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To enhance your buying and selling experience, it’s our job as real estate professionals to provide you with as much valuable information as possible. It is essential that the buyer or seller be aware of all aspects of the real estate market before making a major decision. 
TOP 5 SAFE HAVENS... From Canadian Real Estate Magazine, December 2008 issue A recent issue of Canadian Real Estate Magazine names Winnipeg, Kitchener-Waterloo, Barrie, Victoria and Moncton as the top five Canadian havens for real estate investors. The magazine article quoted experts as saying the top five factors needed to establish a "safe haven" were a diversified economy, increasing home prices, population growth, demand for rental properties and demographics that promote economic stability. It further quoted figures from the Canadian Real Estate Association showing these five locations have shown steady appreciation in home values with low volatility. In short, says one related article, people who buy homes or income properties in "safe havens" are pretty much guaranteed to make money. Top 5 Safe Havens...
Kitchener-Waterloo:
Home to Research in Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry, Kitchener-Waterloo boasts a robust economy and equally stable real estate market.
Recently, the Real Estate Investors Network research team selected Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge as the No.1 investment town in Ontario. "We call it 'the economic Alberta of Ontario', and this is our top-ranked investment area in the province," says Don Campbell, the report's lead author and president of the network.
Kitchener-Waterloo's resale residential market has experienced one of the strongest runs on record during the past 10 years, according to Re/Max's Decade in Review report.
Sales have steadily gained momentum, climbing 63% to more than 7,031 in 2007 from 4,307 unites in 1997.
Compared to major centres such as Toronto or the GTA, homes in Kitchener-Waterloo are more affordable. The average residential house price is $265,499, according to the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board.
For investors, the market posts an annual rate of return of 6%, based on Re/Max's 1997-2007 numbers.
Currently, rental demand is increasing. The vacancy rate sits at 2% compared to 4% in 2007, with average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment holding steady at about $838, according to CMHC.
The region's location - an 80-minute drive from Toronto - makes it attractive, and population growth has given the two cities a combined 350,000 residents.
While older, established hot pockets have maintained their appeal, new areas such as Kitchener's Fischer Hallman area and Cambridge's Hespeler, North Galt and East Galt have become very popular with purchasers, according to the report.
"The region's high-tech sector is a big boost to the community as well as the real estate market," says Karen Shartun, president of the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board.
What differentiates Kitchener-Waterloo from other more volatile markets, she says, is the region's wide economic base. While the high-tech sector is a staple of the economy, so too are insurance and education: the region boasts two universities and a recognized college.
If you’d like to know more about buying a secondary property for investment purposes or selling your existing investment property, then just give me a call. You’ll be glad you did!
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