Blog

There’s been a notable shift in Toronto’s housing landscape: housing starts have dipped 10% year-over-year, reflecting how construction activity has cooled in the city’s dense urban core. While 37 building permits are currently tied to 6,600 condominium apartment units, many of these projects haven’t broken ground yet, remaining in the pipeline. The interesting wrinkle is that some of these developments may still move forward—early pre-sales may have secured their viability well before this recent slowdown in sales. It’s important to remember that housing-start data often lags behind what’s really happening on the ground, especially in a city where large-scale developments must navigate planning, pre-sales, permits, and then construction. So, today’s numbers might not capture the full scope of activity still brewing beneath the surface. As someone who helps clients navigate commercial and residential markets in Windsor, I always keep an eye on trends in larger cities like Toronto—because what happens there can influence market dynamics here. Staying informed means we’re always prepared to spot shifting opportunities in our own backyard.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how development fees shape the cost and availability of new homes in Canada. As someone who’s spent years helping Windsor-Essex buyers and investors navigate our market, I know firsthand how every dollar counts when making a move. According to a recent national housing agency report, reducing these fees could make about 14% more residential projects financially viable—a significant potential boost to housing supply. The impact is especially pronounced in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, where cutting development charges could increase viable projects by around 10%. In fact, Toronto could potentially meet half its housing supply goals this way.

Comparing costs, Calgary’s development fees range from roughly $4,000 for a one-bedroom high-rise to $9,000 for a detached home, while in Vancouver, similar fees can run between $20,000 and $33,000. These fees do fund vital infrastructure—roads, sewers, and city services—so finding the right balance is key. But for families searching for larger homes, lower fees could make new builds a more realistic option, especially in markets where new units often outprice comparable resale homes. As always, local market knowledge and clear guidance can make a world of difference when you’re weighing your next move.

The Bank of Canada held rates steady, but its latest messaging was noticeably more concerned about renewed inflation pressure.
Inflation has moved back above target, with higher energy costs adding fresh pressure to the Canadian economy.
Future rate cuts are no longer the obvious next step, as markets are increasingly considering potential hikes instead.
The takeaway: Canadians shouldn’t assume borrowing costs are heading lower—2027 could bring a very different rate environment if inflation stays elevated.

In Late-Q2 2026, Toronto saw one of the strongest affordability gains as falling home prices, not easier financing, became the main driver.
Toronto recorded a ~2.5-point affordability improvement after its representative home price fell ~4% during the quarter, leaving the payment-to-income ratio near 68%.
In Toronto, the shift from rate-driven to price-driven gains was especially clear, highlighting how softer prices recently improved buying conditions more than mortgage rates.
For Toronto buyers, mortgage rates were not expected to deliver much additional relief over the next year, making other affordability supports increasingly important.
In Toronto, further affordability improvement increasingly depended on income growth and restrained home-price appreciation, as financing costs were no longer expected to help.

Trade talks collapsed, and roughly $20B in Canadian exports to the US were hit with ~50% tariffs, reviving uncertainty around Canada's housing outlook.
The renewed tariff fight echoed earlier buyer hesitation, with fresh concerns that purchase activity and consumer confidence could weaken as economic uncertainty returns.
An expert expected the central bank to hold rates on September 2 and through year-end, while rising bond yields threatened added pressure on fixed mortgages.
Even so, Canada avoided recession through the trade turmoil, labour markets had been improving, and second-quarter growth was expected near 3%, giving housing some support.
Canada entered the latest trade fight from a stronger footing, but housing direction still depended on how long economic resilience lasted under new tariffs.

CMHC expects Toronto sales to increase in 2026, even while prices remain below recent peaks.
Here’s the overlooked part: today’s abundant inventory could give patient buyers more choice and negotiating room.
Royal LePage expects GTA prices to decline 2% by Q4 2026, while activity continues building.
The bigger opportunity may be buying when competition is quiet—not perfectly predicting the market’s bottom.