The Financial Post reports in its Friday edition house prices keep going up in most parts of the country but affordability improved last quarter, according to Royal Bank of Canada. The Post's Garry Marr writes RBC chalked up the apparent discrepancy to mortgage rates, which continue to hover near all-time lows and have reduced interest costs. "It was more affordable to own a home in virtually all provincial and major local markets across Canada in Q2, and in the face of solid price gains no less," said Craig Wright, chief economist with RBC, in a release. Five-year rates are as low as 2.25 per cent, while fixed rate mortgage for five years are now as low as 2.67 per cent. Prices across the country jumped 5 per cent in July with the average sale price $401,585. RBC said resales picked up in May and June and contributed to a 9.4-per-cent seasonally adjusted gain in the second quarter, the strongest quarterly gain in almost four years. Not accounting for seasonal factors, it was second-best period for the quarter ever on record. The jump in activity was attributed to sellers with new listings up 8 per cent from a quarter earlier after three consecutive quarterly declines.