GCM Exchange Canada

01/01/2026

02/14/2025

What’s better than talking real estate with coffee? Talking real estate with Jennifer Jones Team members offering FREE coffee on Valentines Day! Stop by these locations tomorrow and discuss why now is the time to be in the market!

12/18/2024

Canadians looking ahead to 2025 with a positive outlook on the housing market, prompted by a series of interest rate cuts in the latter part of 2024. Brokers and agents expecting a more active market next year, with the national average residential price likely to increase by five per cent, and sales anticipated to rise in 33 out of 37 regions surveyed, with sales increases of up to 25 per cent.

12/18/2024

Mapleside Meadows a new community of upscale 40 and 60-foot detached homes coming soon to Vaughan. Located at the northwest corner of Dufferin Street and Teston Road, this exclusive neighborhood backs onto the scenic North Maple Regional Park. Residents will enjoy easy access to the Maple GO Station, major highways, a hospital, shopping centers, and other amenities. Mapleside Meadows combines modern living with natural beauty, making it an ideal place to live.

12/12/2024

The Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate by 0.5%, bringing it to 3.25%. This the fifth straight rate cut since June. However, the central bank hinted at a less aggressive rate reduction pace going forward.

12/12/2024

🏠✨ **HEY FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS!** ✨🏠

Avoid the common pitfalls many new buyers encounter! Here are the KEY mistakes you should steer clear of as you embark on your home-buying adventure:

1️⃣ **🏦 SKIPPING PRE-APPROVAL:** Did you realize that 43% of buyers wish they had secured pre-approval before starting their search? Being pre-approved not only demonstrates to sellers that you’re serious, but it also clarifies your budget!

2️⃣ **💸 IGNORING ADDITIONAL EXPENSES:** A lot of first-time buyers fail to account for hidden expenses like property taxes, insurance, and maintenance fees. Plan your overall budget carefully! These additional costs can accumulate to as much as 20% of your purchase price!

3️⃣ **🔍 BYPASSING HOME INSPECTION:** Shockingly, 35% of buyers skip out on home inspections. This is a step you shouldn’t overlook! A comprehensive inspection could save you a significant amount on future repairs!

4️⃣ **🙅‍♀️ LETTING EMOTION CLOUD YOUR JUDGMENT:** It’s easy to get carried away with excitement, but keep your budget and needs in focus. Remember, this is an investment! In fact, 58% of buyers confess that emotional factors influenced their decision.

5️⃣ **🔮 FAILING TO THINK ABOUT FUTURE NEEDS:** Plan for the future! Almost 60% of first-time buyers regret not considering what they might need down the road. Whether it’s for a growing family, job changes, or changes in location, ensure your new home aligns with your long-term aspirations!

Keep in mind, knowledge is empowering! Stay clear of these mistakes, and pave a smooth and successful road to homeownership. 💪🏡

Wishing you a joyful house hunting experience! 🗝️❤️

10/15/2024

Study: Barrie is last in mortgage-free homeowners

A recent study ranks Barrie last among large Canadian cities regarding homeowners who have paid off their mortgages.

31.8 percent of Barrie homeowners are mortgage-free, according to online gambling experts at Casivoo, who analyzed Statistics Canada data on private households in more than 30 Canadian cities and their status. The analyzed data included owners with a mortgage, owners without a mortgage, renters, and subsidized housing.

"It's interesting to see that a number of areas within Ontario dominate the top ten rankings," said a Casivoo spokesperson in a media release. "The locations in the lead ranking are perhaps more attractive to older homeowners who are more likely to have paid off their mortgage, hence why we are seeing the higher rates."

By Mike Lang

10/11/2024

Home buyers and owners get a boost from three fresh mortgage rules

They say good things happen in 3’s. That idea works for the trio of mortgage rule changes that recently dropped out of the ‘housing industry’ sky.

First, the federal government introduced two major changes aimed at helping more home buyers get their foot in the real estate door. These rules start on December 15, 2024:

The home-price cap for insured mortgages (requiring less than 20% down payment) is increasing from $1M to $1.5M — opening more access to primary and secondary home purchases in expensive markets.



First-timers and new-build buyers can extend their insured mortgages from the standard 25 years to 30 years — helping them qualify for more ‘home’ or lower their mortgage payments.

Then, one more big rule change came from the federal banking regulator OSFI (Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions), which takes effect on November 21, 2024:

At renewal time, homeowners with uninsured mortgages (20% down payment or more) don’t have to face the federal stress test when switching lenders for a better deal. (Insured mortgages already have a pass.)

Make no mistake — these changes are a big deal

The mortgage industry has been pushing for them for years. Interest rates and home prices have gone up, but some rules haven’t kept pace to help Canadians deal with the realities of today’s housing market.

Dan Eisner, True North Mortgage founder and CEO, is thrilled to finally see these changes come through. An industry disruptor, he knows full well the challenges home buyers and owners face with both higher interest rates and higher Canadian home prices.

“We’re seeing first-timers finally get some help to bid on a home closer to where they might work,” declares Dan. “Home buying will likely be more attainable, with mortgage payments that are more affordable.”

“And for those homeowners who are dreading a shift into higher rates at renewal,” Dan continues, “qualifying for a switch with just their contract rate might help them get to a better rate and save some mortgage cash.”

Could all these changes spur a home-buying frenzy and price increases?

With interest rates expected to drop further, some experts predict increased mortgage transactions as buyers rush to take advantage of the new rules.

10/04/2024

The region saw 4,996 existing homes sold last month, up 8.5% compared with last year, and up 3.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis compared with August.

The rise in sales came as prices dipped and as lower interest rates improved affordability.

“With every rate cut, a growing number of GTA households will afford a long-term investment in home ownership, including first-time buyers,” said board president Jennifer Pearce in a statement.

She said the recently introduced changes to mortgage rules set to take effect in December, including longer amortization periods and a higher price cap on insured mortgages, will help lead to further increases in sales.

The average selling price for a Toronto-area home was down one percent in September compared with a year earlier at $1,107,291, while the seasonally adjusted price was down 0.1% to $1,116,811 compared to August.

The composite benchmark price, meant to represent the typical home, was down 4.6% year-over-year.

New listings more than made up for the increase in sales, rising 10.5% to 18,089, leaving the sales-to-new listings ratio unchanged from last year.
And while sales rose, the amount of time it took to make a sale was up 43.3%, now taking about 43 days to sell a home.

The rise in sales also varied considerably by property type, with detached home sales up 10.5% from last year, while the struggling condo market saw sales up only 0.8%.

Sales remained well below their historical average, and the situation isn’t expected to reverse in the short term, said National Bank economist Alexandra Ducharme in a note.

“Despite the start of the Bank of Canada’s monetary easing cycle, affordability conditions remain extremely difficult in Toronto. This, combined with a rapid deterioration of the labor market that we expect to continue, does not point to an imminent convincing rebound in home sales.”

However, she said the continued easing of interest rates and mortgage rules could help in the coming months.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2024.
By Ian Bickis
TO LOOK FOR YOUR DREAM HOME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW.
https://www.gta-home.ca/landing/dream-home

10/03/2024

Lower interest rates creating more favorable conditions for buyers re-entering the market, TRREB says

The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) reported a 4.58 percent year-over-year decline in its benchmark home price for September, bringing it down to $1,068,700. Home sales for the month rose by 8.5 percent, with 4,996 transactions compared to 4,606 in September last year.

TRREB, representing more than 73,000 members, attributed the sales increase to lower interest rates and softened home prices, creating more favorable conditions for buyers reentering the market. The number of new listings also rose by 10.5 percent year-over-year, totaling 18,089.

Townhomes, a popular choice for first-time buyers, had the largest price decline at 4.0 percent, with an average price of $904,200. Condo apartments followed with a 3.6 percent decrease, to an average price of $682,543.

Jason Mercer, TRREB’s chief market analyst, said, “The ability to negotiate on price led to moderate year-over-year price declines, particularly in the more affordable condo apartment and townhouse segments.”

TRREB President Jennifer Pearce noted that, as borrowing costs decrease and lending guidelines adjust, more buyers are entering the market. “With every rate cut, a growing number of GTA households will afford a long-term investment in home ownership,” Pearce said.

Additionally, TRREB chief executive John DiMichele welcomed recent changes. to mortgage guidelines, which provide more flexibility for buyers. He emphasized that longer amortization periods and more mortgage options over $1 million will support a more balanced housing market recovery in the GTA.

Over the last two days, real estate boards in Calgary and Vancouver also released their latest sales reports, highlighting key changes in their respective housing markets.

Shantaé Campbell