Homebuyers camp out near Ottawa real estate office for chance at newly built home

Dozens of people are camping out in Kanata, hoping to buy a newly-built single-family home. CTV’s Kimberley Johnson reports.

People are camping out in Kanata in a quest to buy a new home.

The line-up is forming as real-estate developer Minto gets set to put 30 newly constructed homes up for sale on Saturday. Experts say a newly extended home tax rebate by the government could be boosting interest and have people eyeing a move.

Blaze Cameron has been living in a tent the last few days in the hopes of helping his family get a new house

“We have sleeping bags, we have pillows. We can just sit inside there at nighttime,” he says in an interview with CTV News Ottawa. “I’m here for family. They’ve been trying to get a new house because the family is slowly getting bigger.”

Cameron is among more than a dozen others who are camping outside the Minto Sales Centre in Kanata.

“We’re just here taking shifts off and on,” he says.

“Trying to be the first ones in here to hopefully get (them a) home.”

Tyler Posadovsky, a realtor with Walker Real Estate Group, says for many people, the drive to get into a bigger single-family home in an in-demand neighbourhood leaves them not wanting to take any chances.

“There’s a lot of that demand that we’re seeing, likely, for those single-family homes,” he explains.

The Minto Group says the price point at the Minto Development starts at $574,900 for an executive townhome and $774,900 for a single family.

Posadovsky says the one-year HST Rebate for new builds is providing a boost to the market.

“What we’re seeing here today is, in my opinion, a direct response to affordability improving,” he explains. “For many families and people who have been on the sidelines, this is the opportunity that they’ve been waiting for.”

Matias Suarez says he is taking the day shift, while his dad takes the night shift to get into the family’s preferred duplex.

“We have to stay here throughout the three days,” Suarez said. “You cannot leave the spot. So we have our own bed there.”

When he arrived, he says he was surprised to see people already ahead of him.

“They were way ready, way more ready than us,” he says.

For Cameron, it’s about sticking it out to get the dream home.

“It’s pretty rough, especially in the mornings,” he says. “It’s pretty cold. But, you know, we’re all here together. We’re all helping each other.”

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