{"id":56146,"date":"2026-05-22T14:15:30","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T14:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/56146\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T14:15:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T14:15:30","slug":"why-a-home-isnt-always-the-best-investment-get-rich-tips-for-renters-and-the-home-of-the-week-canadian-real-estate-news-for-the-week-of-may-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/56146\/","title":{"rendered":"Why a home isn’t always the best investment, get-rich tips for renters and the Home of the Week: Canadian real estate news for the week of May 22"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

The Home of the Week is a multilevel loft inside an Edwardian-era foundry in Toronto.Birdhouse Media<\/p>\n

This week: Four real estate assumptions that no longer apply, and what the average price gets you in Kitchener-Waterloo. Plus, how to build wealth as a renter and one property worth a look.<\/p>\n

Take our business and investing news quiz<\/a><\/p>\n

OpinionBoomers, you can dial down the urgency on the \u2018get my kids a home\u2019 projectOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Real estate isn’t the investment juggernaut it once was and older Canadians need to accept that, Rob Carrick writes.Nithirut14\/iStockPhoto \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Buying low is the trick to selling high for any investment, but for real estate, that strategy hasn\u2019t applied for some time. Yet, as Rob Carrick argues, many older Canadians are set on making their children homeowners, no matter the cost<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But owning a home is not the financial juggernaut it once was. There are signs the worst is behind us, but prices are down around 20 per cent from the early-2022 peak, meaning an annualized gain of just 3.5 per cent over the last decade.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s high time to admit four key assumptions no longer apply, Rob argues, including the notion that young people \u2013 or their parents \u2013 should clean out their savings to own a home. \u201cBoomer parents won\u2019t, and shouldn\u2019t, stop helping their adult children buy homes,\u201d Rob writes. \u201cBut calmer market conditions mean parents can be more discerning in their decisions about how much help to provide.\u201d Parents can read the full column here,<\/a> and younger Canadians can share it with the pushy relative in their life.<\/p>\n

Price PointWhat does the median home price get you in Kitchener-Waterloo?Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

115 Filbert St. is for sale in Kitchener’s East Ward. Do you think it’s worth the price?seeyourhousenow.com<\/p>\n

While $800,000 might only get you a slightly-larger-than-a-shoebox condo in Canada\u2019s most expensive cities, it\u2019s plenty in Kitchener-Waterloo. Your money still doesn\u2019t go as far as before the pandemic, but in April the average detached home price reached $779,000<\/a> after some modest growth from a low of $752,000 in December. In 2019, a home for less than $500,000 was pretty normal \u2013 and then the frenzy doubled home prices and the average exceeded $1-million for a few months in 2022.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to be looking to buy to take a peek. Shane Dingman reports on three homes for sale, from a historic American foursquare in central Kitchener to a renovated five-bedroom with in-law suites. One realtor told him sellers are still having a tough time stomaching sub-$1-million prices, but decide for yourself whether you think the price is fair. Take a look at all three homes and vote for which home you think is the best value<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s lowest fixed and variable mortgage rates in Canada<\/p>\n

Rates shown are the lowest available for each term\/type and category (insured vs. uninsured) as of market close on Thursday, May 21<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FIREHow Gen Zs can build wealth without owning a home<\/p>\n

Unattainable home prices, economic instability and job markets being transformed by AI: It\u2019s no wonder many Gen Zs are giving up on the idea of ever owning a home. But that doesn\u2019t mean they have to abandon achieving financial security, argue Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung.<\/p>\n

The couple are early adopters of the financial independence, retire early (FIRE) movement<\/a>, created by Millennials searching for stability when the traditional employment-based system was failing them. Instead of giving in to the pressure to buy a home, they decided to rent and invest their money in the stock market. \u201cOur parents thought this was a crazy risk, but we proved them wrong: Our approach made us millionaires by our 30s, and allowed us to retire decades earlier than they did,\u201d Shen and Leung write.<\/p>\n

While rents have gone up since their journey began, the couple argue it\u2019s still a strategy that can work for Gen Z if they commit to managing their money with discipline. A mortgage is a great forced savings plan, but a diversified stock portfolio has higher overall returns without the risk of debt in an increasingly volatile economy. \u201cAnd as that system gets worse over time, FIRE will transition from a fringe movement to becoming the only real option for the next generation,\u201d Shen and Leung argue. Read their full column here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Design cornerA dream cottage in the LaurentiansOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Matthew Hague’s Quebec cabin is steeped in family history and straight out of a Canadian summer romance novel.Renaud Lafreni\u00e8re\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

If the start of cottage season has you fantasizing about your dream cabin by the lake, here\u2019s a little bit of inspiration and reassurance that good things take time. More than 80 years after his grandfather built a cabin north of Montreal, writer Matthew Hague replaced it with a warm, modern cottage<\/a> straight out of a Canadian summer romance novel.<\/p>\n

Inspired by boathouses on the lake at the foot of the four-acre property, a cathedral-peaked great room is the centrepiece of the long, narrow home. From a ceiling planked with salvaged wood to warm white walls and a wood-burning fireplace, the cottage was designed to maximize natural light and lake views. Take a peek inside and read about how the home came together<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Home of the WeekA multilevel converted foundry loft in Toronto\u2019s JunctionOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

The unit used a complex steel truss system to support the walls and nod to the building’s heritage.Birdhouse Media<\/p>\n

1100 Lansdowne Ave., unit 339, Toronto \u2013 Full gallery here<\/a><\/p>\n

The prospect of gutting this sunny, cavernous foundry loft unit<\/a> scared the living daylights out of several professionals, but one intrepid architect didn\u2019t see a reason to fear. Originally three stories in a landmark Edwardian-era foundry, David Grant-Rubash\u2019s dauntless plan opened up the space vertically and got creative to add an additional level.<\/p>\n

Now, the two-bed, three-bath loft provides nearly 2,800 square feet of modern living space over four floors that reflects its industrious spirit. Heritage elements, such as the two-storey windows and exposed red brick walls, have plenty of room to breathe throughout, particularly in the great room. A circular staircase connects up to the third floor, where the 29-foot ceiling soars and a ventless electric fireplace uses water vapour to create virtual flames \u2013 a far cry from the manufacturing methods of the building\u2019s original function. <\/p>\n

Above, the fourth-floor loft overlooks the great room, offering a close-up view of the vaulted ceilings and steel truss system that supports the side walls and roof. Despite its strength, \u201cit has a lightness and a delicateness to it,\u201d Grant-Rubash said.<\/p>\n

\n What do you think is the asking price for the property?\n <\/p>\n

a. $1,998,000<\/p>\n

b. $2,388,000<\/p>\n

c. $2,648,000<\/p>\n

d. $2,798,000<\/p>\n

\n d. The asking price is $2,798,000.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: The Home of the Week is a multilevel loft inside an Edwardian-era foundry…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56147,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[3128,136,902,903,904,1637,484,16124,48,137,906],"class_list":["post-56146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto","tag-ac-community","tag-appwebview","tag-aud-growth","tag-aud-headline","tag-aud-url","tag-newnewsletter","tag-noastack","tag-realestate-roundup","tag-toronto","tag-yesapplenews","tag-yessnap"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56146\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}