I get calls from Montreal journalist every time there is a piece to be written about a local market, specially for certain neighbourhoods such as Griffintown, Old Montreal (Ville Marie) and sometimes Plateau. Such was the case last week, when a journalist from Montreal Mirror called me to find out my opinion on the cooling of Plateau’s market. I often give information, stats and links where they can get the “latest facts and numbers” but not often enough do I get a mention or a quote from them.

This time, Patrick Lejtenyi did include us (the blog and moi) in his article: Hot and bothered The supposed cooling of the Plateau’s housing market may not be telling the whole story

Here is a quote from the article:

…MICRO TRENDING

In the fourth quarter of 2011, according to FCIQ figures, condo sales, active listings, median price and average price were all up, continuing a trend seen over the past few years. The price of a con­do has risen around 40 per cent since 2007, and the neighbourhood is still deemed a seller’s market for anything under $400,000 (the market for more expensive condos is believed to be balanced).

“Developers are focusing on smaller condos because of their affordability,” says Deya Bautista, a real estate agent and publisher of the Montreal Real Estate blog. “In fact, in the last few years, we’ve seen a trend for micro-condos, an idea adapted from New York. The idea is to sell to young professionals and get them into what’s called the ‘minimalistic mode.’ We’re selling a lifestyle. Buyers are sac­rificing extra square footage to get closer to downtown.”

New buyers may not have a choice. According to McGill urban planning professor Raphaël Fischler, developers are more attracted to smaller buildings for several reasons: they’re less exposed to market fluc­tuations, it’s easier to get a development loan based on pre-existing sales of smaller units and it helps them meet the city’s suggested demands of setting aside 15 per cent of new buildings for affordable housing. “Cheaper units are smaller units,” he says. “But the trend toward smaller units is a real one.”

Fischler adds that the city has tried to entice developers to build more family-friendly housing, going so far as to offer subsidies to build extra bedrooms, but with limited success. Low interest rates have also drawn younger buyers into the market, and they don’t need the extra space.

Posted By: Deya Bautista - Real Estate Broker working as part of the McGill Immobilier team. Specializing in high end condos in downtown and Old Montreal. For buying or selling contact Deya at: 514.917.7889 http://montrealrealestateblog.com/

Posted By: Deya Bautista - Real Estate Broker working as part of the McGill Immobilier team. Specializing in high end condos in downtown and Old Montreal. For buying or selling contact Deya at: 514.917.7889 http://montrealrealestateblog.com/

Also, you can find their permanent link , under Canadian RE Alliance, Montreal Blogs and Investment Blogs.

Enjoy!

• The Oakville Buzz
• Vaughan Real Estate Blog
• Spacing Montreal
• Quest for Four Pillars
• The Wealthy Canadian
• Canadian Capitalist
• Bob Truman’s Blog
• Montreal Real Estate Etc.

Update (Tuesday, April 1st)

…And the list keeps on growing :)

• Greater Fool
• Vancouver Reflections
• Collège Inmobilier Blog (Montreal Real Estate College Blog, in French)

Do you know of other interesting and informative Canadian Blogs?
Writing about Canadian Real Estate, Investment, Housing or Mortgages?
Let us know!

Posted By: Deya Bautista - Real Estate Broker working as part of the McGill Immobilier team. Specializing in high end condos in downtown and Old Montreal. For buying or selling contact Deya at: 514.917.7889 http://montrealrealestateblog.com/

tremblantliving.com Great rental locations on Mont Tremblant.

therealestatebloggers.com American Real estate bloggers, interesting articles and information.

Do you know of other interesting and informative websites related to the Montreal Market? Let us know!

Posted By: Deya Bautista - Real Estate Broker working as part of the McGill Immobilier team. Specializing in high end condos in downtown and Old Montreal. For buying or selling contact Deya at: 514.917.7889 http://montrealrealestateblog.com/

• Craigslist’s Montreal for Rent
• Kijiji Montreal
• Canuck.ca Montreal
• Louer.com
• More Montreal

Although not about Real Estate, these blogs are quite entertaining. Specially for the downtown and Plateau crowd.

• Midnight Poutine | Montreal Blog
• MetroBlogging Montreal
• Montreal City WebLog

Do you know of other interesting and informative websites related to the Montreal Market? Let us know!

Posted By: Deya Bautista - Real Estate Broker working as part of the McGill Immobilier team. Specializing in high end condos in downtown and Old Montreal. For buying or selling contact Deya at: 514.917.7889 http://montrealrealestateblog.com/