Greater Fool
greaterfool.ca · Personal blog · on HN since 2010
Greater Fool is a Canadian blog on real estate and personal finance, focused on Toronto housing bubble warnings.
What HN saysCommenters recommend it as Canadian financial advice on housing, mortgages and renting versus buying in Toronto.
15HN people shared it
11linked it in comments
5stories submitted
127story points
6 years agolast shared
2010people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1Homepage6 people · first shared 2012
- 2Toronto Is in a Housing Bubble2 people · 121 points · first shared 2017 · 120 comments on HN
- 3Greater Fool's Predictions for 20171 people · 2 points · first shared 2017 · discussion on HN
- 4Deflation risk in Canada1 people · 2 points · first shared 2013 · discussion on HN
- 5The Void1 people · 1 points · first shared 2021 · 1 comments on HN
- 6Canada's even bigger real estate bubble?1 people · 1 points · first shared 2011 · discussion on HN
- 7We are watching1 people · first shared 2021
- 8Outta here1 people · first shared 2017
- 9Of debt data1 people · first shared 2016
- 10Market update 61 people · first shared 2010
- 11Nowhere to hide1 people · first shared 2019
- 12Chart.png1 people · first shared 2014
- 13Winter modified.png1 people · first shared 2015
- 14Gross me up1 people · first shared 2014
- 15Tapped out1 people · first shared 2019
What HN people wrote when they linked it
christocracy · 2020-03-07
For the best Canadian financial advice, including variable vs fixed mortgage and investment strategies, read http://greaterfool.ca daily.
branchless · 2015-05-12
can't reply to the throwaway dude as HN threading is nuts so replying here.
Low interest rates allows banks to more efficiently financialise housing (that is to say price housing at the optimal point to extract as much economic rent as possible). You get to spread your repayments over a long time and end up paying lots of lovely interest.
Higher rates (and therefore more wage inflation) quickly erodes the debt whilst putting a ceiling on the asset price bounded by wages at the time you sign the mortgage deeds.
The west has been utterly captured by banks. We've seen politicians walk rates down to zero to allow the asset price bubble to continue to extract value from labour.
This is the issue. It's not off-topic for this - all families are working two jobs for the banks.
ps also dude as you are in Canada (so am I):
http://www.greaterfool.ca/
Vancouver is nuts. Calgary: timber
refurb · 2014-01-31
I suggest you read this blog: http://www.greaterfool.ca
Why do you feel a need to buy a house? You can always rent and right now renting is far cheaper in Toronto than buying if you include buying and selling costs (realtor commissions, land transfer taxes).
skylan_q · 2013-04-08
Actually, one of my favorite blogs is http://www.greaterfool.ca ;)
I'm familiar with the greater fool theory. But people buy commodities, currencies and financial instruments on this expectation of increased future valuation. There could be a case made that the greater fool theory is in effect for bitcoins, but it can't be said that it is the case simply because people expect higher valuation in the future.
adamzochowski · 2013-02-13
Lone Person in Toronto has median of 22k
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil107d-e…
Lone Person in Toronto treated as Family (single parent) has median of 39k
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil107c-e…
I noticed that you put down 300$ into savings, but later, at end of month, you claim that there 0$ left, as if savings evaporated. Other numbers
As per housing / condo market I totally agree. Toronto and Vancouver are way overpriced. To anyone interested on Canadian housing market I recommend checking out http://www.greaterfool.ca/
rpeden · 2012-05-09
You're right about the Canadian housing market; There are those predicting it is in a bubble, the most vocal of whom is a former government MP blogging at http://greaterfool.ca .
The funny thing is that even after watching the carnage in the US housing market, people here don't believe it. I hear countless homeowners talking about housing is the best investment you can make, prices won't fall, it is different here, etc, etc.
voisin · 2021-03-28
Relevant:
“ This has the potential to destroy the livability of every major community, create two classes of citizens, cement a wealth divide, disenfranchise an entire cohort, create structural household debt, make shelter unaffordable and hobble the economy as billions a week flow into vaporous housing equity. In short, it’s an epic policy failure. It’s time those who have greased the wheels – realtors, central bankers, political leaders and our federal housing agency – stand accountable.”
https://www.greaterfool.ca/2021/03/26/we-are-watching/
mistermann · 2017-06-28
> If the US market is only close to overheating, Canada lags behind that.
Looking at this chart, I can't see how Canada is lagging anyone. Not even sure if this includes the 30% rise in Toronto (our largest city) this year.
http://www.greaterfool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/CANADA-US.png?x64…
dwd · 2014-05-22
In a bubbly, Ponzi scheme way. Last one in is left holding the empty can.
I used to read this blog back when I was watching for the crash that never was. (Doesn't appear to have happened in Canada either) He had an interesting tax story from a few days ago too about inheriting property.
http://www.greaterfool.ca/2014/05/19/gross-me-up/
heycarsten · 2010-08-25
http://www.greaterfool.ca/2010/08/24/market-update-6 (Granted, Garth Turner is extreme, but he does not make things up.)