Our front entrance is quite inviting during this festive season, and we’d love to have you walk through it! You are warmly invited through our front door so we can offer you a cup of cheer—whether that’s coffee, latte, hot chocolate, wine, mulled wine, eggnog, or any other festive treat! We (Emese especially!) love hosting and feeding anyone who comes through the door. It’s a Hungarian thing, I’m certain. If you’re within the walls of our home, you must be fed, whether you’re hungry or not! And what better time to feed someone than during the cold winter days leading up to Christmas?
Typically, we write this blog earlier in the month, but we’ve been quite busy in all areas of life. Have you ever looked at time like a budget? We’re careful (or should be careful) about how we spend our money, which gives rise to setting and following a budget. When life is busy, viewing time in the same manner becomes important. It helps eliminate wasted time and prioritize how we spend our time. Lately, we’ve really had to budget our time well. Not only are we busy working, but as musicians, we’re in one of the busiest times of the year.
The Christmas season always lends itself to wonderful music, concerts, and special church events that celebrate the birth of Jesus. Emese has performed in a few concerts already, with another one coming up this Saturday, December 14, in Woodstock, ON. The details are here, if you’d love to hear some fantastic choral music! In addition to that, we have been working hard to fine-tune the music for the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Winona Gospel Church. Emese is conducting the church choir, and Henk is accompanying on organ and piano. This wonderful evening is presented in the style of the traditional British Lessons and Carols, with readings from Scripture about the foretelling and birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, as well as many well-known carols, soaring descants, and other beautiful choral presentations that are sure to warm your heart. We would love to see you there to celebrate together on December 24 at 6:00 p.m. The address is 218 Glover Road, Stoney Creek.
If one asks our children about how things feel at home, this meme probably describes it best!
Actually, they are well-versed in the hustle and bustle of the season. It has become a part of the experience—trying to figure out which concerts they attend or skip out on in favor of getting homework done (or so they say!). Their schedule is also quite busy with school, sports, and extracurriculars. Being busy is a good thing though, isn’t it? We just have to be intentional about having downtime. Eating together is one way we put away our work and devices to sit together, even if only for a short time, conversing with one another. Often, the conversation is sprinkled with laughter, and we take this time to reflect on our day, express gratitude, and encourage one another in life’s challenges.
Now for a little real estate update. Many things have been happening in the market, and it doesn’t seem to be taking its usual December break.
In November, Emese and I were once again blessed to be the Top Producing Team in our office! We are so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with and for so many amazing clients, allowing us to go a head above for so many of you!
Thank you very much for the trust you place in us to represent you in such a momentous milestone.
In November, the median price held steady after three consecutive months of price increases in the wider Hamilton region. Inventory is down slightly due to the decrease in new listings, and many buyers, especially first-time homebuyers, are waiting patiently for December 16, when the mortgage rules change, increasing their affordability.
On Wednesday, the Bank of Canada announced yet another 50-basis-point reduction in the interest rate. Whether or not this affects fixed mortgage rates—or how much this will affect fixed rates—remains to be seen. At the very least, though, the further reduction and the changing mortgage rules are setting the stage for what could be a very strong spring real estate market. (Yes, we’re already talking about spring in real estate!) If our predictions come to fruition, the spring market will be a very strong seller’s market, and the median price will begin to rise more substantially.
Pro buyer tip: If you’re looking for a home, you may want to consider trying to get into something sooner than later, beating the spring rush and rising prices. Remember, January is the best month to purchase a home. Inventory rises, presenting more options, and we can see properties when they look their worst, allowing us to see every flaw that the home presents, allowing us to be able to negotiate a great price for you!
Here’s a quick snapshot of the market in November:
The number of unit sales in November was:
- ⬇️ to 425 in Hamilton (down 12% from October)
The median home price in November was:
- ⬇️ Down 1.18% in Hamilton, to $734,000 (down from $742,750 in October)
Inventory:
- 🗓️ Hamilton’s inventory sits at 4.02 months or 122 days.
From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and the joy, peace, comfort, and hope that we celebrate during this season. If you’re traveling, we wish you safe travels and a memorable time with family and friends.
As always, if you or your family, friends, coworkers, or neighbours are thinking about making a move in real estate, we would love to go a head above for them. We are never too busy for any of your referrals!
