Author name: Davelle & Co

One Beautiful Day… and Then the Snow Returned. Just when we thought spring was teasing us, winter reminded us who’s in charge. I hope you’ve at least been planning a sunny escape, even if it’s only in your daydreams. While the weather can’t decide what it’s doing, the real estate market can. Homes in the core are active. Many are setting offer dates and attracting multiple bids, especially well-priced properties under $1.2M. On offer night, we’re still seeing meaningful price bumps. If you’re buying in this environment, preparation wins. For Buyers: How to Compete (and Win) Winning a bidding war isn’t luck. It’s strategy. In multiple-offer situations, confidence and clarity make sellers lean in your direction. For Sellers: How to Maximize Your Sale Price If you’re planning to hold offers, preparation is everything. When done right, the competition works in your favour. And Then There’s the Condo Market… Condos are a different story right now. Buyers have more time. More choice. More leverage. If you’re buying, look closely at what the seller originally paid, it gives insight into how much negotiating room may exist. If you’re selling, study the sold and terminated listings in your building. Pricing slightly below competing units ensures you’re the suite buyers choose to see, and that’s where negotiations begin. If you’re wondering which side of this market you’re on, or how to position yourself best, I’m always happy to walk you through it. Because whether it’s snowstorms or bidding wars… strategy makes all the difference. And remember if you need to buy or sell, please feel free to connect with us anytime. Want to Make This Market Work for You? As always, if you have questions about the market, or would like an updated home evaluation, we’re here to help. For Sale: Renovated 1-Bedroom Suite in Yorkville, Toronto (40 Scollard Street #1502) Across from the iconic Four Seasons, this fully renovated one-bedroom residence puts you at the centre of it all.Think morning spa treatments, chic brunches, and evenings spent exploring Toronto’s most coveted restaurants—all just steps from your door. Fabulous 3-Bedroom House in East Danforth (51 Bastedo Ave) This is where homes turn into lasting memories, whether you are looking for your first-home or looking for a change in lifestyle. This smart home is perfect for those who want space to grow and a fabulous neighbourhood.

Tales from the Front Line I thought I’d share a snapshot of what we’ve been seeing on the front lines of the housing market this month. February is always an interesting time. Inventory tends to be lighter than what we see in March and April, which means the homes that do come to market often attract more attention, simply because buyers don’t have many options. That dynamic has been very evident this past week, particularly in the under-$1.1M price range, where we’ve seen multiple-offer scenarios play out successfully. Here are a few notable examples: 102 Woodfield (Dundas & Greenwood) Listed at $1,099,000, this move-in-ready semi-detached home with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and parking generated 82 showings and 12 offers, ultimately selling for $1,451,000. 419 Mortimer (Danforth & Greenwood) Listed at $789,000, this 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom semi with parking and a garage received 5 offers and sold for $995,000. What makes this sale especially interesting is its backstory. The home had previously been listed in May 2025 at $998,000, then reduced to $948,000, and sat on the market for 177 days. With new agents, a refreshed strategy, removal of knob-and-tube wiring, and new appliances, it sold for nearly the original asking price. Proof that pricing, preparation, and positioning truly matter. 140 Hillsdale (Yonge & Eglinton) Listed at $1,099,000, this detached 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom home (no parking) required a full gut renovation. Despite that, it received 13 offers and sold for $1,315,000. One notable twist: the sellers opted for an open bidding process, where buyers could see competing offers. In my view, a traditional closed bidding process may have pushed the final price even higher. Coming Up Next We have an exciting listing launching shortly: The best decisions in real estate aren’t made by chasing headlines. They’re made by watching patterns, understanding timing, and knowing when enough information is enough. If you, or someone you know, are thinking about buying or selling, we’d be happy to offer our expertise and guidance. Please feel free to connect with us anytime. Want to Make This Market Work for You? As always, if you have questions about the market, or would like an updated home evaluation, we’re here to help. For Sale: Renovated 1-Bedroom Suite in Yorkville, Toronto (40 Scollard Street #1502) Across from the iconic Four Seasons, this fully renovated one-bedroom residence puts you at the centre of it all.Think morning spa treatments, chic brunches, and evenings spent exploring Toronto’s most coveted restaurants—all just steps from your door.

This week, I attended the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board Market Outlook event, where Jason Mercer, Chief Information Officer at TRREB, and Sean Simpson, Senior Vice President at Ipsos, shared fresh insights from national surveys conducted in November and December 2025. Here’s what stood out. Housing Has Replaced Healthcare as Canada’s Top Concern For the first time in years, housing has overtaken healthcare as the number one issue worrying Canadians. According to Ipsos, the most important issues facing Canadians today are: Housing is no longer just a real estate issue, it’s a national one. A Bright Spot: Affordability Is Improving One encouraging takeaway is that affordability has improved. Buyers now need less income to qualify for a home than they did at the peak of the market. That’s a meaningful shift, especially for first-time buyers who’ve been sidelined for years. Why Many Renters Are Staying Put Renters, it turns out, have a clear tipping point. Ipsos tracks how much of a rent increase tenants are willing to tolerate before deciding it makes more sense to buy, and that tolerance has increased significantly. Here’s how it’s changed: In short, renters today are far more willing to absorb increases before jumping into ownership than they were just a few years ago. With rents stabilizing, and in some cases softening, many are choosing to wait. First-Time Buyers Are Still a Major Force Despite everything, first-time buyers remain a large and growing segment of the market. Ipsos found that 45% of intending buyers in 2026 will be first-time buyers. Up 3% from last year. Where are down payments coming from? Family help continues to play a meaningful role, but personal savings remain the primary source. The Headline Everyone Noticed And finally, the stat that grabbed the headlines. The average GTA home price has dipped below $1 million, offering hope to buyers and understandably causing some anxiety for sellers. That’s a decline of nearly 7% year over year. Markets move in cycles. What matters most right now is understanding which segment you’re in and how to position yourself accordingly. If you’re wondering what this means for your own plans, I’m always happy to talk it through. Want to Make This Market Work for You? As always, if you have questions about the market, or would like an updated home evaluation, we’re here to help. For Sale: Renovated 1-Bedroom Suite in Yorkville, Toronto (40 Scollard Street #1502) Across from the iconic Four Seasons, this fully renovated one-bedroom residence puts you at the centre of it all.Think morning spa treatments, chic brunches, and evenings spent exploring Toronto’s most coveted restaurants—all just steps from your door.

Rates Hold. The Story Is in the Sales. As expected, the Bank of Canada held interest rates steady last week, with no changes. At our sales meeting, we were once again joined by Jason Friesen, Managing Partner and Mortgage Agent at Outline Financial, who shared some eye-opening data on what’s really happening in the market right now. We often hear headlines saying that home and condo sales are “down dramatically.” But seeing the data plotted on a long-term graph tells a much more powerful story. Over a 30-year period, the highest number of real estate transactions occurred in 2021, with 127,313 sales. Fast-forward to 2025, and total sales dropped to 62,433. That’s nearly a 50% decline in activity in just five years. Why Timing Still Matters Another chart Jason shared compared sales activity in the first half of the year versus the second half. Historically, January through June consistently outperforms July through December in terms of sales volume. 2025 was the exception, with more activity in the second half of the year. My read? The tariff uncertainty early in 2025 caused many buyers and sellers to pause. Once that cloud lifted, activity picked up later in the year. Months of Inventory: The Quiet Market Driver Jason also walked us through Months of Inventory (MOI); one of the most important indicators for understanding pricing pressure. Right now, we’re sitting at 4.9 months of inventory, meaning that at the current pace of sales, it would take nearly five months to sell everything on the market. Here’s the key takeaway: For context, in 2021, when prices were at their peak, we had less than one month of inventory. Not All Property Types Are Created Equal When you break months of inventory down by property type in the 416, the differences are telling: This is why condo buyers currently have significantly more negotiating power than buyers competing for semi-detached homes, where supply remains tight. Understanding these nuances, not just the headlines, is what helps buyers and sellers make smarter, more confident decisions. What I’d Do If I Were Buying Right Now If I were buying in today’s market, I’d let the **data, not the noise, lead the way. I’d focus on property types with higher months of inventory, particularly condos, where selection is broad and negotiating power is real. When there are more options, patience becomes leverage. I’d pay close attention to days on market, price reductions, and relisted properties. These are often signals of motivated sellers and opportunities to negotiate not just on price, but on terms. When you’re ready to talk through what this means for you, I’m always here. And Remember, when you’d like to buy or sell, we’re here to help. Want to Make This Market Work for You? As always, if you have questions about the market, or would like an updated home evaluation, we’re here to help. For Sale: Renovated 1-Bedroom Suite in Yorkville, Toronto (40 Scollard Street #1502) Across from the iconic Four Seasons, this fully renovated one-bedroom residence puts you at the centre of it all.Think morning spa treatments, chic brunches, and evenings spent exploring Toronto’s most coveted restaurants—all just steps from your door.

What We’re Seeing in Mortgages & the Market Right Now This week, we were joined at our sales meeting by Jason Friesen, Managing Partner and Mortgage Agent at Outline Financial, who shared his perspective and some timely data on where the mortgage market is heading. Much like the economists we heard from last week, Jason does not expect an interest rate cut in 2026. The next Bank of Canada announcement is January 28, but for now, the message remains one of stability rather than relief. What is shifting is the type of mortgages Canadians are choosing. Back in March 2025, about 43% of mortgage holders were opting for variable rates, largely in anticipation of future rate cuts. Normal distribution of mortgages  based on a 10 year average is that 24% of mortgage holders have a variable rate mortgage. Jason expects that as rates continue to stabilize through 2026, we’ll see even more borrowers move back toward fixed options. One metric I always watch closely is mortgage arrears, and the numbers continue to tell a reassuring story. While arrears have increased from just over 0.05% in November 2022 to 0.26% in November 2025, that’s still far from crisis territory. For context, mortgage arrears currently sit at 0.71% in the UK and 1.61% in the U.S. By comparison, Canada is holding up remarkably well. Part of that resilience may come from our shorter mortgage terms. With 3–5 year renewals, many homeowners are regularly re-qualifying, especially if they change lenders, unlike in the U.S., where mortgage terms can run the full 25 or 30-year amortization. Outline Financial also shared a compelling comparison between buying in December 2023 versus December 2025. Today’s buyer, in many cases, is purchasing at a lower price and needs less income to qualify for the same mortgage amount than they did two years ago. Something that’s quietly improving affordability. Looking ahead, roughly 40% of mortgages will be up for renewal this year, many of them originating at rates between 1.5% and 2.5%. Not every renewal will mean higher payments, it largely depends on how much equity homeowners have built up. The smartest move? Check in with your lender and speak with a mortgage broker for a second opinion to ensure you’re getting the best possible scenario. What are we seeing on the ground? On the ground, we’re starting to see some encouraging signs. This week, we re-listed a couple of condos and were pleasantly surprised by an uptick in showings. It’s early, but we’re hopeful this translates into more reasonable offers ahead. Want to Make This Market Work for You? As always, if you have questions about the market, or would like an updated home evaluation, we’re here to help. For Sale: Renovated 1-Bedroom Suite in Yorkville, Toronto (40 Scollard Street #1502) Across from the iconic Four Seasons, this fully renovated one-bedroom residence puts you at the centre of it all.Think morning spa treatments, chic brunches, and evenings spent exploring Toronto’s most coveted restaurants—all just steps from your door. For Sale: 2-Storey Townhouse at King West, Toronto (12 Sudbury Street, #2212) Welcome to a bright, generously sized two-bedroom condo tucked into the heart of Bloor West Village, just moments from the Junction.