Author: homegoal.ca
Have you ever wondered which province holds the title of Canada’s happiest in 2025? The latest Leger Happiness Index has the answer. When deciding where to live, most of us focus on factors like cost of living, job opportunities, and real estate prices. But what about overall happiness? According to Leger’s 2025 Index report, Quebec is the happiest province in Canada —a detail that might just reshape how you think about your next move. Understanding the Leger Happiness Index The Leger Happiness Index™ (LHI) is an annual national survey that measures how happy Canadians feel on a scale from 1…
Selling a home isn’t just about bricks and mortar—it’s about the life built inside them, and the courage it takes to imagine something different. In The Exit Strategy, we share real stories from BREL clients who’ve faced that moment of change head-on, with all the emotions, questions, and tough decisions that come with it. While the names might be fake (to protect the privacy of our clients), these aren’t generic case studies. They’re lived experiences of people like Alex, a long-time Junction homeowner who turned to our team to help trade their house for a new chapter that now stretches…
From the street, 310 Palmerston Boulevard will pull you in with intrigue. But what waits behind its front doors will leave you awestruck. There’s no question that the address boasts heritage charm, but few would guess that beyond the industrial steel and glass doors lies nearly 9,000 sq. ft of creatively curated living space — it’s a home that is, according to its listing, regarded as Toronto’s finest historical restoration.Originally constructed in 1889, the property was reimagined by JF Brennan Design into four freehold townhouses, each with its own unique identity. This particular residence represents the pinnacle of that vision:…
It’s no secret that life in Canada has become more expensive. A 2025 Wealthsimple survey of 2,500 Canadians found that even those earning $100,000 or more are still feeling stressed about money. Real estate prices show exactly why. Ten years ago, $100K in savings could open doors; today, it barely cracks them open. The comparison between 2015 and 2025 makes the erosion of buying power painfully clear. Over the same period, the median after-tax income for Canadian families and unattached individuals rose from $56,000 to $74,200 — a 32.5% increase in eight years. But inflation, cost of living, and home…
Micro-condominiums often emerge as a solution to rising prices, promising a more affordable entry point to ownership for first-time buyers or investors. But this affordability comes with trade-offs that buyers are increasingly weighing. In Ottawa, Raymond Chin of Coldwell Banker First Ottawa Realty has watched the interest in micro-units dry up almost entirely. “The demand is actually very low,” the Realtor says, noting that in June, residential prices increased about nine per cent while the condominium market dropped about seven per cent. “Two-bedroom condominiums, or even a one-bedroom plus den, are much more sought after than just a one-bedroom or…
After tariffs sent Canadian home sales on a months-long downtrend, the market has been showing signs of recovery as of late, with July marking the fourth consecutive month of sales growth. According to the latest national housing stats from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), there were 40,228 home sales in July, up 3.8% month over month and 6.6% above July 2024.“With sales posting a fourth consecutive increase in July, and almost 4% at that, the long-anticipated post-inflation crisis pickup in housing seems to have finally arrived,” said Shaun Cathcart, CREA’s Senior Economist. “Looking ahead a little bit, it will…
Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Canada’s Organized Real Estate System Dealt A Blow In Class Action Settlement A large regional brokerage dealt a blow to Canada’s organized real estate system this week. RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada (OAC) agreed to settle a class action challenging mandatory board membership and commission structures. The firm is the first major brokerage to break ranks with other brokerages and real estate boards. By agreeing to drop mandatory board membership for its agents and brokers, it’s directly challenging the country’s tightly controlled real estate industry. Continue Reading… Canadian Home…
Recently, I asked ChatGPT a simple question: “Who’s the best real estate agent in Newmarket?” It gave me a list of names. Only one of them I recognized and I’ve been around long enough to know the serious players where I live. That moment stuck with me. Not because the results were wrong, but because I started asking: Why those agents? What signals is AI actually using to recommend people? And could those signals be influenced? So I started testing. I ran prompt variations across different cities. I researched how AI language models pull answers. I studied which reviews, platforms,…
Less than a week after releasing its second-quarter earnings, which showed that revenues from its appraisals and development advisory services are down, Toronto-based provider of real estate analytics Altus Group has revealed that it is in a period of review that could culminate in a sale. “Altus Group periodically undertakes a strategic review to maximize stakeholder value. The Company is in the process of a review, which includes but is not limited to acquisitions, divestitures, and a sale or merger of the Company,” a Wednesday morning statement said. “The Company’s board of directors is committed to acting in the best…
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) is getting ready to welcome real estate leaders from around the globe to the third annual International MLS Forum. The two-day event will spotlight “cross-border collaboration, MLS innovation, and the sharing of ideas,” said TRREB. It’s happening Sept. 25-26 at the Westin Harbour Castle. “After attending the inaugural International MLS Forum in Paris two years ago, I knew the global conversation needed to continue here in Toronto. I’m proud Toronto is this year’s host city and part of the international movement shaping the future of real estate worldwide,” said John DiMichele, CEO of…