While Montrealers do not suffer the same accessibility issues as their city-dwelling counterparts in Toronto and Vancouver, there are signs that our real estate market is on an upswing, both in terms of sales and prices.
Only a few months ago the Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards predicted a 7% drop in sales for 2017. Now, in a recent update, we are looking at 2% increase from 2016. With increased consumer demand comes a rise in prices, and Finance Minister Carlos Leitao is predicting a 5-6% increase in prices in the Montreal region. CTV news report here.
Increased activity in the real estate market can be traced back to a decrease in the unemployment rate, greater consumer confidence, and a certain amount of pent-up demand from the past two years, where sales and prices in many areas stagnated. A recent article in the Montreal Gazette warned that those who wanted to buy on the island had best get into the market fast, as affordability is decreasing.
Despite bouts of media-selling hysteria, there are still many interesting areas of Montreal where buying a property is affordable, even for lower income homeowners. Low interest rates, smart renovations and outward-moving gentrification mean those owners will at some point see an increase in the values of their homes. It is a smart step towards long-term financial security. Finding a good realtor who knows those areas and who makes your needs a top priority is the first step .
Are you looking forward to longer days, more sunshine, and a little more optimism? I know I am. When we are in the middle of the shnoot it can be hard to understand the purpose of struggles and challenges. What a ride this winter has been so far…there are more than a few thinking it
It has been a busy few months. Real estate kept us hopping, and between many lovely people asking for our help to sell their homes and a bevy of equally wonderful and motivated new buyers, the last few months have been filled with laughter, a bit of nostalgia, determination, some exhaustion and a lot of
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” This famous Charles Dickens quote was in my head today as I reflected back on a gruelling 3 weeks of training that I recently completed in California. Train the Trainer is the toughest course offered by Empowerment Partnership, and I am thrilled to say I stared
