Bubble and squeak
Toronto may want to squeak rather than shout it from the rooftops, following news that it sits atop UBS’s Global Real Estate Bubble Index. Strong population growth and low mortgage rates have helped propel Toronto’s real estate market, ahead of Frankfurt and Zurich. UBS suggested that, along with Vancouver (which came in at number 6 on the index), the bubble risk for Canadian cities is now “highly elevated”. With mortgage rates rising, real estate investors can’t afford to live in a bubble if Toronto’s housing market starts to deflate. As is often the case, once any overheated market comes to end, it can create a witch’s brew of toil and trouble.