A Canadian confidence index reached ~52 in recent readings, improving from ~50 a month earlier and moving back above the neutral 50 mark.
Most of that improvement came from forward-looking responses, but housing sentiment stayed soft, with only ~29% expecting local home values to rise.
Canadians most often expected stability instead: ~46% said local home prices would hold over the next six months, while ~20% anticipated declines.
Personal finances looked strained, with ~11% saying they improved over the past year, versus ~38% who said they were worse off financially.
The latest reading mattered for brokers because it landed as attention centered on the central bank's October 28 decision and housing expectations remained muted.

Victoria posted one of the strongest affordability gains in Late-Q3, as softer home prices reduced both the monthly mortgage payment and qualifying income needed.
The avg. Victoria sale price fell by $10.3K MoM in Late-Q3, driving the city’s affordability improvement despite fixed mortgage rates edging higher.
For an avg.-priced Victoria home, the monthly mortgage payment dropped by $49, trimming annual carrying costs by $588 for buyers entering the market.
Victoria buyers also needed $1.84K less income to qualify for an avg.-priced home, but the improvement was still modest for most households.
Unless bond yields eased, fixed mortgage rates were expected to hover near current levels, keeping Victoria affordability gains tied mainly to home-price softness.

A bank economist cut Canada's housing forecast, expecting home sales to ↓~5% in 2026 as higher government bond yields keep fixed mortgage costs elevated.
Avg. Canadian home prices are projected to stay roughly flat in 2026, then edge up by <2% in 2027 rather than rebound sharply.
The revised outlook kept 5-yr Canada bond yields near the mid-3% range through Late-Q4, with a gradual decline expected across 2027 overall.
Ontario and British Columbia were expected to see sales improve in 2027, while Alberta was expected to lead Canadian price growth overall.
The modest recovery depended on bond yields starting to ease in Late-Q4, alongside the central bank holding policy steady through 2027 overall.

Victoria — Most Affordable homes for September 2026.

Listings (sorted by price):
1. Listing 1046248 — $110,000
2. Listing 1044381 — $114,888
3. Listing 1049910 — $149,000
4. Listing 1050525 — $149,999
5. Listing 1044484 — $165,000
6. Listing 1046621 — $175,000
7. Listing 1040005 — $199,900
8. Listing 1048574 — $204,900
9. Listing 1042780 — $210,000
10. Listing 1047398 — $215,000
11. Listing 1051126 — $215,000
12. Listing 1046804 — $229,000
13. Listing 1051157 — $229,000
14. Listing 1050324 — $239,000
15. Listing 1047586 — $249,000

Halloween falls on October 31 because the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, considered the earliest known root of Halloween, occurred on this day.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to praise all saints.
Soon, All Saints' Day incorporated some traditions of Samhain and the evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween.
Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.
Today’s the day to eat candies and sweets to your heart’s content! Happy Halloween!

Stable borrowing costs and firm housing costs are giving active buyers a clearer planning window, with accessible entry points emerging in several markets.
After years of unpredictable inventory, rates, remote work, trade policy, and inflation, softer price growth points toward a more normal 2026 market.
The central bank suggested its overnight lending rate may hold near 2% for much, if not all, of 2026, supporting buyer confidence.
Balanced or buyer-favoured regions give shoppers more time to compare options, focus on fit, and avoid rushed decisions under pressure in 2026.
Fredericton led the national 2026 ranking again, combining East Coast affordability, equity-building potential, market stability, and lifestyle appeal for buyers seeking value.

A provincial leader proposed taxing unsold BC condos left empty for >1 yr, arguing the move would improve affordability if the party returned to power.
The proposed levy would have started near ~2% and climbed ~1% yearly for continued vacancies, with the campaign saying it could unlock ~5K condos.
A data firm estimated thousands of unsold, empty new units across Metro Vancouver were worth $4.4B, a figure used to support the affordability case.
Reaction was mixed: one expert questioned whether the measure would change behavior or raise revenue, while an industry economist warned about financially stressed developers.
The same platform also proposed raising BC's speculation and vacancy tax to ~2% for domestic owners and ~5% for foreign owners in eligible areas.

Canada’s six-mo housing-start trend recently slipped ↓~1% to 244K units nationwide, while actual starts in larger centres eased ↓~2% to 17.7K overall.
Current yr-to-date starts reached 149.5K units, down ~4% from the same period in 2025, showing construction still lagged policymakers’ push for faster building.
An economist at the national housing agency said starts were elevated versus recent years, but expected the downward trend to continue in the coming months.
Industry voices said homebuilders faced added pressure from geopolitical turmoil and the US-Canada trade conflict, especially as tariffs raised costs for construction materials.
The national housing agency projected new-home construction would keep declining through 2028, with condos especially weak amid high developer costs, soft demand, and surplus inventory.