Canadian retail sales increased by 2.5 per cent to $69.6 billion in December from the previous month. Compared to the same time last year, retail sales are up by 3.9 per cent. Furthermore, core retail sales, which exclude gasoline and automobile items, also rose by 2.5 per cent month-over-month. In volume terms, adjusted for rising prices, retail sales increased by 2.5 per cent in December.  In the fourth quarter of 2024, retail sales increased by 2.4 per cent, while retail sales rose by 1.3 per cent on an annual basis in 2024.

Retail sales in British Columbia were up 1.6 per cent in December month-over-month and up 2.0 per cent compared to the same time last year. In the CMA of Vancouver, retail sales were up 2.1 per cent both from the prior month and from December 2023.

Canada's sharp jump in retail activity in December largely reflects the impact of the GST/HST tax break during the holiday season. As expected, strength in core retail sales is driven by sales in the food/beverage and clothing industries, both of which were included under the tax holiday.  While tailwinds from the tax break were expected, economists are mostly monitoring whether this momentum will continue following its conclusion last week. Nonetheless, the Bank of Canada remains poised for a 25-point cut next month and hopes to see its effects transmit into stronger Canadian retail spending in the first quarter of 2025. 

https://mailchi.mp/bcrea/canadian-retail-sales-december-2024

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

February is often associated with grand romantic gestures, but true love is found in the small, meaningful actions we take for ourselves and the people around us. Here are some simple ways to spread warmth and care this month.

For Yourself

Start a Gratitude Journal: Write down one thing you’re thankful for each day. This practice can boost your mood and help you focus on the positive.

Treat Yourself to Something Special: Whether it’s your favorite dessert, a relaxing bath, or a solo movie night, take time to indulge in small pleasures.

Unplug for an Hour: Disconnect from devices and enjoy a quiet moment with a book, some music, or simply your thoughts.

For Others

Handwritten Notes: Write a thoughtful note to a friend, family member, or partner. In today’s digital world, a handwritten message feels especially personal.

Unexpected Kindness: Pay for someone’s coffee, leave a positive review for a local business, or call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.

Small Tokens of Appreciation: Surprise someone with a baked treat, a bouquet of flowers, or even a heartfelt compliment—it can make their day.

For Your Community

Volunteer: Spend an hour at a local shelter or community center or donate to a cause that matters to you.

Support Local Businesses: Shop small or recommend your favorite spots to friends.

Be a Good Neighbor: Offer to bring in packages or share a warm meal with someone nearby.

Love doesn’t need to be extravagant; it lives in the thoughtful, everyday moments that connect us to others and remind us to care for ourselves. This February, embrace these simple acts of love and see how they can brighten the world around you.

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, is one of the oldest and most significant holidays in many East and Southeast Asian cultures. Its origins trace back over 4,000 years to ancient China, where it began as a way to celebrate the end of winter and the start of the agricultural season. Rooted in traditions of honoring deities and ancestors, it marks a time of renewal, family unity, and gratitude.

The holiday is based on the lunar calendar, which follows the cycles of the moon. This is why the date varies each year but always falls between late January and mid-February. Each year is associated with one of the 12 zodiac animals, along with one of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal or water), creating a 60-year cycle.

One of the most enduring legends behind the Lunar New Year involves Nian, a mythical beast that terrorized villages. To scare it away, people lit firecrackers, banged drums, and displayed red decorations, which Nian was said to fear. These customs evolved into today’s vibrant celebrations, including lion dances, fireworks, and red envelopes filled with money.

The final day of the Lunar New Year is celebrated with the Lantern Festival, symbolizing unity and hope. While the holiday has transformed over centuries, its core themes—family, gratitude, and new beginnings—remain timeless. Today, it’s observed worldwide, bringing people together to honor tradition and welcome prosperity for the year ahead.

February is an ideal time to recognize the science-backed benefits of hugging. Regular embraces can enhance both physical and mental health.

Physically, hugging can help lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, and reduce pain by releasing endorphins. Mentally, hugging decreases cortisol levels— alleviating stress, boosting serotonin and dopamine, improving mood, and combating depression. Emotionally, hugging fosters trust and deepens connections, enhancing relationship satisfaction.

Incorporating more hugs into daily life can lead to these numerous benefits. This February, embrace the power of a hug and share its warmth with those around you.

Beyond individual well-being, hugging plays a vital role in strengthening social bonds. Regular embracing can enhance trust and communication among friends and family, fostering a supportive community. By sharing hugs, we not only improve our health, but we also contribute to a more connected and compassionate society.

So go ahead—share the love, one hug at a time!

Canadian prices, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose 1.9 per cent on a year-over-year basis in January, up from a 1.8 per cent increase in December. Month-over-month, on a seasonally adjusted basis, CPI increased by 0.1 points in January. Excluding energy, the CPI rose 1.7 per cent in January. Overall, shelter price growth continues to cool, as mortgage interest costs were up 10.2 per cent, marking the seventeenth consecutive month of deceleration. Similarly, rent was up 6.3 per cent in January year-over-year, down from 7.1 per cent in December. In BC, consumer prices rose 2.2 per cent year-over-year, down from 2.6 per cent in December. The Bank of Canada's preferred measures of median and trimmed inflation, which strip out volatile components, both rose to 2.7 per cent year-over-year.

Inflation continues to hold close to target as a rise in energy prices has been offset by price reductions in many goods affected by the GST/HST tax break. However, January saw slight increases in the Bank's core measures, indicating some lingering upward momentum on a quarterly basis. Nonetheless, this report is unlikely to sway the Bank of Canada away from its plan to cut the overnight rate by 25 basis points during their next meeting. 

https://mailchi.mp/bcrea/canadian-inflation-january-2025

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

Canadian housing starts rose by 3 per cent to 239,739 units in January at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). Starts were up 4 per cent from the same month last year. Single-detached housing starts were largely unchanged from last month at 57,299 units, while multi-family and other starts rose by 4 per cent to 182,443 (SAAR).

In British Columbia, starts fell by 13 per cent from last month to 41,136 units (SAAR) in all areas of the province. In areas of the province with 10,000 or more residents, single-detached starts rose by 12 per cent to 4,898 units, while multi-family starts fell by 17 per cent to 34,078 units month-over-month. Starts in the province were 33 per cent above the levels from January 2024. Compared with the same month last year, starts were up by 205 per cent in Kelowna, 208 per cent in Abbotsford, and 37 per cent in Vancouver, while being down by 98 per cent in Nanaimo and 42 per cent in Victoria. 

https://mailchi.mp/bcrea/canadian-housing-starts-january-2025

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

Stroke is a devastating experience in which blood is cut off from a part of the brain. It can have many contributing factors. One of them, physicians now say, is stress.

According to the journal Stroke, researchers looked at medical records of more than 6,000 men and women who participated in a 16-year study. As part of the study, participants’ anxiety levels were measured. Over the course of time, 416 people suffered at least one stroke. The researchers determined that the risk of stroke rose 14% among individuals with higher anxiety levels, as measured in terms of such symptoms as extreme nervousness, tension, and general stress. Participants with especially high rates of these symptoms were identified as having an increased risk of 33%.

One possible connection: Stress often leads to unhealthy habits like poor nutrition, smoking and drinking, and lack of exercise. Stress also contributes to higher blood pressure, one of the culprits behind stroke.

We sometimes think creativity is for young people. Children are endlessly imaginative, but the elderly are set in their ways. After all, we think, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” right? Consider this list of creative accomplishments by people who may have seemed to be past their prime: 

• Goethe. The famous German poet finished part two of his masterpiece Faust shortly before his death in 1832, when he was 83. 

• Arthur Rubenstein. This concert pianist performed at Carnegie Hall at age 90. 

• Grandma Moses. Artist Anna Mary Robertson, better known as “Grandma Moses,” had her first solo exhibition of paintings in 1940, when she was 80 years old. 

• George Bernard Shaw. The Irish-born playwright remained active until his death in 1950 at age 94, when he published his final play. He was working on another unfinished play when he died. 

• Pablo Casals. The cellist and conductor, born in 1876, continued to perform on concert tours into his eighties.

Homes newly listed on the MLS® in Metro Vancouver rose 46 per cent year-over-year in January, as sellers appear eager to enter the market to start the year.

Read our January MLS® Market Report to learn more: https://www.gvrealtors.ca/market-watc...

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

For the complete news release, including detailed statistics, click here.

Vancouver, BC – February 2025. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that 4,221 residential unit sales were recorded in Multiple Listing Service^® (MLS^®) Systems in January 2025, up 6.4 per cent from January 2024. The average MLS^® residential price in BC in January 2025 was down 1.0 per cent at $949,560 compared to $959,191 in January 2024. 

The total sales dollar volume was $4 billion, a 5.3 per cent increase from the same time the previous year. BC MLS^® unit sales were 12 per cent lower than the ten-year January average.

“As expected, 2025 is off to a better start in most regions across BC,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “January’s pickup in sales and listings may foreshadow a stronger 2025, caveated by global uncertainties which may trigger higher or lower rates from the Bank of Canada.”

Active listings in January 2025 climbed to 30,896 units, a 27 per cent increase from the same month last year. Normalizing trends in new listings, coupled with stronger sales activity in the past few months, have led to an accumulation of inventory. Moving forward, it remains crucial for supply to keep pace with growing demand to keep markets balanced and prevent rampant price appreciation.

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

February is often celebrated as a time for romantic love, but love takes many forms worth honoring. While romance captures attention, the lasting power of committed love, compassionate love and, perhaps most importantly, self-love truly shapes our lives. These deeper forms of love reveal themselves through the care and commitment we show to others — and ourselves — every day.

Prioritizing our health is one of the most profound ways we express self-love. Too often, we place everyone else's needs above our own well-being. But one of the greatest acts of love — for ourselves and for those who care about us — is making time for preventive healthcare.

Many of us know at least one person who discovers that a treatable form of cancer or another health condition could have been caught earlier through routine screening. We often hear, "I just never made the time to get checked out."

Healthcare professionals remind us that serious health conditions often begin silently: A quick blood pressure check might prevent a stroke, a routine mammogram might detect cancer at its most treatable stage, or a basic cholesterol screening might lead to lifestyle changes that add years to our lives.

Timing matters with these screenings. At 40, our bodies begin to send signals to which we should listen. By 45, consider having screenings, such as those for colorectal and prostate health. And at 50, it’s time to check in on bone density and lung health.

Remarkably, these potential life-saving measures require minimal time — 10 minutes for a blood pressure check, 30 minutes for a mammogram and an hour for an annual physical. These small investments can reshape our future.

Remember that our health is the foundation for all of our plans and dreams. Every moment spent on preventive care is a gift — to ourselves and to everyone counting on us to be around for several more years.

With care, 

Gino Pezzani

RE/MAX Heights Realty

www.vanhomesales.com

604-418-9366