If you’ve been waiting to buy, this fall may be worth another look If you’ve been thinking about buying a home but decided to wait, this fall may be a good time to take another look at the market. More homes are coming onto the market nationally, prices have been relatively stable and sales activity remains softer than it was a year ago. That combination could give buyers a bit more breathing room than they’ve had during some of the more competitive periods of recent years. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, national home sales declined 0.7% from July and were 6.9% lower than in August 2025. New listings, meanwhile, increased 3.3% month over month. There were 4.8 months of inventory nationally in August, while the MLS Home Price Index was unchanged from July and down 3% from a year earlier. Of course, real estate is always local, and conditions can look very different from one market, neighbourhood or property type to another. But if you stepped back because there wasn’t enough choice, prices felt too high or you simply weren’t comfortable making a move, it may be worth checking in again. A good time to rerun the numbers Even if you’re not ready to start making offers, there’s value in knowing where you stand today. Mortgage rates have changed since you last looked, and so may your income, savings, down payment or monthly expenses. A fresh look at the numbers can give you a much clearer idea of what you can comfortably afford now. That doesn’t necessarily mean borrowing the maximum amount you qualify for. In fact, one of the most useful parts of the process is looking at a few different purchase prices and seeing what those payments would mean for your monthly budget. It’s also important to factor in the costs that come with owning a home beyond the mortgage payment, including property taxes, insurance, utilities, condo fees where applicable and ongoing maintenance. The advantage of having more listings available is that you may have more time to compare your options rather than feeling pressured to jump at the first suitable property you see.

If you want to see inside some of the homes that are shareable, or have a suite where two parties could share a home, here's the Open House list for this weekend. Westshore-Sharable Suites Open 🏠 Greater Victoria Shareable Open🏠 You are welcome to copy and paste these URL's onto your desktop, or just remember that they are inside the "Buyers Classroom". Also if you want to see the floor plan of any of these, just message me. David Hale 250-812-7277

Live the Fernwood lifestyle in this beautifully updated character home offering 4BR's upstairs & a bright 1BR+Den suite below. Sunlight fills the renovated kitchen w/butcher-block island, cozy gas-fireplace living room, & spacious dining room w/French doors & hardwood floors. A full bath on the main adds everyday convenience, while the upper level features 4 charming BR's & a renovated bathroom w/double sinks & an oversized clawfoot tub. New 2026 roof, attic reinsulation & updated wiring. Further upgrades include newer windows, draft-sealing, Rockwool soundproofing, updated paint, 2023 hot water tank, 200-amp panel & EV-ready wiring. The long gated driveway offers abundant parking & future garage potential & the west-facing yard is perfect for relaxed evenings. A quiet, yet convenient location w/fabulous neighbours, steps to schools, Victoria High’s field & track, Fernwood Village, North Park Village Centre, Central Park, Crystal Pool, & an easy stroll to Downtown. Act quick! https://portal.onehome.com/en-CA/share/1197438y95101

Rent-to-own lets you rent a home now and buy it later, usually within one to five years. While Auxilium doesn’t arrange these agreements, we can tell you whether the one in front of you is worth signing. Here’s the honest version. Saving a down payment while paying someone else’s mortgage is exhausting. Rent goes up, the target moves, and the finish line never gets any closer. Rent-to-own gets pitched as a way around that, and for a small number of people, it genuinely is. We don’t have a stake in whether you sign one. Auxilium is a mortgage brokerage, and rent-to-own agreements are private contracts between you and a property owner. Nobody here earns anything from them. What we do see is what happens afterward, when the lease ends, and you need an actual mortgage to buy the house. That’s where these arrangements either work or fall apart, and it’s the part almost nobody plans for. Click the link to see more. https://auxiliummortgage.com/blog/how-does-rent-to-own-work-in-bc/?utm_source=aweber&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=how-does-rent-to-own-work-in-bc-september-newsletter-2026

Here is the webinar we had tonight with Kam Brar. Lot's of great information here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cZ7cCyehPw