Expert advice, market reports, and tips from the Niagara Region real estate professionals.
Recently, here at RE/MAX Garden City Realty, we put our training centre to good use once again with a seminar put on by Geowarehouse. Theresa Corindia was the presenter who fought traffic coming in from Toronto to put on the seminar, and she did a splendid job.
Ontario’s newly expanded HST rebate framework offers new incentives for home buyers. The simplest explanation is that the revised HST rules have eliminated the 13% HST on new homes valued up to $1,000,000.
The average sale price across the Region is about the same as last month ($628,701 compared to $630,923). Down slightly by $2,272 with half the Region’s Municipalities lower than February and the other half higher. However, when we compare the average in March to the year end from the previous year, we see that the first quarter of 2026 registered a gain of $18,471. $628,701 in March, compared to $610,230 at year end 2025, which the same period last year, first quarter of 2025 saw prices actually drop by $6,053. Ending the year 2024 at $678,274 and by month end March 2025 prices had only reached $672,221.
Real estate should always go up in value, right? I mean, that’s what we’ve always believed and come to expect. And there are good reasons for that. The first reason is that, in general, inflation continues to bump up the cost of living. Governments use their resources to combat that, generally by increasing interest rates, so that inflation doesn’t get out of control. But they recognize a little inflation is good, and they target a 2% - 3% range. Well, if real estate didn’t at least keep up with the cost of living, it would be cheaper and cheaper, relatively speaking, to buy a home. That just isn’t what happens.
March was fraud awareness month, a great reminder that no matter who you are, scams are lurking right around the corner (or in the next email, call or post!). 2026 will undoubtably throw more sneaky, compelling, and downright dastardly scams than ever. So, we’re going to look at how and why fraud scams work, spotlight the techniques scammers use, give you tips on how to recognize a scam, and teach you what you can do to protect yourself.
Every spring for over 40 years now, we at RE/MAX Garden City Realty Inc. set aside one night. A magical night in which we honour the outstanding sales achievements of the men and women of our company and sister company D.L.C. Easy Street Mortgages. Of course, these achievements are also recognized on an international scale at the Spring R4 Convention held each year in Las Vegas and at dozens and dozens of regional events around the globe.
In Ontario real estate law, the act of signing an Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS) is a pivotal step that transforms negotiations into binding obligations. Yet the Ontario Superior Court’s decision in Greco v. Jarboh, 2025 ONSC 6391 demonstrates that liability can arise even when a party disputes that it signed documents.
There’s a pretty well-established pattern that we see reoccurring year after year. The market strengthens over the first half of the year, but then recedes during the second half. And we are talking here both in terms of average price as well as number of units sold. So, the fact that that’s what we are seeing in the early stages of 2026 should come as no surprise.
We sometimes think net worth is king! It’s the gauge we use to rank individuals by wealth. We’ve all seen postings on Facebook showing us the top wealthiest individuals on earth. Or the number of billionaires in Canada. Those numbers are based on net worth. And if you recall net worth is the difference between the value of everything you own and the total of all the debt you owe. But net worth doesn’t tell the whole story. It makes a great deal of difference what type of items comprise your net worth. Let me explain by way of a personal example.
Visualize this: It’s 1986. You’re an accountant in Vancouver. You’re seeing seniors living longer, healthier and more self-sufficient lives than ever. But they don’t have enough cash to pay their day-to-day expenses.
“You don’t sell the steak; you sell the sizzle.” And with that sentiment, an entire industry was born – marketing. Here at RE/MAX Garden City Realty Inc., we’ve had a marketing department in place for well over 30 years. And it’s there to help the agents sell the sizzle.
A corporate power of attorney is a crucial but often overlooked document for business owners. While many entrepreneurs are familiar with personal wills and powers of attorney, the need for a plan that specifically covers their business if they become incapacitated is often overlooked. A corporate power of attorney allows you to appoint someone you trust to act on your company’s behalf, ensuring contracts don’t stall and your clients aren’t left in limbo. This person should understand your business and may be a trusted professional or family member, but the authority is limited to business matters only. Many business owners assume a family member can step in during a crisis, but running a business requires specific knowledge and access to information. Without proper planning, your family could face unnecessary stress and your business could suffer. This is especially true for small business and sole directors. Take for example the role of professionals like lawyers or real estate brokers who have access to trust funds. If you have not managed your risk through proper estate planning, the consequences of your injury could lead to frustration and delay for those who have chosen to work with your business. For this reason, working with a lawyer for a consultation for your estate plan can help minimize risks and ensure someone is ready to step in if needed. With a corporate power of attorney, a trusted substitute can immediately manage issues, honour contracts, and keep your business on track, protecting your livelihood and legacy when the unexpected happens.
