Guelph, Ont., has been named the best place to buy real estate in Canada by MoneySense magazine.
The southwestern Ontario city has topped MoneySense’s Where to Buy Top 35 ranking after coming in second place last year.
MoneySense says current Royal City residents won’t be surprised at this victory, as the average price of a house is listed below $530,000, but added that the real reason is because of strong economic fundamentals.
Some of those fundamentals include Guelph’s 2.1 per cent unemployment rate before the novel coronavirus pandemic and its GDP of 1.9 per cent, higher than the national average of 1.7 per cent in 2019.
“Strong employment and decent average annual incomes give Guelph residents a chance to pay off their mortgage faster,” MoneySense said.
It added that Guelph’s home-to-income ratio is significantly lower than Toronto and Vancouver, where it takes much more time to pay off a mortgage debt.
MoneySense also said Guelph’s high buyer demand and strong employment heading into the pandemic will mean the market should eventually rebound once life returns to normal.
According to the magazine, housing prices dropped five per cent between February and March.
The article also noted Guelph’s proximity to Toronto, which is less than an hour’s drive.
London, Ont., came in second place, while Victoria, B.C., Ottawa and Kingston, Ont., rounded out the top five. Waterloo Region came in eighth place.