Author: homegoal.ca

(photo: CREA)   Patrick Pichette is ending his 13-year chapter with Realtor.ca and the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). Since January, Pichette has served as the founding CEO of Realtor.ca on an interim basis. The role was created as the website was spun out as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CREA.  Pichette had previously served as vice president of Realtor.ca for over six years. He spent his earlier years at CREA in marketing and product development.  “I’m especially grateful for the chance to rally the industry and the team around a new vision for Realtor.ca, and for the opportunity to spin…

Finding love and a place to call home is all about timing, intuition, and, let’s face it, the numbers. So, where are your odds best? Using the latest data from Statistics Canada, Zoocasa analyzed population trends across the country to determine where people aged 20 to 39 make up the largest portion of the population. Whether you’re looking for a partner in your late-20s career climb, or someone who’s also Googling “the difference between fixed and variable rates,” these numbers reveal where your dating pool might be deepest — and where love and lifestyle goals align. Early 20s: PEI’s Coastal…

It’s October. Interest rates dipped in September. Another drop is widely expected at the end of this month, and speculation is that we could even see a third before the end of the year. Economists are cautiously optimistic. And here’s what this means for you.   Now is your window   It’s not going to be obvious. You won’t suddenly wake up to headlines screaming “It’s back!” You’re not going to feel it until long after it’s already passed. But for the agents who are paying attention – the ones putting in the work right now – opportunity is already…

Real estate investors have traditionally leaned heavily on a few key cities in Canada, such as Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal. The GTA in particular was popular, with its robust immigration inflows, thriving job market, and seemingly endless housing demand, which generated strong appreciation and reliable returns. However, more recently, prices in the GTA have escalated dramatically. As Paul D’Abruzzo, Investment Property Agent, notes, “With these soaring prices in Toronto, cash flow with a standard down payment is almost impossible to achieve. Adding to that, appreciation has levelled. Investors who stay confined to the core are taking on higher risk…

Following an unexpectedly frenzied spring housing market, some provinces will be spared from the impending economic slowdown. At least, for now.The “relative strength” of the rebound has led Marc Desormeaux and Hélène Bégin, Principal Economists at Desjardins, to alter their economic forecasts for some provinces and push the start of the downturn to 2024.After the Bank of Canada (BoC) temporarily paused interest rate hikes, most provinces experienced an uptick in sales activity. But in Ontario and British Columbia — where affordability is already stretched — the “robustness of gains…has been striking.”As such, the economic forecasts for the two housing-oriented provinces…

Canadian investors are trading in their loonies for shiny rocks—and it’s an ominous sign in plain sight. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows unwrought precious metal imports surged in August, driven by gold. It was the second-largest buying spree on record, so large it distorted national trade figures. Paired with the recent erosion in investment and record capital outflows, the volume suggests investors aren’t hedging—they’re bracing for impact.  Canadian Gold Demand Surges To 2nd Highest Level On Record Canadian unwrought gold, silver, and platinum metal monthly imports (primarily gold).  Source: StatCan; Better Dwelling. Canadians have developed an appetite for gold this…

As a young man growing up in Mississauga, Ont., Don Kottick had little interest in business.  While his parents urged him toward a conventional path, he veered toward studies in anthropology, psychology and geology — not the typical origin story of a corporate leader. Yet decades later, Kottick stands at the helm of Re/Max Canada, guiding the nation’s most recognized real estate brand at a high-stakes moment when the industry demands steady leadership. Born to parents in academia and engineering, Kottick graduated from the University of Toronto during an oil industry downturn, which forced a change in direction. After briefly…

Across Canada’s major metropolitan areas, housing construction is showing a clear split between homeowner-oriented projects, including single-family homes and condos, and purpose-built rentals. Construction on the first group is dropping to levels not seen since the Financial Crisis, while the latter is experiencing a surge of new activity. This divergence is reshaping the supply outlook for both ownership and rental markets, with very different implications for future resale inventory, rental vacancies, and overall housing balance. National Divergence in Construction Activity On a national level, the shift is striking. Over the past year, purpose-built rental starts reached 102,000 units, which is…

It’s no secret that the real estate industry has been historically slow to change with the times. But, with today’s evolving end-user expectations, change is inevitable. This is even more true when it comes to the modern tenant experience – especially in our current purpose-built rental boom. But on the flip side, there’s still something significant to be said about good old-fashioned customer service (and real human connection). This is why Holt Meadow Group fuses an accessible human touch with the best in contemporary technology, for a harmonious approach to property management. It’s a style that complements today’s modern daily…

Slower home construction, rising interest rates, higher home prices, and stagnant wage growth have created challenging conditions for the average American homeowner. As a result, fewer Americans can attain affordable housing.  As defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), housing is considered affordable if an occupant spends no more than 30% of their income on housing costs. But a large percentage of Americans are overspending.   A recent Zoocasa survey of over 1,000 American renters and homeowners found that over one in three respondents (39.7%) are spending over 30% of their household income on housing costs, including…