 鲜花( 17)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
New home prices weaken in Canada
, a6 ]8 W8 ]/ C/ m4 r: ]Canwest News Service
5 B7 S" s/ \" S6 @. _* J; v* IPublished: 7:48 am6 W- x+ U2 H. z' r k* Q+ D0 D
OTTAWA - Prices for new homes in Canada rose by 5.2 per cent in April from a year earlier, the slowest pace in more than two and a half years as a weakening Alberta market continued to pull down the national average, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.# \3 o# M$ `& A; l4 L3 b1 W
* ~/ Y7 l: H6 O; u
April's rate was down from a 6.1 per cent year-on-year increase in March, the federal agency said. On a monthly basis, prices were unchanged in April from March.
/ D3 R$ s1 [8 i+ d
7 |) c5 H' P+ b* T! V/ \"This was the third consecutive month in which the increase has decelerated, and the slowest rate of growth since September 2005, when year-over-year prices rose by 4.9 per cent," it said.
( p8 P1 k2 H) s7 A# C1 l. m! v% {% `" c7 h$ q. R; j& }* W7 f
In contrast to strong markets in Saskatchewan and parts of Atlantic Canada, home prices in oil-rich Alberta showed more signs of cooling.
3 d0 o- D0 k( l5 j
- Q' x" Y. w# ] l3 F! g"Edmonton and Calgary continued to experience slow market conditions," Statistics Canada said. "Competition among builders has resulted in lower prices being offered to prospective homebuyers."
4 i3 c# n/ | Z; \; a2 l* s
4 N# u' p" i* y/ C9 h% }Prices in Calgary edged up 2.5 per cent in April from a year earlier, compared to a 5.3 per cent year-over-year increase in March.
, _& P- F! v. H0 q& V7 H Y6 F% H
4 O8 h) v: a) e' V/ ?In Edmonton, the year-on-year rate slowed to 8.1 per cent - the ninth straight month of decelerated growth.
. D! l8 t Z# V9 U, k
9 E% N( o0 U+ R& y. vMeanwhile, the Saskatchewan housing market continued to heat up in April. Prices in Saskatoon led the country for the 12th straight month, jumping 43.7 per cent from a year earlier - but down slightly from a 46.2 per cent year-on-year gain in March.
! r Y3 a' L, t" H: K: H' |; q9 z6 K% {7 P% e0 O
Prices in Regina were up 34 per cent in April from the same time in 2007, compared to a 27.8 per year-on-year increase in March.
5 _* `: r5 @/ t; Z$ a9 Y0 t0 l
$ [& A8 t+ Z' EIn Newfoundland and Labrador "a strengthening economy, coupled with increased material and labour costs, has contributed to record increases," Statistics Canada said.$ t7 ?5 }4 c/ q
% @, K( d+ r- o: ~* g1 Q6 t$ k
Prices in St. John's rose 16.3 per cent in April, up from the year-over-year increase of 12 per cent in March.
, Q- k4 ], v8 ~) a# A, B( F8 i) P
Nova Scotia also saw strong gains, with prices in Halifax increasing 11.3 per cent from a year earlier, although that was down slightly from a record year-on-year gain 12.8 per cent in March.8 ?6 q' h8 i+ |0 q7 _: n6 L
0 v/ B; [# D/ n+ B9 j" P2 e/ ]/ W* V$ `"The report adds to the growing body of evidence that indicates that the Canadian housing sector may be coming off the boil," said Millan Mulraine, economics strategist at TD Securities.
8 t- l* C, d! p" ?" ?5 J" J
" c8 Q2 u+ R* S! o, U. }"Similar behaviour has also been observed in the price of existing homes. However, it is important to note that the Canadian housing sector remains in reasonable shape and a U.S.-style correction in home prices remains highly unlikely."
R1 G/ j9 ^3 _% L- B) d1 @% ^3 ^! U& K( Z. O
% ~3 y x7 d! j8 ~+ I9 G2 C" J# u
+ B ^* \$ ]1 S! p `© Canwest News Service 2008 |
|