No, BoP, you are not a troll. We have a difference of opinion in one specific area that is all.

Carioca if you look at the Vancouver Sun its the same story – multiple glossy color sections that are basically shameless ads for various real estate developments masquerading as 'news'. Most of the 'articles' are written by people with something to sell – there was the 'don't listen to the gloomers' article by local real estate investment seminar guru Ozzie Jurock, and this article I linked to in the forum that was advertising the BC real estate convention (I still can't completely parse the bad writing in that one).

Burden of Proof….. I think you are correct about national papers….the G+M as well as the National Post have been more "realistic" in their reporting of this countries RE situation, as well as that of the US. The Calgary Herald OTOH is a farce. We have the "New Homes" section….."New Condos" section……"Investment and Vacation Properties" section and the "Home and Style" section…..each of which is made up of full page ads hawking RE and/or ads written up to look like editorials or news. I own a business and advertise "minimally" in the Herald….FWIW a full page is $10K at a minimum…….43 pages of full color is easily $500K. And they do these sections each and every week. Think about it. You cannot expect them to be truthful and impartial or they'd be out of business as next to no one… Read more »

from one of the 'gurus' who called the US housing crash:

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/326566

Through my work I deal with many of the local developers in this city. A couple, more candid developers, have confirmed exactly what is being discussed here. The local newspapers rely on the money they receive through through RE. Just think about the amount of ad space devoted to RE. Flipping through today's Province, look at every page of ads of condo's for sale. That's why the Bob Rennie's of the world are allowed pages of space to print their own BS and have it appear as journalism. Why don't they give the same luxury to just any bloke, especially one with an opinion that differs from those blowhards? It's all about money. The local papers know who their daddy is. Any non-independent media has to be taken with a handful of salt. Read between the lines and always ask… Read more »

Carioca Canuck,

Interesting comment about the Herald. I wonder if there is a difference in the bias displayed by local papers in the bubbliest markets like Calagary and Vancouver and the national papers, which due to their national scope attract less locally focused RE advertising. Granted the TO Star is local but printed that bearish article posted by paulb.

I'm intersted to know if anyone else out there shares my preception of a bias shift in the media.

I don't know if this blog has voting features but it may be an interesting poll for the host to conduct.

A comment about the mainstream meadia with a view to perhaps learning some lessons. The canadian print and radio media seem to me to be displaying, on balance, a bearish bias on RE since January. This is a stark contrast to their bullish bias over the last 8 years. To ask a very controversial question: Could it be that the media is more astute in calling the top than we bears? Obviously the RE market was going to fall eventually. That proposition is trite. The only question worth asking is "when?". On that crucial question, I and every other bear has been wrong for a number of years. The media has been right. Now, many in the media seem to be calling a top (at least that is my perception). It is a call that is much better than the… Read more »

the economist spelled it out 3 maybe 4 years ago. I remember a cover story from 2005 talking about overheated housing markets around the world…it was all so clear…then.

btw, a friend of mine said they just laid off three people in his office because of lack of work from the US. And this a graphics design firm…the vaunted and untouchable service economy…

Gold in USD versus CAD chart. Freako can't read charts obviously

Instructions…

Scroll to near the bottom of the page to

EXCHANGE RATES in the center table

Click on "Canadian Dollar"

Then Click on the 5 YEARS button and you have your answer that gold has outperformed the USD by about 28%

You can compare to other currencies as well

Jesse…

"As to gold, out of curiosity, how do you know when to buy or sell?"

You do NOT try to pick one entry and exit point (if you think you ever really want to exit REAL money)but rather every Wednesday afternoon at the same time you buy a set dollar amount of gold or silver no matter what the price is. Ex. you buy $1,000.00 worth OR you buy one ounce of gold or 50 ounces of silver every Wed no matter if it is up or down. This way you average your costs over a longer period of time rather than trying to guess the top or bottom which no one ever knows. You would sell the same way.

Anyway prepare for increased wild volatility going forward and don't get shaken out…buy it and ignore it.

freako……again you bash PMs not knowing what you are talking about In 2002-3 I started buying silver at 5.25 to 5.95 it is now up 400% The Canadian dollar has gained about 35% in the same time. Do you get it now? Gold, silver etc are gaining now, yes even against the Euro. Better get some quick. CNN just had a half hour piece on it Saturday on their "Financial Security" (LOL) program and it is sure to send millions of Yanks to their coin and bullion dealers next week in a search for gold and a vain search for silver as there is very little of it to be had. Even in Vancouver whose economy is supported partially by the resource industry silver is very hard to get in any quantity. Go ask Western Coin and Stamp in Richmond.… Read more »