It’s time to talk about Bully Offers because they seem to be rearing their ugly heads more frequently lately. (Two agents have called me in the past three days saying their buyers want to make Bully Offers.) That’s to be expected in this type of real estate market because when buyers get frustrated by not […]
If the three most important things in real estate are location, location, location, then the fourth, fifth and sixth most important things are timing, timing and timing. Some timing issues are fairly obvious. For example, don’t try to time the market perfectly because that’s pretty much impossible. Also, if you have a choice, don’t list your home […]
When should you list your home? I hear this question almost as often as I’m asked How’s the Market? The best time to list your home depends on your circumstances. Do you live in Toronto? In what area? What kind of home do you have? Do you need to move by a certain date? There’s […]
If we’ve ever had the opportunity to work together, you’ll probably remember me saying at some point “Don’t count on anything until it actually happens.” Solid advice, if I do say so myself, especially when it comes to real estate. That’s because fact is often stranger than fiction in the world of real estate. Even […]
I was watching an old episode of the Sopranos the other day (proving once again that the inspiration for a blog post can come from anywhere). Tony and Carmela were having trouble deciding whether or not to buy a beach house, when Carmela said to Tony “More is lost by indecision than wrong decision”. Naturally, this reminded me […]
Pre-inspections are becoming more and more common. If you’re not sure what a pre-inspection is, it’s a home inspection done by a seller before a home goes on the market. It has several benefits. First, depending on the area and the type of home, buyers may expect to see a pre-inspection. If one isn’t available, […]
People often ask “What’s the best time of year to buy a new home?”. There’s no correct answer to this question because many factors that affect the market change from year to year. But I’ve noticed a few trends over the past several years that seem to indicate that there are some good deals to be had in November and June. […]
You may have heard differently from other sources, but with over 20 years negotiating experience under my belt, I’ve found that trust is a fundamental element to a successful negotiation. A couple weeks ago, during a multiple offer situation, my clients were surprised to see the name of someone they knew on an offer for their home. It was surprising […]
Margaret and Pierre had been looking for a new home for a while when they finally found one they liked (names, prices and other details have been changed to protect everybody’s privacy). It wasn’t perfect, but it had some very nice features. It was nicer than most similar homes, but at $995,000, its price reflected […]
Due diligence. When I was a lawyer, I hated this term. It meant long days and nights reading through countless, boring documents. I’m shuddering right now just thinking of it. Thankfully, I don’t have to do that kind of due diligence any longer, but due diligence has not disappeared from my life altogether. When you […]
In the past week I’ve met a handful of buyers who are trying to buy homes without an agent to represent them. Their reasons for doing so vary from “I know what I want so I don’t need an agent” to “If I don’t have an agent the listing agent will cut his or her […]
You never know what to expect when you put your home on the market and designate a date for offers because anything can happen. My clients put their home on the market on Wednesday and sold it on Monday, which was the offer date. You might appreciate this behind the scenes rundown of how things played out so […]
There’s already laughing yoga, smiling yoga, hot yoga, naked yoga and countless other types of yoga, so why not real estate yoga? I’m not kidding, but I’m not suggesting you start doing headstands on your roof. I’ve been selling real estate for over 20 years and practicing yoga for over 16 years and I take […]
……Slaughtered. I first heard this expression when I was practicing law. I must’ve found it to be quite catchy because I still remember it. Basically, it means that you shouldn’t be TOO greedy. It’s okay to get your share and probably okay to get a little more than your share, but if you try to […]
At some point during every hot spring real estate market in central Toronto, the tide turns a little. There are still crazy bidding wars, but fewer homes receive multiple offers and some homes take a little longer to sell. Whether this is a result of buyers getting tired of bidding, sellers getting greedy and setting […]
I just attended my 25 year law school reunion. That may be why I’ve been thinking of school lately and why this edition of the newsletter is in the form of a case study. There is much to be learned from real life situations. Ted and Tina were getting divorced and decided to sell their […]
Last night my clients offered on a nicely renovated house in Allenby. They loved it, but so did 21 other potential buyers. That’s right. There were 22 offers! Fortunately, the sellers chose my clients’ offer over all the others and they got the home of their dreams. While luck always plays a part in these […]
