Tag: Durham College

Durham Region Real Estate Market Update – March 2025 

As we move into the spring season, I’m excited to share the latest insights on the Durham Region real estate market. Here’s what’s happening as of March 28, 2025:

Key Market Highlights:

  • Sales Activity: Early spring has brought a noticeable uptick in buyer interest. While sales in February 2025 were down 26% compared to the previous year, the pace has started to accelerate in March, signaling a busy season ahead.
  • Average Sale Prices: The average home price in Durham Region remains competitive, hovering around $894,698 (based on March data reported so far), down slightly by 1.3% from February and 4.5% from last March. This stability continues to make Durham one of the most affordable regions in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
  • Inventory Levels: Inventory is on the rise, with 3.4 months of inventory region-wide. This increase offers buyers more choice, though popular areas like Whitby and North Oshawa are still seeing quick sales due to high demand and limited supply.
  • Buyer Competitiveness: Durham leads the GTA with a sale-to-list price ratio of 101.5%, reflecting strong buyer interest and competitive offers, especially for well-priced properties.

What’s Driving the Market?

  • Lower Mortgage Rates: Recent drops in borrowing costs have energized the market, encouraging first-time buyers and move-up families to act.
  • Seller’s Market Persists: Despite growing inventory, demand continues to outpace supply in key segments like detached homes and townhouses, keeping conditions favorable for sellers.
  • Spring Momentum: With winter behind us, listing activity has surged, setting the stage for a fast-paced spring market.

Tips for Buyers and Sellers:

  • For Buyers: Now’s the time to lock in a property before competition heats up further. Focus on homes priced realistically to avoid bidding wars.
  • For Sellers: Pricing competitively remains key, especially in higher price brackets and condo markets, to attract serious offers quickly.

Whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or simply stay informed, I’m here to help you navigate this dynamic market. Let’s connect to discuss your goals and how we can make them a reality this spring! 

Why Invest in Oshawa?

When looking at where to invest in real estate the first thing you must do is compare the income to expenses. When I purchase an investment property, will it generate cashflow each month with all expenses considered? Oshawa is the last City in the Greater Toronto Area where you can generate cashflow on an investment property, a trend that I think will only last so long. House prices in Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Scarborough, and Toronto and surrounding area do not generate cashflow, period. Now there are lots of other Cites in Ontario that generate cashflow, but none that have the ‘protection’ of Toronto. Even though Oshawa has some major employers such as General Motors, Ministry of Finance, University of Ontario, Durham College, Lakeridge Health, and Ontario Power Generation we still have 30% of our workforce commuting to Toronto. Why is that so important to me? We are in the rental business, and as long as there is work, there are people that need to rent!

  • Population Growth: Double per capita than the USA, over 100K people coming in each year.  The vacancy rate across the Golden horseshoe is in the low single digits. 
  • Land Scarcity:  Lake Ontario on one side, the largest Green Belt in the world on the other, as population increases, land is becoming scarce.
  • Lack of Supply:  Simply put, not enough homes are being built to satisfy the supply for years to come.
  • Canadian Desirability:  Toronto voted #1 in 2017 for quality of life and also a key area for foreigners to invest their dollars into.
  • Transportation Funding:  407 Extension to 115, Durham region will both get 4 new GO stations by 2023, this in preparation for the population growth over the next several decades.

While there is a lot that can be looked at when it comes to economic drivers and market factors, looking for areas where the city planners are investing in transportation, and where big development is starting to follow is a consistent, predictable way to find the best natural appreciation and where growth is most likely to occur.