Quarterly Newsletter

GIVING BACK

HOSPICE HIKE & BIKE EVENT

May is Hike or Bike for Hospice Georgian Triangle, a cause near and dear to our hearts. This year the Hawkins/Ryerse Group is once again putting in a team and riding & walking to raise funds towards top quality and free palliative care services both at Campbell House and in our community. The event will be held May 26th 2024. If you would like to join on our team or donate to a great cause please click HERE.

HAWKINS/RYERSE EASTER EVENT

Easter weekend was very EGG-CITING as the Hawkins/Ryerse hosted their second Easter Egg- stravaganza. It was a fun day filled with egg hunts, bunny crafts, face painting, games and delightful treats! Even a special guest came to say hi and hop around the event. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

WHY GIVE BLOOD?

Blood has a limited shelf life, and maintaining an adequate supply relies on regular donations from volunteer donors. By donating blood regularly, you help ensure that hospitals and medical facilities have enough blood on hand to meet the needs of patients.
Canadian Blood Services will be back at the Collingwood Legion on April 10th. To book an appointment go to:
https://myaccount.blood.ca/en/donate

MARKET UPDATES.

The wait continues for declining interest rates, increasing spring temps, more houses, fewer potholes, spring flowers; April is living up to its reputation of “hurry up & wait” month. The number of transactions that have occurred to April 1, 2024 are fewer than in the same time frame in 2023, however, the inventory of available properties for sale is growing. The early frenzy we felt in January and February has diminished.

There are increasing numbers of families of all ages planning to move to Southern Georgian Bay. The #1 reason people are moving in 2024 is to be closer to family and we as a real estate group are experiencing these inquiries every week. Even though the number of properties available is growing, the increased inventory will disappear very quickly once the spring and summer market begins to hum.
As Canadians, we need more homes being built at a time when we have had the greatest population growth ever. The chart below shows the disconnect between new home construction & population growth. There are a number of initiatives being rolled out to create increased affordable housing units. You will find details further in this newsletter of an Ontario Program to increase the pace of development and home construction in Ontario.

GENERATIONAL SQUEEZE.

Canadian Housing demand is about to be impacted by the largest wave of home buyers at a time when the lowest number of homes are being built. Millennials and Older Gen Z (who are born in the mid 1980’w to early 2000’s) represent about one-quarter of Canada’s population. This age cohort is being faced with low inventory and increasing home values making it more difficult to enter home ownership. A “Generational Squeeze” refers to the economic pressure experienced by younger generations, particularly millennials and Generation Z, due to various factors such as rising living costs, stagnant wages, housing unaffordability, and increasing student debt burdens. Generation Squeeze founder Paul Kershaw of the University of British Columbia (UBC) is an advocate for younger generations being able to build housing wealth in Canada as their parents have been able to do.

here are some key elements of the generational squeeze:

The 2024 Federal Budget, being released Mid April, is pledging to address the widening gap within generations of who can and who cannot afford a home by focusing on Fairness for every Generation and is going to highlight several initiatives to increase housing availability in Canada. Sounds great, but let’s wait and see.

There is much to be accomplished to give every Canadian the chance to enter the housing Market. This Generational Squeeze requires a multifaceted approach involving policy interventions, such as affordable housing initiatives, student debt relief programs, education and training opportunities, and measures to promote inclusive economic growth. Additionally, employers, policymakers, and financial institutions may need to adapt to the changing needs and preferences of younger generations to support their financial well-being and overall prosperity.
There has been considerable media coverage lately regarding real estate commissions and changes that have been legislated to show greater transparency on how commissions are managed in every real estate transaction in Ontario and the United States. Real Estate commissions have never been fixed during my 35 years in real estate. The rates have decreased from what the industry norm was when I started in real estate. Without getting into a large commentary of how the industry is changing, suffice to say, we as a real estate team have never stood in the way of a real estate transaction due to commission.
We want to assist young families to purchase a home to raise their families in and we have helped many. Our approach to making this happen is to customize the services we provide to a buyer to reduce their overall costs to enter the housing market that we will make available to every family that chooses to work with us.

REVENUE CANADA FLIPPING POLICY UPDATE

Here’s what you need to know:

As of January 2023 any Profit from flipping a house is now fully taxable as business income.
What is a flipped home??
• Selling a house within a year of buying it.
• Property is in Canada
What exemptions are there?
• A few of the exemptions include, death, divorce, loss of job or destruction / expropriation of property.

BUT MAY HAVE TROUBLE ACHIEVING THAT AMBITION. HERE’S WHY…

The ford government has made recommendations made by the Housing Affordability Task Force (HATF) to boost housing supply in Ontario with the goal of adding 1.5 million new homes in the province by 2031.
According to the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) housing starts decreased last
year.
An average of 150,000 homes need to be built annually to reach the intended target; however, last year only 90,000 homes were built which is a decline from 2022 of 96,000.
“Building on HATF’s initial recommendations, OREA is recommending 10 action items for the province to take in 2024 that will have a significant and immediate impact on Ontario’s housing supply crisis, including:
• Allowing water and wastewater services to be provided through a municipal services corporation, which would lower the upfront costs of building homes by allowing them to borrow and amortize costs among customers instead of using development charges.
• Implementing land use changes to end exclusionary zoning, in order to unlock more housing supply in urban neighborhoods.
• Modernizing zoning to support commercial-to-residential conversions and greater density along transit corridors, which would bring more supply to market and save Ontarians time and money when commuting to work.”