The Sauce Father Has Spoken
Happy September, Team Ballas family.
September brings a couple of birthdays, back to school for the kiddos, and TOMATO SEASON! Check out this month's cinematic Ballas Broadcast, The Sauce Father, where Jason, Rochelle, Janet and Nonna are in action as they prep, clean, cook and jar 160 containers of homemade tomato sauce.
Rochelle has already started production and distribution of this 70-year-old family recipe. The sauce will be for sale at local markets and pizzerias, along with preparation instructions and secret family recipes for delicious meatballs. If you're interested in sampling a jar of Rochelle Passata Di Pomodoro, made with all-natural Roma tomatoes, basil and parsley, reach out to us and we can help you taste some Italian tradition.
We also have two very important birthdays to celebrate. Please join us in wishing Janet a very happy birthday today, September 4th. Janet has been an assistant and team member with Jason for almost 16 years. Next up is Jason's birthday on September 12th. Of course, Jason will be working on his birthday but hopes to get away for the weekend after. Let's see if Rochelle and Janet give him some time off. Lol.
Most children are now back to school, just in time for the long weekend and another day off. Monday, September 7th is Labour Day, a statutory public holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September to honour workers' contributions to the labour movement. For those looking to do real estate, TEAM BALLAS is open for business, but Monday will not count as a “banking day” for offer purposes.
The Ballas Broadcast | The Sauce Father
September is tomato season. Just like squeezing the best out of a harvest, getting a home ready for the market takes care, preparation and the right process.
First, you clean and prep. For sellers, that means staging and decluttering. Next, you separate the tomato skins and seeds, filtering out the flaws to highlight your home's best features. For buyers, it's about extracting away the noise to find the perfect core property, like peeling back the ugly carpet to find the hardwood gold underneath.
Finally, you boil the raw tomatoes and jar the final product, locking in the value for the long haul.
Whether you're preparing to list, looking to buy, or just here for the free sauce, the right process yields the sweetest results.
Click the image above to watch THE SAUCE FATHER
Interest Rate Talk
The Bank of Canada's rate decision on September 2nd paused further cuts due to rising inflation risks from high fuel costs and new U.S. tariffs.
The benchmark policy rate held at 2.25%. The prime lending rate across major Canadian institutions remains locked at 4.45%, continuing the extended pause.
Overnight Policy Rate: 2.25%
Prime Lending Rate: 4.45%
5-Year Variable Mortgage: roughly 3.30% to 3.45%
5-Year Fixed Mortgage: averaging 3.55% to 4.09%
For fixed-rate mortgages, the market is pricing in a 50/50 chance of a final minor 0.25% hike by year-end before flattening out.
The next official Bank of Canada Interest Rate Announcement is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, 2026, with the final 2026 announcement on Wednesday, December 9, 2026.
The Stress Test Barrier qualifying floor remains a hurdle for some buyers. It cuts buyer purchasing power by 15% to 20% compared to actual contract rates.
As discussed previously, over 1 million mortgages renew this year in Canada.
Market Trends & Statistics
Click on the image above to see it in more detail.
It came as no surprise that the end of August numbers were nothing record breaking or much different than July, for that matter. While there were some minor variations depending on the location, the overall market climate remained consistent with the month before, with a comparable amount of active listings across the board and a marked drop in the number of sold for the month in each area, except Quinte West, which actually went up from 55 sales in July to 57 in August.
A small drop in sales is typical for this time of the year while people desperately try to enjoy the few remaining weeks of summer and vacations.
Belleville
For the month of August, Belleville remained steady with 306 active listings for the end of both July and August. Sales dropped from an impressive 79 sales in July to 67 in August, still a good month considering the season. Average sale price dipped under the $530,000 mark as seen through the first quarter of 2026.
Brighton
Unfortunately, Brighton's sales continue to go down and, as a result, the months of inventory went up to over 9 for the first time since April, and the highest number of the year.
As mentioned last month, this is due to a large number of new construction homes skewing the actual numbers, but there is no denying that sales have been on a downward trend. The road and sewer construction throughout the town is undoubtedly affecting the desirability for buyers looking during this period of mess in the town.
Prince Edward County
After a record number of sales in the month of July, the County cooled off in August, dropping from 57 sales in July to 34 sales in August. The number of active listings remained above 300 at 312, so the months of inventory shot up from a medium buyer's market to a strong buyer's market.
The average sale price still kept above $700K as the highest average sale price for the year out of all the discussed areas here, likely due to the larger number of farm and waterfront properties commanding a hefty premium.
Quinte West
Quinte typically outperforms the other areas month over month due to a steady flow of military relocations, despite the majority of moves taking place between May and July. The Quinte West area benefits also from a very “builder-focused” approach to development and expansion along the 401 corridor.
The number of active listings and the number of sales remained constant month over month, and so did the months of inventory in the mid to high 5 range. The average sale price for the month, as well as the year, were up by a couple of thousand.
Stirling-Rawdon
Only 3 sales in the month of August compared to 10 sales in July for Stirling. While Stirling does have some new construction, the development charges are extremely high and profit margin, and thus pricing from builders, is affected.
Stirling is not a big enough market to warrant a large number of sales and is frequently overshadowed by Quinte West, since Quinte is closer to Highway 401 for commuters.
The Fall Market Is Starting to Move
Ontario's real estate market heading into September 2026 shows falling average prices and subdued sales activity, leaning heavily into buyer's market territory as autumn begins.
The Central Lakes Association of Realtors (CLAR), which governs the areas TEAM BALLAS serves, notes a late-summer seasonal slowdown heading into September, shifting leverage into a much more deliberate balanced market for buyers. Unconditional offers are gone, buyer negotiation is high and proper listing pricing is more important than ever.
That being said, homes are still taking roughly 2 to 2.5 months to sell. At TEAM BALLAS, the fall real estate season from September through November is our second busiest period of the year.
Once summer vacations are over and people go back to work and school, buyers and sellers start thinking about real estate once again. Those looking to buy during this time plan a purchase to coincide with being in a new home for Christmas.
In the last week of August, we at TEAM BALLAS have already seen an increase in momentum as buyers look to get back into the market. Just last week we sold 3 homes to 3 different buyers and achieved some great results for our clients.
Of particular interest was the short timeframe required to find and firm up the deals. Given the large amount of inventory on the market, we were able to find and offer on a home after the first trip out, and we had secured an accepted offer within about 24 hours of submitting the offer.
If you are a buyer thinking about seeing some homes, reach out to us and we can put together a great home tour in your area of interest.
A Little More Team Ballas News
We have had our first 2 sets of guests at our Studio rental on the water. So if anyone has friends or family looking for a Prince Edward stay or a short-term, fully furnished accommodation while waiting for a closing or new construction, give us a call.
As we move into fall, there is plenty to watch in the local real estate market. If you're thinking about buying, selling, or simply want to understand what's happening in your area, reach out to Team Ballas.
