ELLICOTTVILLE, N.Y. (WKBW) — You don’t have to go far in Ellicottville to see what appears to be the start of a trend: Canadian homeowners are putting their vacation properties up for sale.
Real estate brokers Cathleen and Melanie Pritchard told me this all stems from a strained relationship with our neighbors to the north, caused by the tariff tug-of-war and President Trump's talks of making Canada the "51st state.”
“We have seen an uptick in listings from Canadians,” Melanie said. “Our Canadian friends, some of them are very upset…They are just feeling like they are not being loved. They are wondering why this is happening, and as are we.”
Caitlin Croft also sells real estate in ski country. She told me she has three active property listings, all three being sold by Canadians.
“There are some Canadians that are starting to consider selling due to the strained relations,” Croft said.
The trend isn’t just limited to selling. It’s also putting a pin in buying and developing.
“I had a couple of Canadians looking, and they paused,” Cathleen said.
“We also had a developer, who is Canadian, who decided to pause, mostly because of the impact of the tariff cost on building,” Melanie said.
A trend potentially taking away the people these real estate professionals tell me are a vital part of this Southern Tier community.
“Canadians are what have made Ellicottville what it is today,” Cathleen said.
“My mom is a Canadian citizen, and it’s a classic Ellicottville story; there’s so many of these that happen here,” Croft said. “I hate to see the next generation of kids and young adults just miss out on some of those friendships and opportunities that last a lifetime.”
