April 2022
Dear Friend,
As expected, the spring market kicked off with10,955 homes sold, the third-best March and
second-best first quarter on record. The average price in March was $1,299,894, bringing
the year-to-date average to $1,299,591, up 18.6 % over the 2021 year-end average of
$1,095,381.
As I wrote in January, “Don’t panic”! Prices will continue to increase in 2022, (about 10%)
but not at the same rate as they did in 2021. There were 20,038 properties listed in March,
providing more choices for buyers, a move towards a more balanced market of supply and
demand. BUT…. don’t read this as prices coming down. As more homes come up for sale
in the next few months, house prices will still continue to increase, as there is more demand
than supply.
Due to the government’s commitment of increasing Canada’s population by over 1.2 million
new immigrants over the next 3 years, the population of the GTA will continue to experience
rapid growth as our economic strength and diversity continues to attract people from around
the world. In order for prices to remain reasonable, housing supply has also to increase
substantially. The holdup? Government red tape in not permitting developers and builders
to bring more houses to market. The process of getting building permits is unnecessarily
slow and tedious! While I am optimistic that this process will become more streamlined one
day, I’m pessimistic about how long consumers have to suffer due to this bureaucracy.
In the meantime, we have a great market! It’s a good opportunity to build an investment
portfolio because we know that demand for housing will continue to increase. That means
higher rents which will sustain higher costs. If you have children who will be entering
university over the next few years, you might consider purchasing a condominium now for
them to use later. For some, their home is their best investment, and if that’s the case with
you, perhaps now is the time to buy that bigger home that you’ve always wanted.
The key to making a wise choice is having a good investment advisor. I have the
knowledge, experience and the resources of a great company to help you achieve your
goals. Give me a call, let’s discuss the future!
Have a great April!
Your Friend in Real Estate
PS: I’m never too busy for your referrals