PAYMENT FREQUENCY

One of the decisions you will need to make before your new mortgage is set up, is what kind of payment frequency you would like to have. For many, sticking to a monthly payment is the default, however, different frequencies may end up saving you less interest over time.

Monthly Payments

Monthly payments are exactly as they sound, one payment every month until the maturity date of you mortgage at the end of your term. Took a 3-year term? You will make 36 payments (12 payments a year) and then you will need to renegotiate your interest rate. 5-year term? You will make 60 payments.

$500,000 mortgage

3% interest rate

5-year term

$2,366.23 monthly payment

$427,372.90 remaining over 20 years

$69,346.70 paid to interest

$72,627.01 paid to principal

Semi Monthly

Semi-monthly is not bi-weekly. Semi monthly is your monthly payment divided by two. That means, you are making 24 payments every year, but each payment is slightly less than half of what the monthly payment would of been.

$500,000 mortgage

3% interest rate

5-year term

$1,182.38 semi monthly payment

$427,372.99 remaining over 20 years

$69,258.59 paid to interest

$72,627.01 paid to principal

Bi-Weekly

Bi-weekly, you are not making 2 payments every month. With 52 weeks in a year, you are actually making 26 payments, 2 more than semi-monthly (2 months a year you make 3 bi-weekly payments). The interest paid and balance owing are slightly less than the others, but mere cents. You will still need to make payments for another 20 years.

$500,000 mortgage

3% interest rate

5-year term

$1,091.38 bi-weekly payment

$427,372.36 remaining over 20 years

$69,251.76 paid to interest

$72,627.64 paid to principal

Accelerated Bi-Weekly

Just like regular bi-weekly, you are not making 2 payments every month. With 52 weeks in a year, you are actually making 26 payments, 2 more than semi-monthly. However because this is accelerated, the payment amount is higher.

$500,000 mortgage

3% interest rate

5-year term

$1,183.11 accelerated bi-weekly payment

$414,521.40 remaining over 17 years 4 months

$68,325.70 paid to interest

$85,478.60 paid to principal

You have increased your yearly payment amount by $2,384.98, $11,924.90 over 5-years. That extra $11,924.90 has decreased your outstanding balance at the end of your mortgage term by $12,850.96 because more of your payments went to principal and less went to interest. Also, you will now have your mortgage paid off more than 2.5 years earlier.

The same option is available for accelerated weekly payments which will shave another month off of time required to pay back the whole loan as well. If you can afford to go accelerated, your best option is to do so! Especially in the early years where a larger portion of your payments are going towards interest, not paying down your principal.

If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional near you.

–RYAN OAKE

5 REASONS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER A RENT TO OWN PROPERTY

With the real estate market continuing to hold steady, many young families are looking for other options to afford a home. Many millennial families still are holding onto the dream of owning a detached home or their own townhouse/condo one day…but the task of moving on from a rental can seem daunting and impossible. This is where a Rent To Own (RTO) property can offer a solution. Here are 5 reasons you may decide to look for an RTO property.

1. RTO allows you to have a set savings plan to put towards one day owning the property you are currently living in. How this works is by setting up a contract with your Landlord (seller) and agreeing to pay an amount each month that is above what your rent is currently for a set amount of time. For example, if the property you are currently renting rents for $1.000 you would agree to pay the landlord $1400. The additional $400 would go into an account the landlord has set up for you and towards your future down-payment.

2. RTO will allow you to make lump-sum payments during the course of the RTO contract. It’s common with most RTO contracts to have the option to pay a lump sum payment to the down payment by giving the landlord a larger rent cheque. Keep in mind that the down payment is non-refundable which is why it is crucial to involve a mortgage professional and lawyer in the process.

3. RTO’s will require you to be pre-approved prior to the contract going through. This is an ideal situation as being pre-approved allows you to fully understand the other factors that contribute to you getting a mortgage. For example:
• Your current income level
• Your current credit score
• Your current debt owing
• How much you are pre-qualified for

Knowing these numbers can highlight other areas that you may need to work on or improve during the time you are saving up for the down payment and set you on the right course for when you are ready to purchase.

4. You can pre-establish a great team of professionals working with you. As with any mortgage product, a RTO will require you to work with a team of professionals including a mortgage broker. Building this relationship early can help you alleviate any further speed bumps you might have down the road. They can work with you for the entire process and make it run smoother and help you stay on track.

5. The setup is simple and offers a unique solution. Setting up a Rent to Own starts with a contract. The lawyer or solicitor will write this for you and should work closely with your mortgage professional to accommodate lender policies and guidelines. Here are some of the important elements that need to be included in the RTO contract are:
• The Purchase Price
• Purchase Price negotiations formulated based on the market trends of the area in which you are buying
• The term and length of the RTO agreement
• Exit and/or assignment clauses

The RTO must be registered on the title of the subject property and RTO down payments collected thru the contract must have a clear and full banking history that is supported with bank statements. These down payments must not be spent by the seller at any time.

Once you agree on the RTO you can agree on the future purchase price and timelines as well. This will give a target and allows one to know that once they’ve hit x amount of years over RTO payments, they will have enough of a down payment to purchase the property at the originally agreed upon purchase price.

Now, what happens if things change and a party wants out of the contract? For the Landlord, they are required to honour it until the term is over. For the tenants, they are able to “sell” their contract to another buyer who will assume the contract to recoup your down payment. The price is usually the down payment amount that you’ve already paid to the Landlord.

The contract can also include the fact that the tenant (buyer) can purchase in certain intervals at a certain price but does not have the right to recoup your down payment.

One final thought on Rent To Own properties; There are many RTO companies and solicitors out there. Choose wisely who you opt to work with. Many do not fully understand the setup of an RTO contract and the contracts that need to be followed by Lender guidelines. It is always best to have the solicitor work hand in hand with your Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Broker to ensure that the contract lines up and nothing is missed during the set-up process.

This unique solution could be the answer for someone who is renting currently but is having a hard time getting their down payment together. RTO’s are becoming more and more popular due to the high housing prices.

–GEOFF LEE

PRINCIPAL & INTEREST

Principal and interest are the two components that make up a mortgage payment. Principal is the portion of your payment that goes towards paying down the outstanding balance of your mortgage. Interest is the other portion of your payment which goes directly into the pockets of your lender and does not contribute to paying down your mortgage balance.

What some people may not realize is that a compounding interest rate (what the majority of all mortgages are) is weighted differently depending on how many years you have left on your mortgage.

If a young couple were to purchase their very first home, lets say $500,000 for example, and they had a $100,000 down payment, their mortgage would be $400,000. If they had today’s interest rates, their mortgage would be around 3%, compounded semi-annually, over 25 years with their interest rate re-negotiable every 5-years if they keep the same term. Assuming they were able to get 3% for the entire 25-years, their monthly payments would be $1,892.98 a month for the life of their mortgage.

Their first payment however is not $1,892.98, with 97% of it going to paying down the $400,000 balance and 3% going towards interest. The very first payment would actually be broken down as $993.81 of interest and $899.17 going towards paying down the principal balance of $400,000.

Now, it wont stay like this forever, the very last payment before the first 5-year term is up would be broken down as $854.62 going towards interest and $1,038.36 of the $1,892.98 going towards paying down the principal. It wouldn’t be until year 10 where the interest portion dips below $500.

If you can, any pre-payments you make each month will directly pay down the principal balance outstanding. This will also in turn, allow for less interest to be charged as interest is always calculated based on the current balance outstanding. In the later years, it may not be as advantageous, but in the first 5-10 years, it can be extremely beneficial.

If you want to see the break down of principal and interest portions inside your own mortgage, feel free to reach out to a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional near you.

–RYAN OAKE

Housing Market Recovery Continued in October

The national housing market continued its recovery in October, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association’s (CREA) recently released report.

While sales remain 7% below levels reached during 2016 and 2017, they are 20% above the six-year low reached in February. Transactions are up 12.9% year-over-year and higher in the vast majority of cities.

The benchmark price is up 1.8% year-over-year to $633,600 in the 19 markets CREA tracks.

Yet, CREA continues to blame tighter lending rules for softer-than-peak market conditions.

“Steady national activity in October hides how the mortgage stress test remains a drag on many local housing markets where the balance between supply and demand favours homebuyers in purchase negotiations,” said Jason Stephen, president of CREA. “That said, all real estate is local, so market balance varies depending on location, housing type and price segment.”

Borrowers must now qualify for a mortgage at least 2% higher than their contract rate, which is pushing them into less expensive housing types, or out of the market altogether. The move by the federal bank regulator is designed to protect the economy at large. Should interest rates rise, homeowners may be so strapped to pay their larger monthly mortgage payment that they will stop spending on other goods and services, and thus drag the economy at large into a recession.

Since Canadian household debt levels are currently higher than the national GDP, at about $1.6 trillion, and almost entirely due to mortgages, this is a very real fear. Borrowers can still get around the stress test by seeking out mortgages from credit unions or private lenders.

British Columbia, however, is likely experiencing a slump because of the new mortgage rules, plus a small tax on foreign buyers. Greater Vancouver prices are down 6.44% year-over-year, the Lower Mainland down 5.68% and Fraser Valley down 4.16%. The decline in benchmark prices is likely short-term.

Meanwhile, the Prairies have endured several years of declining prices and CREA says the region is on the cusp of a “full-blown buyer’s market.” They overbuilt during oil boom times and sellers are suffering the consequences. Regina’s benchmark price is down 7.12% year-over-year, Saskatoon is down 1.54% and Calgary prices are down 2.37%.

Ontario continues to do well, especially in the smaller cities in the southwest. Guelph’s benchmark price is up 6.45% year-over-year, Hamilton is up 7.11% and Toronto is 5.55% higher.

Prices are likely to continue to rise into 2020 because supply is tightening across the country. There were only 4.4 months of inventory at the end of October 2019—the lowest level recorded since April 2017. Furthermore, the national sales-to-new listings ratio is now at 63.7%, far above its long-term average of 53.6%.

“Based on a comparison of the sales-to-new listings ratio with the long-term average, just over two-thirds of all local markets were in balanced market territory in October 2019, including the GTA and Lower Mainland of British Columbia,” CREA reports. “Nonetheless, sales negotiations remain tilted in favour of buyers in housing markets located in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland & Labrador.”

For more information on the national housing market this October, check out the infographic below:

–Danielle Kubes

These Homeowners Need a Private Mortgage

Most of us don’t give much thought to private mortgages. We are vaguely aware they exist, but perhaps have the impression they are mortgage solutions for financial derelicts.

But that is totally not true. More often than not, they are needed when bad things happen to good people.

And private mortgages and B-lender mortgages are the fastest-growing segment of the Canadian mortgage industry.

One reason is because it’s much harder to qualify for an A-lender mortgage now than at any time in recent memory. High home prices, in major cities particularly, result in large mortgage requirements, and the mortgage stress test can put qualification out of reach for homeowners who previously had no such concerns.

In addition, there are several situations people find themselves in which are not attractive to regular mortgage lenders. These problems require solutions, but a different type of lender needs to step forward and help the homeowner get on track. Let’s look at three such situations.

#1) This homeowner has too many debts, and his credit score is low. Notwithstanding lots of equity in his home, the banks have said no.

#2) These homeowners are in the middle of a consumer proposal. The doors to the banks are firmly closed, yet they need to finance a car purchase, and they would like to improve their monthly cashflow.

#3) This homeowner has large CRA debt. Banks and other A-lenders do not like refinancing to pay off CRA debt.

#1) Too Much Debt And Credit Score Too Low

This fellow has been living proud and mortgage-free for several years, but meanwhile has racked up credit card debt that just won’t go away. At first, people believe they can manage it down, but the crippling high interest rates of 19.99% or more make it really hard.

And when the cycle starts, they next tap into other available credit to pay off the credit cards that are giving them a problem.

When he approached us, he had a nice town home in the west end of Toronto, $115,000 of unsecured debt, and a credit score of 557. And he had no mortgage.

The minimum monthly payment on the credit card debt was not much less than his take home pay from his job!

The Solution

We could see his credit score would zoom upwards once all the debts were cleared and no remaining balances. So, we found a private lender who was happy to lend a new first mortgage on very favourable terms. An annual mortgage interest rate of 5.99%, and a mortgage fully open after three months. This means as soon as he is ready, he can refinance to an A-lender without penalty.

And when that happens, all the ugly credit card debt will be scrunched up into a mortgage at roughly 3% interest, with a monthly payment of around $500. This is a game-changer compared to the $3,000 per month or so he was paying before.

#2) In A Consumer Proposal

These homeowners both have decent jobs and more than $200,000 equity in their detached B.C. home. Three years ago they both had to file a consumer proposal after a new business venture failed and left them with lots of consumer debt.

They reached out to us for three reasons:

1) Their bank, which holds their first mortgage, has told them they will not offer a renewal in late 2020.

2) Their car lease is expiring in January 2020, and they want to exercise the buy-out option. They are being quoted crazy high interest rates on a car loan.

3) They are finding it tough, paying $1,300 each month towards the proposals, on top of their car payment, and also their mortgage, taxes and utilities.

The Solution

The solution here is a one-year, private second mortgage for around $60,000. Interest-only payments at a rate of 12%, and the monthly payment is only $600, which is half of what they are paying now on their consumer proposal.

This small new mortgage will pay off their proposal completely, and also allow them to buy the car when it comes off lease.

And after their proposal is paid off, we will coach them on rebuilding their personal credit histories. And we will send an investigation package to Equifax Canada requesting they clean up all the reporting errors. (Sadly, there are ALWAYS reporting errors in the credit report after filing a consumer proposal.)

And in late 2020, when their first mortgage matures, they won’t have to worry about the renewal. We will refinance both mortgages into one new mortgage with a different lender. They will be ready.

#3) CRA Debt Problem

Several months ago, we met a Mississauga homeowner who only owed $70,000 on his first mortgage, but he had neglected filing corporate taxes for a few years, and owed CRA significant money. There was a judgment against him for $49,000, which had been registered as a lien against the family home. And another one looming for $133,000. And he had also accumulated a large amount of unsecured debt.

If you are self-employed and owe a lot of money to CRA, your borrowing options are very slim in the world of conventional mortgage lenders. We talked about this in a previous article. Occasionally we encounter homeowners whose tax debt is so large it cannot be readily paid. The end result is a debt that can’t be negotiated away, with a creditor you can’t afford to ignore.

The Solution

The solution for our clients was either going to be a very large, disproportionate private second mortgage at a high interest rate (close to 12%) or to refinance the small first mortgage to a new private first mortgage at only 6.99%.

For a lengthier discussion about the costs associated with a private mortgage, you can read this article.

We took the first mortgage approach; paid off the CRA liens and all other personal debts. As a bonus, the lender allowed us to partially prepay the mortgage payments in advance, so that the monthly payment for the new mortgage would be roughly what it will be when they refinance down the road – avoiding payment shock!

Then we contacted Equifax Canada to confirm the tax liens had been cleared and waited for the client’s credit score to rocket upwards, unencumbered by a high debt load.

Sure enough, it all came to pass, and now we are refinancing the private mortgage into an A-lender, only six months later.

The Wrap

In our first two cases, we also gave consideration to B lender solutions. They were a legitimate option, but here the private mortgage made more “dollars and sense.”

There are many other reasons why you might one day need a private mortgage. This article told the story of three fairly common situations.

You can find a more in-depth look at why you might need a private mortgage here. If a private mortgage is in your future, you should tread carefully and satisfy yourself you are dealing with reputable people who will treat you fairly.

–Ross Taylor

Mortgage Growth Slows in First Half of 2019

Residential mortgage growth was down more than 7% in the first half of 2019 compared to a year earlier, likely caused in part by the federal government’s mortgage stress test, according to new data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

The quarterly Residential Mortgage Industry Dashboard shows new originations by the country’s chartered banks totalled $60.26 billion in the first half of the year, down from $64.93 billion in 2018. Similarly, growth of same-lender refinances were down 14.5% to $30 billion and same-lender renewals fell 9% to $86 billion.

“(The) residential mortgage market continues to show slowing growth, with activity mainly focusing on renewals with the same lender,” CMHC noted.

It also suggested the slower growth in the residential mortgage market is “likely attributed to the stress test.”

The mortgage stress test on uninsured mortgages took effect on January 1, 2018. After coming into effect, it is estimated that 18% of buyers who could previously afford their preferred purchase would fail the test, according to data from Mortgage Professionals Canada.

Additionally, the Bank of Canada raised interest rates three times in 2018. Two of the quarter-point rate increases came in July and October, the effects of which would have extended into early 2019.

CMHC did say that slow growth of the residential mortgage market, along with low mortgage default rates, has helped to improve Canada’s financial stability.

Banks Are the Market Leaders

CMHC’s report also delved into the current market share of outstanding mortgage balances, finding that 75% are held by banks.

Credit unions and caisses populaires have a 14% share, followed by Mortgage Finance Companies (MFCs) at 6%, and Mortgage Investment Corporations (MICs) and private lenders at just 1%.

MICs, which aren’t regulated in the same way that banks are and aren’t subject to the mortgage stress test, had an estimated market size of $13 billion in 2018, CMHC said. That’s up 10% from the year before, and up from an estimated $8-10 billion market size in 2016.

Delinquency rates were found to be lowest among credit unions and caisses populaires, at just 0.16%, and higher among MICs and private lenders, at 1.92%.

–Steve Huebl

WHAT THE ELECTION RESULTS MEAN FOR YOUR MORTGAGE

With all the news we have seen on the election, I thought I would sum it up from a mortgage industry perspective.

What the liberal win means for your mortgage:
1. We will see the continuation of the First Time Home Buyers’ Incentive. Check out the link for more information here:
2. Property Transfer Tax modifications were on the platform, so we will await the date that change is applicable.
3. Consumers will still be able to withdraw up to $35,000 from their RRSPs as part of the government’s Home Buyers’ plan.
4. Bank of Canada Rates may not decrease as expected this year – unless there is a significant downtown in the market suddenly- based on the snapshot of recent activity that doesn’t appear as likely. It certainly makes it easier for the lenders not to pass the decrease down the line to the consumer.
5. We will likely see a national housing tax implemented in addition to the provincial ones already in place.
For items 1, 2 & 5, here is a link.
It doesn’t appear we will see any of the changes to the stress test or amortization hoped for by many.
Stay tuned for more updates and what the BOC decides to do Oct. 30 and Dec. 4.
While the constant in our market will always be change, Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professionals are here at the frontlines to help you navigate the market to your advantage and save you money. Please reach out to us with any mortgage questions on how we can help you or those you care most about.

–ANGELA CALLA

6 THINGS ALL CO-SIGNORS SHOULD CONSIDER

Co-signing on a loan may seem like an easy way to help a loved one (child, family member, friend, etc. ) live out their dream of owning a home. In today’s market conditions, a co-signor can offer a solution to overcome the high market prices and stress testing measure. For example, if you have a damaged credit score, not enough income, or another reason that a lender will not approve the mortgage loan, a co-signor addition on the loan can satisfy the lenders needs and lessen the risk associated with the loan. However, as a co-signor there are considerations.

1. If you act as a co-signor or guarantor, you are entrusting your entire credit history to the borrowers. What this mean is that late payments on the loan will not only hurt them, but it will also impact you.
2. Understand your current situations—taxes, legal, and estate. Co-signing is a large obligation that could harm you financially if the primary borrowers cannot pay.
3. Try to understand, upfront, how many years the co-borrower agreement will be in place and know if you can make changes to things mid-term if the borrower becomes able to assume the original mortgage on their own.
4. Consider the implications this will have regarding your personal income taxes. You may have an obligation to pay capital gains taxes and we would highly recommend talking to an accountant prior to signing off.
5. Co-signors should seek independent legal advice to ensure they fully understand their rights, obligations and the implications. A lawyer can lay it out clearly for you as well as help to point out any things you should take note of.
6. Carefully think about the character and stability of the people that you are being asked to co-sign for. Do you trust them? Are you aware of their financial situation to some degree? Are you willing to put yourself at risk potentially to take on this responsibility? Another consideration is to think about your finances down the road and determine how much flexibility will be needed for yourself and your family too! If you have plans of your own that will require a loan, refinancing your home, etc. being a co-signor can have an impact.

Co-signing for a loan is a large responsibility but when it is set-up correctly and all options are considered, it can be an excellent way to help a family member, child, or friend reach their dream of homeownership. If you are considering being a co-signor or wondering if you will require a co-signor on your mortgage, reach out to a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional. We are always happy to answer any questions and guide you through processes like this.

–GEOFF LEE

MORTGAGE RENEWALS WITH THE SAME LENDER ARE ON THE RISE, BUT SHOULD YOU JUST SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE?

If you’re in a mortgage that’s coming up for renewal in the coming months and you’re considering just staying with your current lender, you wouldn’t be alone.
According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Residential Mortgage Industry Report released in the summer, in 2018, the number of mortgage renewals with the same lender increased by 16 per cent over the previous year.
The report suggested one of the factors that may have contributed to large increases in loan renewals with the same institution are the tighter approval criteria. In other words, people are worried they may not qualify for a new mortgage if they switch lenders, so they’re staying put.
You’ll remember in the fall of 2017, OSFI, (the Office of Superintendent of Financial Institutions) the agency that regulates the financial industry, announced tighter rules on mortgages. The biggest change related to uninsured mortgages, or homebuyers with 20 per cent or more for a down payment. These people are now required to go through a “stress test” or qualify using a minimum qualifying rate.
The changes came a year after a similar stress test was introduced for insured mortgages.
If the tighter mortgage rules still have you stressed as you face a mortgage renewal, the CMHC report noted the approval rate for same lender renewals remained stable at 99 per cent. Renewals are not specifically subject to the new stress test and are more likely to meet current lender criteria, the reported noted.
So, does that mean you should just automatically renew your mortgage with the same lender when your term is up? Not necessarily. You need to reach out to a mortgage professional to get the best advice.
For starters, most lenders, especially the big banks, will send you a renewal letter when there’s about three months left on the term. Sometimes that letter could come with six months left. Typically, the lender will offer you a rate at that time and all you’ll have to do is sign at the bottom line to roll over your mortgage.
But beware, lenders often offer a higher rate than a new client because they’re hoping the ease of renewal will keep you from seeking out a new lender and lower rate.
In some cases, it may be best to just sign and roll over your mortgage. There are a few things to consider. If you decide to change lenders, you’ll basically have to go through an approval process again. That entails getting all your documents, lawyer’s fees and appraisals.
You’ll have to ask yourself, is it worth the effort to save a few basis points off your rate, or a few hundred dollars over a term to make the switch?
For some it won’t be. But, if a switch can lead to saving thousands of dollars, it would certainly be something to consider. While everyone’s situation is different, the larger the mortgage, the bigger the savings will be if you can find a lower rate.
Often, homeowners will just use a bank their parents recommend for their first mortgage. But they might find themselves not happy with the service or terms of the mortgage and may just want to switch to a different lender as the mortgage comes up for renewal.
If that’s a situation you find yourself in, you have options, and a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage broker can help you make the best decision.

–JEREMY DEUTSCH

Canadian Housing Market Rebounds in September

Canada’s housing market continues to rebound this fall from last winter’s chill.

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) reported that benchmark prices rose 0.5% in September from August, and 1.3% year-over-year. The aggregate benchmark price for the 19 cities CREA tracks is now $629,200. The benchmark is the best metric we have for measuring “typical” house prices because it eliminates outliers at the top and bottom of the market. In comparison, the average home price rose 5.3% year-over-year to $515,500.

“In recent months, home prices have generally been stabilizing in the Lower Mainland and the Prairies, where previously they were falling. Meanwhile, price growth has begun to rebound among markets in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH), rejoining the ongoing price gains in housing markets located further east,” CREA says.

Cities in British Columbia and the Prairies were the only ones to post declines, with the Lower Mainland down 6.41%, Greater Vancouver down 7.28% and Fraser Valley down 4.68%. Calgary (-2.36%), Edmonton (-2.25%), Regina (-3.95%) and Saskatoon (-1.13%) were all also in a slump.

The difference between the two regions, however, is that prices in B.C. had more than doubled over the past five years prior to its downturn. The Prairies have seen a much more sustained downturn due to falling oil prices and a severe oversupply of housing.

The housing markets on the other side of the country have followed a very different trajectory. Nearly all markets in Ontario and the Maritimes rose significantly, both over the past year and also over the past five years. Greater Toronto, for example, is up 5.02% year-over-year and 57.02% over five years; Ottawa is up 9.61% year-over-year and up 28.58% from five years ago, and Greater Moncton is up 5.76% from last year and 23% from September 2014.

The difference in fortunes between East and West seems to be one of basic economics: the balance between supply and demand.

“The number of months of inventory has swollen far beyond long-term averages in Prairie provinces and Newfoundland & Labrador, giving homebuyers ample choice in these regions,” CREA noted. “By contrast, the measure is running well below long-term averages in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces, resulting in increased competition among buyers for listings and providing fertile ground for price gains.”

Sales simply continue to outpace new listings. National home sales rose 15.5% year-over-year, up from a six-year low reached in February 2018, but below the peaks reached in 2016 and 2017.

Meanwhile, sellers still appear hesitant to put their house on the market—new listings edged up less than 1%. The sales-to-new listings ratio, which measures competition, keeps rising and now stands at 61.3%, well above its long-term average of 53.6%.

That indicates the housing market is becoming increasingly tough for prospective buyers, who are competing with more buyers for fewer available properties. That can lead to price increases, bidding wars and pressure to leave out conditions in offers.

Until supply increases (or demand wanes), CREA expects long-term price gains in British Columbia, Ontario and the Maritimes.

For more information on September’s housing market, check out the infographic.

–DANIELLE KUBES