Say you’ve found a house for sale in an area that’s unfamiliar to you. How do you figure out if it’s going to be the ideal neighbourhood? The first step is to take a walk. Stroll the neighbourhood and explore. If you get the chance, chat with homeowners and get their opinions of the area. Ask what they love about it. Also ask what they don’t like. Next, determine how the neighbourhood is...
One of the true hidden gems among the small towns of Southwestern Ontario lies just outside of Stratford, and a little under an hour’s drive from Kitchener-Waterloo. Positioned between more heavily-travelled Ontario highways, one typically would need to be deliberately seeking St Marys out to arrive in its charming downtown – but this town will make such a journey well worth your...
This week we’re making a return to our continuing series of profiles on the smaller towns and communities dotted throughout Chestnut Park West’s predominant market area. We’re also making a return to Wellington County, and to the township of Centre Wellington – Fergus, to be exact. An independent town until 1999 when it merged with the Village of Elora and a handful of other surrounding small...
Of the many population centres and market towns which surround our portion of Southern Ontario, the City of Woodstock is one of the larger ones within a 45-minute drive of Kitchener-Waterloo. As the the seat of Oxford County, Woodstock has a population now north of 40,000 residents. In recent years, it has become an increasingly popular option for would-be homebuyers exasperated by spiraling costs of...
As communities grow, reliance on personal transport tends to decrease - here’s the situation in our own backyard. Waterloo Region currently stands as the tenth most populous metropolitan area in the entire country; with a total population of over 620,000 residents as of 2020 according to data published by the regional government. Assuming the regional government’s projections hold true and...
The Provincial Government has moved recently to introduce new legislation aimed at alleviating housing shortages in Ontario and stabilizing the cost of entry to our housing market. Bill 109, or the “More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022”, aims to ease financial pressures on homebuyers by acting to restrict the activities of real estate speculators, curbing predatory development practices, and working...