1. Home
  2. >
  3. Economy 🏛️
Posted

This Week’s Top Stories: Canada Abandons Young Adults, & Housing Is An Inflation Risk - Better Dwelling

Canadian real estate and the economy are facing challenges, with slowing growth, high debt for millennials, increased fixed-rate mortgages, rising housing prices as an inflation risk, and low mortgage growth prompting concerns.

betterdwelling.com
Relevant topic timeline:
China's real estate crisis, caused by a crackdown on risky behavior by home builders and a subsequent housing slowdown, is spreading to the broader economy, leading to sinking sales, disappearing jobs, and a decline in consumer confidence, business investment, and stock markets.
Canada's housing market is seeing a surge in new listings, with a 5.6% increase in July, indicating a possible shift in sentiment among homeowners, while home sales have declined due to higher mortgage costs and interest rates. However, prices continue to rise, although at a slower pace.
China's real estate market is experiencing a significant downturn, causing major developers to face massive losses and mounting debts, which is impacting the country's economy and global growth.
The current housing market is facing challenges due to rising interest rates and higher prices, leading to a slowdown in home sales, but the market is more resilient and better equipped to handle these fluctuations compared to the Global Financial Crisis, thanks to cautious lending practices and stricter regulations.
The U.S. housing market is facing dire consequences due to high mortgage rates, a housing supply shortage, and a lack of confidence in the Federal Reserve's actions, according to market expert James Iuorio.
Canadians are facing financial precarity with concerns about inflation, rising interest rates, and personal debt, with over 50% of Canadians saying they are only $200 away from being unable to meet their financial obligations.
Canadian millennials, especially homeowners, are expected to face significant economic damage and high interest costs in the coming months due to rising interest rates, according to a report by RBC, leaving them vulnerable to job losses and straining their high levels of debt.
Canadian mortgage borrowers are increasingly opting for fixed interest terms, with a record 95% of mortgage originations in June being fixed rate, reflecting a desire to avoid short-term interest rate hikes while not missing out on potential rate cuts in the future.
The surge in mortgage rates has caused housing affordability to reach the lowest level since 2000, leading to a slow fall in the housing market and a potential dip in home prices, although the current market differs from the conditions that preceded the 2008 crash, with low housing inventory and a lack of risky mortgage products, making mortgage rates the key lever to improve affordability.
China's economic challenges, including deflationary pressures and a slowdown in various sectors such as real estate, are likely to have a global impact and may continue to depress inflation in both China and other markets, with discounting expected to increase in the coming quarters.
Canadian Millennials are struggling financially compared to previous generations, with higher levels of debt, stagnant incomes, and less disposable income, which could amplify the impact of an economic downturn, while Boomers are faring much better.
Canada is considering implementing a cap on international students as a way to address its housing affordability crisis, but experts believe that limiting student visas alone will not effectively solve the problem. The country's housing market has experienced significant price increases, particularly in large cities like Toronto and Vancouver, making homeownership and rental costs unaffordable for many. The housing shortage resulting from population growth and a lack of new constructions has contributed to the crisis. However, experts argue that blaming foreign ownership and population growth alone oversimplifies the issue and that a comprehensive approach addressing housing supply, affordability, and the real estate industry's influence is needed.
The housing market in 2024 is expected to remain challenging for both buyers and sellers, with high mortgage rates, steep home prices, and low inventory levels, but if mortgage rates cool as predicted, market activity should increase.
The housing market is experiencing a frustrating and imbalanced situation that is causing difficulties for buyers.
Canadian homeowners are facing higher borrowing costs as mortgage data from Royal Bank of Canada and Toronto-Dominion Bank show an increase in mortgages with longer amortization periods.
China's property crisis, led by embattled property giants like Evergrande, is causing devastating consequences for small businesses and suppliers who are owed large sums of money, putting both market confidence and debt repayments at risk. The crisis has affected the entire industry and could worsen if immediate actions are not taken to prevent contagion and spillover fears. The Chinese government is urged to abandon restrictive measures on real estate credit, carry out bankruptcy proceedings for developers with capital-outflow problems, and stop intervening in the market to stabilize home prices. The outlook for Chinese developers is deteriorating, particularly for distressed developers, while state-owned developers have a stable outlook. The Chinese housing market is facing a severe crisis that is worse than Japan's market in the early 1990s, posing challenges in filling the gap in spending left by the collapsing housing market.
Canada is facing a deep crisis due to a housing crisis, rising consumer debt, and high interest rates, which are causing unaffordability and financial vulnerability for working people, while the government's plan to address these challenges remains unclear.
The current housing market presents challenges for homebuyers, with high home prices and rising mortgage rates, but investor Kevin O'Leary advises potential buyers to eliminate high-interest rate debt and downsize their demand for a home based on mortgage affordability before making a purchase.
The Canadian government is facing higher debt servicing costs as interest rates rise, resulting in billions of additional dollars spent on interest payments and less money available for other government priorities, potentially leading to difficult decisions about cutting spending or increasing taxes.
China's economy is facing numerous challenges, including high youth unemployment, real estate sector losses, sluggish growth in banks, shrinking manufacturing activity, and lack of investor confidence, indicating deeper systemic issues rather than cyclical ones.
Mortgage rates above 7% are worsening the affordability crisis, limiting younger buyers' ability to purchase homes and causing millennials to lag behind previous generations in homeownership, as rising rates and prices erode buying power.
The US experienced a significant decline in wealth last year, but millennials saw their net worth rise due to their higher investment in real estate, debunking the myth that they are financially struggling.
The influx of millennials to Midland, Texas has transformed the city's real estate market, with over half of the homeowners being between the ages of 22 and 40, leading to positive changes such as job growth and entrepreneurial opportunities, but also negative consequences like housing shortages and strained schools.
The Federal Reserve may be the cause of rising housing prices and the low supply of existing homes, which could lead to increased inflation and concerns about the Fed's response to the cost of living. Lowering interest rates and unlocking the supply of homes could help alleviate the issue.
The aging population, particularly the baby boomer generation, is fueling the demand for housing, creating a shortage and making it more difficult for younger generations, like millennials, to buy homes.
The housing market is facing challenges due to a lack of inventory, high mortgage rates, and buyer hesitancy, leading to a decrease in sales and mortgage applications, while prices remain high and inventory levels decline.
Canada's Housing Minister Sean Fraser is exploring various options, including tax incentives for builders and low-cost financing arrangements, in an effort to alleviate the housing crisis in the country. Fraser is also considering removing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on affordable housing projects and allocating federal lands for rental housing. The main goals are to utilize allocated funds more effectively, support the construction workforce, and boost industries like factory-built homes. Canada's housing affordability crisis is attributed to increased migration and international student population, along with rising costs and slower construction.
Canada's economy is struggling and heading towards a recession, with declining incomes and high household debt, leading to growing dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Trudeau and his government.
China's real estate and construction sectors are struggling, leading to fears of economic stagnation as consumer spending declines and other areas of the economy are not growing fast enough to make up the difference.
Despite increased household wealth in the US, millions of households are struggling financially due to inflation, high interest rates, and rising living costs, which have led to record levels of debt and limited access to credit.
The DC housing market faces challenges due to high interest rates and low supply, resulting in a dysfunctional market and fewer listings, making it difficult for buyers to find relief.
The Canadian government's affordable housing crisis will take years to resolve, even with increased construction, according to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
The Canadian government is taking measures to address affordability challenges, including a cut in Goods and Services Tax, plans to boost the Competition Bureau's power, and an effort to lower food prices; however, economists believe these measures are unlikely to have an immediate impact on inflation or interest rates.
Canada's inflation rate rose to 4.0% in August, driven by higher gasoline prices, while the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion is expected to disrupt oil flow to the US, potentially increasing prices, according to Statistics Canada. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen believes the US economy can withstand near-term risks such as strikes, government shutdowns, student loan payments, and spillovers from China's economic woes, stating evidence of a healthy labor market and consumer spending. Rent is rising faster in Brampton than in any other Canadian city, leading to financial difficulties for renters.
The D.C.-area housing market is facing challenges as rising interest rates discourage buyers and sellers, leading to tight inventory, high prices, and limited relief in sight.
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate has increased, posing challenges for homebuyers in an already unaffordable housing market.