The association expects a total of 474,972 residential properties to be sold this year
The firm's forecast assumes the energy market disruption will moderate over time
Economist expects housing activity to take most of the year to recoup first-quarter losses
The Ministry of Finance estimates the measure will spark an additional 8,000 housing starts
Average savings of those planning to buy a home in the next two years is $110,339
Sales dip 8.1% compared with last February
'Tepid' bounce-back unlikely to change overall cooling trend: economist
Housing construction activity exceeded the 10-year average across most major markets
Clearest impact seen in decelerating rental, housing markets
Improving affordability could slow new housing supply, report says