OTTAWA – Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is forecasting a moderate slowdown in new-home construction starts, as well as sales of existing housing.

The Ottawa-based federal agency isn’t calling for a major decline.

But CMHC said it expects prices in most local markets will grow more slowly than they have been recently.

CMHC said housing starts and home sales have been strong in 2012 but will soften moderately through the end of this year and into 2013.