Kitchener Homes For Sale | Kitchener Real Estate
If you're looking for real estate information on Kitchener, Ontario, then welcome! Our website contains everything you need to know. It has all the pertinent information on Kitchener's jobs, schools, history, entertainment, and community that you need to decide if Kitchener is the right city for you and your family. It also has great advice for sellers who are having trouble getting a fair price for their Kitchener real estate in this tough economic climate. And finally, it's got lots of tips for buyers on how to choose the perfect home for your needs and budget. In short, there's something for everyone. This site is also run by Kitchener, ON real estate agents, so you can trust that we know what we're talking about.
Kitchener, Ontario: Canada's Berlin
Originally founded in the early 1800s as a farming town, Kitchener, Ontario traces its roots to German Mennonite families from Pennsylvania who, as loyalists, traveled north away from the American Revolution. They eked a living out of the swampland and sandy hills, eventually establishing a town which they named Berlin, after the capitol of Germany. The name Berlin lasted only until the outbreak of the First World War, but their German history and heritage lives on through the over 204,000 people who currently call the city home.
Kitchener, ON's top industries for many years have been furniture and foods manufacturing. Though these industries have seen hard times, they have survived, with Schneider Foods continuing operations under new owner Maple Leaf. However, it is education that is on its way up in Kitchener. Neighboring Waterloo had always been the white collar counterpart to blue collar Kitchener, but now that Kitchener is home to the University of Waterloo's Health Sciences Campus as well as Conestoga College, things are starting to change.
The students at the new university no doubt appreciate the city's German heritage, because it manifests itself in a nine day annual party known as Oktoberfest. Coinciding with Canadian thanksgiving, Oktoberfest features beer, sausages, parades, kids' games, carnivals, and contests and is one of the biggest such celebrations outside of Germany. During the rest of the year, Kitchener, ON residents enjoy outings to Victoria Park, the Grand River, and Rockway Gardens, which features beautiful vistas and a golf course.
The Kitchener, ON Real Estate Market
As you would expect in a continent wide recession, housing values in Kitchener, Ontario have dropped a little during the past few years, which means that if you have the capital, now is the time to buy. A single storey home in Kitchener costs an average of $231,000 while a two storey costs around $350,000. A town house will run you in the vicinity of $206,000 while a standard condo comes in at around $139,000. Obviously this is much more than you're used to if you've previously lived in a small town, but it is a significant savings over property values in places like Toronto.
Kitchener, ON's German heritage carries over into its architecture in some places. Public buildings sometimes have Gothic influences like those popular in Germany, and there are some homes in the city that look like they could have been transported wholesale from a Bavarian village. The modern era has had an impact, however, and most of the newer neighborhoods sport the typical contemporary home styles you see in subdivisions across the continent. You can also find apartments and condos, though these tend to be concentrated in the more densely populated neighborhoods.
There are 53 separate neighborhoods in Kitchener, Ontario. Downtown, once industrial, has seen urban decay and then urban renewal, and now sports many commercial spaces converted into residential properties. Other neighborhoods, like Doon, are enclaves for students from a particular post secondary school and as such have more affordable living spaces. In Doon's case, it's Conestoga College. Others are your typical tree-lined suburban neighborhoods where you'll find a lot of higher income families with children.
Contact a Kitchener, ON Real Estate Agent
We trust that you found the information on this website useful. However, if you still need more information, please don't hesitate to contact us with your queries. We're here to help. Of course, it also goes without saying that if you're looking for a competent professional real estate agent to help you through the purchase or sale of a piece of Kitcher, Ontario real estate, you'll also want to give us a call about that too. We know the city and its market inside and out, so we can help you with whatever you need, anytime.
