Single-family median price, Gatineau sector
$464,900As of Q3 2026.Source
Single-family median price, Hull sector
$475,000As of Q3 2026.Source
Residential sales, Gatineau CMA
1,044 (down 12%)As of Q3 2026.Source
Population of Gatineau
291,041As of 2021 Census.Source
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Gatineau sits across the Ottawa River from the capital. It is the only metropolitan area in the APCIQ third-quarter release where the house median fell, and that matters when you borrow against value.

Gatineau’s Q3 medians and what they mean for equity

The APCIQ and QPAREB third-quarter 2026 release recorded 1,044 residential transactions in the Gatineau metropolitan area, down 12% from a year earlier and the fourth consecutive quarterly decline. A total of 2,256 properties were listed on Centris, up 42%, a fifth straight quarterly rise. The single-family median fell 3% and the condo median fell 5%, while plexes rose 2%. Single-family homes took an average of 34 days to sell, 7 more than a year earlier. Sellers keep the advantage for houses, though less decisively, and the condo market is now balanced.

Centris reports sector figures. In Q3 2026 the single-family median was $464,900 in the Gatineau sector (down 2%), $475,000 in Hull (down 5%) and $530,750 in Aylmer (down 5%). Condo medians were $300,000 in the Gatineau sector (down 8%) and $289,900 in Hull (down 3%). Gatineau reached 291,041 residents in 2021, up 5.4% in five years.

Equity against the second-hypothec ceiling in Gatineau

Quebec calls a second mortgage a second hypothec (deuxième hypothèque). The usual limit, according to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, is 80% of the appraised value minus the mortgage balance, though a Quebec lender may set its own. In the Hull house example, a $330,000 first hypothec leaves $50,000 of room, and $10,000 after a $40,000 loan. In the condo example, a $215,000 first hypothec leaves $25,000, and a $25,000 loan lands exactly on the ceiling.

When prices drift down, the room shrinks even if you have paid your mortgage on schedule. If you bought in the last two or three years, run the calculator with a value 5% below the median and see whether the plan survives.

Costs: a welcome tax that changed this winter

Gatineau’s welcome tax (taxe de bienvenue) is charged on purchases. The City’s 2026 page shows the same first brackets as other Quebec cities, 0.5% to $62,900 and 1% to $315,000, then a change on February 25, 2026. Before that date the 1.5% bracket ran to $750,000, a 2.5% bracket ran to $1 million and 3% applied above. From February 25 the 1.5% bracket stops at $500,000, the 2.5% bracket disappears and 3% applies above $500,000. The comparative factor is 1.02.

On a purchase at the Gatineau sector’s $464,900 house median, the tax by our arithmetic is $314.50 plus $2,521.00 plus $2,248.50, or $5,084.00. A second hypothec on a home you keep is not a transfer, and we found no duty on it. You pay the notary, an appraisal and any lender fee instead.

When confidence is low

Falling prices and rising inventory change a lender’s mood more than a borrower’s. A lender may cut its ceiling below 80%, ask for a larger cushion or decline to lend on a condo it considers oversupplied. If a bank has already said no, see second mortgages with bad credit before accepting a price that reflects the refusal. If you want to use equity for a deposit, read down payment equity, and compare refinancing.

How far the sectors differ

The three sectors we could read show how much one Gatineau number hides. In Q3 2026 the house median was $464,900 in the Gatineau sector, $475,000 in Hull and $530,750 in Aylmer, a spread of $65,850 between the lowest and the highest. Aylmer also recorded the sharpest fall in sales among the three, down 23% for houses and 38% for condos, while Hull’s house sales rose 10%.

Hull’s days to sell tell another story. Houses there averaged 22 days against 34 in the Gatineau sector, so Hull houses sold fastest of the three even as their median fell. It is a single quarter, and we cannot say why.

When you size a loan, pick your own sector’s median and then take off the fall that sector has already seen. A cushion that survives a further 5% drop is a better one.

Gather your latest municipal tax bill and assessment notice as well as your hypothec statement. Gatineau’s comparative factor of 1.02 shows how the City ties the assessment to the market, and a lender or notary may ask for both.

Where to find a licensed professional in Gatineau

The Quebec page explains who licenses mortgage professionals and what to ask for, and the answer is the same whether you live in Hull, Aylmer or the Gatineau sector. To have someone go through your numbers, review your options.

A Hull house at the Q3 2026 single-family median, with a $40,000 loan

The $475,000 value is the Centris Q3 2026 median single-family price in the Hull sector of Gatineau, used as a stand-in for an appraised value. The $330,000 first hypothec and the $40,000 loan are made up. The 80% ceiling is the one the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada gives for a second mortgage; a Quebec lender may use another figure.

Home value used
$475,000
80% of the property value
$380,000

$475,000 x 0.80

Room under the ceiling before any loan
$50,000

$380,000 minus $330,000

Combined loan-to-value with a $40,000 loan
77.9%

$370,000 / $475,000

Room left under the ceiling after the loan
$10,000

The loan fits with $10,000 to spare. Hull's median fell 5% on the year, so another decline of that size would remove the cushion.

Illustration only. The figures are made up to show the arithmetic. They are not a quote, a rate or an offer.

A Gatineau sector condo at the Q3 2026 condominium median

The $300,000 value is the Centris Q3 2026 median condominium price in the Gatineau sector, used as a stand-in for an appraised value. The $215,000 first hypothec and the $25,000 loan are made up.

Home value used
$300,000
80% of the property value
$240,000

$300,000 x 0.80

Room under the ceiling before any loan
$25,000

$240,000 minus $215,000

Combined loan-to-value with a $25,000 loan
80.0%

$240,000 / $300,000

Room left under the ceiling after the loan
$0

The loan lands exactly on the ceiling, and the Gatineau condo median fell 8% on the year. There is no cushion for fees, an appraisal under the median or a lender who stops short of 80%.

Illustration only. The figures are made up to show the arithmetic. They are not a quote, a rate or an offer.

Questions people ask

How come Gatineau prices are falling while other Quebec cities rise?

The QPAREB and APCIQ release for Q3 2026 ties it to easing conditions: sales fell for a fourth straight quarter and listings rose for a fifth. It describes the condo market as balanced and houses as still favouring sellers, but less than before.

What changed in Gatineau's welcome tax in 2026?

On February 25, 2026 the City ended its 2.5% bracket. From then on the rate is 1.5% from $315,000 to $500,000 and 3% above $500,000, where earlier in the year the 1.5% bracket ran to $750,000. The comparative factor is 1.02.

Welcome tax in Gatineau: does it apply to a second hypothec?

The City's page sets out the duty on property transfers. A second hypothec on a home you keep is not a transfer, and we found no duty on it. Your notary will list the fees on your own deed, which usually include the registration.

Are Gatineau's sectors priced differently?

Yes. In Q3 2026 Centris showed single-family medians of $464,900 in the Gatineau sector, $475,000 in Hull and $530,750 in Aylmer. Condos were $300,000 in the Gatineau sector and $289,900 in Hull. Use the sector, not the city average.

Down payment on another Gatineau property: can home equity cover it?

Some owners do, but you then carry a second charge on the home you already own. With prices easing, a lender may value both properties cautiously. Read our down payment equity page and compare it with other sources of the deposit first.

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Sources