▲ 156 r/kitchener
Whats going on at the mall?!!
Zoom in the pic guys. See the line of people early in the morning waiting to go in!
Wtf?
u/Chris_DiFiore — 7 days ago
u/Chris_DiFiore
▲ 0 r/waterloo
INSECURITY IS WILD, WHAT’S GOING ON!?!
Just this week, there were two major robberies — one involving a shooting.
As usual, the jewelry stores inside supermarkets were targeted… this time again at the Canadian Superstore.
Then there was the shooting at Scotiabank.
Not long ago, there was also a shooting on Weber near the Walmart in Bridgeport. Remember that?
Last year, we kept hearing about break-ins at the jewelry stores in Conestoga Mall too. I even noticed they added extra security measures and private guards recently.
What’s happening? What’s the solution to all this? I’m not gonna lie — I’m starting to feel unsafe.
u/Chris_DiFiore — 8 days ago
▲ 56 r/kitchener
Roads are destroyed…
I know, folks (yeah, I’m talking to the know-it-alls), it’s that time of year when the snow is gone and road repairs need to be done. But man, have I ever seen everything this destroyed before? I can’t remember. There are always repairs here and there, but it’s getting worse. So bad that even I notice how messed up everything is.
Weber, Highland, Victoria, Belmont — whatever street you name has a bunch of craters everywhere. Moving around the city has also become terrible with all the traffic and road closures due to repairs.
I’m not sure if I’m biased, but lately I feel like the people in charge haven’t been keeping up with city cleanliness, plowing, security, and repairs. Last winter, a bunch of roads were packed with snow for days, and I wouldn’t even see a single plow.
Am I wrong, guys?
P.S. — it’s wild how much construction is going on. The roads are all the same, the city layout is the same, but somehow the density is going to increase 10,000x. Erb Street is all boarded up, King St. too, and around Queen St. everything is boarded up. Even near Schneider Haus, the height of the buildings they’ve built — and keep building — is concerning.
I don’t know what the hell is going on, but there’s sooo much land around Costco and past all of Doon where they keep building Activa developments, etc. I get that people want to live closer to the universities and Uptown/Downtown, but the solution isn’t adding more density and heavier traffic to already busy roads and historical areas.
The solution is to better connect those Activa developments and the area around Costco by extending the ION and improving fast, efficient public transportation.
Last. People speeding in residential areas is really concerning. It feels completely out of control.
u/Chris_DiFiore — 15 days ago
▲ 43 r/waterloo
I often go to Uptown Waterloo for groceries at Value-Mart (P.S. — insanely overpriced), and I keep running into the same two people every single day.
1) On King Street, by the Starbucks past the LCBO, there’s this homeless guy who is always there asking, “You got any change?” I used to give him some spare change here and there, but then I saw him buying cigarettes, so I stopped.
Last time I said, “No, I don’t have any change,” he goes, “There’s a machine there — can you take out some cash and give it to me?” (There’s a Scotiabank ATM right beside Starbucks.) I was like… wtf??
Ever since then, I’ve been avoiding that Starbucks. He’s literally always there and I’m just tired of saying no. Wouldn’t be surprised if other people avoid that spot too.
2) Inside “The Shops”, if you go in through Willis Way, there’s a nougat bakery, a shoe store, and a barber shop. Right across from the barber shop there are benches, and there’s a woman sitting there every single day, no matter the weather.
Same black outfit, grey hair, always has a bag with her. Hard to tell her age exactly, but probably somewhere between 50–70. Every time I walk past, she says something, but I can’t make it out and I usually just keep walking. Not that she’s doing anything wrong — she just seems to always be there. As if she lives in that bench.
Anyone else know who I’m talking about?
u/Chris_DiFiore — 20 days ago
They’ve been trying to sell this property since 2024!
From $1,199,000 down to $895,000… (and its Kitchener).
And they’re still insisting on that price for a house that feels like it’s been frozen in the 1960s. Step inside and it’s all wood paneling, bold stained finishes, an outdated kitchen—you know the type. It hasn’t just “kept its character,” it’s been clinging to it for dear life. Unless you’re aiming to live in a full-on retro time capsule, the place needs a complete overhaul.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the roof, windows, insulation, furnace… pretty much everything is due for an update.
So, what do you think it’s actually worth? How much money does it need in renos? Place your bets!
Link to the house: 65 Trailview Drive, Kitchener, Ontario N2N1P7 For Sale | HouseSigma
u/Chris_DiFiore — 23 days ago
▲ 59 r/HouseSigmaBlunders
How on earth this ugly bungalow is listed at $1,8M?
Owners were not able to sell it back in 2019 for diverse prices and now try again at a higher price?
Can someone tell me how much is this box worth?
Link:
258 Joseph Schoerg Crescent, Kitchener, Ontario For Sale | HouseSigma
u/Chris_DiFiore — 23 days ago
▲ 24 r/HouseSigmaBlunders
The Bank of Canada just announced that it is keeping the rate at 2.25%, but warned that it may change in upcoming decisions based on the international context. I came across an article written by an economist who quantified the effects of policy rate changes on home prices, and it seems quite reasonable. I’m no expert, but it sounds like it’s on the right track. The analysis appears to have been done for the Waterloo Region, but it may apply to all of southern Ontario or other locations. The graphs show median home prices and is an avg. of the different types of houses (detached, semi, etc.).
First, the relationship between low rates and house prices in the graph he shares is quite evident. Also, the market tightness is quite striking. We can see that when rates dropped very low, both prices and tightness increased sharply.
According to him, the market currently sits at a “resistance” level, where it’s finding it difficult to keep going down because many people who bought during the COVID market are not willing to take a loss. This is suggested by the graph, where market tightness has decreased significantly, but prices have been oscillating around the $700K resistance level.
He also warned that many mortgage renewals are due this year, which may affect supply if homeowners cannot keep up with current rates.
Finally, he notes that a 25 basis point rate increase lowers home prices by about 1.1% over a two-year period. However, he also points out that the Bank of Canada rarely makes a single isolated 25 bp increase and instead may raise rates multiple times in succession, in which case the effects would accumulate.
Why do you think home prices have found a resistance floor at the $700K level? He argues that it may be due to reluctance to take a loss, but what other factors could explain this? Do you think house prices will continue to drop?
I’m curious, as I’m currently navigating the housing market, but I find that some people seem delusional. I can’t believe that even 1 storey run-down homes in Kitchener are still being listed at $800K. At this point, it feels like some realtors are just testing the market to see if they can sell to an uninformed buyer. I feel that over bidding for a home in a market that is clearly going through some correction is quite risky.
What are your thoughts? Is it a risky market to play the bidding game?
Link to article is: https://medium.com/@ForecastingEconomics/how-the-bank-of-canada-rate-moves-waterloo-home-prices-quantifying-the-impact-of-every-25bp-change-35631b0f83c9
u/Chris_DiFiore — 23 days ago
▲ 223 r/HouseSigmaBlunders
In 2020… BOOOOOOOOM.
P.S. This isn’t a hate post by any means—just an open discussion.
When immigration increases without a matching rise in housing supply, prices are bound to take a hit.
Over 1M people a year… and housing starts barely move?
What did anyone think was going to happen?
The government didn’t just misread the situation—they ignored it.
You can’t bring in a surge of people and not build the homes to match.
Thoughts?
u/Chris_DiFiore — 24 days ago
▲ 25 r/HouseSigmaBlunders
Came across a flip in Kitchener… but… is this a good flip deal? Will he make good money?
Bought for $475K last year, clearly went bargain hunting, threw money into a reno, and tried to list at $895K+ 💀
Now it’s back at $799,000.
Let’s do the math: even if he only dumped ~$200K into it, plus closing costs, carrying costs, realtor fees… he’s probably all-in around $700K+.
So what’s the play here?
Hope someone overpays and bail out? Or slowly accept the L?
How much do you think he put in renos? New kitchen, bathrooms, floors all over, even the exterior got a face wash. New roof, trims, windows. Is my 200k guess a lot? Maybe 125-150? You think he payed more than 200?
I want to hear the experts!!
Ps: i saw bigger homes in that area listed at 599 so, even if the reno was decent, the house is in a low appeal area.
u/Chris_DiFiore — 25 days ago
▲ 25 r/HouseSigmaBlunders
In just 20 years, the percentage of first-time homebuyers co-signing mortgages with their parents has more than tripled—from 4% in 2004 to 14% in 2026.
Analysts say this is a warning sign for policymakers and clearly suggests that housing affordability has become a major issue. Furthermore, they warn about the risks associated with this trend: “We see people taking on higher levels of risk and often struggling to keep up with their mortgage payments.”
Have you heard about this before? Is this concerning?
u/Chris_DiFiore — 25 days ago
Am I the only one confused about land prices specifically?
I get why houses went up since 2018 — low rates, demand, etc. That part’s been talked to death.
But what I don’t understand is raw land. Like how does a basic plot go from ~40–80k to 350–400k in a few years depending on the area?
Especially in Canada — we have one of the lowest population densities in the world. It’s not like the country is running out of land overall.
So what’s actually driving this?
Is it zoning making only a tiny % usable? Speculation? Developers locking up supply? Spillover from housing demand?
Because on the surface it feels like land shouldn’t be this expensive given how much of it exists, but clearly I’m missing something.
Genuinely asking — what’s the main factor here?
Thanks folks!
u/Chris_DiFiore — 28 days ago