At McGarr Realty, we think one of the most exciting things about buying or selling a home is how this experience will change your future.
Whether you’re planning to purchase your first home or selling your property so you can move on to something better, it’s a time for new possibilities.
To reach your goals, our REALTORS® feel it’s important to look at the urban planning in your area. Let’s show you why.
At its core, urban planning is about preparing for the future of a community. As our population grows, cities need to plan for how they can develop sustainably while meeting the needs of their residents.
Urban planning is a collective effort between community members, councillors, architects, engineers and city planners who ask: “What will our future look like?” It’s a complex question that must address how people will live, work and travel, as well as what types of infrastructure will be needed to support these systems.
We can see this planning in projects that change rural areas into subdivisions, or in redevelopment proposals to revitalize downtown areas.
In St. Catharines and Niagara where there’s been significant growth, urban planning plays a vital role in how our communities will thrive in the future. The growing population of our area places a higher demand on housing, transportation and employment.
By anticipating the shifting needs of our residents, our city leaders can be better prepared to adapt to what the future brings. Good urban planning also attracts new investment opportunities and benefits our local economy.
So how does urban planning affect Niagara real estate? Let’s consider an example of how transit updates have impacted housing prices in St. Catharines and Niagara.
Southern Ontario is undergoing rapid development right now. Many people are looking to move to smaller communities south of Toronto because housing is more affordable.
With several people now working flexible hours or remote, we’ve seen a significant increase in the demand for housing and transportation infrastructure to accommodate these changes. To address this, the Ontario government announced plans to expand GO Transit in the Niagara region by building new transit stations in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Grimsby.
Since the announcement in 2016, homes for sale in these areas have increased up to 8% as their proximity to transit has made them more attractive to prospective homebuyers.
The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation estimates that home prices will continue to climb once these stations are completed.
Urban planning can have a direct impact on your home buying or selling plans, which is why we recommend working with a REALTOR® who knows their stuff!
Our McGarr Realty team has extensive knowledge of the Niagara region, and our expertise means we can ensure you receive the best price for your home based on planned developments in your area.
Planning to buy a home? We will work with you to research the neighbourhoods where you are interested in residing and make sure its future fits with yours.
If your 2021 goals include buying or selling your home in Niagara, let’s make a plan together!
Call our office at 905-687-9229 in St. Catharines, or 905-468-9229 in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Or send us a message on our contact page, HERE.
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