HawthorneVillager.com

I think Rick should offer up a prize to the person that gets the first post on the 100th page. (only if is actually discusses the topic)... I'm taking a break from it, but I had to get in on all this 100 talk.

We should all go to the roof of town hall the night of the 100th page (later today) with signs and spotlights pointing to the sky waiting for the arrival of the 10% deline...

more like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRyoFgAhW4c

Awesome, exactly how this thread has gone for 97 pages. lol

CMHC has to take a lot of blame for the price increases over the last 20 years.

Economists are still saying wait and see.... apparently the dip is in Exports and likely tied to the inability to get materials thanks to the Japan quake which impacted manufacturing and thus exports. They believe in the next quarter it will be positive again.

We shall see.

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Will all the b.s. Im still waiting for 10 percent decline.....that is what the thread is about?

I have to admit, I just don't see this based on my personal experience. Yes, wage increases are down, but not by much.

I see the lazier "do just what is required" co-workers walking away with lower increases but the ones who work hard and excel in their positions always do well. Well above inflation anyways.

I've been doing a lot of work with our own HR department on various projects and have learned a few trade secrets. You see, there is actually a shortage of good talent and it's difficult to attract good talent. It costs a lot to recruit and in a time when the economy is tanking, the last thing a company wants is to lose their "top sales star" or "top marketing genius" etc. to a competitor. The minute our company offers a measly salary increase is the minute that employee is shopping around to the competition looking for a better deal.

I think the "low" wage increases talked about in the article are again tied to this dying manufacturing and general labor sector. Generally the people least likely to own homes and the skills required to perform the positions are minimal which removes that "shopping around to the competition" aspect as they can be replaced overnight.

Again, message to the kids -- stay in school

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I'll echo that, over the past 6 years my annual salary increase has ranged from 7% to 15% . I cant say thats the case for the status quo people

Are you for real?

What did the Australian government do to interest rates when the rest of the world was/is battling an economic meltdown?

How does the interest rate in Australia compare to the US or here?

Just curious. I believe it's called the "biggest blunder a country could do to their economy"

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I don't get how you excuse the rising costs of EVERYTHING yet somehow feel housing should be immune.

There was a study comparing University tuition costs from 1990 to now. What was the answer? 600% increase.

Housing will get cheaper -- and smaller. That's a given. Those that want to pay less, will get less.

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houses will be smaller as land becomes more scarce and expensive. there will always be buyers for larger, higher end homes. dont equate your finances or personal situation, as there are many others out there with good money buying up larger homes. im still waiting for correction. ill be waiting a while it seems.

The situation with big money is very obvious when you see that more people are working for the government than in the private sector and earnings of individuals who pocket over $100,000 annually is rising. These government employees, which there are thousands of them when you include all levels of government, are the ones who will fuel the housing sector. Their job is secure, their wage increases guaranteed so there is little risk in taking on mortgages. As demonstrated by the figures that came out recently, the 2nd quarter was brutal for the manufacturing sector. If the public sentiment to espouse the socialist virtues of the late Jack Layton becomes reality, everyone will be working for the government, so hold on everyone, there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The govt jobs, at least most of them, are funded by tax payer money. So obviously the private sector is doing well enough for govt employees to pay out such payments while still keeping the tax rates relatively stable and not running huge deficits.

So the situation is not all bad. The housing situation in the GTA, given that's only a handful of population centers in Canada, and the largest one of that, will continue to be stable or growing. The reason, among other things, over quarter of million new immigrants every year with a majority making GTA their home.

Now that's gonna certainly put pressure on infrastructure and the quality of life could even go down in the area, if it hasn't aready done so in many areas (i.e. brampton or Scarborough/Malton) for example. So it may not be a very desirable place to live in the future but then there isn't much choice of other areas in eastern or central Canada that provide good opportunities.