MLS® residential price in BC was $700,460, a decline of 1.6 ...

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Mortgage Rate Forecast (December 2019)

Highlights: Wild year for interest rates Canadian economy: slow and steady Why is the Bank of Canada holding back? Mortgage Rate Outlook As the year ends, it’s worth reflecting on how significantly the Canadian interest rate environment has changed in just twelve months. One year ago, the Canadian yield curve ...

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