The kids are back to school and I’m back to blogging, just in the nick of time for the Fall market. If only someone made a realtor crystal ball. All signs seem to be pointing towards a very robust Fall market in central Toronto. By that I mean that we can expect the supply of […]
It’s summer time again – sunshine, heat, long days, ice cream (my personal favourite)……and plenty of articles about the demise of the real estate market. It seems that this happens every summer. Recently, the Globe and Mail reported that “In Vancouver, the seller’s market recedes” (July 5, 2012). On another day, the headline read “Housing bubbles: Messy […]
What are these changes all about? Well, the real estate market has been hot. Everyone knows that. The government is concerned that a major correction in the real estate market, if one does occur, will have negative consequences for the entire economy. To prevent a major correction from happening, the government has implemented a few changes […]
Two very similar properties recently sold in a central Toronto neighborhood. One sold for $1,700,000 and the other sold for $1,295,000. Does that make sense to you? It doesn’t make sense to me, but I understand how it can happen. You should understand how it can happen, too, so you can determine the best list price for […]
……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 was hoping to write this newsletter a few weeks ago, but I’ve had a bit of writer’s block. After 20 years and 4 newsletters a year, sometimes the ideas don’t flow as easily as they should. Still, this newsletter has always contained my own thoughts and views so even if it takes a bit […]
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 […]
Without a doubt, the question I get asked most often is How’s the market? This question can mean many different things, depending on what the person asking the question has in mind. It can mean How much is my house worth? or Is it a good time to sell? It might be a reference to […]
It used to be that you could buy a house on a handshake or with a $500 deposit. You can still do that in certain places, but not in Toronto. It’s now not uncommon to see deposits of $50,000-$100,000 or more. While this could be seen as a somewhat sad comment on the morals of […]
It’s too early to determine exactly what will happen when the spring market arrives in March, but early signs indicate that it will likely be a strong one. There weren’t a lot of new homes that came on the market in January, which is typical for this time of year, but the good homes that […]
True story: When my friend asked her husband why he wasn’t returning his emails, he said “Because I’m not going to get caught up in that fad.” Funny? Yes, but also very telling. Whether email is a fad or not isn’t the point. The point is that he’s not using email because he doesn’t find […]
There’s no question that technology is a fabulous tool to use in real estate and that improvements are being made all the time. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that technology has changed how people buy and sell homes over the past 10 years and will probably instigate even bigger changes in […]
It’s time for a reality check. For the past 13 years, there have been reports in the media that the real estate market is due for a correction or is about to slow down or that the bubble is about to burst. As far as I can remember, this prediction has come true exactly once […]
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 […]
My very first blog posting. Very exciting. I’m dedicating this blog to all those people who want to make sure they don’t make costly mistakes when buying or selling their homes and will attempt to fill it with useful tips learned from real life situations. While I specialize in homes and condos of all prices […]
