Brantford
What’s all the fuss about this steadily growing city on the Grand River?
Not only is Brantford affordable, it has some good future growth potential.
It has a lot of manufacturing. Tic Tac and Nutella-maker Ferrero have factories there. That’s helping the local economy. Wilfred Laurier University also has a campus there. If you look around Toronto, it’s the only city that hasn’t appreciated as much. It’s long overdue for some strong home price growth,
With Brantford’s economy pretty well diversified, it has the potential to weather an economic slowdown and be the diamond in the rough for real estate in Southern Ontario.
Hamilton
Hamilton has seen a bit of a renaissance, shedding its image as Steeltown. The downtown core used to be rundown and gritty, but younger families are now renovating homes and transforming it for the better.
We have seen exceptional growth in Hamilton and surrounding markets over the last five years. This is due to several factors: the two main reasons for my clients moving to Hamilton are affordability and access to public transit that Hamilton didn’t have a decade ago. This trend should continue as lending rules continue to tighten buyers’ budgets. When people are forced to decide between moving their young family into a condo in Toronto or into a detached house in Hamilton with a back yard, many are choosing the spacious property in Hamilton. It’s a lifestyle choice.
With plans for the GO Train to expand to Hamilton, look for property values to continue to rise in the coming years.
London
London remains an extremely affordable place to live, despite a rise in home values in recent years. Those values are likely to continue their climb due to investment in infrastructure and roads, as well as the addition of BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) and bike lanes throughout the city. These improvements will decrease traffic congestion and make the city more appealing.
London is not only an amazing place to invest for student rentals around the various schools, it’s also a great place for single families with great culture in the sub-communities like Lambeth,
With the high-speed rail possibilities direct to Toronto, Keeling believes that the time to buy is now, as prices in London are unlikely to go down once the train is implemented.