When you think of Canada, you may think of the rich French culture of Montreal or the fine restaurants, museums, and haute couture of Toronto, or you may think of sled dogs pulling a musher across the Arctic Tundra. However, you may not have heard of the charming community of Innisfil. According to the website, it is the perfect place to live.
This little town in Ontario sits on the western shore of Lake Simcoe. Originally home to the Huron Indians, the community was settled in 1823. By 1825, it was a thriving Hamlet with stores, mills, and a post office. Today, the town is known for its many antique shops.
Although the town’s population is only 31,175, it grows by 4,000 people in the springtime when people come to buy antiques. It is a place where many Canadians come to retire.
More and more people are choosing to make Innisfil their permanent home. People wanting to escape the high rent, noise, and general chaos of Toronto are coming to this tiny burg to live. Some of the tiny vacation homes along the lake are used as year-round abodes.
How much does a house cost in Innisfil?
The average cost of a two-bedroom home in Innisfil, Ontario is $923,000, which is down from what it was three months ago. It is considerably less expensive to buy a house here than it is in nearby Toronto.
What is the culture like?
The people of Innisfil are very friendly, and they take their antiques seriously. It is both a hobby and a second career for many of the people in town. It has a small-town atmosphere with many community activities. It is the perfect place for someone who wants to live in a small town, but not be too far away from the big city. In fact, you can get to Toronto in just 20 minutes.
Innisfil is probably best known for Georgia Downs, which is one of the most famous racetracks in the world. In addition to the racetrack, you will find casino games and slot machines at this popular destination. If you are not into gambling, you can still enjoy fabulous shows and dining. They have a gigantic buffet that will please the most discerning of palates.
People also spend plenty of time on Lake Simcoe. It is a popular place for both fishing and boating.
As you can imagine, the political views in this town tend to be rather conservative. The MP of this town is John Brassard, who is the house leader of the opposition to the liberal parliament of Canada.
Innisfil is a great place to shop even if you do not like antiques. You will find many little shops with locally made crafts and sweets. Fresh honey is abundant here, and it goes great with the tea you will need to drink on those cold winter nights.
If you don’t mind a bit of snow, Innisfil is a great place to live. It offers the very best of small-town life. It is adjacent to one of the most exciting cities in the world, and it is pretty reasonably priced for a home in this part of the world.
OTTAWA – The Canadian Real Estate Association says the number of homes sold in August fell compared with a year ago as the market remained largely stuck in a holding pattern despite borrowing costs beginning to come down.
The association says the number of homes sold in August fell 2.1 per cent compared with the same month last year.
On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, national home sales edged up 1.3 per cent from July.
CREA senior economist Shaun Cathcart says that with forecasts of lower interest rates throughout the rest of this year and into 2025, “it makes sense that prospective buyers might continue to hold off for improved affordability, especially since prices are still well behaved in most of the country.”
The national average sale price for August amounted to $649,100, a 0.1 per cent increase compared with a year earlier.
The number of newly listed properties was up 1.1 per cent month-over-month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
MONTREAL – Two Quebec real estate brokers are facing fines and years-long suspensions for submitting bogus offers on homes to drive up prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christine Girouard has been suspended for 14 years and her business partner, Jonathan Dauphinais-Fortin, has been suspended for nine years after Quebec’s authority of real estate brokerage found they used fake bids to get buyers to raise their offers.
Girouard is a well-known broker who previously starred on a Quebec reality show that follows top real estate agents in the province.
She is facing a fine of $50,000, while Dauphinais-Fortin has been fined $10,000.
The two brokers were suspended in May 2023 after La Presse published an article about their practices.
One buyer ended up paying $40,000 more than his initial offer in 2022 after Girouard and Dauphinais-Fortin concocted a second bid on the house he wanted to buy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
MONTREAL – The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers says Montreal-area home sales rose 9.3 per cent in August compared with the same month last year, with levels slightly higher than the historical average for this time of year.
The association says home sales in the region totalled 2,991 for the month, up from 2,737 in August 2023.
The median price for all housing types was up year-over-year, led by a six per cent increase for the price of a plex at $763,000 last month.
The median price for a single-family home rose 5.2 per cent to $590,000 and the median price for a condominium rose 4.4 per cent to $407,100.
QPAREB market analysis director Charles Brant says the strength of the Montreal resale market contrasts with declines in many other Canadian cities struggling with higher levels of household debt, lower savings and diminishing purchasing power.
Active listings for August jumped 18 per cent compared with a year earlier to 17,200, while new listings rose 1.7 per cent to 4,840.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
