Thoughts & Happenings

According to a recent Bank of Montreal report, first time home buyers in Toronto are planning to spend at least $400,000 on a new home this year; compared with $300,000 last year, that’s quite a jump!

The report looked at homebuyers buying in the Big Three markets of Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary. Buyers looking for a home in the GTA had the second highest budget; buyers in Montreal expect to spend $237,000 on their first home; $363,000 in Calgary and $510,000 in Vancouver.

Scotiabank analysts say that the real estate construction boom is over, but is it? With an aging housing market, it’s often a better move to just build a new home instead.

Either way, new housing starts (requests for permits for new construction) are expected to level off over the next decade - while projects that started in the last four years through now are expected to keep the construction market busy through the end of 2016.

Consumer confidence in the real estate market across the country reached a 3 year high this week, following a tide of optimism about the economy and the real estate market.

A recent Bloomberg Nanos Confidence Index report showed that last week consumer confidence hit 60, a number that surpasses the highest level of 59 back in March ’11.

Ever wonder what the world's most expensive home or car is? Well look no further, cause the answer is just a click away!

Imagine the worst winter we’ve had in decades, the best prices we’ve seen for real estate in the same amount of time, and a booming market of Baby Boomers and family-minded Millennials trying to escape the city for cute little communities like Oakville…

If you’ve been looking for a home in the GTA, you’ve probably had some trouble finding a good one: you’re not alone. Today the shortage of listed homes across the Greater Toronto Area has reached new heights, with the average home price rising almost twice the national average.

We’ve covered this topic in length already, but the Oakville Town Council has announced that there will be a special meeting April 7^th about the new Canada Post Community mailboxes.

Many residents in Oakville will be converted over the new community mailbox system later this year, but there are still many questions surrounding how the system will be implemented. Many are concerned that the mailboxes won’t be constructed in time before their home mail delivery gets cut off, while others are concerned about elderly friends and loved ones that won’t be able to check the boxes often.

Oakville, keeping with its sustainability mandate, will soon add more than 31km of pedestrian and cycling ways to the city. That means more on and off road cycling lanes, which means more signed bike routes and both new and improved sidewalks throughout the city. The project also aims to rehabilitate the Bronte Road underpass and trail.

HomeGain surveyed nearly 500 real estate professionals nationwide and configured a list of the top 10 do it yourself home improvements that cost under $5,000 and benefit sellers most when they sell their homes. 

What finished on top? Find out here!

Last month the fines increased to $280 because of a Chief Justice’s decree about distracted driving - but there’s so much you need to know before you hop behind the wheel! As we go on through this digital age, it’s only the beginning. These new laws are going to shape the rules of the road, our behaviours in Ontario and all of Canada, for many years to come.