Real estate values still to be knocked down ...

There's an interesting report on the value of housing in America, updated this month. The Global Insights/National City report suggested, based on 21 years of data, that of 317 metropolitan areas around the US, covering 84% of the housing stock, only 88 markets are currently undervalued (by any amount).

Against that, there are some 71 metro markets - covering 39% of the housing stock - that are "extremely over-valued", meaning that the valuations are at least 34% above what their model projects as correct values. The report further notes that as recently as the first quarter of 2004, only three metro markets were "extremely" overvalued.

And for those that think the housing market is due for a rebound (and prices aren't yet statistically showing up as falling much), the report states that the median correction in overvalued markets in the past 21 years is 17% and that it lasts 14 quarters. That's three and a half years folks. To those that like the seemingly cheap valuation metrics of home-builders and development companies, may I suggest .... patience.

In Canada, however, things are different as the good times appear to roll on for as far as the eye can see. Although there's no apparent signs of a real estate bubble here, perhaps some leading edge indicators suggest that a bubble may be in the early stages of forming.

ReMax just reported that sales of high-end luxury houses are booming across the country, with sales volumes up year over year by 31% in Toronto, by 90% in Vancouver, and by 124% in oil-rich Calgary.

Another five or ten years of this, and we might end up in the same boat as the US market is!

JW

The Confused Capitalist