Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate News
March 6, 2019
Wednesday March 6, 2019. In this week’s Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate News: newspaper paywalls, pedestrian promenade, February stats, house or condo, buyer mistakes, Silicon Valley Bank, house prices, ten years of change, the indoor generation
Spotifying the news
I read a lot of news. I also listen to a lot of music and watch a lot of videos. So I wonder why we don’t have a Spotify or a Netflix for the news. I’d gladly pay $7/month to get all my news in one place instead of sifting and sorting through my RSS feeds and email newsletters. Newspapers are again putting up paywalls. I don’t know why they think that will be successful this time around when it has failed so many times before. Why not instead adopt a model that has already been proven profitable?
This is actually a good idea
Kitchener resident proposes turning Gaukel Street into a pedestrian promenade. Closing the street to cars opens the possibility of a pedestrian- and bike-friendly promenade between city hall and Victoria Park.
Blame it on the freezing rain
Predictions are like BMWs. Everyone’s got one. My prediction last week, I admit, was wrong. KWAR tells us that February sales volume decreased by 8.3 per cent compared to February 2018. However, average prices are up 3 percent and the median price of residential real estate sold during the month increased by 6.9 per cent. So, I wasn’t totally wrong.
Young Canadians still prefer single-detached homes over condos
Condo supply in the country’s largest markets might see significant increases in the near future, but on the whole, young professionals and starting families will still prefer single-detached homes.
99 common home buyer mistakes and how to avoid them
If you are thinking of buying a home this year, drop everything now and read this most excellent post.
Follow the money
Silicon Valley Bank is opening a branch in Canada. It is another sign that our tech eco system is thriving.
Experts predict house prices across Canada will continue to rise
House prices in Canada are expected to grow at a slow and steady pace over the next two years. That’s what a survey of 20 analysts, conducted by Reuters, predicts. Experts foresee prices will increase by an average of 1.1 per cent this year, by 1.9 per cent in 2020, and by 3 per cent in 2021.
Canada vs. USA: A Decade of Changes
When it comes to the evolution of housing and lifestyle in the US and Canada, the ten years that have passed since the real estate crisis have brought some significant changes. Here is a link to a pretty interesting video outlining some differences between affordability in the US and Canada.
The indoor generation
I was recently reading that a growing number of people spend the vast majority of their time indoors. In fact, some of us spend up to 90 per cent of our lives indoors. I know I do, at least in the wintertime. But now that March is here, spring is just around the corner and I plan on lowering that percentage.
What to read next:
Hidden opportunities and other deals that homebuyers are missing.
Last week’s news… on past predictions, Fairview Park Mall, student housing, buying the best, making friends in a new city, KW’s diverse tech ecosystem, North American cities home prices compared, medieval trade routes map, the weather…
