Key Things to Remember Lee Quaile Broker of Record Just yesterday our local real estate board released its monthly statistics report for the Kitchener-Waterloo market. The numbers tell a story which will, by now, be familiar to most of you – average sale prices are way up over last year, average time to sell is way down, more listings than ever are being sold each month, and a record number of...

Lee Quaile Broker of Record Each spring, my brokerage (Chestnut Park West) works to compile a buyer-friendly guide to the newest condominium developments that are taking shape around our region. While last year’s guide unfortunately was not able to come together due to the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic and the resultant difficulties in contacting developers and sales centers, I’m...

Lee Quaile Broker of Record Plenty can change over the course of a year – something we know all too well looking back from where we stand here in May of 2021.  While entire aspects of our daily lives have been upended, with the increasingly rapid pace of vaccine rollouts we’re now able to see a return to normality a little more clearly on the horizon.  But on the real estate front,...

Here’s the Latest Lee QuaileBroker of Record A few weeks ago, I posted a short article which outlined word of proposed changes to Canada’s mortgage stress-test.  In short, our financial sector is beginning to take steps towards shoring up our market against potential hikes in interest rates over the medium term.  This is particularly crucial now, as we’re in the midst of a very hot...

Lee Quaile Broker of Record One of the true hidden gems among the small towns of Southwestern Ontario lies just outside of Stratford, and a little under an hour’s drive from Kitchener-Waterloo. Positioned between more heavily-travelled Ontario highways, one typically would need to be deliberately seeking St Marys out to arrive in its charming downtown – but this town will make such a journey...

Lee Quaile Broker of Record It’s official – the tiny homes movement will soon be coming to a neighbourhood near you. Just this week, Kitchener City Council unanimously approved a motion to allow additional dwelling units to be constructed on qualifying existing lots all across the city. This amendment is expected to affect the status of as many as 57,000 properties in Kitchener, with...

Lee Quaile Broker of Record On Behalf of Dallmitch Holdings, Chestnut Park West is Pleased to Present Newry Station! Today, I’d like to feature a new residential development project that I’m very excited to be a part of!  Located along Highway 23 in the peaceful town of Atwood; only ten minutes south of Listowel, 35 minutes north of Stratford, and just under 45 minutes west of Waterloo...

Lee Quaile Broker of Record A couple of weeks back I pushed out a post on how the student housing market here in Waterloo has been faring in the midst of an unprecedented past 12 months. The full article is available for review here, but the Coles Notes version is that we’ve been performing much better than was expected initially. Even in the worst of the pandemic, more university...

Lee Quaile Broker of Record Keeping within the borders of Waterloo Region for this week’s community profile, we’ll be looking at Elmira, Ontario. Set only 20 minutes north of Uptown Waterloo (and an even shorter drive from the attractions of St. Jacob’s and the amenities of King and Northfield in Waterloo) is this cozy community of a little more than 12,000 people. Key to Elmira’s charm is...

Lee QuaileBroker of Record Inflation and real estate aren’t two things we often see mentioned in the same sentence.  Our notice of the effects of inflation is usually limited to everyday purchases – food, clothing, gas or other household items.  After all, it makes sense you’d take note when your weekend grocery run ends up costing you significantly more over time, since it’s...