Several years back, I published an article on my blog titled “The Expanding Small(er) Markets of Southwestern Ontario”, in which I did my best to counter a prevailing narrative at the time that small towns in Ontario were slowly dying out. While it’s true that population growth in ‘census metropolitan areas’ (as Statistics Canada refers to larger urban areas) has generally outpaced growth...
It need hardly be said again that 2020 was a year unlike all others. Expectations being defied and norms being cast aside were common threads which seemed to run through each aspect of the year, since our lives changed dramatically last spring with the onset of an ongoing emergency in our province, country, and the entire world. Every industry was forced to scramble to adjust, with certain...
Over the past few years, particularly in unusually hot markets such as our own here in Southwestern Ontario, buyers and sellers alike have become accustomed to multiple offer scenarios. While the concept of multiple offers is simple enough on its face, there are myriad of underlying factors and dynamics that can make it a potential minefield for both buyers looking for the best possible deal, and for...
Between the day-to-day running of a newer real estate office, and with the Kitchener-Waterloo market now in full-on ‘spring mode’, it’s been quite some time since I’ve had a chance to update my blog. I’d like to share a few quick thoughts on the current state of affairs in Waterloo Region, and on where I see things going from here for the remainder of 2019. In line with much of what the...
It’s a common assumption when a market starts to cool that the worst-case scenario is imminent. But instead, let’s take a moment to revisit what the previous market was like from a buyer’s point of view. The action was fast and furious with homes being listed and then sold, often in a matter of hours. Buyers struggled to understand prices as houses sold for far over asking in multiple offers....
The Toronto Real Estate Board has been forced to concede and comply with the federal Competition Tribunal’s order to allow the free flow of previously protected information. Buyers and sellers will now have access to transaction records for properties including sale prices and sales numbers for Real Estate Agents, information which, to date, has been exclusively available to licensed Realtors through...
Have you read the latest article in the Kitchener Post about the summer slowdown in Waterloo Region's housing market? Not only do things typically slowdown in the summer, but there are more things in play than just seasonal conditions. The market over the past couple years was unsustainable over the long term. It was great for sellers, obviously, but the intense competition amongst...
“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” — John Pierpont “J.P.” Morgan Since April 2018, it’s been a whirlwind of change and opportunity for me. Opening Chestnut Park West in The Shops at Waterloo Town Square has been a dream fulfilled from day one. I’m so proud to be working with a team of passionate, motivated...
