The federal election campaign is more of a microcosm of the differences in this country than simply the results.
There is no question the Prairies and Central Canada travelled different paths when selecting their federal representatives last month, that is also a reflection of the housing markets in various parts of the country. While Toronto and Vancouver were headed in one direction, Saskatchewan was going the other way.
Home prices continue to rise in the big cities where demand is higher than supply and low interest rates give buyers a lot of room to increase their bids but here on the prairies the trend is much, much different.
The quarterly affordability Index report on housing markets from RBC Royal Bank shows Regina is the only one in the country where the ability of a buyer to complete a transaction are actually improving. Affordability is getting better here. Saskatoon is near its best-ever affordability index reading right now and conditions for buyers in Regina have not been this good since 2004, something the bank figures will encourage more activity in the coming months.
