Markham Real Estate Today with Asif Khan

In this edition of The Weekender, an outdoor music festival, a rare chance to tour some modern homes and three other things to do in Toronto this weekend.

Field Trip
Local record label Arts & Crafts brings stages its annual outdoor music festival once again. In addition to performances by headliners like Interpol, Fucked Up and Broken Social Scene, the family-friendly event will have food trucks, an Etsy marketplace and even a bouncy castle. June 7–8. $75 for one day, $125 for two. Fort York and Garrison Common, 100 Garrison Rd., fieldtriplife.com

Toronto Modern Home Tour
Toronto is continually up in arms over heritage buildings, which have a tendency to be knocked down or otherwise abused by developers. Much less appreciated by local architecture buffs is Toronto’s supply of modern homes, many of which coexist with older properties in otherwise unassuming neighbourhoods. Saturday brings a rare chance to go on a self-guided tour of six thoroughly modern living spaces, including artist Charles Pachter’s stunning Chinatown pile. June 7. $30 advance, $40 door. Various locations,modernhometours.com

The God That Comes
Singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman bends his glam-rock style to a theatrical adaptation of Euripides’The Bacchae. Far from a literal reworking of the original, the one-man production takes the Greek tragedy and uses its framework of hedonism and murder to give Workman an opportunity to put his cabaret skills to use. The debauched musical performance should make for a memorable night out. Until June 29. $40.Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Ave., tarragontheatre.com

Wacken Metal Battle Canada
Watch Canadian bands compete to win a coveted slot on the bill at Germany’s famed Wacken Open Air festival, an annual convention of the world’s best metal acts. The night’s entertainment will include sets from Vancouver’s Neck of the Woods, Montreal’s Mutank and guest headliner Skull Fist. June 7. $10. The Opera House, 735 Queen St. E., facebook.com

Luminato
The annual multi-arts festival is back for another year of performance, installations, screenings and talks. The list of events is dauntingly huge, but we’ve narrowed it down for you. Until June 15. Various prices.Various locations. luminatofestival.com 

June 4, 2014 -- Toronto Real Estate Board President Dianne Usher announced that both the number of home sales through the TorontoMLS system and the average selling price were up strongly in May compared to a year ago.

Total TorontoMLS sales for May 2014 amounted to 11,079 – a new high for the month of May. This result was up by 11.4 per cent compared to 9,946 sales reported in May 2013. The average selling price for these sales was $585,204, representing an 8.3 per cent year-over-year increase compared to the average price of $540,544 in May 2013.

“We are now at the peak of the spring market when we generally see the greatest number of sales and the highest average selling prices. Based on the May statistics, buyers have been more active this spring compared to last year. Despite strong price growth so far in 2014, many households remain comfortable with the monthly mortgage payments associated with the purchase of a home, as borrowing costs have remained at or near record lows over the past few months,” said Ms. Usher.

Average selling prices varied across the Greater Toronto Area, depending on geography and home type. A detached home in the City of Toronto sold, on average, for $943,055. In the surrounding GTA regions, the average detached price was $648,439. The average price for condominium apartments was $401,809 in the City of Toronto and $307,307 in the surrounding regions.

“The listings situation in the GTA did not improve this past May. With listings down and sales up compared to last year, competition between buyers increased. The result was price growth wellabove the rate of inflation, especially for singles, semis and townhomes,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

“It is also important to point out that even though the condo apartment market segment remains comparatively well-supplied, as new project completions have generally led to an uptick in listings, we have seen enough buyer interest to prompt strong condo price growth as well,” continued Mercer.

Even doing so as an adult seemed to guard against mental decline, study found

MONDAY, June 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Speaking two or more languages helps protect your brain as you age, even if you learn new languages as an adult, new research suggests.

Corey and Angie, twin brother and sister, enjoy playing all kinds of outdoor games and sports with their friends. They especially love playing pickup games of basketball and touch football. On particularly nice days, Corey and Angie have been known to kick around the soccer ball, toss around the baseball, or go on long runs.

In just a month the twins will be high school freshmen and neither can figure out which sport to try out for in the fall. Corey is deciding between football, soccer, and cross-country. Angie is debating whether to try her hand at a sport she has never played, like field hockey, or go with one she knows, like soccer or cross-country. They're facing a dilemma a lot of teens face — which sports to play and which sports to give up.

So Many Sports, Only One You!

For some people, choosing which sports to pursue throughout high school is hard because they have never really played an organized sport before and aren't sure what they'll most enjoy. For others it's a tough decision because their friends don't like to play the same sports.

No matter what your sports dilemma is, you have to make the decision that is best for you. If you're great at soccer but would rather play football because you think it's more fun, then give the pigskin a go (just make sure it's cool with mom and dad)!

Sports are meant to be fun. If there is a sport you really enjoy but you aren't sure if you can make the team, try out anyway. What's the worst that can happen? If you get cut you can always try another sport. And sports like cross-country and track don't typically cut participants from the team. You can still participate even if you're not on the meet squad.

It’s amazing how blank walls are transformed when almost anything is hung on them! They immediately burst to life, making a room feel homey and lived in rather than sterile and impersonal. Fill them with fun, decorative accessories or functional space savers. Either way – there are lots of options for making them interesting. Here are 10 ideas on how to turn empty walls into eye candy!

Magnificent mirrors
Mirrors are not only strong statement pieces, they also make a space feel bigger.

Framed chalkboards
These chalkboard frames are great multi-purpose items. Display photos and write messages, reminders or important dates for the whole family to see. The gallery frames make it easy to mix them in with an art collection or photo frames on your wall.

Modular shelves
These modular shelves add character to your walls while providing space for decor accessoriesframes, vases, books and more. Hang them on their own or in multiples for geometric appeal.

Eye-catching clocks
Clocks are artworks in themselves and are an elegant way to add wall decor to your space. Choose oversized clocks like this vintage piece inspired by those once found in French railway stations for timeless elegance.

Wall decals
Dress them up, dress them down! These vinyl Medallion Wall Decals are perfect for transforming bare walls into classy canvases. They’re easily applied (and removed!) to give the look of rich wallpaper, without the hassle. Choose traditional or contemporary patterns in a variety of colours.

Wall-mount candleholders
Add light, warmth and old-world charm to your wall decor with these mounted candleholders. Hang them on their own, in clusters, or to flank other items on your wall. They’ll bring sophistication and serenity to any room.

Cubby wall organizer
In small spaces, it helps not having to clutter floor space with a table for keys, phones, mail and more. Make use of your wall space with this wooden cubby organizer. Keeping everything in one place will save you time in the mornings!

Leather tapestry
Tapestries are intricate works of art that are the perfect adornment for any wall. They may seem old-world, but with a hand-painted leather tapestry like this one, they bring modern style to your home.

Garden blue wreath
Why not go for seasonal accents like this garden blue wreath? It’s perfect for summer and early fall. But when the season’s over, you’ve got space for something else. Changing up the wall decor every now and again keeps things feeling fresh.

Panel art
Art collections can be part of a bigger image or variations on each other. Either way, panels like these Aidan Gray Art Medallions draw the eye and make for great conversation pieces.

The effects of stress on your emotional and physical health may be worse than you thought.

Although female sex hormones and brain chemistry offer some protection from stress, women are more deeply affected by the physical and emotional effects of stress than men.

Women’s reactions to stress are rooted in their body chemistry. Men have higher androgen levels, while women have higher estrogen levels, says Paul J. Rosch, MD, FACP, president of the American Institute of Stress (AIS). “Their brains are also wired differently,” says Dr. Rosch, who is also a clinical professor of medicine and psychiatry at New York Medical College, and honorary vice president of the International Stress Management Association. “Women tend to react to stress differently than men. They don’t respond with the fight or flight response — they’re more apt to negotiate.”

Stress: How Women Are Affected

The effects of the anti-stress hormone oxytocin, produced during childbirth, breastfeeding, and in both sexes during orgasm, are enhanced by estrogen and reduced by testosterone, which helps women more than men, Rosch says. And nurturing activities boost oxytocin levels in women. The catch-22 is that women need more oxytocin than men to maintain their emotional health. For example, Rosch explains, women are more negatively affected when they’re not touched, and also feel more stress than men in relationships.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), stress is an expression of the body’s natural instinct to protect itself. While this may warn a woman of immediate danger, like a fast-approaching car, prolonged stress effects can negatively affect your physical and emotional health.

“Our stress response was exquisitely honed over millions of years as a protective mechanism,” said Rosch. “That was OK for our ancestors who ran into saber-toothed tigers. The tragedy is that today, it’s not that, but hundreds of things like getting stuck in traffic jams. Our bodies respond in the same unfortunate fashion, with hypertension, strokes, and ulcers.”

Stress Effects: The Physical Side

“Your stress may vary, but if you have stress with your work, your kids, your neighbors, and marriage all at once, that’s a big deal,” said Lori Heim, MD, president-elect of the AAFP and a hospitalist (a family physician who works only in a hospital) at Scotland Memorial Hospital in Laurinburg, N.C. “In women, I see this in changes in menstrual patterns — nothing else is going on except a huge increase in stress, and all of a sudden, they may be losing their hair or having menstrual irregularities, and everything points to stress as a factor.”

The AIS reports that some surveys show 75 to 90 percent of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints. According to the National Women’s Health Information Center, the effects of stress on women’s physical and emotional health can range from headaches to irritable bowel syndrome. Specific stress effects include:

• Eating disorders. Anorexia and bulimia are 10 times more common in women than in men, says Rosch, and this may have something to do with stress levels. Like depression, this illness has been linked to low levels of serotonin and is often treated with serotonin-boosting antidepressant drugs.
• Stomach ailments. Stress can make you reach for junk or comfort foods, or upset your stomach to the point that you feel like you can’t eat. Common stress-related stomach troubles include cramps, bloating, heartburn, and even irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Depending on how you respond, these can lead to weight loss or weight gain.
• Skin reactions. Stress can lead to breakouts and even itchy rashes and hives in some people.
• Emotional conditions. From being in a blue or irritable mood to more serious mental issues like depression, your emotional health suffers when there’s stress in your life. Women are better than men at hiding some emotions like anger and aggressiveness because the parts of their brains responsible for these emotions are larger than men's, but depression strikes women twice as often as men, says Rosch, adding, “The emotional effects of stress on women can range from postpartum depression after pregnancy to depression after menopause.”
• Sleep problems. Trouble falling or staying asleep is common in women affected by stress, and this is particularly counterproductive since a good night’s sleep can help ease stress.
• Concentration difficulty. Stress makes it hard to focus and be effective in your responsibilities at home or work, and that can compound your problems if your stress comes from your job to begin with.
• Heart disease. The stress of competing in today’s job market has increased women’s heart disease risk, Rosch says. Stress can negatively affect the entire cardiovascular system, and lead to high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack.
• Lowered immune response. One of the more complicated physical reactions to stress is your body’s lessened ability to fight off disease, whether it’s a cold or a flare-up of a chronic condition.
• Cancer. Some studies have suggested a link between stress and the development of breast and ovarian cancer. In one study, researchers found that the risk of breast cancer was increased by 62 percent in women who had experienced more than one highly stressful life event, like divorce or the death of a spouse.

Stress Effects: Stress-Lowering Techniques

Research presented at the most recent Western Psychological Association meeting found that 25 percent of happiness hinges on how well you handle stress. And what was the most important stress management strategy? Planning — or anticipating what's going to stress you out — and having the tools in place to tamp down the tension. Here are some more tips for managing stress:

• Improve your diet. By eating well-balanced meals and skipping junk food, you can improve your physical well-being and, in turn, your emotional health.
• Make time for exercise. “We do know that exercise is a phenomenal way of dealing with stress and depression,” said Dr. Heim. Research shows that getting active can lift your spirits and increase the release of endorphins, a natural chemical associated with mood.
• Find fun ways to relax. Connect with family and friends and people you enjoy being around. Rediscover favorite hobbies; recent studies link a resurgence in knitting and needlepoint to their stress-reducing effects. Other popular stress-busters include yoga, meditation, and tai chi.

Finally, if you feel overwhelmed by stress and its effects, talk to your doctor about ways to deal with it. You may learn new techniques for managing stress on your own, or you may find that therapy with a mental health professional will better help you to get it all under control.

Summer is when dating really heats up. No longer subjected to the winter blues, the longest, warmest days of the year means beautiful weather, tons of outdoor activities and the shedding of (many) layers. Make your summer sizzle with these summer dating ideas.

Summer Date Ideas

TIFF in the Park
Pump a little fresh air into your date with an outdoor movie courtesy of TIFF in the Park. Catching a flick outside combines two of the most classic dates into one: the picnic date along with the movie date. Grab some of your favourite snacks and cozy up to your sweetheart while watching classic films underneath the stars at David Pecaut Square every Wednesday at sundown, beginning July 2. You’re sure to get two thumbs up from your date with this idea.
Screening Schedule
More Film Festivals & Free Screenings

The Ex
Toronto’s favourite summer tradition  is the perfect date spot because it combines a bunch of great activities in one location: food, people-watching and getting some fresh air.  Indulge in the fried, Franken-weird foods the Ex has become famous for, but make sure you take a spin on the classic Swing Tower beforehand. Hit up the Midway games for some friendly competition, and then head over to the casino at night. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky in more ways than one.

North By Northeast (NXNE)
When it comes to summer lovin’, you want to have a blast with your date, which is why gettin’ your groove on at NXNE  is the perfect place to get close, and turn up the charm with your date. Whether you’re into music, film, art or comedy, NXNE provides ample choices of films, performances and installations across the city for you and your date to enjoy.
Check out the Concert Guide for more options

Toronto Blue Jays Game
Why spend a sunny day cooped up indoors at a bar watching the Jays when you and your date could be at the game in the fresh air (if the roof is open). Grab some popcorn, beer and your favourite foam finger and huddle in for the seventh-inning stretch. And, don’t be afraid to root for opposing teams – trash-talking is one of the best flirting techniques out there that might lead you to a home-run.
Home Game Schedule

Hot and Spicy Food Festival
Sometimes you have a hankerin’ for something hot and spicy – and sometimes that means lots of hot and spicy food. Grab your date and spend an afternoon at the Harbourfront Centre’s Hot and Spicy Food Festival hopping from booth to booth sampling the sizzling international cuisine. Check out the International Iron Chef Competition and see how the pros do it, so you can practice those moves at home.
Check out more Summer Festivals

Biking with Bike Share
There might not be a bicycle built for two available with Bike Share Toronto, but a day spent zooming around the city, thanks to the handy local network of rental bikes, will make any summer date seem like a breeze. Rent a couple of bikes on a sunny day and explore a new neighbourhood or park on wheels. A one-day pass costs $7, and for those who are feeling super energetic, a three-day pass runs $15.
Also check out: Exploring Toronto’s Bike Trails

iYellow Wine Club
There’s nothing more romantic, or highfalutin, than visiting a winery in the summer. Thankfully for Torontonians, the Niagara region is not that far from the city, especially when you can easily board a bus courtesy of Toronto’s iYellow Wine Club. The company’s Summer Wine Camp offers events, tours and classes in both Toronto and Ontario Wine Country.  Taste, discuss, drink – it’s what summer days are made for.

Canada’s Wonderland
Send your relationship to new heights at Canada’s premier amusement park, just a short jaunt from downtown. Cuddle up to your sweetie at the new 4-D interactive attraction, Wonder’s Mountain Guardian, or hang onto them tightly on Leviathan, one of the tallest roller coasters in the world. Cool down later at the Splash Park and relax along the Lazy River. Afterwards, don’t forget to split one of the park’s infamous funnel cakes. Stay for the park’s fireworks, which might ignite your own.
Photo Gallery: Inside Canada’s Wonderland

Ed’s Real Scoop
Treat your date with a step back in time to their childhood by visiting Ed’s Real Scoop. The ice cream shop, which has several locations across the city, makes their ice cream in-store, and creates such unique flavours like Ginger, Crème Brulee and Burnt Marshmallow. Grab a second spoon and split a sundae, or gaze into each other’s eyes while sipping from the same milkshake.
Website

Toronto Islands
No summer is complete without a little sand and surf, and a trip to the Toronto Islands is basically getting away from it all without actually leaving the city. Amid a beautiful backdrop of Lake Ontario and the city skyline, spend a fun-filled day basking on one of the island’s picturesque  (blue flag) beaches with your loved one. Adventurous types can tackle the Centreville Amusement Park or trek to the Gibralatr Point Lighthouse.

In this edition of The Weekender, a festival of bikes, a chat with a movie star and three other things to do in Toronto this weekend.

MEC Bikefest (FREE!)
You don’t need nice weather for a bike ride, but it helps. Now that spring has finally arrived, Mountain Equipment Co-Op is hosting a day of bike demos, clinics and free tune-ups in Trinity Bellwoods Park. Anyone gearing up for an active summer may want to cycle by. May 31. FREE. Trinity Bellwoods Park,mec.ca

Sheezer, With So Young and Wax Atlantic
For ’90s-music fans of a certain persuasion, a Sheezer concert is like nirvana (the state of consciousness, not the grunge combo). The all-female Weezer cover band plays tracks only from the blue album andPinkerton, so concertgoers never have to suffer through any of Rivers Cuomo’s disappointing late-career output. The crowd energy at shows is incredible. In many ways, a Sheezer set is better than the real deal. May 30. $13.50. Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. W., facebook.com

The Mothership Tour
Skrillex headlines this touring carnival of EDM, making it a must-attend for fans of the genre. For anyone who likes their music a little more low-key, though, remember: the summer festival season is only beginning. May 30-31. $48.50. Molson Ampitheatre, 909 Lake Shore Blvd. W., skrillex.com

Burger Day
The Grid’s annual meat-on-a-bun celebration returns for a third year. Dozens of restaurants from across the city will be offering up creative sliders topped with everything from kimchi to Nutella. Lines can grow punishingly long as the day wears on, but there are always at least a few standout items to make the waits worthwhile. June 1. $20 admission, sliders $3. Fort York National Historic Site, 250 Fort York Blvd.,burgerweek.ca

In Conversation With…Ethan Hawke
As actors go, Ethan Hawke has unusually wide appeal. Mainstream audiences will know him from his appearances in blockbusters like Dead Poets Society and Gattaca, but his work on Richard Linklater’sBefore… trilogy gives him undeniable indie cred. Ahead of the wide release of his newest film, Linklater’sBoyhood, Hawke will appear at the TIFF Bell Lightbox for a wide-ranging discussion about his career. Advance tickets are sold out, but there will be a rush line. June 1. TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St. W.tiff.net 

One of the best reasons to list your home with a real estate agent isn't just about getting more money for your home. While a real estate agent can get you up to 14% more for your home, according to the National Association of REALTORS®, he or she can also protect you and your property.

When your home goes on the market, you don't know where your buyer is going to come from -- the Internet, the sign in your yard, a neighbor referral or the buyer's agent. Having your home professionally listed makes your agent the point of contact so you don't have people coming to your door who aren't qualified and ready to buy a home.To expose your home to the most qualified buyers, your listing agent operates within a cooperative of real estate brokers called the multiple listing service (MLS). Competing brokers may bring their buyers to your home and receive a share of your agent's commission for helping to sell your home.

The MLS is the fastest and broadest way to expose your home to as many ready, willing and able homebuyers as possible. Through the MLS, your home may be promoted on Internet sites such as Realtor.com, Zillow and Trulia, where homes are showcased with virtual tours and multiple photos. Your agent may showcase your home in local media and put a sign in your yard so interested buyers can drive by and see your home's curb appeal.

Serious buyers use these tools to choose homes they're interested in. They realize that your home is listed through an agent and will get in touch with their own agent or your agent if they're interested. Anyone who ignores or tries to circumvent these obvious signs of agency is not the buyer you want.

Real estate professionals have ways of identifying genuine buyers. True buyers are prepared and ready -- they've been preapproved by a reputable lender, they're represented by an agent, and they're willing to share information about their parameters and timeline for buying a home.

What about open houses? Most real estate agents offer them only when they have increased security to protect your home (and themselves), such as asking another professional or a lender to accompany them.

Open house visitors are required to sign in, and some agents ask to see and make notes of drivers' licenses. Serious buyers won't mind these precautions, but someone who is interested only in decorating ideas or stealing prescription drugs from your bathroom won't likely comply.

Since you're being represented by an agent, there's no reason to open your door to anyone who says he or she is a real estate agent or a buyer unless they have an appointment.

Simply direct doorbell ringers to call your listing agent for an appointment. If they try to plead, bargain or get angry with you to get you to open the door, don't do it. Call the police.

There's a good reason why 88 percent of sellers list with a real estate agent over selling their home by themselves. Don't risk your safety -- it's never worth it.

Ottawa, ON, May 15, 2014 - According to statistics released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national home sales activity was up on a month-over-month basis in April 2014.

Highlights:

• National home sales rose 2.7% from March to April.
• Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity stood 0.3% below April 2013 levels.
• The number of newly listed homes climbed 2.9% from March to April.
• The Canadian housing market remains in balanced territory.
• The national average sale price rose 7.6% on a year-over-year basis in April.
• The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) rose 5.0% year-over-year in April.

The number of home sales processed through the MLS® Systems of Canadian real estate Boards and Associations rose 2.7 per cent from March to April 2014. This continues to build on gains recorded in each of the two previous months, marking the third and largest month-over-month increase since last August.

The increase places activity about halfway between the most recent peak reached in August 2013 and the slowdown in the second half of 2012 that followed changes to mortgage rules and guidelines.

Sales rose in half of all local housing markets in April, dominated by a rebound in activity in Greater Vancouver and an increase in Greater Toronto.

“Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto fuelled the anticipated spring pick up in national home sales in April which masked softer activity in a number of smaller markets,” said CREA President Beth Crosbie. “Housing trends can be very different between local markets and even within them depending on the neighborhood and type of home. Your local REALTOR® is your best source of information about how the housing market is shaping up where you currently live or might like to in the future.”

Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity in April stood just three-tenths of one per cent below levels recorded for the same month last year, and one per cent below the 10-year average for the month. April sales were up from year-ago levels in less than 40 per cent of all local markets, with gains in Greater Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton offsetting softer activity in Ottawa, Montreal, and other rural and suburban areas in Quebec.

The decline in sales activity below the 10-year average was broadly based. “Sales activity for the month of April and for the year to date came in below the 10-year average in more than 60 per cent of all housing markets,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “This shows that tightened mortgage rules and guidelines are working as intended to keep activity in check despite mortgage interest rates remaining extraordinarily low.”

The trend for new listings has mirrored the trend for sales over the past three months, with the number of newly listed homes rising 2.9 per cent in April on the heels of smaller gains in February and March. New listings were only up in about 60 per cent of local markets; however, as was the case with sales activity, outsized gains in Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto boosted the increase nationally.

The national sales-to-new listings ratio was 51.9 per cent in April, virtually unchanged from 52.0 per cent in March and little changed from 52.3 per cent in January and February. Since early 2010, the ratio has remained firmly entrenched within the 40 to 60 per cent range that marks balanced market territory. Some 60 per cent of all local markets posted a sales-to-new listings ratio in this range in April.

The number of months of inventory is another important measure of the balance between housing supply and demand. It represents the number of months it would take to completely liquidate current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.

The number of months of inventory has been edging marginally lower since the beginning of 2014. There were 6.3 months of inventory nationally at the end of April 2014 compared with 6.4 months at the end of February and March and 6.5 months at the end of January. As with the sales-to-new listings ratio, the number of months of inventory continues to point to a well balanced housing market nationally, with the measure holding close to its long-term average in the vast majority of markets.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in April 2014 was $409,708, an increase of 7.6 per cent from the same month last year. The national average price continues to be skewed upward by sales activity in Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto, which are among some of Canada’s most expensive housing markets. Excluding these two markets from the national average price calculation, the year-over-year increase diminishes to 4.8 per cent.

The MLS® Home Price Index (MLS® HPI) provides a better gauge of price trends because it is not affected by changes in the mix of sales activity the way that average price is.

The Aggregate Composite MLS® HPI rose 5.02 per cent on a year-over-year basis in April, which is slightly less than the 5.19 per cent gain recorded in March. This marks the first deceleration in year-over-year price growth since April 2013.

Year-over-year price growth picked up for townhouse/row units, but slowed for one- and two-storey single family homes and apartment units.

Year-over-year price gains were led by two-storey single family homes (+5.84 per cent) and one-storey single family homes (+5.35 per cent). This was closely followed by price increases for townhouse/row units (+4.52 per cent). The price increase for apartment units was comparatively more modest (+3.35 per cent).

Year-over-year price growth in the MLS® HPI varied among local housing markets tracked by the index, with the biggest gains having been posted by Calgary (+9.52 per cent), Greater Toronto (+7.01 per cent), and Greater Vancouver (+3.64 per cent).