Last night, the Ontario government released a list of all businesses they consider to be essential during a Covid-19 induced shutdown-ish thing. Some doomsayers have told me the general economy has sort-of been ground to a halt. Some organizations seem to be salvaging with the ostensible "work from home" strategy. The challenge with real estate is that … Continue reading Real estate was deemed an essential workplace during COVID-19 – here’s 3 reasons why.
Is Toronto’s obsession with the CN tower stifling condo supply?
The CN tower is Toronto's baby. It's our landmark and the face of our city. It may also have a role in Toronto's housing supply shortage by suppressing supertall development near it. I remember distinctly during my time at Cornell's CIRECC event in New York City, both of the two tallest buildings in NYC were … Continue reading Is Toronto’s obsession with the CN tower stifling condo supply?
The burning Amazon, and real estate as an information system
Real estate is a technology. I've had this idea marinating in my head for a little while that is sort of an expansion of the concept I've already communicated I believe in: real estate is a technology. Land is the surface of a floating rock in space we're lucky enough to exist upon. It is a … Continue reading The burning Amazon, and real estate as an information system
WTF is a buyer’s market?
Real estate supply & demand I've been writing a lot about demand factors lately, and perhaps that's a function of the buyer's market we're currently in. So, as an aside, I will be releasing my Summer 2019 market report sometime within the next few days, but here's a teaser infographic reiterating that we are, in fact, in … Continue reading WTF is a buyer’s market?
Unlimited data plans and rural real estate prices.
Long-distance calling costs once played a role in purchase decisions. A few days ago, I was preparing a bit of a commentary on Rogers' introduction of unlimited data. I was trying to conclude how unlimited data may play a role in making rural living a little bit more attractive. As an example, I can now … Continue reading Unlimited data plans and rural real estate prices.
“Waiting to buy”
"I'm waiting to buy a property." I hear this statement a lot. I hear it attached to a handful of different rationalizations as to what, exactly, we're waiting for. That being said, it's most often attached to some sort of financial issue. That's what I'm aiming to address here. My goal is to quantify the … Continue reading “Waiting to buy”
Change the world. Literally.
We all want to change the world. - The Beatles. Yes, The Beatles. A meditation on property and meaning. I realized by accident that part of my obsession with real estate is rooted in the same magnetism I feel towards esoteric self-help/development culture. I think that deep down, we all have a desire to change … Continue reading Change the world. Literally.
WTF is a “price floor” and why is it moving up?
Crossposted to http://www.fochfamily.com/blog and my linkedin. I got a response on instagram to yesterday's blog post & subsequent story post about the prominent buyers in the market right now, and why they're dictating the demand side of market equilibrium. The question was: buy now or wait it out? My response was pretty diplomatic. "It depends … Continue reading WTF is a “price floor” and why is it moving up?
So you bought a property… but who are you going to sell it to?
Crossposted at http://www.fochfamily.com/blog The real estate market in the Greater Toronto Area is, for lack of a better word, weird. As a result of this new reality we're living in, it's really tough to find reliable data to formulate any kind of empirically verifiable investment thesis. This has caused me, and a handful of others … Continue reading So you bought a property… but who are you going to sell it to?
Introducing Public Market Reports.
If you've met me in person and heard my elevator pitch, I often like to say that I sell real estate "North of Bloomington" - also known colloquially (or co-local-y?) as the "N6". I always stipulate that I don't discriminate on the product I sell, and I have clients who like the way I analyze … Continue reading Introducing Public Market Reports.