Canadian Housing Starts Expected to Fall in 2004
15:26:45 GMT 18-Nov-2003
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp.
on Tuesday forecast a cooling down in the sizzling domestic
housing market next year, with housing starts set to slide from
this year's likely 14-year high.
The state agency said it expected 204,100 housing starts in
Canada in 2004, below the expected level of 218,500 in 2003.
But the corporation said the housing market would remain
strong, with the rise in house prices continuing to outpace
overall inflation rates both this year and next.
"Consumer confidence remains high and mortgage rates are
extremely low. These factors, combined with recovering
employment growth will contribute to the strong performance of
the housing market in 2004," said CMHC Chief Economist Bob
Dugan.
"However, a better balance between listings and sales in
the existing home market as well as expected rising mortgage
rates will ease the pace of new home construction next year."
The corporation said the average price of existing homes
will rise 9.3 percent this year and 4.8 percent in 2004.
A strong housing market has been one of the main driving
forces behind the Canadian economy amid low borrowing costs and
strong demand for homes.
Housing starts rose 2.2 percent in October to an annual
rate of 237,200 units from a revised 232,200 units in
September, the CMHC said last week.
($1=$1.31 Canadian)
http://www.cbc.ca/reuter/20031118/AIYXBDWM.html