Financial Post · Wednesday, Jun. 30, 2010

OTTAWA — Home prices in some of Canada’s biggest cities rose 0.8% in April, according the latest Teranet-National Bank house-price index released Wednesday.

That followed a 0.3% rise for March, and marked the 12th straight month that prices have risen.

“At the national level, April continues the best string of consecutive monthly price increases since September 2006,” Marc Pinsonneault, economist with National Bank Financial, wrote in a report. “Home prices are now 2.9% above their recession peak, a situation that contrasts with the one prevailing in the U.S., where prices are down 30% from their peak.”

The index takes into account price trends in six urban areas. Prices in Halifax were up 1.9% for the month, Montreal and Ottawa home prices were ahead 1.1%, Toronto was up 0.6%, and Calgary and Vancouver were both ahead 0.8%.

It marked the first time in five months all local areas saw monthly gains. Calgary, however, remains the only area among the six still short of its pre-recession high, which it achieved in August 2007.

For the year, the national composite home price index was up 12.9%.

Canwest News Service