Welcome to the November issue of my monthly newsletter!
Welcome to November – less commonly known as the anniversary of Pharoh Phever. Let me explain. King Tut’s tomb was discovered on November 4, 1922, by British archaeologist Howard Carter. After years of searching, his team found a step in the bedrock, that led to a staircase, and eventually to the sealed door to the tomb’s entrance. The tomb contained thousands of artifacts, including gold-covered chariots, jewelry, shrines, and Tutankhamun’s solid gold mask. And as you can imagine, it was huge news, capturing the world’s attention and leading to a frenzy of interest in Ancient Egypt. They may not have had the term Pharoh Phever at the time, but they sure could have used it!
Keys to Their Future: Helping Your Kids Buy Their First Home
Although some things stay the same, the housing market isn’t one of them. If you’re in the thick of things with your adult children trying to buy a property – could you imagine paying the average 2025 Canadian home price of $678,331?!
There’s truly a housing affordability crisis happening right now and it’s taking the biggest toll on new home buyers trying to enter the market – your kids. If you’re looking for options to help them with their home purchase, this article is for you.
The housing crisis your kids are facing isn’t just out-of-reach prices. There’s also stricter mortgage qualification guidelines (including the stress test), unemployment exceeding 7% in Canada in 2025, the growing gap between salaries and home prices, and a volatile condo market in Vancouver and Toronto – to name a few. So, here are a few ways to overcome the home-ownership barriers of 2025 and beyond.
- Financial Assistance: If you can afford to give your kids cash for a down payment, that’s great. There’s no minimum or maximum amount you can give them. You’ll need to make sure it has been in their account long enough or write them a gift letter or show proof of funds if not.
- Co-signing the Mortgage: If you’re still working or have sufficient income from other means, you can consider taking joint financial responsibility for a mortgage. The point is to improve their debt-to-income ratio so they can get approved for a mortgage that their own income doesn’t allow for.
- Early Inheritance: One trend that’s gaining momentum with the baby boomer generation is giving your children their inheritance early. It’s a plus for parents who get to see their kids enjoy it or help them when they need it more. You’ll have to do some financial forecasting for this to work.
- Reverse Mortgage: If the above aren’t great options for your family, and you own your own home, you could consider a reverse mortgage. This would give you a lump sum or monthly installments of cash which you don’t repay until you sell your home.
- Increase Credit Score: This is an indirect route, but a higher credit score has material benefits. It makes lenders more apt to provide financing, and can get the owner a lower mortgage rate. And of course, a lower rate means lower payments, and an easier time qualifying for a mortgage. Making sure they have bills in their name (like the electric bill) that are paid in full every month helps establish their credit worthiness.
- Pay off Debt: Even if you can’t cover the downpayment on a home, you can get your kids there faster by helping them pay down debt. This will not only free up room for saving, but it will also improve their debt servicing ratio and give them more room to borrow for a mortgage.
- Introduce Me! (Your Mortgage Broker): Letting me take a closer look at their finances and mortgage needs might open a door or bring to light a lender you haven’t thought of. I’m happy to do a review at no charge.
- Putting a Home In Trust: Here you’d be the one purchasing the home and putting it in an irrevocable trust for your child. This is option makes sense if you want to maintain ownership, if your child has poor credit history and won’t qualify with a lender, or even if they are married and you want them alone to retain the home (in case of divorce). It’s also a strategic method of estate planning if you want your child to (eventually) receive the property and avoid probate and taxes.
- Joint Mortgage: Here you would each have separate financial responsibilities as part of the home purchase agreement, as outlined in the mortgage. This might be the right option if you want to co-own the home, and will each pay a portion of the mortgage every month.
- Inter-Family Mortgage: If you have the cash to finance the house, you can loan them those funds and draft a personal mortgage or loan agreement. As it’s not governed by a financial institution, you have flexibility in what the terms of the loan are.
Regardless of how you choose to help, consulting a lawyer or mortgage broker is a good place to start. It can help you understand the legal implications of each option and be sure you’re making an informed decision. If you’d like to explore any of these further, with no cost or strings attached, reach out so we can set up a meeting.
Sleigh Your Budget: Holiday Shopping Without the Financial Hangover
With 50% of people having already started their holiday shopping, there’s no time like the present 😉 to put together your spending guide and working budget.
Why bother? Having a holiday budget is a great way to make sure you don’t overspend and get dragged down by blue Monday when that January credit card bill comes in. It also opens the door to setting bigger financial goals.
How do I start? Setting a realistic overall number is a great place to start. But micro budgeting is where things are really at! Micro budgeting is when you consider how much you plan to spend on each person and for each thing. Drill down to the nitty gritty on what books Aunt Sharon needs and what you want to spend on each one.
Ready to shop? You’ve probably seen and heard a lot of budgeting advice over the years. But these days, social media ads and pressures can be stronger than ever. So, let’s go over a few things before you whip out that credit (or debit) card.
DOs
- Leave your emotions (especially guilt) at home
- Track prices now and watch for sales later this month
- Keep a physical tracker of spending
- Write down everything you buy
- Consider alternatives to material gifts
- Have a gift conversation with anyone you plan to buy for – and talk budget!
- Look at thrift stores or on Marketplace for items
- Consider a group gift exchange rather than buying gifts for everyone individually
DON’Ts
- Use ‘buy now pay later’ offers
- Sign up for store credit cards
- Buy things that aren’t on the list
- Double-buy for one person
- Fritter away your budget on small items
- Feel you must buy gifts for everyone
- Forget homemade gift materials may also cost money
- Buy based on social media ads – research the product and company first
Here’s something else to think about before you shop: What’s the recipient’s love language? If you answered receiving gifts, then a physical present is a perfect way to show you care. But if the answer is quality time or acts of service – maybe your time and money are better spent making a coupon book (for cooking a meal together or a ride home from a night out) or booking a special activity to do together (like a concert or a sleigh ride). And if you answered words of affirmation – making and writing a card will be more appreciated than anything you can put a bow on.
This advice isn’t meant to make you feel guilty about buying gifts. It’s meant to help you come up with a plan and not waste resources. Good luck with your holiday shopping and hopefully you’re able to stay on budget!
Economic Insights from Dr. Sherry Cooper
The outlook for the Canadian housing market in late 2025 and into 2026 is marked by significant regional variation, with some provinces experiencing stability or gains, while others face price pressures and slowdowns driven by high inventories, affordability challenges, and shifting demand. Residential real estate is looking more alive, at least for the time being.
Despite an uncertain economic outlook, homebuying fundamentals have shown clear improvement in some areas.
Below is a breakdown by key regions:
Ontario (including Toronto)
Ontario, especially the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), remains weighed down by an abundance of listings, particularly in the condo sector. Toronto remains the epicentre for price fragility, thanks in part to a condo sector hampered by immigration slowdowns and overbuilding. Although sales activity has rebounded from spring lows (up 36% from March), prices continue to face downward pressure. The average selling price in Toronto fell 5.2% year-over-year to $969,700 in August 2025. Single-family homes dropped 5.6% to $1,184,700, while condos fell 7% to $571,500. By year-end, prices are projected to decline further by up to 4%, with the number of sales also dropping 5%. Elevated inventory and cautious buyer sentiment are keeping market conditions soft, with slightly longer days on market and muted rent growth.
British Columbia (including Vancouver)
Greater Vancouver continues to face challenges from elevated listings and affordability issues. Prices declined approximately 6.3% year-over-year across detached properties and are expected to fall about 10% through late 2025 as both buyers and sellers remain wary. Sales have dropped significantly, and average days on market have lengthened, reflecting hesitation tied to uncertainty over economic conditions and future price trends.
Developers are growing cautious, especially with higher unsold inventory for condos, despite some support from strong rental demand. A mild rebound in housing starts is predicted for 2025, particularly in the multi-unit and rental sectors, but expectations are for only marginal price growth beyond the immediate rebound.
Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba)
The Prairies present a brighter outlook:Saskatchewan is Canada’s current hot spot, with average prices up 14% year-over-year in August 2025, reaching $359,379, and Saskatoon up 17%. Tight supply and decent affordability support substantial gains, but moderation is expected as job growth later slows.
Manitoba is similarly buoyant, with average prices up nearly 9% to $395,913 and continued tight conditions signalling near-term gains, though price growth may slow in 2026 as economic momentum ebbs.
Alberta, particularly Calgary and Edmonton, has shifted from ultra-tight to balanced. Sales have dropped and listings have increased, moderating previous double-digit gains. Province-wide, the market remains a seller’s market, but price growth has slowed, with some small declines expected if demand remains tepid.
Quebec
Quebec’s market is relatively strong, with home resales up 14% in 2025 and modest price gains supported by tight supply despite a recent small slip month to month. Balanced conditions are expected to persist in 2026, although not at the pace of the past year.
Atlantic Canada
Markets such as Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador remain brisk, with sales up double digits in early 2025. However, the pace is moderating as price growth has cooled somewhat compared to the post-pandemic surge. Conditions generally favour sellers.
National Trends and Outlook
Nationally, housing prices are predicted to stabilize after the initial rebound of 2025, with slower growth into 2026 as supply and demand become more balanced. Key drivers include:
- Moderating mortgage rates, expanding some affordability by late 2025
- Cautious buyer and seller sentiment, especially in high-priced markets
- Diverging paths: Prairies and Atlantic Canada firm, Ontario and B.C. weak
Expectations for 2026 are for a more balanced national market, with performance closely tied to local economic growth, employment, and inventory dynamics. Most rapid price gains are cooling, but recovery is uneven, emphasizing the importance of monitoring regional fundamentals for any housing or investment decisions.
We expect at least one more 25-basis-point rate drop this year, which will also ease affordability and improve buyer sentiment. There is pent-up demand for housing, boosting next year’s home sales.
And that’s it for November! Thanks for reading and I look forward to connecting with you one more time before the holiday season takes over. And as always, if you have questions about mortgages, I’d love to help. Get in touch any time!
Angela Calla is a mortgage renewal and debt elimination expert with over 20 years of industry experience. She is also a multi-award-winning mortgage professional. Since beginning as a mortgage broker in 2004, Angela has helped thousands of Canadians optimize their mortgage strategies, eliminate debt, and build wealth through real estate.
She is the best-selling author of The Mortgage Code, which equips readers with the tools to make informed financial decisions. Additionally, she is the host of Canada’s longest-running finance radio show on CKNW, where she simplifies mortgage advice and empowers listeners to take control of their financial futures.
Angela has been recognized as Business Leader of the Year (2020) by the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneur of the Year (2019) by the City of Port Coquitlam. She is also a sought-after speaker and educator, delivering accredited training for real estate boards across Greater Vancouver.
Angela is a frequent go-to source for media and publishers across the country. For media interviews, speaking inquiries, or personal mortgage assistance, please contact Angela at hello@countoncalla.ca or at 604-802-3983.
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