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It seems that everywhere you turn, Canadians are expressing concerns about mounting unaffordability across the country.

Big cities like Vancouver and Toronto have been deemed unaffordable for years, amid rising housing prices. Now, the pinch is being felt across the nation, from small towns in British Columbia to the East Coast.

So, how do you find affordability in Canadian cities?

If you’re living in a more expensive urban hub, you may have to be more strategic with your choices. These can be great places to live, particularly because of the lucrative jobs and career opportunities.

But as the work-from-home revolution continues, many Canadians are looking outside their regular environments to see what else is out there. Moving further from a big city often means you get more room for less money.

Here are the five best Canadian cities for housing affordability that don’t compromise on job growth, according to the Financial Post.

1. Regina
The capital of Saskatchewan ranks the highest of all metro areas in Canada, with average house prices hovering just over $266,000.

2. Saskatoon
Saskatchewan seems like the place to be, with a second city from the province topping the list. The average house price is $334,600.

3. Moncton
If you haven’t heard of Mocton, you should add New Brunswick’s most populous city to your list. Home prices average about $333,200 – although they are on the rise, having increased more than 30 percent in the last year.

4. Winnipeg
It’s no surprise that Manitoba’s capital made the list, as well, ​​with average home prices of $345,500.

5. Edmonton
And finally, Alberta’s capital. With homes around $363,900 and amenities of the big city, it’s no wonder it’s popular.

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The Hamptons is one of the best neighbourhoods in West Edmonton, known for its thoughtful, modern design that caters to families.

It is bounded on the west by Winterburn Road, on the east by 199 Street NW and on the south by 45 Avenue NW. The north boundary is south of 56 Avenue NW. This prime location makes enjoying quiet suburban life easy, without giving up quick access to the city amenities.

The Hamptons is a newer neighbourhood, with some development starting in the early 2000s but most after 2005. Single detached houses are the most common type of dwelling but there are also plenty of duplexes, apartments and townhouses. The neighbourhood is also home to several schools, churches and shopping areas as well parks and trails.

It’s known as a quiet, safe place to raise a family for good reason!

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Interest rates have been on steep upward trend in the past few months. The Bank of Canada has been hiking rates in an attempt to tame inflation, which is now at a 31-year high of 6.8%.

Rising interest rates affects all types of borrowing, but the biggest impact is on mortgages. In June, for example, the Bank of Canada raised rates to 1.5% from 1.0% and more increases could be coming.

So far, fixed five-year terms have been raised the most while variable-rate mortgages have remained more competitively priced, but that may change soon.

For homeowners who purchased properties during COVID-19 when rates were at historic lows, the difference in monthly payments could jump by nearly 50% in the coming years when those mortgages are up for renewal.

This is causing fear and anxiety among many homeowners. A new debt survey from Manulife Bank of Canada, for example, found that nearly one in four homeowners say they will have to sell their home if interest rates go up further.

On the flipside, rising interests rates historically tend to go hand-in-hand with a cooling housing market as purchasing budgets shrink. However, this time around there are additional factors at play including particularly low housing inventories.

Whichever side you fall on, experts are predicting that the current economic climate and rising interest rates will be a game-changer for Canada’s housing market.

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The COVID-19 pandemic impacted so much of life from the way people work to expectations about workplace flexibility due to the pivot towards work-from-home. 

After more than two years of forgoing the office, many employees don’t want to return to long commutes and working away from their homes. Office occupancy rates are starting to creep back up, with some employers calling workers back. The work model, however, has fundamentally changed. 

And that has created a growing demand in the real estate niche of co-working spaces. Buying or leasing office spaces is a huge trend of 2022 as remote and hybrid work models look like they are here to stay. 

One of the world's largest shared office space providers, IWG, is a great example of this trend. The company has seen a 45% increase in the use of their co-working spaces at 130 locations across Canada. This is true in smaller towns and rural areas, as well as larger cities. 

As another example, the co-working business Collingwood Foundry saw a 200% increase in demand at their Toronto-based location and ended up purchasing more space, expanding significantly from 4,500 square feet up to 7,000 square feet. 

This spike in demand for co-working spaces certainly accelerated as a result of COVID-19, but it didn’t start there.  Desire for flexible workspaces has been growing at an average annual rate of 23% since 2010. 

In fact, the real estate analytics firm JLL predicts that co-working spaces could account for 30% of commercial office space by 2030. On the other hand, it wasn’t that long ago that the office-space start-up WeWork went off the tracks. 

So, what does this all mean for real estate? At the very least, it shows a growing market and new opportunities that could be of interest to some investors – but, like any investment, it’s not without risk.

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Griesbach is a newer community in Edmonton that is still developing, but it’s already extremely popular. It’s sometimes known as Edmonton’s “best” community because of how it brings together the old and the new: a traditional community character with the opportunity of new developments.

It is bounded on the north by 153 Avenue, on the east by 97 Street, on the south by 137 Avenue and on the west by Castle Downs Road. The area used to be part of a former military base but it’s now a Crown Corporation project.

Griesbach is known for having a quiet, residential vibe with plenty of spacious, single-family homes.

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Spending time outside and enjoying the long, lazy evenings of pleasant weather is one of the best parts of summer. The right lighting can make all the difference in an outdoor haven, whether it’s a patio or a large garden or other such space.

Lighting provides function, ambiance and security. Here are the best solutions for this summer:

String Lights
A classic because of their versatility and the cosy environment they create. String lights, which are also sometimes called fairy lights, can vary in shape, size and style. Hang them up across trees, around pillars or above furniture.

Recessed Lights
This is a great way to keep a space well lit while still looking fashionable. Recessed lighting is installed directly into beams, walls or other hardscapes. They are particularly useful in areas when you can benefit from more illumination, like outdoor cooking or eating areas.

Bollard Lights
Bollard lights are an elegant way of lighting up a path or garden. They look like posts with lights on top, without any cover, so they spread the illumination equally in all directions.

Step Lights
As the name suggests, step lights help illuminate staircases. They can shine from either the front or the side of the step. They’re helpful for both showing the pathway and reducing trip hazards.

Directional Lights
These types of lights showcase specific elements that you focus the direction of the light on. They can point upwards to illuminate trees or point downwards to show off something else in the garden.

Floodlights
Floodlights are a great security measure, especially if they are motion-sensor lights. Any movement in the garden will set the lights off, flooding the area with brightness and deterring potential burglars.

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In provinces across Canada right now, “blind biding” is the default practice when there are multiple offers on a home for sale. In essence, it means that potential buyers make their bids and compete to offer the most attractive offer without knowing the dollar amount of the bid they’re competing against.

However, a new pilot project and proposed regulation updates may change this.

The federal government announced plans to ban blind bidding in April of this year as part of the proposed 2022 Federal Budget, making it part of the promised Home Buyers’ Bill of Rights. The bill is not finalized and would still need to go through several approval stages before being implemented.

Other political parties, like the Green Party, also support the idea of banning blind bidding.

Just one day before the federal government’s proposed ban, the Canadian Real Estate Association announced a new pilot project to facilitate transparent bidding. Using real-time tracking, homebuyers can see all the offers on a property as they come in.

The full impact of this pilot project and possible ban on blind bidding remains to be seen if the proposal is approved. Analysts have differing predictions of what this will mean for buyers and sellers.

The argument for implement transparent bidding is that it will help cool down Canada’s hot real estate market. Bidders will have more information to make an offer and sellers will be able to give an “open offer” – they won’t be limited to selling their property through a closed or traditional system.

The counter argument, however, points to countries where a transparent system is in place – countries like Australia, Sweden and New Zealand. In these cases, evidence suggests that it may lead to higher house prices. However, there are other differences in these countries that may be causing the higher prices like home sales via live auction and bids that are not legally binding.

If the proposal passes, it will undoubtedly have an impact on both buyers and sellers one way or another.

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The Glenora neighbourhood in west Edmonton is highly regarded and considered one of the most desirable areas in the city by many. It is one of Edmonton’s oldest and most historic neighbourhoods with a history dating back to 1869. The first major developments began a few decades later in the early 1900s.

Nowadays, the area is a mixture of beautiful historic homes and newer residential developments. The tree-lined streets are a great place to walk around for those who enjoy architecture.

The area also boasts several schools, parks and views of the river, as well as commercial and shopping spaces. It is bounded on the east by Groat Road, on the north by 107 Avenue, on the west by 142 Street and on the south by the river valley and the MacKinnon Ravine.

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