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House prices are set to continue falling across Canada as a result of the current market cooldown, with the only question being by how much, according to a well-known economist.

Benjamin Tal (pictured), deputy chief economist at CIBC World Markets, told Canadian Mortgage Professional that the decline in value was likely to be most evident among low-rise properties, although he said that should be taken in the context of skyrocketing price appreciation in recent years.

“I think [prices] will go down in the low-rise more significantly than in the condo space. It depends where you live, what kind of neighbourhood, but you can see that low-rise is already down by roughly 15-20%, and that’s something that might continue,” he said.

“Remember, we’re talking about extremely elevated levels where prices went up by 50% in two years – so to see a decline of 15-20% is not crazy when interest rates [are] rising as quickly.”

As interest rates rise across the board, and with the Bank of Canada having introduced sizeable recent hikes to its benchmark policy rate, home sales figures have tailed off significantly in many of the country’s main markets.

That’s been accompanied by the first drop in the national home price index since April 2020, by 0.6% between March and April to around $866,700, with Southern Ontario markets such as London and Cambridge posting some of the most marked declines (4% and 3.9% respectively, said the Canadian Real Estate Association).

A new analysis by RBC Economics’ Robert Hogue indicates that recent central bank rate hikes have cooled homebuyer sentiment and are likely to negatively impact home prices in the long run.

“Interest rate hikes [are] straining affordability and weighing on property values, especially in expensive markets,” Hogue said.

House prices are set to continue falling across Canada as a result of the current market cooldown, with the only question being by how much, according to a well-known economist.

Benjamin Tal (pictured), deputy chief economist at CIBC World Markets, told Canadian Mortgage Professional that the decline in value was likely to be most evident among low-rise properties, although he said that should be taken in the context of skyrocketing price appreciation in recent years.

“I think [prices] will go down in the low-rise more significantly than in the condo space. It depends where you live, what kind of neighbourhood, but you can see that low-rise is already down by roughly 15-20%, and that’s something that might continue,” he said.

“Remember, we’re talking about extremely elevated levels where prices went up by 50% in two years – so to see a decline of 15-20% is not crazy when interest rates [are] rising as quickly.”

As interest rates rise across the board, and with the Bank of Canada having introduced sizeable recent hikes to its benchmark policy rate, home sales figures have tailed off significantly in many of the country’s main markets.

That’s been accompanied by the first drop in the national home price index since April 2020, by 0.6% between March and April to around $866,700, with Southern Ontario markets such as London and Cambridge posting some of the most marked declines (4% and 3.9% respectively, said the Canadian Real Estate Association).

A new analysis by RBC Economics’ Robert Hogue indicates that recent central bank rate hikes have cooled homebuyer sentiment and are likely to negatively impact home prices in the long run.

“Interest rate hikes [are] straining affordability and weighing on property values, especially in expensive markets,” Hogue said.

House prices are set to continue falling across Canada as a result of the current market cooldown, with the only question being by how much, according to a well-known economist.

Benjamin Tal (pictured), deputy chief economist at CIBC World Markets, told Canadian Mortgage Professional that the decline in value was likely to be most evident among low-rise properties, although he said that should be taken in the context of skyrocketing price appreciation in recent years.

“I think [prices] will go down in the low-rise more significantly than in the condo space. It depends where you live, what kind of neighbourhood, but you can see that low-rise is already down by roughly 15-20%, and that’s something that might continue,” he said.

“Remember, we’re talking about extremely elevated levels where prices went up by 50% in two years – so to see a decline of 15-20% is not crazy when interest rates [are] rising as quickly.”

As interest rates rise across the board, and with the Bank of Canada having introduced sizeable recent hikes to its benchmark policy rate, home sales figures have tailed off significantly in many of the country’s main markets.

That’s been accompanied by the first drop in the national home price index since April 2020, by 0.6% between March and April to around $866,700, with Southern Ontario markets such as London and Cambridge posting some of the most marked declines (4% and 3.9% respectively, said the Canadian Real Estate Association).

A new analysis by RBC Economics’ Robert Hogue indicates that recent central bank rate hikes have cooled homebuyer sentiment and are likely to negatively impact home prices in the long run.

“Interest rate hikes [are] straining affordability and weighing on property values, especially in expensive markets,” Hogue said.