This week: Seven charts that show where the housing market is heading in 2026, and how to learn from mistakes of mortgages past. Plus, why B.C.’s plan to update its heritage protection laws are drawing fire and one property worth a look.

Will housing prices continue to decline in 2026? Are housing starts outpacing demand? And what’s in store for renters this year? Jason Kirby’s annual charts-to-watch package (known in the newsroom as Chartapalooza) offers a glimpse into what the next year may hold for the housing market, according to economists, analysts and investors. The seven figures paint a picture of the housing market that can be summed up in just one word: “Sluggish,” Jason told me. “With rising inventories, population decline and the end of a long stretch of near-zero interest rates, it’s likely to be a year of disappointment for those hoping for a price recovery.”

One standout chart from Robert Kavcic at BMO puts the current national home price decline in context of other historic corrections – “a reminder that it can take a long time for valuations to reset,” Jason noted. But on the flip side of the struggle ahead for home prices, it’s likely 2026 will also bring further relief for renters. “Those two things are related because there’s a whole pile of new rental (and other) inventory coming down the pipeline. That should give renters a lot more options but it kneecaps some of the speculative behaviour that kept prices aloft,” Jason said. Explore all seven charts to watch in 2026 here.

After the B.C. Supreme Court’s Cowichan decision sparked uncertainty for some property rights in the province, another lesser-known change is set to affect every home owner this year. The province is rewriting the Heritage Conservation Act to align with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which the B.C. Court of Appeal recently ruled is legally enforceable. The HCA has long protected culturally significant Indigenous sites affected by redevelopment, and the proposed amendments would broaden that definition to include such sites with spiritual or ceremonial value, or other intangibles.

The blowback from municipalities, developers and home owners has been swift. The proposal “basically opens up just about every square inch of the province to necessitating a heritage permit,” Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West told The Globe’s Kerry Gold. And while the province says the changes are about improving clarity, critics say the amendments miss the mark and would increase permit delays in an already zany housing market.

Rates shown are the lowest available for each term/type and category (insured vs. uninsured) as of market close on Thursday, Jan. 8.

If you’re one of the more than one million Canadian homeowners who will need to renew their mortgages in 2026, make sure you learn from the mistakes of borrowers past. From not locking in fixed rates in time to signing automatic renewals, last year was chock-full of costly missteps for many property owners.

But as Penelope Graham argues, a little strategy and preparation could help you save a lot of money in today’s uncertain economic times, when gambling on where fixed mortgage rates may go next is an especially tall order. As her three mortgage shopping tips remind us, only hindsight is 20/20.

Looking for cottage inspiration? This hideaway on the shores of Lac Orford, at the base of a mountain in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, is a study in how space and permitting constraints can lead to creativity. From a 40-square-foot skylight to pine ceilings, read more about this sculptural oasis from The Globe’s Style Magazine.