In a move that's been eagerly anticipated, the Bank of Canada has announced a reduction in its policy rate by 0.25%, bringing it down to 4.75% from the previous 5%. This adjustment marks the first change since July of last year and comes as a response to evolving economic conditions.

Why Did the Rate Change?

The decision to decrease the rate stems from a series of economic shifts starting in March 2022, when the Bank began increasing rates in reaction to unexpectedly high inflation. This inflation surge was a byproduct of pandemic-related financial stimuli and global supply chain disruptions, which impacted prices across the board.

What This Means for You

This rate cut is particularly significant for those in the housing market. Prospective homebuyers securing fixed-rate mortgages and current homeowners with variable-rate mortgages will likely benefit from lower interest costs. This change could make home ownership more accessible to many Canadians and provide some relief to those currently repaying loans.

Economic Overview

The Canadian economy showed signs of recovery in early 2024 after a slowdown in the latter half of the previous year. Despite the GDP growth rate being a modest 1.7%—slower than expected due to dips in inventory investments—consumer spending has remained robust at around 3%. Additionally, there have been noticeable increases in business investment and housing activities. While employment growth has not kept pace with the growth in the working-age population, the job market remains active, and wage pressures are starting to ease.

Inflation and Economic Outlook

As of April, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate has dropped to 2.7%, showing a decline from earlier rates. Core inflation metrics have also fallen, indicating a trend towards continued easing. The breadth of price increases across various CPI components has decreased, nearing historical norms.

Despite these positive trends, the Bank of Canada maintains a cautious stance. The Governing Council's recent rate cut to 4.75% reflects growing confidence that inflation will gradually align with the 2% target. However, risks in the inflation outlook still exist, and the Council is closely monitoring factors such as core inflation, the balance of demand and supply, inflation expectations, wage trends, and corporate pricing strategies.

The Road Ahead

The Bank of Canada is committed to achieving price stability and continues to monitor economic indicators closely. This latest rate cut could signal more adjustments in the future, depending on how economic conditions unfold. For Canadians, this means it's essential to stay informed and consider how these changes might impact their financial decisions.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to follow this developing story and analyze what it means for Canadians and the economy at large.

We have had enough inquiries from fellow Realtors, clients, and partners as to what our Coronavirus Protocol is, so we figured we would post the letter that has gone out to our Sellers below:

As the COVID-19 virus continues to dominate the news, we too are determined to come up with a proactive solution to ensure the safety of our own clients. We are firm believers in everyone doing their part to #flattenthecurve. We are watching and planning non-stop. As a profession that spends time inside the homes of our valued clients, we understand that it is our responsibility to play a constructive role in supporting health initiatives.  In light of the recent cases in Winnipeg, we have reviewed the Novel Coronavirus Bulletin and our own practice. In light of the bulletin, we are now requesting that any agent your home follow the following protocol:

• View the video of your home online in advance of the viewing (one further step to qualify the buyer in advance)
• To not tour the home if any individuals in the party have traveled abroad within the last 14 days
• To not tour the home if an individual feels unwell
• To not touch anything in your home including the restrooms
• If children are present to please hold their hands during the tour
• To practice good hygiene: ensuring hands are frequently washed and in the absence of such to frequently use hand sanitizer with at least a 60% alcohol base

If we are able to get our hands on hand sanitizer and gloves, we do plan to provide them to anyone touring your home. Stay tuned!

To encourage social distancing initiatives:

• We will be postponing open houses to limit the amount of groups in your home at any given time
• We will no longer allow overlapping showings.  We will ensure all showings are staggered.

Similar to the recommendations listed above, we are also asking our team members to stay home when sick and exercise an abundance of caution when visiting your property.

Other important notes:  All lawyers, as well as our contacts at the Land Titles offices have indicated they do still intend to process deals and title transfers as usual.  Many plan to enact their own social distancing policies which does mean that many will be working remotely.  Some lawyers have indicated that they may have paperwork couriered or emailed to their clients in advance so that clients simply need to sign and drop off completed paperwork to limit in-person communication.  Some banks have indicated they may need slightly longer for financing approvals as a result of working remotely. Please be prepared to see longer contingency periods on incoming offers.

Thus far, there has not been a significant change in the market.  Homes are still being listed daily and buyers are still actively out looking.  That being said, we have noticed higher volumes of cancellations for both showings and listing consultations.  Only time will tell what the impact on the market will be, if any.  But for now we are feeling cautiously optimistic.

Again, we are watching this situation daily and will likely be making continued changes based on emerging instructions. As more information surrounding COVID-19 is made available by local, provincial and national authorities, we will strive to keep you updated on ways to maintain a safe environment within your home.

Above all else: Be kind to each other. We will get through it!

#AgentJen

Jennifer Queen

Phone: (204) 797-7945
Email: Jennifer@JenniferQueen.com

Welcome to Winterpeg! If you have lived in Winnipeg for a length of time then you can understand why the nickname Winterpeg sticks with our great city.  If you are new here you may have heard people joke that Winnipeg can get cold in the winter and our winters are the longest season.  Now you may have prepared for this and have come ready with long johns and a warm parka but have you considered some of the implications of purchasing a home in the winter months?  There are going to be certain parts of a home that you will want to know about when purchasing that will not be readily visible in winter, for example a roof covered with snow.

To help out with a purchase in Winnipeg between November and March I will lay out a few pros and cons of purchasing a home in the winter season.

Pros

1. Less competition

Winnipeg is known for having a pretty stable market with a mix of both buyers and sellers markets throughout different areas of the city.  When buying a home in the winter months there tends to be less competition as you head into the new year. As people prepare to settle in for Christmas there is usually slow down with their searches of homes and start to wait until the next year. Families who are searching for homes usually slow down their searches until the end of winter because they do not want to move their children in the middle of the school year. This can be a great time for you to purchase! If you happen to find a house that you love then the odds are good that you will have less competition than you would have if you were searching for a home in the spring and summer months. 

2. Listings

As the year comes to a close you tend to see less movement on the MLS.  Houses are listed less and the ones that are tend to stick around a bit longer than usual.  Just because most people choose to list in the Spring and Summer months doesn’t change the fact that some people still need to list in the winter.  Maybe they have purchased another house and need to sell the one they are currently in, maybe they need to downsize, the point is that houses still need to be sold in the winter but with less competition from buyers this can lead to a better bargaining position and may help you get a better price for the house you want.

3. Purchase price

Winter months can have an effect on the purchase price of a home.   As listed above there are many factors that will depend on the sale price of a home, but generally the longer times on market in the winter and less buyers looking for homes usually give you the ability to negotiate easier than you could in the summer months.  It is not always the case but usually people are willing to negotiate more to ensure they can enjoy the holidays not worrying about the sale of their home.

Cons

1. Viewings

Something that is harder to come by in Winnipeg in the winter months is daylight.  With most people having to view homes in the evening and the sun going down around 4:30pm it makes viewings in daylight more challenging.  Daylight is important for viewing a home, there are things that you will definitely miss about a property when viewing it in the dark.  Whether that be the paint colours showing up different or portions of the property you simply miss because it is too dark.  Seeing a property in daylight is an important part of the process.

2. Snow cover

When purchasing a property there are things you want to be able to see around the home when viewing it and a heavy amount of snow can hinder this process.  Shingles covered in snow cannot be seen, grading and landscaping can be completely covered by a blanket of snow.  Disclosure statements are especially important when purchasing in the winter as you will need to have the comfort of knowing what you may have to deal with in the spring.

3. Outdoor fixtures

When purchasing a home in the winter it is important to get the proper information and documentation on outdoor fixtures of the home.  When I say outdoor fixtures I mean things like the central A/C system, hot tubs (if included in the sale), pools, etc.  These are systems that cannot be tested in winter, a winterized pool may look fine but come spring could show signs of necessary repair.  An A/C unit cannot be tested in the winter as it will cause damage to the system.  There are ways to protect yourself when writing an offer to purchase in regards to outdoor fixtures so always ask your Realtor how to insert the proper conditions.

Hopefully this has been a quick guide to purchasing a home in the winter.  There are plenty of great reasons to get out there at look at some homes that have been on the market for a while, especially if you want to be in a new place before Christmas.  If you have any questions about buying in winter or want to know more about what to look for give us a call we would be more than happy to lead you in the right direction.

#AgentLogan

Logan Queen

Tel: (204) 226-1261
Email: Logan@JenniferQueen.com