{"id":2272,"date":"2021-03-17T11:39:38","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T15:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianlending.ca\/investors\/?p=2272"},"modified":"2023-05-17T16:20:33","modified_gmt":"2023-05-17T20:20:33","slug":"cmi-state-of-the-market-home-sales-surge-in-february-as-fear-of-missing-out-fuels-homebuyers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.canadianlending.ca\/investors\/cmi-state-of-the-market-home-sales-surge-in-february-as-fear-of-missing-out-fuels-homebuyers\/","title":{"rendered":"CMI State of the Market Home Sales Surge in February as \u2018Fear of Missing Out\u2019 Fuels Homebuyers"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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February was another record-setting month for Canada\u2019s real estate market, as home sales continued to rise, offering further evidence of a rebounding economy. Like in previous months, supply shortages were prevalent across many local markets despite a large rebound in the number of newly listed properties.<\/p>\r\n
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Canada\u2019s Housing Market: By the Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n National home sales increased 6.6% in February to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 786,636 units, a new all-time high, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). Compared with February 2020, home sales rose 39.2%.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n CREA indicated that the current sales pace will be difficult to maintain without a surge in new supply. While the number of newly listed properties rebounded 15.7% from January, the sales-to-new listings ratio remains elevated compared with the historical average. In February, sales-to-new listings reached 84%, down from a record high of 91.2% in January.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n With homes in short supply and demand rising, real estate prices rose 3.3% during the month and 17.3% annually, CREA said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Monthly home sales are trending well above the 10-year monthly moving average. | Source: <\/em><\/strong>CREA<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n \u201cFear of Missing Out\u201d Drives Homebuyers \u2013 RBC<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n With homes in short supply, buyers are increasingly driven by a sense of urgency, according to Robert Hogue of RBC Economics. He explained:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cHomebuyers were still clearly on the hunt for their dream house\u2014or any house\u2014in Canada\u2019s major markets last month. Competition for the few available units was not only fierce but increasingly driven by a sense of urgency or \u2018fear of missing out\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The supply shortage has fueled substantial growth in resales in places like Fraser Valley, Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. According to Hogue, big-city buyers are warming up to condos again due to the supply-demand imbalance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The silver lining is that, in places like Toronto, higher home prices are attracting more sellers to market. February saw a sharp rise in single-family home sellers, with new listings in this category rising 34% year-over-year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n Labour Market Rebounds in February<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Canada\u2019s job market experienced a sharp rebound in February, as the gradual easing of COVID-19 restrictions allowed more people to return to work. The economy added 259,000 jobs during the month, including 171,000 part-time jobs and 88,000 full-time positions, according to Statistics Canada. Accommodation and food services\u2014an industry hit hard by the pandemic\u2014added 187,000 positions, official data showed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The unemployment rate declined 1.2 percentage points to 8.2%, the lowest since March 2020. The number of long-term unemployed declined by 49,000 after hitting a record high of 512,000 in January.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n After losing more than 200,000 jobs in January, the Canadian labour market rebounded sharply in February. | Source: <\/em><\/strong>Statistics Canada<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n Stocks Return to Record Highs<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Wall Street and Canadian stocks experienced turbulence at the beginning of March, as rising bond yields triggered a sharp selloff in the major indexes. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield, which moves inversely to price, rose to more than one-year highs over concerns that President Biden\u2019s stimulus plan could fuel inflation. Expectations for inflation over the next decade have risen to a seven-year high.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The CBOE Volatility Index, commonly known as the VIX, spiked in late February and early March before declining sharply over the next several weeks. The volatility gauge is back to trading around 20, which is in line with the historical average.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Despite the volatility, Canada\u2019s benchmark S&P\/TSX Composite Index returned to record highs in mid-March, largely on the strength of utility and real estate companies. In the United States, the S&P 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average also returned to record territory after President Biden signed a $1.9 trillion fiscal relief package.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n