Each spring, my brokerage (Chestnut Park West) works to compile a buyer-friendly guide to the newest condominium developments that are taking shape around our region. While last year’s guide unfortunately was not able to come together due to the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic and the resultant difficulties in contacting developers and sales centers, I’m happy to report that this year’s...

Plenty can change over the course of a year – something we know all too well looking back from where we stand here in May of 2021.  While entire aspects of our daily lives have been upended, with the increasingly rapid pace of vaccine rollouts we’re now able to see a return to normality a little more clearly on the horizon.  But on the real estate front, some of the more unexpected aspects...

A few weeks ago, I posted a short article which outlined word of proposed changes to Canada’s mortgage stress-test. In short, our financial sector is beginning to take steps towards shoring up our market against potential hikes in interest rates over the medium term. This is particularly crucial now, as we’re in the midst of a very hot market fuelled in part by historically low interest...

One of the true hidden gems among the small towns of Southwestern Ontario lies just outside of Stratford, and a little under an hour’s drive from Kitchener-Waterloo. Positioned between more heavily-travelled Ontario highways, one typically would need to be deliberately seeking St Marys out to arrive in its charming downtown – but this town will make such a journey well worth your while! Settled...

It’s official – the tiny homes movement will soon be coming to a neighbourhood near you. Just this week, Kitchener City Council unanimously approved a motion to allow additional dwelling units to be constructed on qualifying existing lots all across the city. This amendment is expected to affect the status of as many as 57,000 properties in Kitchener, with existing zones of RES-1 through...

A couple of weeks back I pushed out a post on how the student housing market here in Waterloo has been faring in the midst of an unprecedented past 12 months. The full article is available for review here, but the Coles Notes version is that we’ve been performing much better than was expected initially. Even in the worst of the pandemic, more university students have opted to remain in...

Keeping within the borders of Waterloo Region for this week’s community profile, we’ll be looking at Elmira, Ontario. Set only 20 minutes north of Uptown Waterloo (and an even shorter drive from the attractions of St. Jacob’s and the amenities of King and Northfield in Waterloo) is this cozy community of a little more than 12,000 people. Key to Elmira’s charm is its ideal balance between the...

Inflation and real estate aren’t two things we often see mentioned in the same sentence.  Our notice of the effects of inflation is usually limited to everyday purchases – food, clothing, gas or other household items.  After all, it makes sense you’d take note when your weekend grocery run ends up costing you significantly more over time, since it’s something we all do so frequently....

Sometimes extraordinary things can start to feel routine if they happen often enough – a phenomenon many of us in the real estate business might be beginning to experience for ourselves. Ever since the pandemic bit down on us last spring, housing prices have soared in defiance of all initial expectations here in Waterloo-Wellington. The latest report released by KWAR just this past Monday makes this...

On Behalf of Dallmitch Holdings, Chestnut Park West is Pleased to Present Newry Station! Today, I’d like to feature a new residential development project that I’m very excited to be a part of!  Located along Highway 23 in the peaceful town of Atwood; only ten minutes south of Listowel, 35 minutes north of Stratford, and just under 45 minutes west of Waterloo is a collection of fully serviced...