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: askjohn@movesmartly.com

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:

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: askjohn@movesmartly.com | X-Twitter: @JohnPasalis

David Larock, Mortgage Broker and Analyst and Realtor | Email: dave@morplan.ca | 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: askjohn@movesmartly.com

Follow Steve on X-Twitter @SteveSaretsky; Email at: steve@stevesaretsky.com

Follow David on X-Twitter @Dave_at_IMP; Email at dave@moreplan.ca

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!