According to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), actual (not seasonally adjusted) home sales, via the Multiple Listing Service(R) (MLS(R)) of Canadian real estate boards, totaled 147,351 units in the second quarter of 2009 – the fourth strongest quarterly sales figure ever. Up 1.4 per cent from the second quarterof 2008, this marks the first year-over-year increase in quarterly activity since the fourth quarter of 2007.

http://blog.buzzbuzzhome.com/2009/07/mls-canada-fourth-strongest-quarterly.html

reviewed by Moishe Alexander, CFC  Canadian Funding Corp CEO

The good news? Canadian real estate is on a record pace in 2006.

The bad news? The third quarter numbers are down sharply from the second quarter of this year, and even down from the third quarter of last year. What does all this mean?

It basically means that Canada’s sizzling real estate market is still hotter than ever, but that it can’t keep up the incredible pace that it’s been on.

Breaking down the numbers, Canadian real estate is down 6 percent compared to the same quarter last year, and down 2.5 percent from the second quarter of this year, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Overall, sales during the first nine months of this year are still up over the same nine months from last year, but things do appear to be slowing down.

The hardest hit cities during the third quarter slow down were Vancouver, home of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, red-hot Calgary, which is still booming thanks to the local oil industry, and Toronto. Sales in Edmonton, Alberta and Hamilton, Ontario are actually up for the third quarter, helping to offset the losses in other cities.

Proving that the incredible Canadian real estate market is still on fire, year-to-date sales records were set in various cities all across the country in the third quarter. Montreal, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary all reported record sales for this year.

The average price for a home in Canada has been sky rocketing in recent years, with the total now at $258,000 (US dollars) up from $234.000 just in the last calendar year.

This real estate frenzy is being led by the province of Alberta and their incredible economy. The cities of Calgary and Edmonton, which reported their highest level of new real estate listings ever in the third quarter. Montreal and Toronto reported their second highest amounts of new listings for any quarter, as well.

The Canadian real estate market is still breaking records and making money despite the third quarter downturn. The breakneck pace simply couldn’t be sustained. But if you’re looking to move north of the border, do so knowing that it might cost you a few more loonies than you thought.

http://www.sexyinfotainment.info/2009/07/canadian-markets-hot-and-cold/

reviewed by Moishe Alexander, Canadian Funding Corp CEO

WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June, driving the unemployment rate up to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, suggesting that the economy’s road to recovery will be bumpy.

The Labor Department report, released Thursday, showed that even as the recession flashes signs of easing, companies likely will want to keep a lid on costs and be wary of hiring until they feel certain the economy is on a solid ground.

June’s payroll reductions were deeper than the 363,000 that economists expected.

However, the rise in the unemployment rate from 9.4 percent in May wasn’t as sharp as the expected 9.6 percent. Still, many economists predict the jobless rate will hit 10 percent this year, and keep rising into next year, before falling back.

All told, 14.7 million people were unemployed in June.

If laid-off workers who have given up looking for new jobs or have settled for part-time work are included, the unemployment rate would have been 16.5 percent in June, the highest on records dating to 1994.

Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost a net total of 6.5 million jobs.

As the downturn bites into sales and profits, companies have turned to layoffs and other cost-cutting measures to survive. Those include holding down workers’ hours and freezing or cutting pay.

The average work week in June fell to 33 hours, the lowest on records dating to 1964.

The worse news: as some economists predicted, the stimulus package was too small to affect the “real” economy – you know, the one you and I live in? – in any significant way. Sounds like those who urged Obama to think large and visionary (a la FDR’s Public Works Administration) really did have the right idea:

Reporting from Washington — Even as the nation’s economy begins clawing its way out of the worst recession in 60 years, there are growing signs that this recovery could come with an unsettling twist: The wheels of commerce may begin to turn again without any substantial boost in jobs.

Not only is the national unemployment rate, now 9.4%, likely to climb into double digits later this year, but it is also expected to remain there well into 2010, economists say. That would prolong the misery of the unemployed, squeeze retailers and other businesses, and add millions of dollars in government costs and lost productivity. It could even threaten the recovery itself.

Though it’s common for the jobless rate to keep climbing for a time after economic output turns positive, the aftermath of the last two downturns, in 1990-91 and 2001, introduced the idea of a “jobless recovery.” Even though the economy improved, many unemployed workers discovered that jobs as good as the ones they’d lost were almost impossible to find.

This time, many economists say, there are new factors that could make the problem worse. Many more layoffs in this recession have been permanent, not temporary.

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/economists-say-signs-are-there-anothe

reviewed by Moishe Alexander, CFC CEO

This CMHC better building information posted by Canadian Funding Corp. explains how sound moves through buildings, and how designers can control airborne, impact and flanking noise transmission. It suggests ways to control sound in wood-frame, multi-family buildings and best practices for acoustic isolation.

Architects must consider many interacting factors in designing a building, including structural integrity, fire safety, energy efficiency and noise control. Understanding and implementing sound control has a major impact on occupants’ comfort, concentration and happiness, not to mention neighbourly relations. Sound control is particularly important in multi-unit residential construction. This post focuses on wood-frame construction in many Canadian multi-unit residences and briefly discusses masonry party walls.

Canadian Funding Corp. finds it interesting that the rigid assemblies required to resist high wind loads or earthquakes make noise control difficult because they are pathways for sound vibrations. On the positive side, the sealing of penetrations to resist the spread of fire also blocks movement of certain kinds of sound. Some sound details reduce the spread of odours and pests and improve comfort and durability.

This post examines airborne sound, such as loud music and impact sound, such as the thud of a dropped object. It describes the hidden routes that sound vibrations follow, such as leaks and flanking paths.

The article summarizes information from the Best Practice Guide: Fire and Sound Control in Wood-Frame Multi- Family Buildings, published by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).1 This guide brings together years of research from numerous sources, including the National Research Council of Canada’s Institute for Research in Construction (NRCC/IRC) and the experience of acoustic consultants.

Sound transmission can be effectively controlled in multi-family buildings by isolating neighbouring units from one another with proper walls and floors between suites. An architect should select wall or floor assemblies in multi-family housing for both resistance to fire spread–the fire-resistance rating–and resistance to the transmission of sound vibrations.Three indices–sound transmission class (STC), impact insulation class (IIC), and outdoor-indoor transmission class (OITC)–help designers select the suitable assemblies.

However, choosing a good floor or wall assembly doesn’t guarantee acoustic privacy.To ensure the desired level of sound reduction, designers and builders must avoid any leaks and flanking paths, which are the gaps or short-circuits through which sound may travel.

Airborne Sound
Sources such as voices and music produce airborne sound. It can originate in neighbouring rooms or from outside from sirens, machinery or traffic. Heavy layers that are not solidly connected at any point and that are separated by the thickest cavity possible effectively attenuate airborne sound in wall and floor assemblies. Attenuation improves when the cavity is filled with sound-absorbing material, such as insulation.

The effectiveness of a wall or floor assembly in attenuating airborne sound transmission depends on the frequency of the sound. Most assemblies attenuate high-frequency sounds more effectively than low-frequency sounds.

An assembly’s sound transmission class (STC) is a single numerical rating derived from sound attenuations at various frequencies, which approximately describe a wall’s ability to attenuate the typical frequency content of speech. STC is a measure of the average noise reduction in decibels for speech- like sounds that pass through an assembly. An assembly with a high STC rating has good sound attenuation characteristics.Table 2 shows how the STC ratings for walls relate to their ability to attenuate different types of sound.

Impact Sound
Good STC ratings do not necessarily satisfy occupants. Mechanical vibrations and impacts, such as foot traffic, dropped objects or objects sliding across a hard floor, also cause sound to move through construction materials. Although the code does not actually specify levels for impact ratings, it is important that architects design to reduce impact noise effects.

A floor or wall being vibrated by direct mechanical contact or impact transmits impact sound.The vibration spreads along or through the wall or floor into the assembly and its cavities, ultimately becoming sound in adjoining spaces.

Floor vibrations can also be transmitted through the structure to walls and be re-radiated as airborne sound into adjoining spaces. Impact sounds on concrete slabs finished with a hard surface, such as ceramic tile, are often described as “clacking” or “tapping.” Most of such sound energy occurs at high frequencies. Impact sounds on lightweight joist floors–the result of low-frequency sound waves–are usually described as “booming” or “thudding.”

Although airborne and impact sound have some things in common, impact transmission is far more complicated to measure and control.The character and level of impact noise generated in a living space below depends on many factors, including the nature of the object striking the floor, the force of the blow, the rigidity of the floor assembly and the resilience of the floor covering. NRC is considering including impact noise requirements in future versions of the NBCC.

BARRIERS TO THE PASSAGE OF SOUND

This section describes the main, proven-effective techniques for reducing airborne, impact and flanking sound transmission. A sound barrier must be impervious to air, non-porous, solid and reasonably heavy–materials such as gypsum board, glass, plywood, OSB and concrete are commonly used to reduce sound transmission in buildings.

Heavy materials
The density of materials has a large affect on sound transmission. Heavier, denser, building materials tend to block sound better than lightweight building materials. A double-layer of gypsum wallboard or floor sheathing, for instance, provides better sound isolation than a single layer.

Because wood-frame construction is relatively light, a combination of techniques is required to control sound. An STC of 50 cannot be obtained with a single layer of gypsum board on each side of 89-mm wood studs because the combination of mass per unit area, cavity depth and stud stiffness is not sufficient to produce the required transmission loss. Doubling the mass of gypsum board on both sides of the stud wall increases the STC by about 9 dB.

Absorptive materials
The cavities inherent in wood-frame construction are a convenient space for absorptive material, such as fibrous insulation. Installing sound-absorbing material that fills at least two-thirds of the wall cavity can increase sound transmission loss by 8 to 10 dB if the surface layers are properly isolated.The insulation is only effective in absorbing sound waves within the cavity, so other measures are needed to reduce the sound passing through the framing.

Absorptive materials are normally quite porous.They interact with sound passing through them, converting the vibrations into heat. Absorptive materials are not sound barriers.They reduce sound energy in an enclosed cavity as sound repeatedly reflects between the enclosing surfaces and passes through the sound-absorbing material many times. Each pass-through causes a small decrease in energy, with the cumulative effect being significant. A single pass provides very little sound attenuation unless the absorbent material is very thick.Thus, adding a carpet or acoustic tiles directly to a surface will not significantly improve the sound insulation of the separation.

Canadian Funding Corp presents a BBC video on sound absorption.

32whs5y46p

“To date, over $115 billion has been provided to improve the availability of financing for Canadian households and businesses, all of it on a commercial basis to protect the taxpayer,” said Minister Flaherty. “This has had a real impact on credit conditions in Canada. Household and business credit is growing and average interest rates have fallen steadily. This is good news for all Canadians.”

Minister Flaherty also announced that allocations under the $1-billion Small Enterprise Tranche of the Canadian Secured Credit Facility (CSCF) have been made, ensuring the facility reaches smaller participants in the loan and leasing market. Lenders from a cross-section of the vehicle and equipment financing industry have received the allocations. This brings the total allocated under the CSCF to $11 billion. A further $1 billion will be allocated in August.

“Giving smaller lenders in the loan and leasing market a chance to access credit is wholly consistent with Canada’s Economic Action Plan,” said Minister Clement. “Support for the financing of vehicles and equipment in Canada will also help bolster confidence in the Canadian auto industry at this critical time.”

Canada’s Economic Action Plan takes unprecedented action to improve access to credit and financing for Canadian families and businesses. Measures include the:

* Business Credit Availability Program
* Canadian Secured Credit Facility
* Insured Mortgage Purchase Program
* Canadian Lenders Assurance Facility
* Canadian Life Insurers Assurance Facility

“The increase in May is broadly based, encompassing both the singles and multiples segments,” said Bob Dugan, Chief Economist at CMHC’s Market Analysis Centre.

Housing starts are expected to improve throughout 2009 and over the next several years to gradually become more closely aligned to demographic demand, which is currently estimated at about 175,000 units per year.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts increased 11.1 per cent to 107,800 units in May. Urban multiple starts increased 11.1 per cent to 60,900 units, while urban single starts also moved up by 11.1 per cent to 46,900 units in May.

May’s seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts increased 22.0 per cent in Ontario, 16.8 per cent in the Prairies, 7.3 per cent in Atlantic Canada, and 3.3 per cent in Quebec. Urban starts declined 5.0 per cent in British Columbia.

Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 20,600 units in May2.

As Canada’s national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable, and affordable homes — homes that will continue to create vibrant and healthy communities and cities across the country.

Canadian Funding Corporation reports that the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); Linda Jeffrey, MPP for Brampton – Springdale, on behalf of the Honourable Jim Watson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Peel Regional Chair Emil Kolb; Regional Councillor John Sanderson, and developer John D’Angelo of Martinway Contracting made the announcement today.

“The Government of Canada is committed to making affordable housing available in Ontario and across Canada for those who need it most,” said Minister Finley. “The creation of these units here in Brampton will provide seniors and singles access to safe, and affordable housing, helping them to build a stronger future.”

“The McGuinty government is committed to working with our partners to build more affordable housing for people in need,” said MPP Jeffrey. “The Region of Peel has been an enthusiastic and committed partner in the Canada – Ontario Affordable Housing Program, and we look forward to seeing the completion of this project, which will greatly benefit our entire community. “

”With the collective contribution of all levels of government, the developer and various corporate sponsors, we have been able to achieve a greater standard in affordable housing,” said Regional Chair Emil Kolb. “Chapelview is a significant project for the Region of Peel which we’re quite proud of as a building that is modern, accessible and environmentally sustainable.”

The Region and the City of Brampton also engaged in an $8.5 million joint partnership to add a municipal underground parking garage to the site. Parking will be available for Chapelview’s residents as well as for the public.

Once completed, this apartment building will provide safe, affordable housing for singles and seniors and is expected to be completed in late 2009. For more information, visit www.peelbuilds.ca

The $30.3 million project, including $5.8 million from the Canada – Ontario Affordable Housing Program, will be complemented by more than $3.8 million in municipal financial incentives.

The Canada – Ontario Affordable Housing Program comprises a commitment of $301 million from each of the two senior levels of government. In total, the federal, provincial and municipal governments will invest at least $734 million in the program, which will provide affordable housing for up to 20,000 households in Ontario.

Last fall, the Government of Canada committed more than $1.9 billion over the next five years to improve and build new affordable housing and to help the homeless. Canada’s Economic Action Plan builds on this with an additional one-time investment of more than $2 billion over two years in new and existing social housing and lending of up to another $2 billion to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure.

According to the Canadian Funding Corporation, the construction for this home was launched at a community celebration and sod-turning event. The project is the result of a partnership between Alderville First Nation, Habitat for Humanity Northumberland and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to address the challenges many families face in finding a safe, decent and affordable home.

“The Government of Canada is pleased to support the 2009 Habitat for Humanity Northumberland and Alderville First Nation Build,” said Rick Norlock, Member of Parliament for Northumberland – Quinte West, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. “Affordable housing is an important part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan and our government’s commitment to build stronger, healthier and more sustainable communities. We are dedicated to working in partnership with organizations like Habitat for Humanity to address housing needs in Ontario and across the country, both off- and on-reserve.”

“This is a historic opportunity for both Alderville First Nation and Habitat for Humanity Northumberland in their efforts to make homeownership a reality for another Habitat family. This type of partnership is exciting for me on many levels and I look forward to when the keys will be turned over to the proud new family,” stated Lou Rinaldi, M.P.P. Northumberland – Quinte West.

The Alderville Build is another step towards reducing the barriers between families and home ownership. These types of partnerships are essential to address the more than 2,500 households within Northumberland County that are in need.

Chief Marsden of Alderville First Nation and Kim Lauder, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Northumberland expressed their commitment to continuing this partnership for future home builds within their community, and are looking forward to building together this summer. They hope this will lay the foundation for other such partnerships.

CMHC is the lead national sponsor for Habitat’s new Aboriginal Housing Program, a pilot project between CMHC and Habitat Canada which seeks to increase the number of Habitat homes for Aboriginal families. CMHC has been working with the First Nation and Habitat for Humanity Northumberland in developing this project and has contributed $10,000 in seed funding.

Since its inception in 1998, Habitat for Humanity Northumberland has completed more than 26 homes across Northumberland County including Cobourg, Port Hope, Brighton, and Warkworth.

The federal government and the governments of each of the three territories officially signed amendments to the existing agreement for the Affordable Housing Initiative. Nunavut and Northwest Territories also signed an extension to the Housing Renovation Program Agreement. Combined, this will mean an investment of $294 million, across all three territories, over the next two years.

Randy Hoback, Member of Parliament for Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the Honourable Hunter Tootoo, Minister Responsible for Nunavut Housing Corporation, the Honourable Michael McLeod, Minister Responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, and the Honourable Jim Kenyon, Minister Responsible for Yukon Housing Corporation, made the announcement at a signing ceremony today.

Canadian Funding Corp. quotes MP Hoback: “The Government of Canada continues to work hard to support Canadians during these challenging economic times, and has moved aggressively to ensure Canada’s Economic Action Plan is implemented rapidly. We are helping the most vulnerable, including seniors and persons with disabilities, access suitable, affordable housing, as well as making needed renovations to existing social housing in Canada’s North.”

“We’re very pleased to continue our strong working relationship with the CMHC and the federal government,” said Minister Tootoo. “This funding and program extension means that materials for 285 new public housing units will be purchased for construction next summer.”

“Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, Yukon Housing Corporation will create lasting legacies for Yukoners throughout the territory,” said Jim Kenyon, Minister Responsible for Yukon Housing Corporation. “The new construction and upgrade projects will generate jobs and economic spin-offs, in addition to increasing Yukon’s social housing inventory.”

“The Government of the Northwest Territories is very pleased that the Government of Canada has made this commitment to improving housing conditions in the North. This partnership between the three Territorial governments and Canada will significantly enhance the Territories’ ongoing plan of housing delivery and significantly improve the lives of Northern residents through the provision of affordable housing and stimulus to the Northern economy”, said The Honourable Michael McLeod, Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

According to Canadian Funding Corp., today’s announcement includes federal funding for the territories of $212 million, over two years, under Canada’s Economic Action Plan as part of a one-time investment of more than $2 billion to build new and renovate existing social housing in Canada. This includes $200 million for Northern housing, which does not require cost-sharing by the territories, as well as $12 million for programs to assist seniors and persons with disabilities and to renovate and retrofit existing social housing.

In addition, territorial funding for these initiatives will include $6 million from Nunavut, $55 million from Northwest Territories and $4 million from Yukon, over the next two years, for a further $65 million contribution.

These investments build upon the $1.9 billion commitment for housing and homelessness programs announced by the Government of Canada in September 2008, which extended the Affordable Housing Initiative and the renovation programs for low-income households for two years. Today’s announcement also includes a further combined investment of $17 million by the federal and territorial governments for the two-year extensions to build new affordable housing and assist low-income households with needed renovations to their homes.

Overall, the federal contribution is some $222 million, while the territories are contributing about $72 million for a combined investment of $294 million.

CMHC has been Canada’s national housing agency for more than 60 years. CMHC is committed to helping Canadians access a wide choice of quality, affordable homes and making vibrant and sustainable communities and cities a reality across the country.

To find out more about how the Government of Canada and CMHC are working to build stronger homes and communities for all Canadians, call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca/housingactionplan. To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.