Teranet Index: September 2010

NOVEMBER 2010

Price declines in all six markets in September Canadian home prices in September were down 1.1% from the previous month, according to the Teranet-National Bank National Composite House Price Index™. The monthly decline ended a string of 16 consecutive increases in the composite index since the last monthly deflation in April 2009. For the first time since February 2009, prices fell in all six of the metropolitan markets surveyed. The declines were 2.4% in Halifax, 2.2% in Calgary, 1.6% in Toronto, 0.5% in Ottawa and 0.3% in Montreal and Vancouver. For Vancouver it was the third consecutive monthly decrease and for Calgary it was the second. This result was reflected in a further deceleration of the 12-month price increase in September, to 7.9% for the composite index. It was the third consecutive month of deceleration, leaving the 12-month rise the smallest since last January. The 12-month increases range quite widely from market to market: 9.2% in Vancouver and Ottawa, 9.0% in Toronto, 7.6% in Montreal, 3.6% in Halifax and 1.7% in Calgary. Teranet – National Bank National Composite House Price Index™ Contact Us For general enquiries: info@housepriceindex.ca For licenses covering all index-linked products, please contact: Simon Côté 514 879-5379 Website www.housepriceindex.ca

In October, according to our calculations based on data from the Canadian Real Estate Association, market conditions were balanced in Canada as a whole, with Calgary presenting a buyer's market. Teranet – National Bank House Price Index™ The historical data of the Teranet – National Bank House Price Index™ is available at www.housepriceindex.ca. Metropolitan area Index level September % change m/m % change y/y Calgary 156.89 -2.2 % 1.7 % Halifax 128.07 -2.4 % 3.6 % Montreal 135.67 -0.3 % 7.6 % Ottawa 132.64 -0.5 % 9.2 % Toronto 125.98 -1.6 % 9.0 % Vancouver 154.84 -0.3 % 9.2 % National Composite 137.94 -1.1 % 7.9 % The Teranet–National Bank House Price Index™ is estimated by tracking observed or registered home prices over time using data collected from public land registries. All dwellings that have been sold at least twice are considered in the calculation of the index. This is known as the repeat sales method; a complete description of the method is given at www.housepriceindex.ca The Teranet–National Bank House Price Index™ is an independently developed representation of average home price changes in six metropolitan areas: Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax. The national composite index is the weighted average of the six metropolitan areas. The weights are based on aggregate value of dwellings as retrieved from the 2006 Statistics Canada Census. According to that census1, the aggregate value of occupied dwellings in the metropolitan areas covered by the indices was $1.168 trillion, or 53% of the Canadian aggregate value of $2.207 trillion. All indices have a base value of 100 in June 2005. For example, an index value of 130 means that home prices have increased 30% since June 2005. By: Marc Pinsonneault Senior economist Economy & Strategy Group National Bank Financial Group Teranet - National Bank House Price Index™ thanks the author for their special collaboration on this report. 1 Value of Dwelling for the Owner-occupied Non-farm, Non-reserve Private Dwellings of Canada.

Teranet Index - November 2010

JANUARY 2011

Third consecutive monthly price decline in November Canadian home prices in November were down 0.2% from the previous month, according to the Teranet-National Bank National Composite House Price Index™. This retreat followed monthly declines of 0.4% in October and 1.1% in September after a run of 16 consecutive increases. November prices were down from the previous month in four of the six metropolitan markets surveyed. Declines of 0.9% in Ottawa and 0.5% in Toronto were each the third in a row. The Calgary decline of 0.7% was the fourth in a row. Halifax prices were down 0.8%. Montreal prices were again flat from the month before. Prices in Vancouver were up 0.6%. After three consecutive months of decline in the composite index, Canadian home prices are still 4.8% above the pre-recession peak of August 2008. Teranet – National Bank National Composite House Price Index™ Contact Us For general enquiries: info@housepriceindex.ca For licenses covering all index-linked products, please contact: Simon Côté 514 879-5379 Website www.housepriceindex.ca

The November result was reflected in a further deceleration of the 12-month rise of the composite index, to 4.9%. It was the fifth consecutive month of deceleration, leaving the 12-month increase the smallest since December 2009. Market by market, the 12-month changes range quite widely: increases of 7.2% in Ottawa, 7.1% Montreal, 5.9% in Vancouver, 5.1% in Toronto and 2.7% in Halifax, with a decrease of 1.5% in Calgary. Data from the Canadian Real Estate Association show generally balanced conditions in major urban markets in December. Toronto and Vancouver could even be considered sellers' markets. Teranet – National Bank House Price Index™ The historical data of the Teranet – National Bank House Price Index™ is available at www.housepriceindex.ca. Metropolitan area Index level November % change m/m % change y/y Calgary 154.21 -0.7 % -1.5 % Halifax 127.91 -0.8 % 2.7 % Montreal 135.56 0.0 % 7.1 % Ottawa 131.07 -0.9 % 7.2 % Toronto 124.21 -0.5 % 5.1 % Vancouver 155.90 0.6 % 5.9 % National Composite 137.07 -0.2 % 4.9 % The Teranet–National Bank House Price Index™ is estimated by tracking observed or registered home prices over time using data collected from public land registries. All dwellings that have been sold at least twice are considered in the calculation of the index. This is known as the repeat sales method; a complete description of the method is given at www.housepriceindex.ca The Teranet–National Bank House Price Index™ is an independently developed representation of average home price changes in six metropolitan areas: Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax. The national composite index is the weighted average of the six metropolitan areas. The weights are based on aggregate value of dwellings as retrieved from the 2006 Statistics Canada Census. According to that census1, the aggregate value of occupied dwellings in the metropolitan areas covered by the indices was $1.168 trillion, or 53% of the Canadian aggregate value of $2.207 trillion. All indices have a base value of 100 in June 2005. For example, an index value of 130 means that home prices have increased 30% since June 2005. By: Marc Pinsonneault Senior Economist Economy & Strategy Group National Bank Financial Group Teranet - National Bank House Price Index™ thanks the author for their special collaboration on this report. 1 Value of Dwelling for the Owner-occupied Non-farm, Non-reserve Private Dwellings of Canada.

Psychology of a Bubble

I stumbled upon this excellent post on the Irvine Housing Blog.

I suggest reading through when you have a few moments to review some of the important markers of a bubble market, how people rationalize purchasing in a bubble, and how it always ends.

Here is a great quote and some useful visuals:

The efficient markets theory does explain the behavior of asset prices in a typical market, but when price change begins to feedback on itself, behavioral finance is the only theory that explains this phenomenon. There is often a precipitating factor causing the break with the normal pattern and releasing the tether from fundamental valuations. During the Great Housing Bubble, the primary precipitating factor was the lowering of interest rates. The precipitating factor simply acts as a catalyst to get prices moving. Once a directional bias is in place, then price-to-price feedback can take over. The perception of fundamental valuation is based solely on the expectation of future price increases, and the asset is always perceived to be undervalued. There are often brave and foolhardy attempts to justify these valuations and provide a rationalization for irrational behavior. Many witnessing the event assume the “smart money” must know something, and there is a widespread belief prices could not rise so much without a good reason. Herd mentality takes over.

Competition Bureau and MLS

As you have probably heard, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) approved changes to the rules governing the use of its Multiple Listing Service and the ability to pay for a la carte services such as a flat fee "listing only" service (akin to For-Sale-By-Owner FSBO). Others have commented on the changes. CBC's The Current ran a piece on November 3rd talking to a Calgarian owner, Bernadette Lonnegan who has tried to sell her property since May, first through an FSBO service, then through a Realtor on MLS offering a "listing only" service.

Ms. Lonnegan, however, has had little luck in selling her property. Her ability to list on MLS produced more traffic but, as it turns out, it also produced a lot of "undesirable" traffic in the form of (likely) scam artists, and, perhaps, anaemic traffic from buying agents at established firms. The overhead in selling a large capital asset, for her, even given she had free time to handle the listing, has turned out to be significant. Herein lies one of the many issues with FSBO in general.

Certainly Realtors have been given a hard time on local real estate blogs, from being called "realtards," shills, used-car salesmen (ouch...), to the more poignant criticisms of the real estate sales industry in general surrounding: the commission structure, obfuscation of previous sales data (which is public through land title offices), conflict of interest when acting as a buyer agent, etc. In the case of poor Bernadette, it turns out selling an expensive capital asset has proven to be difficult. She goes as far to state she thought going FSBO was not worth her time and effort and, doing it again, would have used a Realtor.

The CREA's move to allow access to MLS to FSBO certainly provides a need to a segment of potential home sellers. It should not be underestimated, however, how difficult the sales process for a multi-hundred-thousand dollar capital asset can be. For those who regularly sell in such an environment or simply have confidence they know the sales process, FSBO is a viable choice. But for the overwhelming majority of homeowners this is unlikely the case. Even with FSBO, there is still a chance a buyer agent will want a commission regardless.

What The Current's interview showed me is that, while opening MLS to FSBOs is welcome in principle, it is unlikely to have a significant effect on the marketplace. That the overwhelming majority of Realtors voted to accept these changes is an indication of this.

The next likely step in overhauling MLS will come in the form of opening up the previous sales data to the public, as has been done in the US for several years now. Companies like Google or Redfin, with their various technological innovations, are effectively kept out of the marketplace. Certainly another method of "opening" up the previous sales data could come in the form of changes to the land title offices' distribution of bulk sales data to large companies for a fee. In sum, depending upon what data are provided, it could produce more revenue for them than would the piecemeal requests they receive today.

A big question, as with FSBO, is will access to previous sales data help make the market more efficient? As much as I would like to think so, experience in the US showed that even with unfettered access to sales and mortgage data, many areas of the country saw significant price run-ups regardless. As a value investor looking to buy property, I would not care too much (though not at all) about previous sales data. The price paid is based upon value -- net operating income and development potential -- not what other people are currently paying. As a seller I would care quite a bit about previous sales data, though in theory even if going through a listing-only service, such a service should be able to provide sales data for little extra charge. Nonetheless, in principle, having previous sales data would be a welcome change towards a more open marketplace.

Teranet House Price Index - August 2010

OCTOBER 2010

Monthly price rise of 0.2% in August Canadian home prices in August were up 10.4% from a year earlier, according to the Teranet-National Bank National Composite House Price Index™. It was the smallest 12-month gain in six months. The metropolitan markets showing a similar deceleration included Toronto and Vancouver, though their price increases from a year earlier were still in the neighbourhood of 12%. For Ottawa, the market where prices have risen most in the last six months, the 12-month increase was 10.7%. In the other three markets the 12-month gains were more modest: 7.7% in Montreal, 6.8% in Halifax, 5.0% in Calgary. Teranet – National Bank National Composite House Price Index™ Contact Us For general enquiries: info@housepriceindex.ca For licenses covering all index-linked products, please contact: Simon Côté 514 879-5379 Website www.housepriceindex.ca

For a second consecutive month, prices did not rise from the month before in all six markets. The Calgary index was down 0.5% from June and the Vancouver index 0.4%. For Vancouver it was the second monthly decline in a row. In Toronto the monthly rise was 0.4%, the smallest in five months. In Montreal it was 0.5%, in Halifax 0.9% and in Ottawa 1.4%. For the composite index as a whole the monthly increase in August was 0.2%, the smallest since the index began climbing 16 months ago. The uninterrupted string of 16 monthly gains exceeds the 14-month run of August 2005 through September 2006. Teranet – National Bank House Price Index™ The historical data of the Teranet – National Bank House Price Index™ is available at www.housepriceindex.ca. Metropolitan area Index level August 2010 % change m/m % change y/y Calgary 160.40 -0.5 % 5.0 % Halifax 131.19 0.9 % 6.8 % Montreal 136.10 0.5 % 7.7 % Ottawa 133.32 1.4 % 10.7 % Toronto 128.00 0.4 % 12.5 % Vancouver 155.37 -0.4 % 11.8 % National Composite 139.43 0.2 % 10.4 % The Teranet–National Bank House Price Index™ is estimated by tracking observed or registered home prices over time using data collected from public land registries. All dwellings that have been sold at least twice are considered in the calculation of the index. This is known as the repeat sales method; a complete description of the method is given at www.housepriceindex.ca The Teranet–National Bank House Price Index™ is an independently developed representation of average home price changes in six metropolitan areas: Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax. The national composite index is the weighted average of the six metropolitan areas. The weights are based on aggregate value of dwellings as retrieved from the 2006 Statistics Canada Census. According to that census1, the aggregate value of occupied dwellings in the metropolitan areas covered by the indices was $1.168 trillion, or 53% of the Canadian aggregate value of $2.207 trillion. All indices have a base value of 100 in June 2005. For example, an index value of 130 means that home prices have increased 30% since June 2005. By: Marc Pinsonneault Senior Economist Economy & Strategy Group National Bank Financial Group Teranet - National Bank House Price Index™ thanks the author for their special collaboration on this report. 1 Value of Dwelling for the Owner-occupied Non-farm, Non-reserve Private Dwellings of Canada.

Yawn!

To be blunt, I'm bored with following the real estate market.

It moves terribly slow and the human emotions involved are heated, to say the least, and can be largely irrational. This is frustrating so I've been taking a break.

During this break, I haven't been missing anything so I've concluded that it isn't worth very much effort or time for me to involve myself too much in this blog anymore. It was interesting and I still certainly hold my conclusion that real estate in the Vancouver area is grossly overpriced considering the rental yield.

Additionally, I have been enjoying being a dad to my two little boys and my work has been exceptionally busy so I just don't find I have the time to devote to doing a good job on the analysis part of the blog. There are others who have picked up the mantle of providing monthly charts and statistics so I feel my work in that respect is largely irrelavent.

Anyway, I'm not shutting the blog down. I'll be around and I still plan on posting interesting articles or videos that I stumble across. I just thought it was fair to post how I've been feeling lately.

Teranet House Price Index - July 2010

SEPTEMBER 2010

Monthly price rise of 0.5% in July Canadian home prices in July were up 12.4% from a year earlier, according to the Teranet-National Bank National Composite House Price Index™. It was the smallest 12-month gain in four months. Such a deceleration was observed in Toronto and Vancouver, where the 12-month increase was nevertheless more than 14%. In Ottawa it was 10.9%. In the other three markets, it was more moderate, ranging from 6.5% to 8.5%. For the first time in four months, prices did not rise from the month before in all six markets. The Vancouver index was down 0.3% from June. The monthly rises were 0.2% in Halifax, 0.4% in Montreal and Calgary, 1.2% in Toronto and 1.5% in Ottawa. It is plausible to think the index movement in the last two markets was influenced by transactions timed to avoid the July 1 introduction of the harmonized sales tax in Ontario. For the composite index as a whole the monthly rise was 0.5%, the smallest in four months. It was the 15th monthly rise, making this run of increases the longest since October 2006. Teranet – National Bank National Composite House Price Index™ Contact Us For general enquiries: info@housepriceindex.ca For licenses covering all index-linked products, please contact: Simon Côté 514 879-5379 Website www.housepriceindex.ca

According to the Canadian Real estate Association, from March to August of this year, more existing homes came on the market than were sold. Therefore, the resale market has been slackening across Canada. Teranet – National Bank House Price Index™ The historical data of the Teranet – National Bank House Price Index™ is available at www.housepriceindex.ca. Metropolitan area Index level July 2010 % change m/m % change y/y Calgary 161.21 0.4 % 7.7 % Halifax 130.06 0.2 % 6.5 % Montreal 135.45 0.4 % 8.5 % Ottawa 131.53 1.5 % 10.9 % Toronto 127.43 1.2 % 14.9 % Vancouver 155.97 -0.3 % 14.1 % National Composite 139.18 0.5 % 12.4 % The Teranet–National Bank House Price Index™ is estimated by tracking observed or registered home prices over time using data collected from public land registries. All dwellings that have been sold at least twice are considered in the calculation of the index. This is known as the repeat sales method; a complete description of the method is given at www.housepriceindex.ca The Teranet–National Bank House Price Index™ is an independently developed representation of average home price changes in six metropolitan areas: Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax. The national composite index is the weighted average of the six metropolitan areas. The weights are based on aggregate value of dwellings as retrieved from the 2006 Statistics Canada Census. According to that census1, the aggregate value of occupied dwellings in the metropolitan areas covered by the indices was $1.168 trillion, or 53% of the Canadian aggregate value of $2.207 trillion. All indices have a base value of 100 in June 2005. For example, an index value of 130 means that home prices have increased 30% since June 2005. By: Marc Pinsonneault Senior Economist Economy & Strategy Group National Bank Financial Group Teranet - National Bank House Price Index™ thanks the author for their special collaboration on this report. 1 Value of Dwelling for the Owner-occupied Non-farm, Non-reserve Private Dwellings of Canada.

FVREB August 2010 Statistics

The FVREB releases stats today. Here they are.

A notable note is that the price of the residential benchmark is down -0.3% from August 2007.

Flat prices for 3 years is starting to take the wind out of the sails of the relentless pumpers. The psychology is changing and the fall should be interesting.

Charts to come later.

What a Difference 5 Years Can Make

Time Magazine cover stories are marvelous contrary indicators.

Time Magazine cover from June 13, 2005.

Time Magazine cover from September 6, 2010.

Teranet House Price Index - June 2010

AUGUST 2010

Monthly price rise of 1.5% in June Canadian home prices in June were up 13.6% from a year earlier, according to the Teranet-National Bank National Composite House Price Index™. The 12-month gain, identical to that of May, was strongly influenced by Vancouver, up 16.3%, and Toronto, up 16.2%. In the other four markets surveyed, the 12-month rise ranged from 7.1% in Halifax to 12.0% in Ottawa. In Calgary it was 8.3% and in Montreal 8.7%. June was the third consecutive month in which prices were up from the month before in all six metropolitan areas surveyed. The monthly rise of the composite index, 1.5%, was the largest since last August. The monthly rise was 2.7% in Ottawa, 2.4% in Toronto, 1.4% in Montreal, 1.3% in Halifax, 0.8% in Vancouver and 0.2% in Calgary. For the composite index it was the 14th straight monthly increase, the longest such run since October 2006. Teranet – National Bank National Composite House Price Index™ Contact Us For general enquiries: info@housepriceindex.ca For licenses covering all index-linked products, please contact: Simon Côté 514 879-5379 Website www.housepriceindex.ca

Since the resale market has been slackening across Canada - from April to July of this year, more existing homes came on the market than were sold - it is too early to conclude that the relatively vigorous prices rises of April, May and June launched a trend. The prospect of harmonized sales taxes coming into effect July 1 in Ontario and B.C. may have stimulated sales in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa in the preceding months. Teranet – National Bank House Price Index™ The historical data of the Teranet – National Bank House Price Index™ is available at www.housepriceindex.ca. Metropolitan area Index level June 2010 % change m/m % change y/y Calgary 160.58 0.2 % 8.3 % Halifax 129.84 1.3 % 7.1 % Montreal 134.87 1.4 % 8.7 % Ottawa 129.58 2.7 % 12.0 % Toronto 125.98 2.4 % 16.2 % Vancouver 156.48 0.8 % 16.3 % National Composite 138.42 1.5 % 13.6 % The Teranet–National Bank House Price Index™ is estimated by tracking observed or registered home prices over time using data collected from public land registries. All dwellings that have been sold at least twice are considered in the calculation of the index. This is known as the repeat sales method; a complete description of the method is given at www.housepriceindex.ca The Teranet–National Bank House Price Index™ is an independently developed representation of average home price changes in six metropolitan areas: Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax. The national composite index is the weighted average of the six metropolitan areas. The weights are based on aggregate value of dwellings as retrieved from the 2006 Statistics Canada Census. According to that census1, the aggregate value of occupied dwellings in the metropolitan areas covered by the indices was $1.168 trillion, or 53% of the Canadian aggregate value of $2.207 trillion. All indices have a base value of 100 in June 2005. For example, an index value of 130 means that home prices have increased 30% since June 2005. By: Marc Pinsonneault Senior Economist Economy & Strategy National Bank Financial Group Teranet - National Bank House Price Index™ thanks the author for their special collaboration on this report.