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New home prices weaken in Canada
* z7 M' @ T, B' iCanwest News Service
* j' V6 ?& O) @8 PPublished: 7:48 am5 j8 N0 f" j% I' A- \0 F i( T3 D* z) `
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.; h; u0 U6 [5 i# _' O
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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./ ^& X* k0 N; Y) l* U
6 T# L/ F: @$ b"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.
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In contrast to strong markets in Saskatchewan and parts of Atlantic Canada, home prices in oil-rich Alberta showed more signs of cooling.
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/ F( S' s( C: Q9 q4 ^"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."7 k' A3 \6 e8 _) z' l0 K
: Q( |+ |! L& a4 F3 X; ~3 P% s6 [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.5 L, T( L' _5 V* h6 b
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In Edmonton, the year-on-year rate slowed to 8.1 per cent - the ninth straight month of decelerated growth.
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2 Z( c7 T: c- R$ ~) i& s- B5 KMeanwhile, 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.
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/ w6 P/ v( o8 rPrices 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.$ y* Q4 n' G7 N/ L0 ~6 [- K
$ p) C2 n6 C5 e% F; ?In Newfoundland and Labrador "a strengthening economy, coupled with increased material and labour costs, has contributed to record increases," Statistics Canada said. g0 @% L* |' E, H- v. V& a; F
+ y" v( H: p u. G0 n6 {1 ZPrices in St. John's rose 16.3 per cent in April, up from the year-over-year increase of 12 per cent in March.
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! r% u" V: S% INova 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.
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* Z5 w7 q5 z/ t. J& N# M"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., v& g& g1 E, X. P
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"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."
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© Canwest News Service 2008 |
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