The Cottage Market,
Covered Honestly.
Fact-driven commentary on Ontario's waterfront real estate — trusted by national and international media for over a decade.
12+
Media Outlets
10+ yrs
Market Analysis
50+
Lakes Tracked
2M+
Annual Impressions
People sometimes ask how a small real estate operation in cottage country ends up talking to Bloomberg or the C.T.V. News. Honestly, it's mostly because we try to be straight about what the data actually shows, not what's convenient for the market.
We've been tracking Ontario's waterfront market for over a decade, publishing our own numbers and calling it like we see it. We did more than 20 interviews last year, which still catches us off guard a little.
Recent Coverage
Heated rivalry is igniting Canada's cottage culture
The BBC's exploration of Ontario's cottage country culture and the competition between Muskoka and the lakes to its north.
BNN Bloomberg — Video InterviewPandemic buyers are struggling to unload cottages
John Fincham on why pandemic-era buyers are finding it harder to sell and what the correction looks like on the ground in Muskoka.
BNN Bloomberg — Video InterviewPeople are still losing on Ontario cottage sales
A look at the ongoing selloff in Ontario cottage markets and why the luxury segment continues to tell a different story.
BNN Bloomberg — April 2024Capital gains tax increase will cause a flood in the cottage market
With an already saturated market and weak demand, John Fincham on why the tax change could be the catalyst for a major correction.
CTV News — April 2024Some cottage owners upset after Ottawa increases capital gains tax
How the capital gains changes are affecting cottage owners and what John Fincham expects for listings and pricing going forward.
CTV National News — August 2024Buyers are firmly in the driver's seat — it's a good time to buy a cottage
Ontario is experiencing some of its lowest cottage sales in recent memory. John Fincham on what that means for buyers sitting on the sidelines.
The New York Times — October 2024$700,000 Homes in Ontario, Canada
Finding Your Muskoka featured in the NYT's ongoing series on what your money buys in real estate markets around the world.
The Globe and MailOne interest rate cut won't be enough to lift Ontario's battered cottage market
Why rate reductions alone aren't likely to reverse the correction underway in Ontario waterfront markets.
The Globe and MailAs cottage prices tumble, is now the time for buyers to pounce?
A look at whether the current correction presents a genuine buying opportunity for people sitting on the sidelines.
Financial PostOntario's cottage real estate market has become a buyer's market
Analysis of the shift in market dynamics and what elevated inventory means for pricing across Ontario waterfront.
Toronto StarPandemic buyers struggling to unload cottages, some slashing prices by $200,000
A ground-level look at the sellers who bought during the pandemic and are now navigating a very different market.
Cottage LifeWhat to expect from the cottage market this fall — and who's selling
Analysis of seller motivation, termination volumes, and what the fall cottage season looks like across Ontario.
Mansion GlobalMotivated sellers in rural Ontario are giving new buyers a deal
Coverage of the buyer's market conditions emerging across Ontario's recreational real estate segment.
BNN Bloomberg — October 2023Pandemic cottage buyers struggling to sell
Cottages on less popular lakes listed under $1.5 million could drop 30% in value — John Fincham's early read on what was coming.
A selection of recent coverage. John Fincham completed more than 20 media interviews in 2025 alone.
The Data Behind the Analysis
The Ontario cottage market is shaped by environmental factors that most real estate reporting overlooks entirely. Water clarity, shoreline quality, and ecological health have measurable and significant effects on property values — effects that inform how we assess and advise on every waterfront transaction.
Our team contributed primary data to a peer-reviewed study — "Water Quality and Cottage Prices in Ontario" — published in Applied Economics with the Department of Economics at Rhodes College. The research maps how water quality indicators correlate with waterfront property values using hedonic analysis across Ontario lakes.
It's the kind of data-driven framework we use with clients every day, and it's part of why national media and financial analysts come to us when they need someone who understands this market at a granular level.
"Water Quality and Cottage Prices in Ontario" — published in Applied Economics, Department of Economics, Rhodes College. Hedonic analysis of how environmental factors including water clarity affect shoreline property values across Ontario lakes.
Need Fact-Driven Commentary on the Cottage Market?
We're available for interviews, data requests, and background commentary on Ontario recreational real estate. We work with journalists,financial institutions and mortgage companies for both public and private facing interviews.
[email protected]Looking to Buy or Sell in Cottage Country?
The same market knowledge that ends up in the media is what we bring to every client conversation. We live here, we know these lakes, and we're straight with people about what the data says.