Like many of her clients, realtor Jenny Celly and her family moved from southern Ontario to southeast New Brunswick to find a more affordable home.
The slower pace and quality of Maritime life was very appealing.
“There’s less traffic. People, because they’re not as stressed out, they are friendlier, in my opinion, so that attracts a lot of people,” said Celly.
Moneysense.ca and Zoocasa, a consumer real estate search platform, have ranked Moncton as the top place in Canada to buy real estate for the third straight year.
Forty-five neighbourhoods and municipalities were ranked using factors such as the average price of a home, price growth over time and neighbourhood characteristics.
According to the rankings, the Greater Moncton area is highest in value and best buying conditions and has a seen a growth of 69 per cent over the past three years.
Celly said the region is still seeing buyers from Ontario and British Columbia purchasing homes sight unseen using Zoom or FaceTime – something that was very popular during the pandemic.
“I put myself in their shoes. So I’m saying, ‘OK, it smells kind of funny,’ because you are being their eyes and they will put in an offer after seeing the home via video. Most of the buyers are seeing their home for the first time on closing day,” said Celly.
One of realtor Tracy Gunter’s homes in north end Moncton recently sold in less than two weeks.
Realtor Tracy Gunter is pictured. (Derek Haggett/CTV Atlantic)
Gunter said it’s a seller’s market here, but there isn’t a lot of inventory.
“We don’t have a lot to sell. So, our buyers are coming in, they want to spend their money, but we don’t have the homes for them to buy. There is a house shortage,” said Gunter.
Gunter said what is selling are semi-detached homes and properties under $400,000 to people from outside the province and the country.
The average price of a home in the Greater Moncton area last year was $328,383.
“Things are slowing down a little bit, but people are still coming,” said Gunter. “Right now, it’s just finding homes for the people that need them.”
Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold said the city’s appeal is its lifestyle and residents.
“We have kind, compassionate, collaborative people that want to work together that are engaged. They want to be a part of it all. There’s a real feeling of positive energy in our community right now,” said Arnold. “There’s really amazing people in our community.”
Realtor Jenny Celly is pictured. (Derek Haggett/CTV Atlantic)
Celly said the area is attracting many families, retirees, and investors.
The main reason: the prices.
“We’re looking at bigger markets, bigger cities where prices are two to three times more than what you find in Moncton,” said Celly. “A lot of people who are looking at the Maritimes are also looking at the quality of life.”
Saint John was ranked second for best places to buy real estate, Fredericton fourth and Halifax/Dartmouth was sixth.
HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.
Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.
The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.
Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.
The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.
Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.
Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500
Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438
Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103
Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359
Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent
How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.
Environment Canada says the weather system will bring prolonged heavy rain to Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and Vancouver Island starting Friday.
The agency says strong winds with gusts up to 80 kilometres an hour will also develop on Saturday — the day thousands are expected to go to the polls across B.C. — in parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.
Wednesday was the last day for advance voting, which started on Oct. 10.
More than 180,000 voters cast their votes Wednesday — the most ever on an advance voting day in B.C., beating the record set just days earlier on Oct. 10 of more than 170,000 votes.
Environment Canada says voters in the area of the atmospheric river can expect around 70 millimetres of precipitation generally and up to 100 millimetres along the coastal mountains, while parts of Vancouver Island could see as much as 200 millimetres of rainfall for the weekend.
An atmospheric river system in November 2021 created severe flooding and landslides that at one point severed most rail links between Vancouver’s port and the rest of Canada while inundating communities in the Fraser Valley and B.C. Interior.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
