Sunshine, Splash Pads & Sold Signs

Summer has officially arrived in Chatham-Kent, which means the kids are asking for snacks every 14 minutes, sunscreen is somehow everywhere except where you need it, and if you're looking for ways to keep everyone entertained, I've got you covered.

☀️ Summer Fun Around Chatham-Kent

📚 Chatham-Kent Public Library Summer Programs

The Chatham-Kent Public Library has an incredible lineup this summer, and the best part? Many activities are completely FREE!

This month you'll find things like:

• 🎨 Craft mornings

• 🧪 STEM & science activities

• 📖 Storytime in the parks

• 🦖 Dinosaur-themed events

• 🎲 Family game afternoons

• 🎭 Interactive performers and special guests

• 📚 TD Summer Reading Club challenges with prizes

It's a great (air-conditioned!) way to keep kids learning while they think they're just having fun.

🌊 Local Family Adventures

Before summer disappears faster than a popsicle on the sidewalk...

✅ Spend a day at Erieau Beach
✅ Explore Rondeau Provincial Park trails
✅ Visit Kingston Park Splash Pad
✅ Pack a picnic and head to Tecumseh Park
✅ Catch a local baseball game
✅ Grab ice cream from your favourite local shop
✅ Wander one of Chatham-Kent's farmers' markets

Sometimes the best memories are the ones that don't require reservations.

🏡 Chatham-Kent Market Minute

(Or as I like to call it... "The Housing Weather Report")

If the real estate market were a barbecue...

🔥 The grill is hot.
🌭 There are plenty of burgers.
👀 But everyone's standing around asking,
"Should we eat now... or wait another five minutes?"

Here's what actually happened in June 2026:

📊 Sales

• 115 homes sold

• Essentially unchanged from last June (only one fewer sale).

Buyers are still shopping—but they're taking their time.

🏠 More Homes Than Ever

A record-breaking 329 new listings hit the market in June.

Translation:

Buyers: "Finally... options!"

Sellers: "Wait... there are HOW many other houses?"

More inventory means buyers have more choices, which makes proper pricing more important than ever.

💰 Home Prices

The benchmark price sits around $405,700, down just 2.2% from last year.

Meanwhile...

The average sale price actually climbed to $472,448—up 7.9%.

Why both?

Think of it like coffee.

You can still buy a regular coffee...
but if everyone starts ordering fancy iced caramel oat milk creations, the average receipt goes up.

Different homes are selling, which changes the average.

📦 Inventory

There are now 605 active listings across Chatham-Kent.

That's the highest June inventory we've seen in over a decade.

Current inventory sits at 5.3 months.

That's a much healthier, more balanced market than we've experienced in recent years.

🏗️ Good News for Housing

June also brought some encouraging housing announcements:

🏘️ An $8.8 billion federal-provincial infrastructure program was announced to help municipalities build housing-supporting infrastructure.

Closer to home, at the Chatham-Kent Housing Affordability Summit, a proposal was discussed to eliminate residential development charges for the next three years to encourage more home construction.

More homes coming to market is good news for buyers—and for the long-term health of our community.

💬 Jackie's Take

The market isn't crashing.

It isn't exploding.

It's behaving... which honestly feels a little suspicious after the last few years.

We're seeing:

• More listings

• More negotiating

• More choices for buyers

• Homes still selling when they're priced properly and marketed well

The days of putting a sign on the lawn and expecting twelve offers by supper are mostly behind us.

Now, strategy wins.

And thankfully... strategy is kind of my thing.

❤️ Thinking About Buying or Selling?

Whether you're wondering what your home is worth, curious about the market, or just want honest advice (with a little sarcasm sprinkled in), I'd love to help.

Jackie Patterson
Golden Acres Real Estate
Growing dreams. Planting roots. 🌾