Loonie looks to stay at par with U.S.

Thanks to a sound Fiscal situation in Canada, Finance minister Jim Flaherty says that the Canadian dollar will hover at parity with the U.S. dollar for some time. It makes no sense that the Canadian dollar will go beck to being devalued next to the US dollar for some time, considering the strength of the Canadian Economy.

House Prices expected to rise in 2011

The average house price in Vancouver has hit 1 million dollars, an increase of 9.8% in 2010, and it is expected to rise 3.7% in 2011. Expect sales activity in the lower mainland to be very strong the first half of 2011 due to home buyers taking advantage of the record low interest rates. Click here to read the entire Vancouver Sun article

Bank of Canada Maintains Overnight Rate

As many expected, there were no big surprises in this morning’s Bank of Canada announcement, where maintenance was the name of the game. There are also no changes anticipated for the remainder for 2010, and at least the early part of 2011.

Even though Canada's recovery is proceeding at a moderate pace, although the economic activity in the second half of 2010 appears slightly weaker than the bank projected in its October Monetary Policy Report. The same cannot be said for the sluggish US and European economies, as well as the emerging financial crisis in Ireland. Banks prime rate holds at 3%

Click her to read the complete article

Global troubles bring some good news for Canada: low interest rates

Looks like Canadians may be enjoying the record low interest rates for some time. Since June the Bank of Canada has been trying to normalize the banks overnight rate, they attempted to do this by increasing the overnight rate by .75% this past summer to 1% (3% bank prime rate). The Bank of Canada would like to see the rate increase to around 3.5% (5.5% bank prime rate) which is ideal for a balanced economy, economists believe.

This is now unlikely for some time due to the recent developments of a slower recovery in the US and in Canada, as well as the re-emergence of the European debt crisis.

Look for bank of Canada governor, Mark Carney to hold off hiking rates until at least July 2011. This is good news for most Canadians borrowing money and especially if you have a variable rate mortgage.

Click here to read the full article

Don't Expect Housing Prices to Drop Dramatically in 2011

Claims that Canada’s housing market is ready to pop are exaggerated, say economists at BMO Nesbitt Burns.

Instead, they say the market can more realistically be labelled “moderately overvalued” based upon a comparison of house prices with personal income. They also note that mortgage servicing costs for “typical” homebuyers are running near the long-term norm of 34%.

“Barring a sharp spike in mortgage rates or a relapse into recession, a substantial price correction is unlikely to occur,” economists Earl Sweet and Sal Guatieri wrote in their research report.

They noted, however, that Canadians would have a hard time dealing with a sudden 3% hike in mortgage rates. That would weaken affordability “substantially” and, in turn, drive down demand and home prices.

Click here to read the BMO Nesbitt Burns research report.

Slow Economic Growth slows interest rate hikes

Interest rate hikes appear to be on the back burner for the foreseeable future after Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said Thursday that overstretched households and weak US demand would crimp economic growth in the coming months.

At a speech in Windsor, Ontario, Carney said Canadians should brace for months of “modest” economic growth, acknowledging this will be reflected in the bank’s revised forecast to be released October 20th, in which third- and fourth-quarter estimates would be lowered. Any additional increases to interest rates in this environment would warrant “caution,” he added.

The remarks reinforced a growing belief among Bay Street traders that the odds of another rate hike this year were dwindling to nearly zero. Plus, data released Thursday indicated the economy contracted in July by 0.1% from June levels, the first monthly decline in almost a year.

Economists said Thursday’s speech and the GDP report point to a central bank that’s done with rate hikes for now. Click here to read the full article

Bank of Canada Raises Rates

Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney raised his benchmark interest rate for the third straight time today, but left himself room to pause at his next scheduled decision by saying that while borrowing conditions in Canada remain “exceptionally stimulative,” the overall economic climate is fraught with “unusual uncertainty.”

In the statements on his decision to lift the overnight rate by another quarter of a percentage point to 1% (Bank lending rate is now 3%) Carney reiterated – arguably more strongly than in the past – that future moves will depend on developments around the world and, in turn, how they are affecting Canada’s export-heavy economy.

“Any further reduction in monetary stimulus would need to be carefully considered in light of the unusual uncertainty surrounding the outlook,” the central bank said, tweaking language in the all-important last line of the statement, which in the two previous versions referred to “considerable” uncertainty. Click here to read the full article in the Globe and mail