Home sales up 0.8% from March to April. Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity stood 11.5% above levels in April 2011. The size of the year-over-year increase reflects a slowdown in sales last April following changes to mortgage rules which came into effect on March 18, 2011.

This is the first time that Manulife Bank has focused on surveying Canadians about debt in the context of retirement planning. The survey found that half of Canadians - more women (54%) than men (46%) - would find it extremely stressful to reach retirement age with debt still outstanding.

"We are seeing more single women entering into the housing market, as income levels, changing demographics and lifestyle patterns shift purchasing habits," said Marcia Moffat, head of home equity financing, RBC. "But women are being more cautious than men, weighing cost, affordability and job security before buying a home.

“Most of the increase was in the multiples segment. The increase in this segment is partly a reflection of the high level of pre-sales in large multi-unit projects since 2011, which is in line with job gains over the last year,” said Mathieu Laberge, Deputy Chief Economist at CMHC’s Market Analysis Centre. “Looking at single-detached homes, 67,700 such units were started across Canada in April, a rate which is consistent with that of the recent past,” added Laberge.