Recent Blog Posts by Jeff Gingerich

Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Sales Flourish in April

Kitchener Waterloo residential real estate sales flourished in April with 510 sales reported through MLS.  Of these 44 were new or to be built and 466 were resale homes.  These results were up substantially over April 2011 which saw 459 sales including 39 new and 419 resales sold through MLS. Included in the resale homes was the luxury home pictured above in Kiwanis Park.  ...

Seller's Market Continues in Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate

As anyone who tried to buy a home in March will tell you, Kitchener Waterloo real estate remains a seller's market.  Residential MLS sales in March totalled 482 with 33 new and 449 resales.  New homes sales were resurgent as the 33 sales represented an 8% drop over the 36 sold in March 2011.  This is good news for Kitchener Waterloo homebuilders as regular readers ...

Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Sales Update February 2010

While the mainstream media speculated about a Canadian real estate bubble, it was business as usual in Kitchener Waterloo in February.  Preliminary results from the Kitchener Waterloo MLS show 344 residential sales in February 2012 versus 377 in February 2011.  Continuing a trend seen last fall, a decline in new home sales in the Twin Cities was ...

What Do I Need To Get A Rental Housing License In Waterloo?

Following a wild ride with a great deal of controversy, the City Of Waterloo Rental Housing licensing program takes effect April 1, 2012.  If you are planning on applying for a license, you should contact the Electrical Safety Authority for an inspection to obtain the required ESA certificate.  Contact info is 1-877-372-7233 or visit http://esasafe.com. If, like the ride pictured ...

Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Update November 2011

Residential real estate sales in Kitchener Waterloo fell year-over-year with 330 recorded through the MLS this November and 367 in November 2010.  However, much like October, the decline can be attributed to plummeting new home sales.  Just 19 new homes sold in November 2011 through MLS versus 49 and 63 in the previous Novembers. Resale homes sold in November homes totalled ...

Robust Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Sales Push Prices Up Nearly 6% in August

Low interest rates continued to entice Kitchener Waterloo homebuyers into the market in August as 351 residential MLS sales were recorded.  This is down slightly over the 369 in August 2010.  However, August 2010 saw sales of 41 new homes versus 17 this August.  Sales of used homes or resales in August were up 2% year-over-year. Readers of this blog will recall ...

Luxury Home Sales In Kitchener Waterloo Poised For Record Results

Million dollar homes in Kitchener Waterloo continue to sell at record-setting levels this year.  Following 2010's record total of 12, there have already been 8 residential MLS sales over $1 million in 2011.  Luxury home buyers continue to have it their way as sellers are receiving, on average, 92% of the asking price, down slightly from 2010's ...

Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Update April 2011

Record rainfall dampened April 2011 residential sales as Kitchener Waterloo recorded 455 MLS sales, off 16% from April 2010 results.  New home sales totalled 38, an increase over the 31 sold in April 2010.  Resale unit sales were off 18% year-over-year.  There was some good news as April sales averaged just 39 days on the market and an average price of $305,379 versus ...

How's The Market in Westvale?

  How's the market?  As a Realtor, I hear that question a considerable amount.  The answer varies depending on your location.  Currently in the Westvale area of Waterloo, there are 11 resale houses for sale from $259,000 to $499,900.  To put that number into perspective, in the Huron Village area of south Kitchener, I found 11 properties for sale ...

Top Ten Things I Love About Living In Westvale #1

Following a week away for the Century 21 International Convention, here is the final instalment of the top 10 things I love about living in Westvale. #1 - Volunteers   It's been said "many hands make light work" and the spirit of volunteerism is alive and well in Westvale.  Many of the events and activities I've chronicled in the past weeks couldn't happen without the generous ...

Luxury Home Sales In Kitchener Waterloo Continue To Flourish

After a record-setting 2010, sales of million dollar homes in Kitchener Waterloo are poised to hit new heights.  Million dollar residential sales on MLS already total 4 year-to-date in Kitchener Waterloo following 12 in 2010.  The average sale price for these homes was $1.219 million and it took 125 days to find a buyer on average.  Buyers are driving a hard bargain ...

Top Ten Things I Love About Living In Westvale #3

  As we enter March, we look forward to warmer temperatures, melting snow and more daylight.  Here is another of  the top 10 things I love about living in the Westvale area of Waterloo, Ontario: #3 Variety of Housing In contrast to the sameness of new subdivisions like the one pictured above, Westvale has a nice variety of housing styles.  Shrinking ...

Does $2 A Litre Gas Affect Your Housing Choice?

Just finished reading a thought provoking book by Canadian economist Jeff Rubin called Why Your World Is About To Get A Whole Lot Smaller.  The book makes a number of predictions including $200/barrel oil, $2/litre gas in Canada($7/gallon in the U.S.), escalating food prices, and the return of some manufacturing jobs as shipping costs rise.  The book is well-researched and written ...

Top 10 Things I Love About Living In Westvale #4

  Another week is behind us and it seemed everywhere you looked, protest and political upheaval dominated the news.  This serves to remind Canadians how fortunate we are to live in a democracy.  It also brings to mind another thing we sometimes take for granted.  Here is another of the top 10 things I love about living in Westvale: #4 A Safe Neighbourhood ...

Top 10 Things I Love About Living In Westvale #7

It's time once again for Westvale Wednesday where I share one of the top 10 things I love about living in Westvale. #7 The Boardwalk at Ira Needles Blvd. A recent addition to the Westvale neighbourhood has been the massive 1 million square foot commercial development depicted above.  The Boardwalk is located at the end of University Avenue West and Ira Needles ...

Top 10 Things I Love About Living In Westvale #8

Another week has flown by and once again, it's Westvale Wednesday.  Today's instalment of the top 10 things I love about living in Westvale is:  #8  Great elementary schools One of the primary components of a vibrant community is its schools.  Westvale is very fortunate to have 2 great schools within its boundaries:  Westvale Public School and Holy Rosary Catholic ...

The Mystery of the Disappearing Toilet

When I was a kid, I used to read a series of mystery books involving the Hardy Boys.  Each book would see the brothers tackle and solve a mystery.  Real estate doesn't have many but recently, when a client took possession of their resale home, a mystery ensued. Remember the excitement of buying your first home?  As a Realtor, the experience ...

Top 10 Things I Love About Living in Westvale Waterloo #9

After another busy week, it's Westvale Wednesday.  Here is the second in a series of posts on the top 10 things I love about living in the Westvale neighbourhood of Waterloo:  #9 The Westvale Carnival and Fireworks The Westvale Community Association holds a number of family events throughout the year and this is surely the most popular.  The annual event is held ...

What Does 2011 Hold In Store For Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate?

The new year is always an exciting time in real estate and as I survey the year to come, 2011 will be no exception.  First, let's look back and see how we did with last years forecast.  My Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Sales Forecast 2010 called for a return to a more traditional market where 2/3 of the buying and selling was done between January and June.  The ...

Kitchener Waterloo Power of Sale Report November 2010

Residential power of sale activity on the Kitchener Waterloo MLS in November was relatively quiet.  Active listings under power of sale on December 15th declined to 14 from mid-November's 15.  Of note, 13 are in Kitchener with 1 power of sale in Waterloo.  Six of the Kitchener power of sales are condominiums and the bulk of the properties are under $300,000.  I'll ...

Top 10 Things I Love About Living in Westvale Waterloo #10

This marks the first in a series of posts detailing the things I love about living in the Westvale subdivision of  Waterloo, Ontario.  First, a bit of demographic info.  The most recent data I could find indicates there are 2176 households and 6549 people living in Westvale(an average of 3 per household).  The average household income is $107,011 and the average ...

Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Update November 2010

  While November has a reputation for dismal weather, real estate sales in the Twin Cities this past month were bright and sunny.  Residential MLS sales for Kitchener-Waterloo totalled 365 in November versus 413 for November 2009.  For those keeping track, this represents a 12 per cent decline.  However, it's interesting to note that in November, ...

Record Sales Continue in Million Dollar Luxury Homes in Kitchener Waterloo

Million dollar residential sales continue to set new records in Kitchener Waterloo in 2010.  Luxury home sales over 1 million dollars on the Kitchener-Waterloo Multiple Listing Service total 11 year-to-date.  The average sale price of these homes is a lofty $1,502,545.  The average days on the market for these sales has soared to 130 days or over 4 months versus 39 days ...

Kitchener Waterloo Power of Sale Report October 2010

In sharp contrast to era of "foreclosure-gate" in the United States, residential power of sale activity in Kitchener Waterloo continues to represent a small percentage of the market.  Active listings under power of sale on the Kitchener-Waterloo MLS totalled 15 as of mid-November which equalled October's total.  Of note, 93% are in Kitchener and 7% in ...

Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Update October 2010

Regular readers of this blog will know by now that this monthly update is designed to answer the frequently asked question "How's the market?".  The residential real estate market in Kitchener Waterloo continues to be a sellers market.  Active residential listings on the K-W MLS at the end of October stood at 1251.  Of this total, 403 were new homes and 848 were resale properties. ...