Move Smartly: The Podcast

In this episode of The Situation, John and Peter dive into buying strategy for first-time buyers and how real estate commissions really work. Our first question comes from a first-time buyer wondering whether it's smarter to buy a condo as a stepping stone or stretch for a small house under $1M. John and Peter discuss the pros and cons of each approach and what works best in today's market.

Another listener asks how real estate commissions are calculated and whether a more transparent hourly-plus-expenses model could work. They break down where the money goes and why commission structures are set up the way they are.

Finally, we explore how recent market shifts and economic uncertainty are affecting Toronto homeowners and their decisions. John and Peter share insights on how to think about risk, timing, and long-term strategy.

FollowJohn x-twitter: https://x.com/JohnPasalis, Instagram @john.pasalis or email: [email protected] Follow the show on x-twitter: @MoveSmartly, Instagram @move.smartly About This Show: The Move Smartly show is hosted by John Pasalis, President and Broker of Realosophy Realty. MoveSmartly.com and its media channels on YouTube and various podcast platforms are powered by Realosophy Realty in Toronto, Canada. You can also watch this episode on our MoveSmartly YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/movesmartly If you enjoy our show and find it useful, please like, subscribe, share, review and comment on whatever platform you are watching or listening to us from - we appreciate your support!

In this month's live update, we break down the latest stats on low-rise homes and condos and what they're really telling us about today's market.

Our team shares what we're seeing on the ground - tight inventory, declining listing quality, rising power of sales activity, and a mix of sellers who've adjusted to current conditions and others still holding onto unrealistic price expectations. We unpack what this means for buyers and sellers navigating the market right now.

Plus, we dive into the Bank of Canada's policy rate, what it means to be in "neutral" territory, and why continued economic slowing and cooling inflation suggest more rate cuts could be on the horizon.

Set-up a meeting with John Pasalis and his agents at Realosophy to discuss your own real estate questions privately: https://www.movesmartly.com/meetjohn

Sign up for our email list to be alerted to the next online market update to join our YouTube session live chat and ask your own Qs: https://www.movesmartly.com/monthly-public-webinar

We hope you enjoyed this month's update and found it valuable. Thanks for tuning in - we'll see you next month!

This month's real estate roundtable brings together John Pasalis, Steve Saretsky, and mortgage broker David Larock to break down the latest developments shaping Canada's housing market in early 2026. We begin with the slow start to the year in both Vancouver and Toronto, where home sales are down more than 20% compared to last year. With buyers holding back and inventory building, prices have also begun trending lower across several market segments. We discuss what's driving the slowdown and why economic uncertainty continues to weigh on demand. From there, we explore what it might take for confidence — and buyers — to return in a meaningful way. We also turn to interest rates and the growing divide in forecasts. While the consensus expects modest Bank of Canada cuts by year's end, some economists still warn rates could finish the year higher. We unpack what's behind these competing views and what they mean for buyers and upcoming renewals. Finally, we discuss the sharp slowdown in new condo sales and how it could lead to fewer housing starts and completions in the years ahead. We wrap up with the key indicators we're watching as we head into the spring market, and what they may signal for the rest of 2026.

Contact & Follow Follow John Pasalis on X/Twitter: @JohnPasalis | Email: [email protected] Follow Steve Saretsky on X/Twitter: @SteveSaretsky | Email: [email protected] Follow David Larock on X/Twitter: @Dave_at_IMP | Email: [email protected] Watch this episode on the Move Smartly YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/movesmartly

If you enjoy the show, please like, subscribe, share, review, and comment — your support helps us reach more listeners.

What happens when a government openly acknowledges that its tax system is favouring landlords over ordinary households — and then actually changes it?

In this episode, John Pasalis breaks down new research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on the UK's post-2016 tax reforms aimed at curbing buy-to-let investor demand. The findings suggest these policies meaningfully shifted the housing market: fewer investor purchases, more homes flowing out of the private rental sector, and significantly more first-time buyers becoming homeowners than would have otherwise.

Drawing on insights from an interview with report author Darren Baxter, John explores why the UK experience challenges the supply-only framework that continues to dominate housing policy in Canada — and why any serious affordability strategy must confront not just how many homes we build, but how housing is financed, who owns it, and whether it remains a lucrative investment vehicle for capital.

Follow John x-twitter: https://x.com/JohnPasalis, Instagram @john.pasalis or email: [email protected]

Follow the show on x-twitter: @MoveSmartly, Instagram @move.smartly

About This Show

The Move Smartly show is hosted by John Pasalis, President and Broker of Realosophy Realty. MoveSmartly.com and its media channels on YouTube and various podcast platforms are powered by Realosophy Realty in Toronto, Canada.

You can also watch this episode on our MoveSmartly YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/movesmartly

If you enjoy our show and find it useful, please like, subscribe, share, review and comment on whatever platform you are watching or listening to us from - we appreciate your support!

In this episode, we break down three real housing dilemmas that many households are facing in today's uncertain market. We start with a common challenge for homeowners looking to move up: how to upsize when you need to sell your current home and buy another at the same time. With slower sales, uncertain prices, and the risk of being forced into a short-term rental, we walk through how families can think about sequencing these two transactions. Next, we discuss a family-owned Toronto property and the question of adding a garden suite for multigenerational living. We explore how secondary units can affect resale value, buyer demand, and how families can think about fairness when one sibling invests money into a shared property. Finally, we look at a decision facing many small landlords right now: whether to sell a vacant property, rent it short- or mid-term to stay flexible, or lock in a long-term tenant while waiting for better market conditions. We unpack the trade-offs between flexibility, income stability, and risk. Follow John x-twitter: https://x.com/JohnPasalis, Instagram @john.pasalis or email: [email protected] Follow the show on x-twitter: @MoveSmartly, Instagram @move.smartly About This Show The Move Smartly show is hosted by John Pasalis, President and Broker of Realosophy Realty. MoveSmartly.com and its media channels on YouTube and various podcast platforms are powered by Realosophy Realty in Toronto, Canada. You can also watch this episode on our MoveSmartly YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/movesmartly If you enjoy our show and find it useful, please like, subscribe, share, review and comment on whatever platform you are watching or listening to us from - we appreciate your support!

In this month's live update, we explain why 2026 is likely to be a tougher year for housing before conditions start to improve.

Sales remain near multi-decade lows as trade tensions, slowing growth, and rising geopolitical risks weigh heavily on consumer confidence. When activity stays this weak, the market becomes more fragile. Sellers who can wait are choosing to hold back, while households that need to move face a much thinner pool of buyers.

At the same time, power of sales are becoming more common as mortgage payments reset and household finances tighten. More owners are falling behind, and with demand already weak, distressed sellers have less ability to quietly exit the market. That pushes more forced listings onto the MLS and adds downward pressure on prices.

We also discuss the fallout from the Department of Justice's criminal charges against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the growing uncertainty around the Fed's independence. These political shocks matter for Canada. If confidence in the U.S. central bank weakens, it can lead to higher bond yields, more volatile currencies, and ultimately higher mortgage rates, adding another headwind for housing.

Set-up a meeting with John Pasalis and his agents at Realosophy to discuss your own real estate questions privately: https://www.movesmartly.com/meetjohn

Sign up for our email list to be alerted to the next online market update to join our YouTube session live chat and ask your own Qs: https://www.movesmartly.com/monthly-public-webinar

Today's show links:

John's latest articles on the Toronto area real estate market are on realosophy.com https://www.movesmartly.com/articles/author/john-pasalis

Dave Larock's latest weekly blog post on mortgage rates on MoveSmartly.com: https://www.movesmartly.com/articles/author/david-larock

Contact Us:

John Pasalis, President and Broker, Realosophy Realty, Toronto | Email: [email protected] | X-Twitter: @JohnPasalis

David Larock, Mortgage Broker and Analyst and Realtor | Email: [email protected] | X-Twitter: @Dave_at_IMP

About This Show:

The Move Smartly show is hosted by John Pasalis, President and Broker of Realosophy Realty. MoveSmartly.com and its media channels on YouTube and various podcast platforms are powered by Realosophy Realty in Toronto, Canada.

You can also watch this and every episode on our MoveSmartly YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/movesmartly

If you enjoy our show and find it useful, please subscribe and leave us a positive rating on whatever platform you are watching or listening to us from — thank you!!

This month's real estate roundtable brings together John Pasalis, Steve Saretsky, and mortgage broker David Larock for a timely discussion on the latest developments shaping Canada's housing market as we head into 2026.

We begin with the federal government's recent signal that it may reverse the foreign buyer ban in 2027. We break down what this announcement really means for the market today, how much impact foreign buyers actually have on housing demand, and whether lifting the ban would meaningfully change prices or investor behaviour.

From there, we turn to mortgages — and why fixed mortgage rates may trend up rather than down in 2026, despite widespread expectations of easing. We discuss bond yields, inflation risks, and how lenders are pricing uncertainty into rates. We also look at what this means for buyers on the sidelines, households renewing this year, and investor sentiment heading into the spring market.

We wrap up by sharing the key indicators we're watching in the months ahead and how they may shape the direction of Canada's housing market through 2026.

Contact & Follow

Follow John Pasalis on X/Twitter: @JohnPasalis | Email: [email protected] Follow Steve Saretsky on X/Twitter: @SteveSaretsky | Email: [email protected] Follow David Larock on X/Twitter: @Dave_at_IMP | Email: [email protected]

Watch this episode on the Move Smartly YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/movesmartly

If you enjoy the show and find it useful, please like, subscribe, share, review, and comment — your support helps us reach more listeners.

This week on Move Smartly, I'm joined by Doug Hoyes, Licensed Insolvency Trustee and co-founder of Hoyes, Michalos & Associates, one of the most experienced consumer debt relief firms in Canada. Doug works on the front lines with households facing financial distress, giving him a real-time look into what's happening beneath the surface of the economy — long before it shows up in official data.

We unpack what he's seeing inside his practice today: who's struggling, what's driving the rise in consumer proposals and bankruptcies, and how closely those trends are connected to housing costs, mortgage renewals and rising debt loads. We discuss the growing role of HELOCs, the psychology of debt in a real-estate-obsessed culture, and whether insolvency trends could signal more forced home sales and pressure on the housing market in 2025.

This is an important conversation for anyone following the housing market, the growing financial strain facing Canadian families, and the economic risks building beneath the headlines.

Follow John x-twitter: https://x.com/JohnPasalis, Instagram @john.pasalis or email: [email protected]

Follow the show on x-twitter: @MoveSmartly, Instagram @move.smartly

About This Show

The Move Smartly show is hosted by John Pasalis, President and Broker of Realosophy Realty. MoveSmartly.com and its media channels on YouTube and various podcast platforms are powered by Realosophy Realty in Toronto, Canada.

You can also watch this episode on our MoveSmartly YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/movesmartly

If you enjoy our show and find it useful, please like, subscribe, share, review and comment on whatever platform you are watching or listening to us from - we appreciate your support!

John Pasalis presents his latest data and top stories on Toronto area real estate in conversation with fellow Realosophy agents Gus Papaioannou and Davin McMahon and our Move Smartly mortgage expert, David Larock - and you, our viewers, who join the discussion in our live chat!!

This week on our live show, John and the team break down what could be coming in 2026 - including the possibility of interest rates rising again. So the big question is: Will higher rates finally push those buyers who've been sitting on the sidelines to make a move? We're already seeing early signs that some are starting to jump back in before affordability shifts again.

Dave Larock, our mortgage expert, provides a breakdown of November's big job gain and why that headline might be more hype than reality. Dave believes rates will hold steady in the short term, but he's predicting rate cuts coming in 2026.

Set-up a meeting with John Pasalis and his agents at Realosophy to discuss your own real estate questions privately: https://www.movesmartly.com/meetjohn

Sign up for our email list to be alerted to the next online market update to join our YouTube session live chat and ask your own Qs: https://www.movesmartly.com/monthly-public-webinar

Today's show links:

John's latest articles on the Toronto area real estate market are on realosophy.com https://www.movesmartly.com/articles/author/john-pasalis

Dave Larock's latest weekly blog post on mortgage rates on MoveSmartly.com: https://www.movesmartly.com/articles/author/david-larock

Contact Us:

John Pasalis, President and Broker, Realosophy Realty, Toronto | Email: [email protected] | X-Twitter: @JohnPasalis

David Larock, Mortgage Broker and Analyst and Realtor | Email: [email protected] | X-Twitter: @Dave_at_IMP

About This Show:

The Move Smartly show is hosted by John Pasalis, President and Broker of Realosophy Realty. MoveSmartly.com and its media channels on YouTube and various podcast platforms are powered by Realosophy Realty in Toronto, Canada.

You can also watch this and every episode on our MoveSmartly YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/movesmartly

If you enjoy our show and find it useful, please subscribe and leave us a positive rating on whatever platform you are watching or listening to us from — thank you!!

This month's real estate roundtable brings together John Pasalis, Steve Saretsky, and mortgage broker David Larock for a deep dive into where the housing market is heading next. We start by looking at the surprising end to 2025, with home sales in the GTA on track to finish the year at a 25-year low. We break down what's driving the slowdown and how buyers and sellers are responding on the ground.

From there, we discuss the diverging outlooks for the Bank of Canada's next move. Some economists still see more cuts ahead, while one major Canadian bank is now forecasting a rate hike in 2026 — a scenario few thought possible just months ago. We explore what that would mean for borrowers, mortgage renewals, and price expectations.

We wrap up the conversation by sharing our forecasts for the housing market in 2026, the indicators we're watching most closely, and whether we believe next year will mark a turning point or another chapter in a difficult market.

Contact Us

Follow John on X-Twitter @JohnPasalis; Email at: [email protected]

Follow Steve on X-Twitter @SteveSaretsky; Email at: [email protected]

Follow David on X-Twitter @Dave_at_IMP; Email at [email protected]

You can also watch this episode on our MoveSmartly YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/movesmartly

If you enjoy our show and find it useful, please like, subscribe, share, review and comment on whatever platform you are watching or listening to us from - we appreciate your support!