Welcome back to another episode of the Couple Casuals Podcast!

Today, Stefano sits down with Daniel Foch — real estate analyst, investor, and co-host of The Canadian Real Estate Investor — for one of the most eye-opening breakdowns of Canada’s housing and economic crisis.

Over the last few years, Canada created the “perfect storm”: explosive population growth, record-low interest rates, pandemic money, and massive speculation. Now, Canadians are waking up in the hangover — soaring debt, falling prices, cancelled pre-construction projects, and the harsh reality that affordability has collapsed.

In this conversation, Stefano and Daniel dig into:

• why buyers are waiting, sellers are stressed, and patience is being rewarded

• how Canadian households became the most indebted in the world

• why pre-constructions are failing at alarming rates

• how politics, immigration, and zoning shaped today’s crisis

• what the data says about 2026 — and why a slow grind downward is more likely than a crash

They also explore personal finance, investor mistakes, the rise of financial illiteracy, and the massive gap between what Canadians earn and what they’re expected to afford.

This episode is straightforward, data-backed, and brutally honest — a must-hear for anyone trying to navigate Canada’s housing market right now.

Grab a casual, lock in, and let’s get into it.

Host: Stefano (stefo)

Instagram: @drstefo

https://www.instagram.com/drstefo?igs...

Guest: Daniel Foch

YouTube: @d​⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielfoch/

Podcast: The Canadian Real Estate Investor Podcast

This episode is brought to you by Canada First — secure your home with Canada’s best home fortification.

Visit https://canadafirst.com/ to learn more.

CHAPTERS

0:00 — Intro + Sponsor

0:36 — Meet Daniel Foch

1:00 — ’90s Market Déjà Vu

1:34 — Data vs. Old Narratives

2:24 — Daniel’s Background

3:07 — Why Realtors Lost Trust

4:15 — AI Changing Real Estate

5:52 — Shift to Rentals

6:57 — Agents Leaving Industry

7:52 — Canada’s Affordability Crisis

8:49 — How We Got Here

10:19 — Pandemic Money Fallout

11:09 — Mortgage Shock Coming

12:03 — Record Consumer Debt

13:24 — Are We in a Recession?

14:59 — Prices vs. Rates Reality

15:54 — Why New Builds Struggle

17:01 — Buyer Patience Pays

18:15 — Should Sellers Wait?

19:42 — Emotional Pricing Problem

21:07 — Financial Literacy Crisis

22:54 — Explaining the Condo Crash

24:47 — Pre-Con Investors Burned

26:12 — 22% Closing Failure Rate

27:28 — Supply Flooding Market

28:34 — When Prices Finally Bottom

29:51 — 2026 Market Outlook

31:32 — Politics & Housing Meet

33:14 — Government Spending Debate

34:47 — Housing Policy Breakdown

36:20 — Why Builders Are Pausing

37:45 — Zoning & Red Tape Issues

39:15 — Who Should Fix Housing?

40:31 — Modular Housing Concerns

42:02 — Social Housing Explained

43:48 — Taxation on Housing

45:26 — Cities Blocking Development

46:41 — Why Multiplexes Boom

48:32 — Small Developers Return

50:14 — Advice for First-Time Buyers

52:12 — Should You Rent or Buy?

53:48 — Stefano’s Condo Debate

55:03 — Why It’s Not Selling

56:24 — Future Buyer Behaviour

57:59 — Deflation Mindset

59:21 — Final Thoughts

1:00:11 — New York’s Future

1:01:14 — Closing Remarks