Sept 4 2015
Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate News Update
Sept 4 2015. In today’s news: language, jobs, babies, a housing correction, bike sharing.
The Most Common Languages Spoken In Canada In 2017
Here’s the breakdown of the next eight most common “immigrant” languages in the country, by percentage of the population. In the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo region, almost a quarter of the people speak an immigrant language; 2.4 per cent of people speak German. That’s not very high.
What is your opposite job?
It’s all about the skill sets:
The opposite job of a kindergarten teacher is a physicist.
The opposite job of a news editor is a model.
The opposite job of a real estate sale agent is an agricultural grader. (Hey, I can tell a turnip from a kohlrabi.)
Why hasn’t Toronto’s housing correction derailed Canada’s economy?
The biggest contributor to economic growth in May was the mining sector, which grew by 4.6 per cent that month adding nearly 0.4 percentage points to GDP growth alone. Exports and business investment have also been heating up of late and the finance, insurance and real estate sector has yet to be hit by slumping home sales although construction was a headwind for GDP growth in April and May.
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Why women are coming to Canada just to give birth
Seeking the benefits of Canadian citizenship for their children, more and more parents-to-be from other countries are choosing to have them here. In related news, the name Michael has fallen out of favour.
Slowdown doesn’t necessarily translate to greater affordability
While there have been recent signs of a cool down in Canada’s two most in-demand real estate markets, would-be buyers must temper their expectations of a more affordable housing segment in the near future. Toronto prices remain elevated compared to last year, and that the recent market sluggishness might “simply be a blip,” as was the case in Vancouver.
On your bike
The Region of Waterloo is looking to expand our bike share program. An expanded bike share would help address the problem of “the last kilometre” by providing the link from the LRT station to a rider’s home or workplace
Why Universities Are Phasing Out Luxury Dorms
When I was a college freshman in the early 1990s, I lived in a dorm that was as sterile as a hospital room, a 193-square-foot box with white cinderblock walls that I shared with two other guys. The bathroom was also shared—with an entire floor.
What correction? Toronto home prices to continue climb in 2019
If you’re waiting for Toronto home prices to decline for an extended period of time due to Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan, don’t hold your breath—a new report from a credit union with about $18 billion in assets suggests as much.
Annual Housing Starts Reach Highest Level In Nearly 10 Years
In Canada, the amount of new houses that commenced construction last month reached their highest level since September 2007. The newest sign of a boom in the housing market that many people are frightened of is overheating.
Foreign home buyers’ taxes are strengthened by current economic realities
A cheaper Canadian dollar would probably encourage foreign investors to thumb their nose at the foreign buyer’s tax but the loonie’s strength has made property acquisitions more “punitive” for foreign buyers who already have to contend with a it.
