Vancouver housing on fire with biggest price gains since 1990

Just as Toronto's housing market is beginning to slow down, Vancouver’s is roaring back to life.

New home prices in Canada’s most-expensive market jumped 1.5 percent in June, and have gained 5 percent since March, data released Thursday by Statistics Canada show.

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The city skyline is seen at night from Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Thursday Oct. 3, 2013. Canada's dollar traded in the narrowest range since April as the U.S. government shutdown reached a third day, raising concern the political gridlock will slow growth in the nation's largest trading partner. Photographer: Ben Nelms/Bloomberg

That’s the biggest three-month increase since 1990. Prices for existing homes are also on fire, gaining 11 percent in the five months through July, according to data released this month by Vancouver’s real estate board.

The rebound, following a short slump late last year, underscores just how difficult it is to control runaway prices in the face of historically low interest rates and purchasing by foreign investors.

Vancouver has become a test lab for policy makers seeking to engineer a soft landing.

Bloomberg News
Real estate Purchase Appraisals Canada
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