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Housing Price Index - What is it??

Housing Price Index - What is it??

Rather than focusing on average sale prices (which can swing based on what sells in a given month), I like to look at the MLS Housing Price Index (HPI). The HPI tracks the value of a typical home by adjusting for size, style, and features, making it one of the most reliable ways to measure real market movement.

Housing Price Index uses a benchmark home (a statistically typical home an an area) and determines its value at different times to see what the market is doing. 

Example of a benchmark home is:

  • Detached benchmark:

    • 3 bedrooms

    • 2 bathrooms

    • ~1,500–1,800 sq ft

    • Typical lot size

    • Average age for the area

This benchmark is not a real house — it’s a model.

Hamilton, Niagara, and Haldimand all report benchmark prices based on a typical home model. It removes distortion from luxury sales, acreage, or condo-heavy months and shows what values are really doing for the average buyer.

📊 Haldimand 12-Month HPI Trend (Single-Family Benchmark)

From 12 months ago to November 2025:

  • 12 months ago: ~$693,900

  • November 2025: $675,800

📉 What this shows

Over the past year, the benchmark price for a typical single-family home in Haldimand County has:

  • Softened slightly, moving from about $693,900 → $675,800

  • That’s a modest drop, indicating that prices are largely stable with a mild cooling trend

  • Longer-term data (3- and 5-year figures) show that prices remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels

📊 Caledonia HPI – Averaged Benchmark (Single-Family)

November 2025 Benchmark Prices

  • Caledonia North East: $785,500

  • Caledonia North West: $631,100

  • Caledonia South East: $763,700

  • Caledonia South West: $646,800

👉 Average Caledonia Single-Family Benchmark: $706,775

On a 1-year basis, the averaged benchmark is down about 2.8% (≈$20,500) from November 2024, when it sat near $727,000.
Looking longer term, the 3-year benchmark is down roughly 4.7% (≈$34,700) from November 2022, when the average benchmark was approximately $741,500.

Hamilton Market Update – HPI Benchmark (Single-Family Homes)

The MLS® Housing Price Index (HPI) shows the benchmark price for a typical single-family home in Hamilton at $753,800 as of November 2025. The HPI adjusts for changes in home size, style, and features, making it a more reliable indicator of market direction than average sale price.

On a 1-year basis, Hamilton’s single-family benchmark is down approximately 7.7% (about $62,900) from November 2024, when it stood at $816,700. Looking longer term, the benchmark is down roughly 6.0% (about $48,200) compared to three years ago, reflecting a market that has cooled from peak levels but remains well above pre-pandemic pricing.

Where do we stand? 

Here’s where single-family home benchmarks landed as of November 2025:

  • Hamilton: ~$754,000
    ▸ Down ~7.7% year-over-year
    ▸ Down ~6.0% compared to three years ago

  • Caledonia (average of all zones): ~$707,000
    ▸ Down ~2.8% year-over-year
    ▸ Down ~4.7% compared to three years ago

  • Cayuga: ~$635,000
    ▸ Down ~3.3% year-over-year
    ▸ Down ~5.6% compared to three years ago

  • Hagersville: ~$600,000
    ▸ Down ~3.1% year-over-year
    ▸ Down ~4.6% compared to three years ago

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