Sales in Canada’s housing market picked up slightly in August, but prices on a national level are still barely higher than a year ago.
The Canadian Real Estate Association says sales rose 0.9% last month – the fourth consecutive monthly increase after new mortgage rules were introduced at the start of the year.
However, sales were still 4% lower than last year.
The numbers are still strong in B.C., softer east of the Rockies while most of Ontario saw gains – 7.2% in Hamilton-Burlington, 6.6% across Niagara Region, 5.5% in Guelph, and 1.4% across the GTA – the first annual rise in six months.