About

My name is Katie Houghton. Reigning from sunny London, England, I took the plunge to move to the Great White North last June. My Canadian husband had lived in London, England for the best part of seven years, so it was only fair for me to now experience his country and culture. 

And 11 months in, I have to admit, I’m pretty impressed with Canada. Ignoring the hideous winter which is fast becoming a distant memory, Ontario has so much to offer. I’m currently taking full advantage of living a more balanced ‘North American’ lifestyle, but  with property prices taking on a life of their own, I fear that Toronto is heading towards a London – where home ownership is reserved for the super-rich.  And the super-rich only.

With my London flat under my belt and a ton of rental experience, I am well placed to share my advice on how you may be able to make the most of the Toronto market – before it’s too late! I intend on drawing from my own experiences and I invite you to also share yours so that we can create a marketplace of non-biased information on real estate. There’s a lot of ‘stuff’ out there and with a great deal of this ‘stuff’ coming from those with agendas (*cough agents*), it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. 

I’m also looking forward to comparing the cultural attitudes towards home ownership. In many countries in Europe, home ownership simply isn’t the done thing. Take Germany. Pretty impressive economy but the concept of ‘getting on the ladder’ is not such a concern, compared to the attitude found in British youth. This is possibly down to the fact that house prices in Germany are more reasonable, so there is less anxiety around making the move as it feels within reach – one day.

Join me as we learn together about the North American attitude towards home ownership. Surely the American Dream comprises of home ownership, but is this too becoming a fantasy for many?

So whether you’re looking for your next rental move, first time buy or simply love ‘property porn’ as much as the next, then you’ve come to the right place. Property Monarch will update you on all these things and more!