If you bought your home before 2020, it's very likely worth a lot more than you paid. In many cases it's double or more. If you bought in 2021 or 2022, you're probably close to even or somewhat under, and that's only on paper unless you sell. The 2022 peak is the wrong yardstick for almost everyone. What you paid is the right one.
I've had a lot of kitchen-table conversations this year with owners who feel like they've lost money because the news keeps saying prices are down. So I pulled twenty years of MLS® Home Price Index data for our region, Belleville, Quinte West, Brighton and the County, and measured it the way that actually matters to you: from the year you bought.
Why the 2022 Headlines Make Owners Feel Worse Than They Should
Most of the "prices are down" stories you read measure from the very top of the market. Here, that top came in early 2022, around March 2022. Since then the typical home is down 24% to 26% depending on the town.
Those numbers are real. But very few people bought at the exact peak. You bought in your own year, at your own price, and that's the only starting point that tells you where you stand.
"The peak was the unusual part. For most owners in our area, today's value still sits well above what they paid."
Twenty Years of Data
How Have Home Prices Changed in Belleville, Quinte West, Brighton and the County Since 2005?
The short answer is that they've grown about 5.4% to 5.5% a year since January 2005, depending on the town. That includes the 2008 financial crisis, the pandemic run-up and the correction that followed. All four towns moved remarkably closely together.
Source: MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark by town (PropTx MLS® System; CREA MLS® HPI), not seasonally adjusted. Hover or tap the chart to see any month.
Why is the benchmark lower than the average sale price you see in the news? The benchmark tracks a typical home. An average gets pulled up by a handful of big waterfront and acreage sales. In October, the County's average sale price was $743,524, but the median, the price right in the middle, was $556,000, close to the $545,700 benchmark.
Here's the same data turned around to answer your question. Find the year you bought and read across.
| Year bought | BellevilleBvl. | Quinte WestQW | BrightonBri. | PEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +206% | +208% | +198% | +212% |
| 2006 | +186% | +195% | +185% | +203% |
| 2007 | +165% | +173% | +164% | +187% |
| 2008 | +155% | +162% | +153% | +175% |
| 2009 | +159% | +166% | +159% | +177% |
| 2010 | +152% | +162% | +153% | +170% |
| 2011 | +146% | +158% | +147% | +158% |
| 2012 | +139% | +148% | +134% | +157% |
| 2013 | +141% | +145% | +130% | +158% |
| 2014 | +138% | +136% | +121% | +151% |
| 2015 | +128% | +130% | +113% | +139% |
| 2016 | +110% | +117% | +98% | +124% |
| 2017 | +81% | +82% | +66% | +87% |
| 2018 | +59% | +69% | +57% | +62% |
| 2019 | +47% | +56% | +48% | +48% |
| 2020 | +28% | +31% | +29% | +32% |
| 2021 | −7% | −5% | −4% | −4% |
| 2022 | −18% | −15% | −13% | −16% |
| 2023 | −10% | −9% | −7% | −8% |
| 2024 | −11% | −7% | −6% | −10% |
| 2025 | −8% | −8% | −7% | −2% |
The 3% test
Here's a simple test. Take a typical home in mid-2019, before the pandemic, and grow it at a steady 3% a year, like a GIC. Where should it be today if the run-up and the correction had never happened?
| Town | June 2019 | At 3% a year | Actual today | vs 3% linevs 3% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belleville | $323,300 | $401,600 | $471,200 | +17% |
| Quinte West | $280,100 | $347,900 | $437,900 | +26% |
| Brighton | $352,400 | $437,700 | $523,700 | +20% |
| Prince Edward County | $360,500 | $447,800 | $545,700 | +22% |
In all four towns, today's typical home sits above where a steady 3% a year would have put it. Even after the correction, our region has kept more than a steady 3% a year would have given it.
How Have Home Values Changed in Your Town?
Here's each town on its own, measured on its own MLS® Home Price Index.
How much have home prices in Belleville changed since you bought?
A typical Belleville home bought in 2015 is up 128% as of October 2026. One bought in 2020 is up 28%, and one bought in 2022 is down 18%. The Belleville benchmark price is $471,200 today, 26% below its peak of $633,000 in April 2022, but still 17% above where a steady 3% a year from mid-2019 would have put it.
How much have home prices in Quinte West changed since you bought?
A typical Quinte West home bought in 2015 is up 130% as of October 2026. One bought in 2020 is up 31%, and one bought in 2022 is down 15%. The Quinte West benchmark price is $437,900 today, 26% below its peak of $590,400 in March 2022, but still 26% above where a steady 3% a year from mid-2019 would have put it.
How much have home prices in Brighton changed since you bought?
A typical Brighton home bought in 2015 is up 113% as of October 2026. One bought in 2020 is up 29%, and one bought in 2022 is down 13%. The Brighton benchmark price is $523,700 today, 25% below its peak of $695,300 in February 2022, but still 20% above where a steady 3% a year from mid-2019 would have put it.
How much have home prices in Prince Edward County changed since you bought?
A typical Prince Edward County home bought in 2015 is up 139% as of October 2026. One bought in 2020 is up 32%, and one bought in 2022 is down 16%. The Prince Edward County benchmark price is $545,700 today, 24% below its peak of $717,900 in April 2022, but still 22% above where a steady 3% a year from mid-2019 would have put it.
Your Purchase Year
Where Do You Stand, Based on the Year You Bought?
Every home is different, but the data sorts owners into a few clear groups, and the four towns tell almost the same story. The ranges below cover all four.
Bought before 2015: the long-haul owners
A typical home here is up roughly 121% to 212%. A home bought in 2005 is worth about three times what it cost. If this is you, you're sitting on real wealth, and it opens doors: downsizing, helping your kids, or simply knowing your retirement has a cushion.
Bought 2015 to 2019: well ahead
Up roughly 47% to 139%. As an example, a $250,000 purchase in the Quinte region in 2015 would be worth about $592,000 as a typical home today. Pick your town in the calculator below for your own number.
Bought in 2020: it depends on the month
Prices climbed all through 2020. Across the Quinte region, the typical home went from $324,200 in January to $413,100 in December. So a January 2020 buyer is up about +46%, while a December 2020 buyer is up about +15%. Late 2020 buyers are closer to even than most people assume, but they're still ahead.
Bought in 2021 or 2022: the hype years
A 2021 purchase is a little under today (−7% to −4%, depending on the town). A 2022 purchase is down about 13% to 18%. This is the group that's feeling it, and it gets its own section below, because there's more to it than one number.
Bought 2023 to 2025: early days
Typically 2% to 11% under. That's normal for a short hold. With legal fees, land transfer tax and moving costs, nobody should expect to come out ahead after two or three years anyway. Real estate pays you over time.
I Bought in 2021 or 2022. What Are My Options?
If you bought during the hype, I want to be straight with you: on paper, your home is probably worth less than you paid. But a lower number only becomes a real loss if you sell. Here's how I'd think about it.
- If you're happy where you are, stay. Time has been the owner's friend in this region. Look at the table above: almost every purchase year before 2021 is comfortably ahead today.
- Watch your renewal, not the market. The real pressure point for a 2021 or 2022 buyer is the mortgage renewal. Start that conversation with your lender or a mortgage broker early, months ahead, not weeks.
- Improve rather than move. If the house mostly works, a renovation can solve the problem that's pushing you to move, without selling at a low point.
- If life says move, you're buying in the same market. The home you buy next has also come down from 2022 prices. Selling and buying in the same market takes a lot of the sting out of it.
For perspective, this has happened before. Toronto's average sale price peaked at $273,698 in 1989, fell 27.5% to $198,317 by 1996, and didn't get back above its 1989 level until 2002, when it reached $277,375. That was a long wait for the people who bought at the top, but the owners who could wait it out did get back to even and beyond. Our correction has followed its own path, and I can't tell you what the next few years bring. What I can tell you is that it pays to have a plan instead of a panic.
What Homes Are Selling for in Your Town Right Now
The Home Price Index tracks a typical home. For another angle, here's what homes actually sold for on average in each town, from the Central Lakes Association of REALTORS® (CLAR).
| Town | 2025, full year | 2026, Jan to Oct | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belleville | $530,411 (715 sales) | $523,028 (636 sales) | −1.4% |
| Quinte West | $563,578 (613 sales) | $565,853 (541 sales) | +0.4% |
| Brighton | $669,310 (217 sales) | $669,266 (173 sales) | 0.0% |
| Prince Edward County | $778,822 (374 sales) | $726,043 (320 sales) | −6.8% |
Belleville, Quinte West and Brighton have held steady this year. The County's average is lower, partly because fewer high-end homes have sold, which pulls an average down even when individual homes haven't lost that much. Prince Edward County has more waterfront, acreage and one-of-a-kind homes than anywhere else in the region, so it's also where a real comparable-sales analysis matters most.
Check Your Own Home
What Is My Home Worth Compared to What I Paid?
Enter your town, when you bought and what you paid. The calculator applies your town's own MLS® Home Price Index change since that month. It takes about ten seconds, and you don't have to give me your email to see the answer.
Typical value today, based on
This is an area-wide estimate for a typical home, not an appraisal of yours. Condition, updates, lot size, waterfront and location can move your real number a lot in either direction. Data through October 2026.
Want your Home Equity Snapshot?
I'll email you a one-page summary of your numbers, what your purchase year means, and a free CMA estimate based on real recent sales near you. I read every request myself.
Why the Index Is a Starting Point, Not Your Number
The Home Price Index is the best tool I know for answering "what has the market done since I bought." It isn't built to price your particular home. It doesn't know about your new roof, your finished basement, the extra acreage or the view across the bay. It also doesn't know about the furnace that's 25 years old.
That matters most for the kinds of homes we have a lot of around here: waterfront, rural properties, acreage and older character homes. Two houses bought in the same month for the same price can be worth very different amounts today.
If you're thinking about selling, that's a different question again: what will a buyer pay right now? I wrote about that in pricing a home in Prince Edward County, and for rural owners in how to price your rural property. Buyers don't care what you paid, but you should, because it tells you how much room you have.
What Your Home Equity Can Do for You
For a lot of owners in our area, especially anyone who's been in their home ten years or more, equity is the biggest asset they have. A few of the ways I've seen people use it:
- Right-sizing. Selling a bigger family home and buying something smaller, often with money left over. If you're weighing it, here's my take on when it makes sense to downsize.
- Moving closer to family. Equity built here can make a move to be near kids or grandkids much easier.
- Helping the next generation. Many parents use equity to help a son or daughter into their first home.
- Renovating to stay. Updating the home you love instead of moving.
- Planning ahead. Knowing your number helps with retirement and estate planning.
Borrowing against your home, through a line of credit or refinancing, is a big decision. Talk to your lender or financial advisor before you do it.
Bottom Line
What This Means for You
Key Takeaways
- Measure from what you paid, not from 2022. The peak came in early 2022. Very few people bought in that exact month.
- Before 2020, you're very likely well ahead. A typical 2015 purchase is up 113% to 139% across our four towns.
- 2020 depends on the month. January buyers are up about +46%, December buyers about +15%.
- 2021 to 2022 buyers are a little to somewhat under, on paper. It's only a loss if you sell, and time has been on owners' side here.
- Our region beat a steady 3% a year since 2019, even after the correction.
- For your real number, get a CMA. The index can't see your home. Recent comparable sales can.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my house worth compared to what I paid?
Multiply what you paid by the change in your town's MLS® Home Price Index since the month you bought. As of October 2026, a typical home bought in 2015 is up 113% to 139% across Belleville, Quinte West, Brighton and Prince Edward County. A 2020 purchase is up 28% to 32%. A 2022 purchase is down 13% to 18%. Your own home can differ.
Has my home lost value since 2022?
If you bought in 2021 or 2022, probably some, on paper. Each town's MLS® benchmark price peaked in early 2022 and sits 24% to 26% below that peak as of October 2026. Owners who bought before 2020 are very likely still well above what they paid, in every one of the four towns.
Is the Ontario housing market going to crash?
Nobody can promise where prices go next. Locally, the correction already happened: benchmark prices fell about a quarter from the 2022 peak and have moved slowly since. Over the full stretch since January 2005, local benchmark prices have grown about 5.4% to 5.5% a year, through the 2008 downturn and the 2022 correction.
Should I sell my house now or wait?
Sell when your life says it's time, not because of a headline. If you bought before 2020, you're likely selling with a healthy gain. If you bought in 2021 or 2022 and you're comfortable, waiting has historically favoured owners here. If you're also buying locally, your next home has come down from 2022 prices too.
How do I find out the current value of my home?
Start with an index-based estimate like the calculator on this page, which shows what the market has done since you bought. For a real number, ask a local REALTOR® for a comparative market analysis built from recent sales of similar homes nearby. It accounts for condition, upgrades, lot, waterfront and location, which no online calculator can see.
Why is the benchmark price lower than the average sale price?
The MLS® benchmark price tracks a typical home, while an average sale price gets pulled up by a few expensive sales. In Prince Edward County in October 2026, the average sale price was $743,524 but the median was $556,000, close to the $545,700 benchmark. For measuring change since you bought, the benchmark is the steadier guide.
What is the MLS® Home Price Index?
The MLS® Home Price Index (MLS® HPI) tracks the price of a typical benchmark home over time, so it isn't skewed when a few big or small homes happen to sell in a given month. It's published by The Canadian Real Estate Association, and broken out by town on the regional MLS® System. That makes it a better guide than average sale price.
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Sources & Method
- MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price by town (Belleville, Quinte West, Brighton, Prince Edward County), not seasonally adjusted, January 2005 to October 2026, from the PropTx MLS® System Interactive HPI Dashboard. These are the same series published by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA); the Quinte & District board total matches CREA's published figures exactly. "Quinte region" means the Quinte & District board area. Quinte West uses the PropTx "Quinte West (City) (H)" series. Year figures use that year's average monthly benchmark.
- CLAR, Central Lakes Association of REALTORS®, Regional Housing Market Reports for Hastings, Northumberland and Prince Edward County, December 2025 and October 2026, All Home Types, year-to-date.
- Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB), Historic Statistics, annual average TRREB MLS® System sale price, 1989 to 2002.
MLS® HPI figures describe a typical benchmark home in each town, not any specific property. The calculator applies the index change since your purchase month and is not an appraisal or a guarantee of value. This article is for information only and is not financial, legal or mortgage advice. MLS®, Multiple Listing Service®, MLS® HPI and the associated logos are trademarks owned or controlled by CREA.