Author: homegoal.ca
The Design District in Hamilton Mixed-use projects are no longer experiments on the edges of planning policy; they are the centrepiece of how cities and suburbs are being reshaped. Modern design trends involve ensuring that the relationships between different uses are being re-engineered to maximize tenant appeal, economic viability, and long-term resilience. Design has moved past simply stacking residential units on top of commercial or office areas; it now orchestrates how these functions interact, overlap, and generate value for each other. Podium-Driven Urban Fabric One of the strongest trends is the use of the podium as a unifying design device.…
As the redevelopment of the defunct Downsview Airport moves through the planning stages and toward construction, Beau Brooker is getting his bearings, having been brought on as Northcrest Developments’ first-ever vice president of construction this past July. Otherwise known as YZD, the project is unequivocally ambitious, set to transform the 370-acre former Bombardier site into seven interconnected neighbourhoods with tens of thousands new homes, commercial and cultural spaces, and sprawling parks, with a two-kilometre runway reimagined into a public street running through it all. It’s the master plan of all master plans that will be realized over the next 30…
Canadian entrepreneurs are building the future—they just aren’t building it in Canada. A new study warns the country’s startup scene failed to recover post-pandemic, with Canadian-educated founders increasingly creating jobs elsewhere. The authors blame rising domestic friction and call for cultural and financial incentives to reverse the trend. But the report overlooks the biggest hurdle to startups—and the jobs they create: Canada’s real estate addiction. About The Study Today we’re looking at a study on Canadian startups. Leaders Fund, a VC firm focused on early-stage enterprise software, analyzed 2,932 venture-backed companies that raised at least US$1M between 2015 and 2024.…
In 2024, spring and summer real estate activity was muted as buyers waited on the sidelines for affordability to improve. Then the fall came, and so did some major interest rate cuts from the Bank of Canada. This led to strong sales numbers across Canada and renewed optimism for the 2025 year ahead. Now we are deep into 2025, and the BoC has cut interest rates for the third time this year. Could this fall mark a rebound in the real estate market? Or will continued economic uncertainty deter buyers? Our experts weigh in on how housing supply, mortgage rates,…
Former Calgary Realtor Eric Drinkwater has been permanently banned from trading in real estate in Alberta after admitting to defrauding 71 people out of more than $3.5 million through a Ponzi scheme. The Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) announced the lifetime ban, effective Sept. 22, following a disciplinary hearing in May where Drinkwater admitted to soliciting fraudulent bridge loans. In its decision, the independent hearing panel described his conduct as “among the most severe” RECA has ever addressed. Drinkwater, who was licensed with Re/Max Real Estate (Central) and RE/MAX Complete Realty during the misconduct, was also ordered to pay…
In mid-August, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced more than 60,000 Ontario public service workers would return to a four-day in-office work week starting in October, before returning to the five-day in-person schedule of the pre-covid days in January 2026. The announcement followed similar moves from Canada’s big banks, including Scotiabank, BMO, TD, and RBC, all of which will require workers to be in office for at least four days a week starting this fall.The news has been met with mixed reactions from workers themselves, but the return-to-office (RTO) trend undeniably bodes well for commercial real estate — particularly the office…
Toronto real estate continued to spiral to new lows last month. Greater Toronto new home sales just printed the weakest August on record, according to Altus Group data. However, the weak demand was not for a lack of inventory, which came in at the highest level in at least 10 years. The issue is no one wants a condo—the high-rise crane capital of North America is now seeing fewer condo sales than single-family homes. Greater Toronto New Home Prices Are Down Over $400k Since Peak [Chart] Source: Altus Group; BILD GTA. Greater Toronto new home prices are falling sharply as…
In a move set to reshape the global real estate landscape, Compass announced Monday it will acquire rival firm Anywhere Real Estate, consolidating some of the biggest brands in the business. The all-stock transaction is valued at approximately US$1.6 billion. The combined company will be worth around US$10 billion and will bring together roughly 340,000 real estate professionals across about 120 countries and territories, said an official statement. The deal marks a game-changing merger in the residential real estate sector, combining Compass — the largest residential brokerage in the United States by sales volume — with Anywhere’s portfolio of prominent…
After “eclipsing” the 1990s downturn this July, Greater Toronto Area (GTA) new home sales plunged 42% year over year last month, with a mere 300 transactions recorded, according to the latest data from the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). This put sales 81% below the ten year average, contrasting starkly with the historical average for new home sales in August, which would typically be around 1,595 units.This continued downtrend in new home sales comes as economic uncertainty combines with a general lack of affordability, both to buy and to build new homes. And while completions are coming online…
Let’s be real for a second. You love your house. You raised your kids there. You remember the paint colors from every Christmas, and maybe you still have that one tile in the kitchen that’s been cracked since ’98, but hey—it’s yours. But now? You’re staring down the hallway at three empty bedrooms, you haven’t used the upstairs in a week, and you’d rather wrestle a feral cat than shovel that driveway one more winter. Sound familiar? Here are five flashing neon signs that it might be time to downsize—not because you have to… but because you finally can. 1.…