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March 2011 - Posts

What happened to the shadow inventory?
Garth Turner on the Greater Fool blog said on Dec 15, 2010: come the Spring of 2011, when listings swell again like a bad gland, this real estate thing may not go well. and on Nov 2, 2010: There is no ‘normal’ or ‘balanced’ market Read More...
Fallout from new mortgage rules
As we had been speculating, the urgency to buy has greatly diminished in the past week. New listings were getting offers within days of hitting the market. It's still happening, but you can see from the table below that it's not as strong as before. Read More...
What now?
I received this comment and question on the previous post: Thanks for that post, Bob. Good information. Do you think the new median price is here to stay or at least for the spring period? It depends on which theory you like... If first-time buyers were Read More...
Calgary: feeling left out
We've heard it over and over for the past three years from the Greater Fool and here it is again in today's blog post from Garth Turner: As I’ve pointed out elsewhere in recent hours, this – rising prices on declining volumes – Read More...
No more 35
Ground zero Yesterday was probably the last day you could shop for a house if you were hoping to get a 35-year amortization before the rules change. Deals have to be approved by March 17, and it takes up to five business days to get financing arranged Read More...
Ethical Oil
The opponents of Alberta's oilsands are strangely silent. Back on Sep 20, 2010, I posted a link to Ezra Levant's new book, Ethical Oil , where he makes a case that oil from Alberta's oilsands is far more ethical than buying from countries Read More...
Have we seen this movie already?
Instead of a crash It’s a mad dash This email came in from a mortgage broker today: We are nearing the end of the 35 year amortization and 90% loan to value refinance. The March 18 deadline is fast approaching and all deals requiring 35 year amortization Read More...