This spring, I got back into something I hadn’t done in years—coaching soccer.
Before I had kids, I coached for several seasons and loved it. Once life got busy—career, business, family—I stepped away.
When the opportunity came up to coach my son’s U8 team, I hesitated. I missed coaching, but I also enjoyed the extra time.
I eventually said yes. And just a few weeks in, I’m already hooked again.
I find myself constantly thinking about drills, formations, strategy…
Then I stop and remind myself—these are seven and eight-year-olds.
This isn’t about winning. It’s about fun, confidence, and development.
That was the plan going in, and I believed in it.
But when we give up a goal because the right midfielder is on the left side of the field and the defender is trying to score…
Every part of me wants to scrap the plan and go full tactical.
But that’s not what they need. And that’s not the plan.
Because I know from experience—whether in sports or in business—a good plan matters most when things get messy.
Which brings me to Canadian housing policy.
After years of ignoring the problem, the federal government now talks about affordability constantly.
But they still haven’t told us what the goal is.
Do they want prices to fall? Do they want more ownership? More rentals?
Nobody really knows. Because there’s no clear vision.
And without a clear goal, you can’t build a real plan.
This week, I read an article by economist Mike Moffatt that nailed it.
He pointed out that the government has never defined what success looks like when it comes to middle-class housing.
That’s why Ministers contradict each other. That’s why the policies feel scattered and reactive.
It’s not because they’re bad people. It’s because they’re reacting without a roadmap.
And this isn’t just a government problem.
We see the same thing happening across the housing market.
Builders and developers can’t move forward, because the math doesn’t work. Land costs, taxes, development charges, interest rates, and materials have made it impossible to build anything remotely “affordable.”
And after years of government interference in the market, we’ve hit a strange inflection point…
Now the private sector can’t fix it without more government help.
Nobody wants more manipulation… but without it, there’s no real path forward.
Meanwhile, first-time buyers, investors, and ordinary Canadians are stuck in limbo… because nobody knows where this is going.
Here’s the thing – we don’t pretend to have all the answers. But we do focus on understanding how things actually work.
We follow monetary and fiscal policy. We talk to developers, investors, and families every single day.
We don’t just think in terms of “getting you approved at the best rate.” We think in terms of what’s working, what’s changing, and how to move forward with clarity.
That’s why we spend so much time helping clients define their outcome… and build a plan around it.
Because that’s what leads to long-term success.
Until next time,
Vince
P.S. In a market like this, the people with the clearest goals—and the right strategy—are the ones who move forward. If you need help defining either, we should talk.
