An Economic and Housing Commentary by Peter Friedman
The economic environment for the housing market in Ontario is in transition. There are many indicators that point to potential trouble ahead, while other indicators appear to suggest that a recovery is underway. How do you interpret the mixed signals and feel confident in your investment outlook? On the positive side, I will point to […]
A 2022 Recap and the Coming Years
The Canadian real estate market has been through some turbulent times lately, with rising interest rates and cautious investors causing stress. However, as we move into 2023, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future. This article will provide a recap of Canada’s 2022 real estate market, a short overview of the 2023 market […]
The Market Will Stabilze
We’re now finally through the first month of the year, and there is no shortage of things to talk about. The housing market in Canada, particularly in Toronto, has experienced stress due to rising interest rates and cautious investors. As interest rates increase, borrowing costs become more expensive, leading to decreased affordability for potential buyers […]
The Interest Rate Hike Cycle
It has been a mixed year in terms of the housing market. On the one hand, the economy has been hit by a multitude of worries, from multi-decade high inflation to central banks around the world tightening their purse strings. On the other, housing has traditionally been a strong defender against inflation, as investments in […]
John Tory’s Five-Pillar Strategy to Stimulate Toronto’s Housing Market
The volatile real estate market in Toronto experienced a brief reprieve from unrelenting price accumulation through the majority of the year 2022, however, the regional average cost of a home is once again on the rise. To address this challenge and stimulate Toronto’s real estate market, Mayor John Tory pledged in his recent election to […]
Current Inflation and its Global Latent Effect
Two years ago, when millions of people were without jobs and central bankers and politicians were working hard to pull the economy of the United States out of a pandemic-induced recession, inflation appeared to be of minor concern. One year later, when the unemployment rate began to fall and inflation began to soar, many of […]
The Ontario Housing Market: Reasons for Optimism in Uncertain Times
Ontario—home to the nation’s largest city (Toronto) and its capital (Ottawa)—has played an important role throughout Canada’s history. Currently, with an estimated population of just above 15 million people, Ontario accounts for nearly half of Canada’s total population. And with about 415,000 square miles of land, of which about 100,000 square miles can easily be […]
Message from the President – Rising Rates, Hot Inflation, and What It Means for Canadian Real Estate – part 2 of 3
The U.S. economy has a GDP roughly 12x the size of Canada. Yet both economies rank in the top 10 worldwide and are heavily developed North American markets. Typically, many worldwide looks to the U.S. as the economic barometer for where things are headed. The U.S. Dollar remains the world’s reserve currency, and the U.S. […]
Message from the President – Here we go again: Turbulence in the Canadian Economy – part 1 of 3
Lately, there has been a lot of chatter about several new macroeconomic forces at play, and one word sums up what happened in markets the last quarter – turbulence. There were headlines aplenty, whether it be in the stock market, the bond market, the housing market, interest rates, or inflation. Because of this, I felt […]
Stability vs Volatility, A Recurring Theme in the Stock Markets
High market volatility has characterized the last few years, owing to various macroeconomic, financial, and health-related factors. This has been (and continues to be) a challenging period for investors, with the majority of portfolios suffering significantly due to the current circumstances. Others, however, have reaped the benefits as well. In the financial markets, the concept […]