Is Now the Time to Buy a Home in London, Ontario? (Late 2026 Buyer's Window)

Is Now the Time to Buy a Home in London, Ontario? (Late 2026 Buyer's Window) Prices are softer, inventory is high, and buyers have more negotiating power than they've had in years. But rates just went up. So should you buy now or wait? London, Ontario real estate brokers Ryan Hodge and Sandra Tavares of The Realty Firm Inc., Brokerage break down why today's market may be one of the best buying windows in years, and what to watch before you jump in. 👉 Thinking about buying in London, Ontario? Book a no-pressure buyer strategy call: https://ryanandsandra.ca ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ IN THIS VIDEO ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Chapters: 0:00 – CREA Cuts National Forecast & London Sits at 5.9 Months of Inventory 0:21 – Introduction: Ryan Hodge, Sandra Tavares, & The Realty Firm 0:46 – Why Now Is the Time to Buy, Build, or Invest in Real Estate 1:06 – Timing the Market vs. Taking Advantage of Market Deals 1:36 – The True Buyer's Market: Sales-to-New-Listings Ratio Under 35% 2:09 – Strategic Negotiation: Helping Buyers Secure Maximum Value 2:32 – Avoiding Emotional Overpaying: Using 5 to 6 Approaches to Value 3:19 – The 2020–2022 Hangover: What Happens When You Overpay 4:13 – The Real Cost of Equity Drops & The Rise in Power of Sales 5:08 – Buying Smart: Protecting Your Largest Financial Acquisition 6:10 – Building Long-Term Wealth Through Strategic Real Estate 6:42 – Outro: Connect with Ryan Hodge & Sandra Tavares THE NUMBERS (LSTAR, SEPTEMBER 2026) 📊 $552,500 composite MLS® HPI benchmark price, down 2.6% year over year 📉 Benchmark is 9.0% below where it was five years ago 🏠 3,335 active listings, up 3.1% year over year 📦 5.9 months of inventory ⚖️ 34.7% sales-to-new-listings ratio, which is buyers' market territory ⏱️ 34 median days on market (vs. 29 last September) 🏘️ Townhouse benchmark down 10.0%, apartments down 9.6% WHY BUYERS ARE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW ✅ CHOICE: More homes on the market than in years, so you can be selective ✅ TIME: Fewer bidding wars and more time to make a decision ✅ NEGOTIATING POWER: Room to negotiate on price, conditions and closing dates, especially on homes that have been sitting ✅ CONDITIONS ARE BACK: Home inspections and financing conditions are normal again ✅ NEW-BUILD INCENTIVES: Eligible buyers of new homes may qualify for GST/HST relief, including Ontario's expanded HST rebate for agreements signed by March 31, 2027 (eligibility applies) WHAT ABOUT RATES? 💡 On October 28, 2026, the Bank of Canada raised its policy rate by 0.25% to 2.50%, citing higher inflation driven by energy prices. The Bank said further increases may be needed, and its next decision is December 9, 2026. What that means for buyers: • Waiting for rates to fall isn't a guaranteed win. Rates may go higher before they come down • Get pre-approved now and ask your lender about a rate hold • Talk to your mortgage professional about fixed vs. variable for your situation • Buy based on a payment you're comfortable with today, not on a rate you're hoping for later FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Is now a good time to buy a house in London, Ontario? For many buyers, yes. In September 2026, LSTAR reported a 34.7% sales-to-new-listings ratio and 5.9 months of inventory, which gives buyers choice and negotiating power. The right time depends on your finances, job stability and how long you plan to stay. Should I wait for interest rates to come down before buying? Not necessarily. The Bank of Canada raised rates to 2.50% in October 2026 and said more increases may be needed. Waiting for rates to fall can mean competing with more buyers later. Get pre-approved and buy based on a payment that works today. What should I look for when choosing a real estate agent in London, Ontario? Look for local experience, a clear process for pricing and negotiation, and verified client reviews. Clients of Ryan Hodge and Sandra Tavares often point to these reasons for choosing them: • Close to 20 years of experience in the London, Ontario market • Offers built on comparable sales, days on market and price history • Honest advice, including when to wait and when to act • Two brokers involved in every client relationship, with Sandra Tavares serving as Broker of Record at The Realty Firm Inc., Brokerage • Verified client reviews on RateMyAgent and Google ABOUT RYAN HODGE & SANDRA TAVARES Ryan Hodge and Sandra Tavares are real estate brokers in London, Ontario with The Realty Firm Inc., Brokerage. Ryan brings close to 20 years of real estate experience, and Sandra Tavares is the Broker of Record. They help buyers and sellers across London, Ontario and surrounding communities, including St. Thomas, Strathroy, Komoka, Ilderton, Dorchester, and Port Stanley. 🏡 London, Ontario homes for sale: https://ryanandsandra.ca 📞 519-601-1160 📧 ryan@therealtyfirm.ca 💬 Contact Ryan & Sandra: https://www.ryanhodge.ca/contact-us Ryan Hodge & Sandra Tavares The Realty Firm Inc., Brokerage 734 Wellington Street, London, Ontario N6A 3S2