Each week The Glenn Team provide highlights from the weekly CP office meeting to provide a balanced overview of the Toronto and GTA markets and relevant issues affecting real estate markets. Meetings are overseen by Chestnut Park's CEO and Broker of Record, Chris Kapches, LLB, who provides weekly analysis and commentary. Additional input is provided by the CP Toronto office Realtors who give a day to day, real life perspective of the local markets.

 

TORONTO MARKET SUMMARY

As TREB continues it's freeze on weekly stats, Chris has continued to collect his own in the 416 area code. More deals were done last week than in the first two weeks, though not many more. Inventory levels remain low and are looking to be about 20 - 25% lower than last year. As of the January 18th, there were 771 properties reported sold putting us on pace for around 1,500 sales for the month, compared to the 1,900+ from January 2017. The average sale price in the 416 is about $710,000, a decline of about 1.5 - 2.5% from last January. This is actually pretty good considering the highs the market came from in January 2017. Where the market continues to fall short is in inventory, which will almost certainly affect sale prices going forward. This continues to be the case with condo apartments whose average sale price came in at $556,156 for the 155 sales across the 416 area; 93 of which sold in the Central districts.

Other parts of the country are up and down. Vancouver continues to outperform any other city nationally, with their average sale price going up 16% year over year to $1,060,000. Regina and Calgary have had harder times with their average sale prices coming down by 4% and .4% respectively. Ottawa's average sale price is up by 6% year over year, which could be an indication that foreign capital is looking to our capital to invest in other markets; though this is simply speculative. Oakville and Milton prices are down by about 4.8%, which is comparable to other GTA markets. All of this makes for a confusing and fractured marketplace nationally, especially in light of the next agenda item.

 

INTERESTED?

Our resident mortgage expert, Darlene Hanley came into the office to discuss how the new stress test and BoC interest rates are affecting those looking at purchase, pre-approvals and refinancing. 

Here's a summary of what she said. We've also included a link to her presentation here, which contains more examples of the info. below.

NEW RULE CHANGES

On January 1st, 2018, OSFI implemented new conventional (uninsured) mortgage rules, attempting to protect homebuyers from mortgage default in a rising interest rate environment.

The government introduced a rate cushion which will affect all uninsured mortgages (those with a down payment of 20% and all refinances). They must now qualify at the greater of:

The Bank of Canada posted rate (4.99%)
OR
Their contract rate + 2%

This means, if your rate is 3.39%, you would be qualifying at 5.39%

Some Other Important Notes

• If a legally binding Purchase and Sale Agreement is dated/signed prior to January 1, 2018, the customer can qualify under the old rules.
• If the legally binding Purchase and Sale Agreement is dated/signed on or after January 1, 2018, the customer must qualify under the new rules.

BANK OF CANADA RATE INCREASE

On January 17th, 2018, the Bank of Canada increased its overnight lending rate to 1.25% from 1%. The major 6 banks have followed their lead, and increased their prime rate. Each lender decides what their prime rate will be. 

EX: Scotiabank’s Prime Rate is now 3.45%, RBC as well, up from 3.20%. TD has a prime rate of 3.60%, up from 3.45%.

Changes in Prime influence variable interest rates, ie. if you have a variable rate of Prime – 0.50% with Scotiabank:

Before the stress test: 2.70%

After the stress test: 2.95%

= Increase of .25%

INSURED MORTGAGES

Insured mortgages are only available for properties under $1M for purchases with a down payment of less than 20% and are insured by one of the three insurers in Canada. The minimum down payment is 5% on the first $500,000 and 10% on the difference up to $999,999.

EX: If you are purchasing for $800,000, the minimum down payment would be $55,000 ($25,000 on $500,000 and $30,000 on the other $300,000)

Those looking for an insured mortgage will be qualified at the Bank of Canada posted rate of 4.99% or their contract rate, whichever is higher. This means, even if your contract rate is 3.14%, you still have to be able to qualify for a mortgage with a rate of 4.99%.

This may price many first time buyers out of the market, whose only hope of homeownership in Toronto is/was through insured mortgages.

UNEMPLOYMENT = UNRELIABLE

Due to the Real Estate market being so wrapped up in the economy, and economies tied to indicators such as the unemployment rate and the GDP, Chris thought this new study by The Fraser Institute was instructive as far as how we should view unemployment, or rather employment, as a means to determining economic strength. 

Essentially, the study looks at how unemployment rates have traditionally been used to indicate strength in labour markets but that "the unemployment rate can decrease for two reasons that imply very different performance: 1) people are finding work, which is positive; or 2) potential workers are dropping out of the labour force and not looking for work anymore, which is usually negative." 

Additionally, since 2008, the labour force participation rate has declined 67.6% - 65.7% and is expected to decline further due to Canada’s increased ageing population. So the institute is recommending going forward that we should be using the employment rate as the best barometer for the state of the labour market. Click the link above to read more. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Are you enjoying our weekly posts? Looking to get something else out of them? Is there a way we can improve? We'd love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or get in touch directly! 

Happy New Year! We are continuing the initiative started last year. Each week The Glenn Team provide highlights from the weekly CP office meeting to provide a balanced overview of the Toronto and GTA markets and relevant issues affecting real estate markets. Meetings are overseen by Chestnut Park's CEO and Broker of Record, Chris Kapches, LLB, who provides weekly analysis and commentary. Additional input is provided by the CP Toronto office Realtors who give a day to day, real life perspective of the local markets.

As we move into 2018, we've been a bit slow on the uptake given the seemingly relentless strain of viruses going around. Whether it's the result of extreme cold or too many holiday revelries, we encourage everyone to stay warm and healthy this new year! Now onto the meeting...

REWIND & FAST FORWARD - 2017 into 2018

To begin this recap, we have a recap! Chris thought it best to review some of what affected 2017's market as we go into 2018. Canada was the top performing country in the G7 with an annual growth rate of 3%. Consumer activity drove the majority of growth throughout the year; though is expected to slow in 2018. Economists are estimating anywhere b/w 2-5%, with 2% being the more realistic expectation. Unemployment is now below 6% nationally having created around 79,000 jobs, but Canada is still behind the U.S. (4.1%), Japan (2.8%), Germany (3.6%) and the U.K. (4.2%); there is anticipation those unemployment numbers will continue to drop. The downside there is that lower unemployment will lead to hikes in Interest rates. Canada is currently the most indebted nation in the world, with 170% debt to household income, so some adjustment to prices in the housing market would be helpful to most.

There is another rate hike by the Bank of Canada anticipated and the new stress test has officially been implemented. Given both of those factors, some economists speculate about 10% of the buyers in Toronto to drop out of the market. Chris doesn't share this sentiment given many buyers have had to qualify at the stress test rates prior to January 1st. The new stress test is unlikely to impact housing volume but likely will impact sale prices. If a buyer with 20% down was approved at $800K in 2017, the same buyer today may only be able to get $650K. Buyers may start offering less for less or seller’s may find they need to lower their price point, but anyone purchasing properties over $1.5M are unlikely to be affected given the downpayment required for such properties. What IS likely to be affected is the condo market, as condos remain the most affordable property on the market, regardless of lack of inventory.

Uncertainties that for 2018 include NAFTA talks and the upcoming election in Ontario. Both will play key roles in shaping the economy and subsequently, our housing market. Overall, however Chris felt that there was nothing seriously bad on the horizon for the housing market this year but given it is a year of uncertainty in certain areas and that last year saw what he called “most incredible oscillation in real estate” and a “very, very tumultuous year”, we should expect to see decent sales and more normalized sale price increases.

 

DECEMBER MARKET STATS

December is typically a "boring" month stats-wise as the market tends to die down with people getting into holidays. What we do get however are the stats for the year. This year saw a high total for number of sales reaching coming in just over 92,000 for the GTA, about 2% below 2016's highs of 113,000; the most sales ever seen in TREB's history. The bulk of those sales took place prior to May, after which, the drastic drop in activity and prices took place. Our total for 2017 ranks in the top 4 number of sales over the course of the TREB. For December, the average sale price came in at $735,000 across the GTA ($741,000 in the 416), with 4930 sales total. That's an increase in both the average sale price and sales volume year/year. The average sale price for detached properties in the 416 was $1,250,000 (-2.8% yr/yr). In the 905, the average was $910,000, further echoing the disparity b/w both markets. Semi-detached properties averaged $903,000 (+11.5% yr/yr) and condominiums came in at $532,000 (+14.1% yr/yr) in the 416. Given these numbers, clearly buyers are still unwilling to pay the high prices some sellers still demand for detached properties and are moving to more affordable property types; a trend no doubt to continue into 2018. All properties sold in 27 days or less, which remains a fast market pace. 

The number of high-end properties (over $2M+) for the month came in at 116, including 7 condominium apartments, so some condos are now inching up to that $2M+ range as well. Toronto's East end seems to remain the strongest area for price and time to sale, with all properties being sold for 100% of asking or more. Other areas of the city are not going for 100% of ask so it’s likely sellers will be pricing properties to sell as opposed to expecting a flood of buyers to pay the big prices we saw at the beginning of 2017. Overall, the data for December is very positive. There is a strong likelihood that the media will report huge drops in prices when January’s numbers come out and may paint a negative picture of the market but that’s only due the the over-inflated prices from the early part of 2017.

Here's a handy infographic developed by Chestnut Park's marketing team giving a summary of the December stats. 

PERIODIC PIECE

Changes to the Condominium Act in the late part of 2017 introduced the requirement of condominium boards producing a Periodic Information Certificate. This PIC is much like the summary retained in most Status Certificates without the attachments. It provides general information on the property, who the property management for the building is, the number of units leased in the building, directors of the corporation and addresses to contact them. It also gives details regarding insurance amounts for the building along with deductibles and financial Information to get some stance of the financial stability of the corporation, ie. the amount of expenses, liabilities and any foreseen costs coming up, or what the increase to the reserve fund will be going forward. Lastly, it details any legal action or party to judgements the corporation has. This document should be issued every 6 months to condo owners, so if you live in a condominium currently and have yet to receive one, you should contact your property manager to inquire. This is a helpful document for anyone thinking about selling their unit or simply interested in how their building is doing in a general sense. 

Are you finding these meeting recaps useful? We'd love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch directly! 

Each week, The Glenn Team provide highlights from the weekly CP office meeting to provide a balanced overview of the Toronto and GTA markets and relevant issues affecting real estate markets. Meetings are overseen by Chestnut Park's CEO and Broker of Record, Chris Kapches, LLB, who provides weekly analysis and commentary. Additional input is provided by the CP Toronto office Realtors who give a day to day, real life perspective of the local markets.

First off, our apologies for not putting up a post last week but we've got lots of good stuff to share this week, among them many an acronym and pun-filled headings...

MARKET UPDATE

Chris continues to collect his own stats for the 416 area code, or the City of Toronto proper. We continue to see a rise in the average sale price up to $785,000 for the 416. Inventory remaining low is likely the best indicator for this continuation of an upward trend. All reports from CP agents working in the 905 indicate that things there are worse there however, and in some areas stagnant. TREB's stats, which came out today, indicate a decrease in average sale price across the GTA of about 2% since last November; not surprising given the number of detached properties that sold then as opposed to this November. However, as we've noted in previous posts, this negative variance is one which is shrinking by the month. January's numbers will likely increase this year over year negative variance given prices from the beginning of 2017 but again, it's important to recognize how unsustainable that market was.

TREB board president Tim Syrianos seems to now be echoing what we've been reporting on for months now...

"We have seen an uptick in demand for ownership housing in the GTA this fall, over and above the regular seasonal trend. Similar to the Greater Vancouver experience, the impact of the Ontario Fair Housing Plan and particularly the foreign buyer tax may be starting to wane. On top of this, it is also possible that the upcoming changes to mortgage lending guidelines, which come into effect in January, have prompted some households to speed up their home buying decision."

Lastly, condominiums have continued to make the biggest strides in prices, averaging 16.4% across the GTA. So long as inventory continues to be low, we can expect prices to continue to rise going into 2018. 

UNEMPLOYMENT ENJOYMENT

Canada's unemployment stats came out last Friday and are staggeringly low at about 5.9%; the best numbers seen since February 2008. Over the past 12 months, Canada gained 390,000 full-time jobs, with men in the 25 to 54 core-aged group, youths aged 15 to 24 and women aged 55 and older receiving the lion's share of the jobs. Not surprisingly, Ontario led the provinces with 44,000 new jobs created in November, mostly in the wholesale and retail trades in addition to the manufacturing sector. Ontario’s unemployment rate is now at 5.5%, which is the lowest it’s been since 2000.

Will this help or hinder the real estate industry? Chris indicated that these numbers could mean a further interest rate hike by the Bank of Canada; something that was already posited in past meetings and many in the mortgage world feel is almost certain in 2018. Last Friday, after the rates were published, the Canadian dollar jump up a cent against the U.S. dollar. Given this information, along with the proposed wage increases scheduled for next year, many economists feel that we're looking at further rate hikes in January. “It certainly firms the idea that there are more near-term hikes than previously anticipated,” said Michael Dolega, senior economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank.

R.R.S.P. FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

The Canadian Real Estate Association is asking the federal government to extends it's policy allowing RRSP contributions to be used as a tax-free downpayment to parents wanting to help their children make a purchase in real estate. Additionally, the association wants the limit for withdrawal to be bumped up to $35,000 from the $25,000 that is currently allowed. Most in the CP office felt this limit could be raised even further given the average selling price across Canada now being up to $550,000. Though that average price is likely more reflective of the high values being seen in Toronto and Vancover, even a $35,000 deposit is only negligible for the purposes of making a down payment.

Chris did bring up the fact that many first time home buyers may not have even that much in their RRSPs but that certainly allowing parents to add some of their own RRSP funds to the mix should help, given there is good evidence to show an existing "shadow economy" already at play in the real estate market; ie. parent's giving money to their kids for down-payments.

Thomas Davidoff, a professor at UBC's Saunder School of Business said there is no clear answer as whether this policy is good or bad. Davidoff feels this policy could undercut people's retirement savings, would push up housing prices further, and would enable only wealthier families to have greater buying power. Davidoff feels that the government would better serve the market by introducing more taxation on home owners.

Darlene Hanley - our resident mortgage expert - said that she's seen this shadow economy in action already. With some families contributing upwards of $200,000 in down payment gifts for their children. While that scenario is likely rare, I feel like it underscores the reality of what wealthier families are already able to do. This policy might better serve families who don't have as much. Whether it hurts their retirement savings is something each family would have to judge for itself.

We would love to know your thoughts on this matter. Leave a comment or get in touch directly!

LTT TO SAVE T.O.'s B

Last Thursday, the City of Toronto announced their new annual budget and among the expected revenues, the municipal Land Transfer Tax is expected to make up almost 10% of the city's earnings for 2018. In total, city manager Peter Wallace is conservatively estimating about $800M to come from the LTT despite what many call a slow down in the housing market. If you've been keeping track with our weekly posts however, I think Mr. Wallace is likely correct. We've been experiencing steady price growth and it seems the same with be true in 2018. It is astonishing however to consider how much home buyers contribute to the infrastructure of this city. There have been more than enough articles being critical or down right angry about the upward trend in housing prices but in realizing how much of that money goes to essential services in the city, you'd expect any commuter or tourist to sing the praises of the Toronto home buyer.

For more information on how LTT has and will have an effect on the proposed budget, check out this article in the Globe and Mail

YOU SAY PROPRIETY, TREB SAYS PRIVACY

No matter how you want to argue it, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled against the Toronto Real Estate Board in deciding to uphold an April 2016 Competition Tribunal ruling that TREB's practices prohibiting sharing information online are anti-competitive. The general sentiment in the CP office was that TREB should have made this an argument about propriety; namely that for years, members of TREB have paid dues to develop a system whereby Realtors are better able to serve their clients through the use of sales data and other companies that have similar data (VISA for instance), would never be made to share that data. TREB however, didn't make an argument based on propriety but instead on consumer privacy. TREB CEO John DiMichele said that

TREB believes strongly that personal financial information of homebuyers and sellers must continue to be safely used and disclosed

The tribunal found that TREB's actions had been in line with anti-competitive practices and hopes that this ruling will open up competition in the digital space to companies like Realosophy or Zillow; based in Seattle. Proponents of the anti-competition viewpoint feel that this data would allow buyers to make a better informed decision prior to seeking the use of a Realtor and would allow realtors and brokerages the ability to publish better sales information; ie. which neighbourhoods are appreciating the fastest. 

In the U.S., where this data has been available for sometime, the real estate market continues to thrive but we're sure there will be more than a few realtors who aren't happy about the decision. TREB is appealing the ruling in the Supreme Court.

Chris' sentiments on the matter were that competition bureau outcomes have had effects on the real estate industry in the past and we still have a thriving marketplace. What he did find offensive is that the media seems to be painting Realtors as being dishonest in how we are using this information; that we would use it to our benefit in obtaining a higher sale price, regardless of the data. We would echo Chris' sentiments and also argue that sellers are just as interested in getting the highest price for their property. That being said, any realtor who uses deceptive practices to build their business will fail at some point. Perhaps we are more honest than most?

Again, we would value your feedback on any of the topics mentioned. We try to offer our clients and reader base, the most informed and accurate opinions of the market and of the real estate world in general. Please leave a comment below or get in touch directly.