As Realtors, we are certainly thankful for the resurgent real estate market Canada-wide. Low interest rates have been instrumental in increasing affordability to entice first-time buyers into the market. Real estate is local so let's look at a typical scenario in Kitchener-Waterloo. A couple buy a detached home for $250 000 with 5% down and get a 4% mortgage with a 5 year ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on June 25, 2009
The Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board reports 527 residential sales in K-W for May 2009 representing a 9% increase over May 2008 sales. The average price declined year-over-year by 1.4% to $261,628. Right about now you're probably thinking "What about the Recession?" This increase in sales is being driven by low interest rates resulting in increased affordability. ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on June 9, 2009
Residential sales in Kitchener-Waterloo for the first 2 weeks of May show a 15% increase over the same period in May 2008. Of note, out of 257 sales recorded by the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board, 199 were under $300 000. The supply of homes in this price range is shrinking rapidly due to high activity from first-time buyers. Average days on ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on May 21, 2009
Waterloo's top employer Research in Motion(RIM) defied analyst's expectations today in announcing fiscal 4th quarter profits easily eclipsed last year's results. RIM now has 25 million subscribers and is growing market share in the midst of a sluggish global economy. These results are a huge positive for the local economy and for Wateroo Region real estate. For the full ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on April 2, 2009
There is an emerging trend for city folk to become town and country folk. The reasons for this trend are many and varied. For some, it comes down to price - more house and land for less money and lower property taxes. For others, they want to escape - the houses that are too close together, the noise, traffic, air pollution, litter and crime. Others see their ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on March 30, 2009
An analysis of early March MLS sales activity in Kitchener-Waterloo point to a relatively healthy market. Unit sales for the first 2 weeks of March totalled 151 versus 225 for the same period in 2008 representing a 33% decrease.
However, the average sale price year-over-year declined by less than 1% and the list-price to sale-price ratio was a robust 97.6%. The average days on ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on March 19, 2009
Preliminary sales figures for February 2009 point to mixed results. The Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board saw 290 residential sales which paled by comparison to the 405 sales in February 2008. This equates to approx. a 28% decline in unit sales making it the lowest total recorded in this decade.
However, in my opinion, the glass is half full. Active listings ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on March 3, 2009
Century 21 is featured on the Air Miles home page for the month of February.
Collectors can earn 121 Bonus Air Miles reward miles when buying or selling a property through Century 21.
Gold collectors qualify for 200 Bonus Air Miles reward miles.
For details and to print a coupon, visit www.Century21.ca/Air_Miles/bonus_offers
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on February 12, 2009
Preliminary figures from the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board show residential unit sales in January 2009 totalled 217. This figure represents a decline of approx. 28% from January 2008's total of 301. Active residential listings in Kitchener-Waterloo total 1240 or almost a 6 month supply. This would indicate a buyer's market.
However, to put our local real estate ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on February 3, 2009
Over the last number of years, veteran market watchers(those over age 40) always wondered when the local real estate boom would end. My answer was "when the rates go up considerably or the jobs disappear." As recent job losses and layoffs have unfolded, we've once again discovered real estate markets are cyclical. The local market has shifted and a buyer's ...
Posted by Jeff Gingerich
on February 3, 2009