I'd like to wish all of my loyal blog readers, clients, family and friends a safe and happy holiday season.
Happy Holidays everyone!
If you’re thinking of splurging on a new home this holiday season and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.
There are a number of websites available that allow the public to search for properties currently listed for sale. Many of these websites belong to real estate agents (take my website, for example). Some belong to real estate brokerages (check out my brokerage's site here). And then there are sites like Zillow.com (in the states) and Zoocasa.com (here in Canada).
Probably the best known and most widely used of these public sites is Realtor.ca (formerly mls.ca). If you've used the site before, you know that it does have some limitations... Having said that, a handful of useful upgrades to the site were released on November 29th.
This upgraded version has new features and tools that allow users to customize their searches and find what they want faster.
The new interface’s features include:
What do you think of the new upgrades? Are there other improvements that you'd still like to see?
If you’re thinking of making a move and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.
A few months ago I wrote a BLOG post titled, "How Much Can You Expect To Pay In Land Transfer Taxes?" (read it here). I provided a breakdown of how the various provinces calculate these taxes. I even linked to a handy little calculator that shows just how much a resident of Toronto has to pay. Let's just say... it's not chump change.
Today, the Toronto Real Estate Board posted the above video on their YouTube channel. The message is simple: "Mayor Rob Ford made a promise to repeal the Toronto Land Transfer Tax. Let's help him keep it."
From the Toronto Real Estate Board's website:
Say No To Status Quo!
Mayor Ford and City Council were elected with a clear mandate to change the way City Hall operates, including repealing the Toronto Land Transfer Tax. Unfortunately, some City Councillors are getting cold feet and would prefer to maintain the status quo. You can help make sure that City Council moves forward with changing City Hall. Use the links below to:
For access to a Land Transfer Tax Calculator and other financial tools, visit my website here.
If you’re thinking of making a move and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.
Is It Better To Wait Until After Labour Day To List Your Home For Sale? Photo
Labour Day weekend means different things to different people.
For some, it’s time to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers.
For others, it’s the last chance to bust out those white slacks before burying them deep into the closet.
For realtors (and their sellers & buyers), it signals the end of the summer real estate market and the beginning of the fall market.
Generally, the Toronto market slows down a bit during the last few weeks of summer.
Why?
Well, many buyers who were actively looking in the summer market have already bought.
And those that haven’t often decide to put their search on the backburner and enjoy some vacation time while the weather’s still warm.
The same goes for many realtors.
Naturally, the sellers follow suit.
Most will hold off on listing their home for sale until after Labour Day weekend has passed.
And it makes sense.
Why would you choose to introduce your property to the market at the same time that many of your potential buyers are choosing to take a break?
Doesn’t it make more sense to wait another week and list after everyone has returned?
Not to mention the many buyers who won’t even be starting their search until the fall market begins.
Having said that, there’s always the other side of the coin...
Potential Benefits Of Listing Before Labour Day Weekend
Sellers can sometimes take advantage of the fact that there likely isn’t going to be much competition in the last week of summer.
Getting a jump on the fall market can pan out well if there are motivated buyers out there and yours is one of the few homes available.
And there’s no way of knowing exactly how many properties are going to come on the market that first week after Labour Day.
What if two or three of your neighbours all list at the same?
Wouldn't it have been better to list the week before and possibly sell ahead of the new influx of inventory?
Maybe.
Generally though, I would argue that the safe bet is to wait and come out swinging at the start of the fall market.
Here's looking forward to a strong one this year!
If you’re thinking of making a move and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.
That's right, my real estate blog has been active for TWO YEARS now! I submitted my very first post in August of 2009 and haven't looked back since. I wrote a similar "Happy Birthday" post last August, celebrating my blog's first year of existence (you can read it here). That post answered the question, "What does one get a blog for its birthday?" In case you missed it, here's a re-print of my answer:
Once again, I'd like to end this post by saying THANK YOU to everyone who's taken the time to read and support this Blog over the past two years. Looking forward to birthday #3!
Cheers!
I opened my email this morning to find a message from my office with the subject line, "Realtor Food Bank Challenge". Apparently, my brokerage (and a few others in downtown's west-end) have been publicly challenged by Mark McClean from Bosley Real Estate Ltd. to a food drive for the Parkdale Community Food Bank (check out the video above). What's my personal reaction to the challenge? I think it's a brilliant idea (good on ya', Mark!) and I humbly accept.
Rising to this challenge is going to take some help though... And I'm looking for you, my loyal readers, to pitch in if you can. We're looking to collect as many non-perishable food items as we can before Wednesday, August 10th. You can drop them off at my brokerage (905 King Street West, at King & Strachan) or I can swing by and pick them up from wherever's most convenient for you.
Give me a shout and we'll sort it out. Any help is greatly appreciated!
A bit of background...
On July 15th, the Parkdale Community Food Bank posted on their website, "The Parkdale Community Food Bank is facing a major financial shortfall and is now at risk of closing next month. Currently the need is far outpacing the food banks very limited resources, with financial donations coming up short. The food bank is now appealing to the community for any help possible to keep its doors open. The food bank must raise $100,000 to ensure it will stay open until well into next year..." (Read the full article on their website here).
Love where you live? Looking for a way to publicly sing the praises of your neighbourhood or community? Interested in a chance to win $20,000? You're in luck... Last week Royal LePage kicked off their annual "My Great Neighbourhood" contest!
It's simple - submit a short paragraph explaining why you love your neighbourhood or community. And be sure to include up to 5 photos or 1 video as part of your submission. Take a look here and click on "Past Entries" to see what other contestants have come up with.
Winners will be selected based on 3 main criteria:
As if the opportunity to acclaim your 'hood wasn't motivation enough, you've got a shot at winning one of three cash prizes:
If you're interested in entering the contest, check out the website here. Keep in mind - not only is this a great way to share a little neighbourhood pride, it's also an incredible opportunity to promote your neighbourhood to potential buyers across the country.
Good luck!
If you’re thinking of making a move and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.
It's that time of year again... Royal LePage's annual Garage Sale For Shelter is just around the corner and we need your help! Last year's sale was a great success (read my BLOG post from last year here), and we're hoping to do even better this year.
Here are the event details:
• When: Saturday, May 14th from 9am to 3pm (Rain date: Sunday May 15th)
• Where: 905 King Street West (at Strachan)
• Why: To support the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, Canada’s largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to supporting women’s shelters and ending violence against women and children.
Last year, Royal LePager’s raised over $315,000 - more than double the previous year. The community is encouraged to take part again this year by donating gently used items to our office (located at 905 King Street West), by helping us spread the word, and by joining us on May 14th. With the support of local residents and the generous sponsorship of TD Canada Trust, Atlas Van Lines Canada and Advance Commission Company of Canada, we’re poised to beat our record again!
Right now we're looking for donated items for the garage sale. If you've got anything that you're happy to part with for a good cause, give me a shout and we'll schedule a time to swing by and pick it up.
Acceptable items for donation are as follows:
To learn more about the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, check out their website here. And you can visit our Facebook Page here.
Looking forward to a great turnout on the 14th and a successful garage sale!
It's roundup time! Let's take a look back at some of the more interesting articles, videos, and photos that popped up over the past two weeks...
#5. Photos Of The Supermoon Above Toronto
On the 20th, Derek Flack of blogTO posted a choice selection of photos of Saturday's supermoon. Stunning photos aside, I think David did a good job of summing up this rare natural wonder when he wrote, "Impressive, yes. Jaw-droppingly amazing, not so much." Read the full article here.
#4. Green Roofs Toronto
On the 15th, Jessica Lemieux of Spacing Toronto took a look at some of the city's best know green roofs. The ESRI building, Mountain Equipment Co-op, the Hugh Garner Co-op, and our very own City Hall were featured. Read the full article here.
#3. Despite Stress, No Crash Seen In Housing
On the 14th, Steve Ladurantaye of the Globe and Mail outlined a number of reasons why, despite signs of stress, the Canadian real estate market won't crash. Read the full article here.
#2. World's Richest Man Buys Manhattan's Most Expensive Townhouse
On The 17th, Cliff Peskin of BuzzBuzzHome wrote about the recent $44 million sale of a 20,000 square foot Manhattan townhouse. Listed in the spring of 2010 for $50 million, the property was finally purchased by a man named Carlos Slim Helu (he holds the #1 seat on Forbes' "Richest People" list). Read the full article here.
#1. Nostalgia Tripping: Canada's First Subway System
On the 19th, Agatha Barc of blogTO looked back to the March 30th, 1954 opening of the country's first subway line. It stetched between Eglinton and Union stations and a single fare was $0.10 (tokens were 3 for $0.25)! The article paints a good picture of the events leading up to that historic day (and there are a handful of great photos to boot). Read the full article here.
If you’re thinking of making a move and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.
It's weekly roundup time! Let's take a look back at some of the more interesting articles, videos, and photos that popped up over the past seven days...
#5. The 10 Ugliest Streets In Toronto
On Wednesday, Derek Flack of blogTO compiled a list of the ten most unattractive streets in T-Dot. Here's hoping yours didn't make the list! Read the full article here.
#4. Real Estate: 10 Things You Need To Know
On Wednesday, business reporter Tony Wong of the Toronto Star listed ten things to consider when buying a home. Read the full article here.
#3. Nostalgia Tripping: Toronto's Eminent Women
On Saturday, Agatha Barc of blogTO added another installment to her weekly "Nostalgia Tripping" series. This one focused on Agnes Macphail (our first female Member of Parliament) and a handful of other Toronto women of distinction. Read the full article here.
#2. Vintage Toronto Ads: Ammoniate Your Smile!
On Tuesday, Jamie Bradburn of torontoist cracked open an April 1949 issue of Reader's Digest and found an ad for ammonium-based teeth whitening powder. Thanks, but we have lasers for this sort of thing now... Read the full article here.
#1. Canada Is The Third Most Popular Country In The World!
On Tuesday, Matthew Slutsky of BuzzBuzzHome took a look at BBC's "World Service Country Rating Poll" where Canada placed 3rd (behind #2 Britain and #1 Germany). Go Canada! Read the full article here.
If you’re thinking of making a move and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.
The Toronto Real Estate Board recently weighed in with their outlook for 2011/2012 by posting the above video to their YouTube channel. This video is the latest from TREB in a series featuring their Senior Manager of Market Analysis, Jason Mercer.
In his presentation, Mr. Mercer focuses on 3 key factors in his analysis of where we've been and where we're going:
For those of you unwilling to sit through the 20 min video (I don't blame you - 20 min is long...), here's a quick summary of his outlook:
If you’re thinking of making a move and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.
One of my favourite Real Estate blogs, BuzzBuzzHome, posted a great recap a few days ago of all the craziness that the Canadian real estate market experienced this past year (read it here). Looking back, there’s no doubt 2010 was a remarkably eventful year. Here’s my own breakdown of some of the highlights:
So, what can we expect in 2011? A number of industry leaders are predicting more stability for the real estate market over the next few years. I don't know about you, but more stability sounds just fine to me...
If you’re thinking of making a move and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.
Like anyone else, I've celebrated my share of milestones over the years. Kindergarten graduation, my first kiss, marriage, buying my first home... This week I'm proud add one more thing to the list - my real estate Blog is now one year old!
What does one get a Blog for its birthday, you ask? Well, I have a few ideas...
I'd like to end this post by saying THANK YOU to everyone who's taken the time to read and support this Blog over the past year. I've had a blast writing it and I hope you've enjoyed reading it. I look forward to another great year.
Cheers!
It's been a helluva couple of weeks here in Toronto. An earthquake, the G20 summit, a devastating World Cup loss for fans in Corso Italia and Little Italy. It's safe to say I'm not the only one looking forward to taking it easy for a few days. What better way to get started than with a little Stompin' Tom Connors? Happy Birthday Canada! Enjoy the long weekend!
Earlier this year I wrote a Blog post about the coming of DNA 3 to King Street West (read it here). Well, it looks as though that day is just around the corner. Tomorrow evening I'll be attending an exclusive agent info session where I'll be given a sneak peak tour of the 7,000 sq ft sales centre. More importantly, I'll get my hands on floor plans, starting prices, and worksheets for clients.
A one day only selling event is set to follow on this coming Saturday, June 19th, 12:00 - 6:00pm. Keep in mind, this selling event is exclusively for registered agents (and their clients). Anyone not registered will have to wait until the public launch to make a purchase. If you or someone you know is interested in purchasing a suite at DNA 3 at this early stage in the game, please get in touch with me ASAP.
As many of you know, DNA 3 is one of the most anticipated projects in the King Street West/Liberty Village area. It's being developed by Canderal Stoneridge Equity Group Inc. (also responsible for the Residences of College Park on Bay St, Aura, DNA 1 and DNA 2) and designed by Graziani & Corazza Architects.
The building will be located at 1030 King Street West, on the north side of King at Shaw, where the former Chrysler dealership building now stands. This is the site of the sales center as well.
If you’re thinking of purchasing a suite at DNA 3 and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info.
I have to confess, this was actually the first year that I participated in Doors Open Toronto. I’d planned on doing so in years past, but for whatever reason it just didn’t happen. This year however, I held firm to my resolution and I have to say, I’m much better for it!
As a realtor I spend quite a bit of time driving around the city, passing by many of Toronto’s landmark buildings without ever stepping foot inside them. So for me, Doors Open Toronto 2010 was an opportunity to slow down and really absorb some of the architectural beauty and historical significance of my surroundings.
Part of the attraction of an event like this is the relatively short period of time for which it exists (until its return next year, anyway). There`s something powerful about the fact that for only a few precious hours we’re granted access to spaces that are otherwise off limits to the general public.
I was made even more aware of this on my elevator ride up to the 17th floor of the Canada Life Building. The operator informed us that, "You're very privileged to be going up to the Tower Room. Even the regular staff in the building don`t have access to this space other than during Doors Open Toronto."
The excitement was palpable outside as well. I was actually sidetracked from my planned route because I just couldn`t pass up the enthusiastic recommendations of a few fellow participants. "You have to see Osgoode Hall - the Library is beautiful!" "The King Eddy tour is not to be missed!"
Needless to say, my original intention of sticking primarily to some of the taller buildings in the downtown core (inspired by a recent trip to Manhattan) was changed to include a more well-rounded assortment of structures.
All in all, the weekend was a success for me. I finally got around to doing something that I've wanted to for awhile. And my relationship with the city was expanded and deepened. After I finish writing this post I plan on going over the buildings I missed this weekend, adding them, in anticipation, to next year`s list.
What about you?
Did you attend Doors Open Toronto 2010?
Any highlights?
There are a number of reasons that I'm proud to have Royal LePage as my brokerage. Sitting near the top of this list is the fact that I get to contribute to and be a part of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. It has the distinction of being Canada’s largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women’s shelters and violence prevention and education programs.
On Saturday, May 15th, Royal LePage offices all over the country will be participating in the foundation's 2nd annual National Garage Sale for Shelter, with 100% of the proceeds going to help women and children living with abuse. My office, located at 905 King Street West (at Strachan Ave) will be joining in. The hours are from 8:00am - 2:00pm and we'll be serving coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and cupcakes, as well as live music and raffles.
Right now we're looking for donated items for the garage sale. If you've got anything that you're happy to part with for a good cause, give me a shout and we'll schedule a time to swing by and pick it up.
Acceptable items for donation are as follows:
To learn more about the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, check out their website here and their Facebook Page here.
Looking forward to a great turnout on the 15th and a successful garage sale!