Recently, the "headline news" was that Vancouver, British Columbia, lost its decade-long first-place standing as Most Liveable City to Australia’s Melbourne, according to The Economist The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Livability Ranking Survey of 140 cities. The challenge is "headline news" to the media is not always the news that is most useful to real estate owners. Can you tell which news is the best news to support your decision making?

Before Vancouverites start packing, they should read the free, 16-page Survey summary and learn how relevant this rating revision is to decisions about relocating:

• Vancouver got bumped by Melbourne because of "a small adjustment in Vancouver’s score for transport infrastructure, reflecting recent intermittent closures of the key Malahat highway." Since the mountainous Malahat is outside Victoria on Vancouver Island, just how relevant is that?

• This "minuscule" adjustment dropped Vancouver to third place since score differences are very small. Only 1.8 percentage points separate the top ten and less than 17 separate the top 63, all considered top-tier liveable cities.

• There could more downward revisions for Vancouver in future surveys because of June’s riots since the Survey includes violent crime in its index.

• This Survey, which assesses the best and worst living conditions, originated and continues in use as a tool for Human Resource Departments to assign a hardship allowance as part of expatriate relocation packages. How relevant is that to your decision making?

Most of the big banks, professional groups, trade associations, non-profit organizations, governments, educational institutions, and corporations generate surveys and reports that provide insight into regional and national issues for consumers, small businesses, and communities. Most are free. Many are useful on some level. Most do not hit the media, so may be missed. What information do you need to make good decisions about where to live, work, and buy real estate?

If you just react to headlines, you may be misled or shortchanged. Reading free summaries and ereports goes a step further. When you find something of interest, email or call report authors to discuss their analysis. Most are receptive to reader comments which also justify their research and writing.

If you want suggestions on which publications—online and off—provide reliable insight into real estate and economic trends in your area, ask the real estate and financial professionals who promote their services to you. You may not need to list your home or arrange a mortgage right now, but why not learn from these experts what you should track to improve appreciation of your real estate?

The federal housing agency, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), is a solid resource for regional and national overviews. The main site—cmhc.ca—carries free epublications on useful topics for home buyers and owners (check publication dates before you act). The recently-released, third-quarter Canadian Market Outlook predicts "Housing Market to Remain Steady in 2011."

CMHC Housing Market Outlook Reports offer "the forward-looking analysis needed to anticipate emerging trends in Canada's new home, resale and rental housing markets." Forecasts for significant housing industry variables like starts, prices, resales and listings may provide that extra clarity you need to decide on the best course of action for your real estate ventures.

The Canada edition contains detailed national and provincial outlooks, summary forecasts for each major centre, a five-year outlook on housing starts in the second-quarter edition, and a renovation outlook in the third-quarter edition. Many major centres have individual Housing Market Outlook reports which provide insightful detail for those local markets.

"Housing starts have been strong in the last few months, but are forecast to moderate closer in line with demographic fundamentals," said Mathieu Laberge, Deputy Chief Economist for CMHC. "Despite recent financial uncertainty, factors such as employment, immigration and mortgage rates remain supportive of the Canadian housing sector."

The average price for listed properties increased in the first half of 2011, reflecting a greater proportion of higher-end sales. The pattern will moderate for the rest of this year, but the annual average sale price for listed properties will be higher than in 2010. In 2012, existing home sales are expected to move up modestly.

Where do you turn to learn what is really happening in the real estate markets that matter to you?

Published: September 6, 2011

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Futurist and Strategist PJ Wade is "The Catalyst" - intent on "Challenging The Best to Become Even Better." PJ earned this title by translating the dynamic impact of Boomers and their multi-generation families into relevant insights that start people thinking and taking action—in business and in life. Author of 8 books and more than 1800 published articles, PJ encourages individuals to become their own futurist. PJ writes and speaks about the insight, knowledge and solid decision-making skills that professionals and their clients need to live and work in this vortex of change. For instance, since PJ knows that home is headquarters for the new decades-long "unretirement," she wrote the popular book "Reverse Mortgages: Best Friend, Worst Enemy...Your Choice!", which is filled with suggestions and cautions on protecting, building and managing home equity. Her new business book, "What's Your Point?: Cut The Crap, Hit The Mark & Stick!" will be published in 2012. As The Catalyst, PJ provides strategic communication, client appreciation and advanced education services to the financial, tourism, lifestyle and service sectors - and the clients they serve. A frequently-quoted financial and business commentator, PJ is a thought-provoking strategic speaker who offers practical, real-life suggestions on leaving "the box" behind and embracing Forward Thinking - a talent she regularly demonstrates in this column. For more on keynotes, blogs, books and information on a range of 21st-Century topics, visit TheCatalyst.com.