Is Your Cottage An Investment Or Liability?
About this episode
The episode discusses the financial implications of owning a cottage in Canada, emphasizing that while it can be a great purchase, it is rarely a good investment.
Every spring, Canadians convince themselves a lakefront cottage will "pay for itself" on Airbnb. Most won't. In this episode, Nick and Dan run the actual 2026 math — Royal LePage's $604K national median, Muskoka's slipping $950K, Atlantic Canada's 11.8% surge — and break down the $44K-a-year true carrying cost nobody mentions at the showing. They explain why the short-term rental thesis is dead in most of BC and Ontario (with a new 2026 wrinkle: Kelowna's exemption), how Muskoka's by-law 2025-049 now forces three dark weeks in peak summer. Plus the opportunity-cost comparison that makes most cottage buyers wince, and the five scenarios where buying one still makes sense. The takeaway: a cottage can be a great purchase. It's almost never a great investment. Know which one you're making. EDMONTON MULTIPLEX EVENT Try it NordVPN risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Use our code "realestate" to get 4 extras months from a 2 years plan Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) | BMO Global Asset Management LISTEN AD FREE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Hosts: Daniel Foch, Nick Hill
Topics covered
- cottage investment
- Airbnb
- real estate market
- short-term rentals
- carrying costs
- opportunity cost
Keywords
- cottage
- investment
- liability
- Airbnb
- real estate
- carrying costs
- Muskoka
- short-term rental
- opportunity cost
Sponsors
NordVPN
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Royal LePage
Places: Muskoka, Atlantic Canada, BC, Ontario, Kelowna
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