Have you ever seen a product at a store and thought, “Whoa. That price is outrageously high. It’s just not worth it!” Conversely, you might have also reacted to another product with, “That’s awfully cheap. The quality must not be good.” Welcome to the psychology of pricing! According to research, people tend to draw conclusions about a product based... [read more]

Have you ever seen a product at a store and thought, “Whoa. That price is outrageously high. It’s just not worth it!” Conversely, you might have also reacted to another product with, “That’s awfully cheap. The quality must not be good.” Welcome to the psychology of pricing! According to research, people tend to draw conclusions about a product based... [read more]

Renewal jitters: Canadians concerned about upcoming mortgage renewals consider extending their amortization periods, switching lenders 74% of mortgagees with lending agreements set to renew within the next 18 months report feeling concerned about higher interest rates Highlights: 16% of current mortgagees will be renewing their lending agreements within the next 12 months, while another 15% will be renewing in 12 to 18 months Almost three-quarters (74%) of Canadian mortgage... [read more]

I hope everyone is staying well and healthy throughout the winter months. It is a very interesting time as we work our way through a pandemic and I am sure that you are as surprised as I am of the robustness of the Greater Toronto Area's real estate market.   2021 has started out with a flurry of activity with sales in the GTA up over 52% compared to last year and prices up over 15%.  Months of inventory is down to approximately one month, highlighting the lack of... [read more]

It is an unprecedented time in our world, first and foremost, I hope you are staying safe and your family is healthy. If I can do anything for you, please don’t hesitate to be in touch. I know many people are facing difficult times due to COVID-19. Many families are facing job loss, business shutdowns, and financial challenges. If you are experiencing any of these things, please know that I’m here to help in any way I can. The Government of Ontario has reissued the Stay At... [read more]

Happy New Year! No economist or Realtor could have predicted that during an unprecedented year due to COVID-19, including necessary public health restrictions and uncertainty surrounding the economy that so many homes would have traded in 2020.  There were over 95,000 home sales in 2020 – the third-best result on record with the average selling price reaching a new record of almost $930,000.   Sales growth was strongest in the GTA's regions surrounding Toronto, in... [read more]

When you make an offer on a home, it’s a smart idea to have a professional home inspector check it out from top to bottom. This inspection will ensure that the property doesn’t have any unexpected “issues”. After all, you don’t want to buy a home only to discover that the roof needs to be replaced, immediately, for thousands of... [read more]

It has been a busy first half of the year in real estate. The market has taken time to adjust to the regulatory changes of the 16 Point Fair Housing Plan implemented a year ago and the B-20 Mortgage Qualification changes that came into effect on January 1st. These changes coupled with a long winter, the Provincial Election, uncertainty surrounding Trade Tariffs, and an exciting World Cup, have likely caused a few people to pause on their real estate decisions. Now for the good news! We... [read more]

Sometimes we don’t get to choose whether or not to sell our home and buy another one. Circumstances, such as a job relocation, may make that decision for us. However, most often, the decision to move is discretionary. Sometimes people move simply because they think it’s a good idea. They feel that “now” is the right time to find their next dream home. So how do you make that kind of decision? There are, of course, many reasons to make a discretionary move. Usually... [read more]

Property Surveyors, sometimes referred to as Land Surveyors, play a vital role in the real estate world. They are the professionals who determine or confirm the exact boundaries of a property. Will you need to deal with a Property Surveyor when you sell your home? You might. Sometimes the mortgage lender will ask for a land survey, especially if your property is older and hasn’t changed hands in many years. You might also be asked for one by the buyer if there is any confusion... [read more]

Kitchen renovations tend to be the biggest, most complicated home makeover projects, mainly because the kitchen is the most frequented and most multifunctional room in modern homes. But sometimes a kitchen makeover can be achieved with some simple cosmetic changes, rather than a complete redesign of the actual floor plan. Beyond a basic colour scheme change, the next makeover level involves replacing cabinet hardware. Remove a set of hinges, knobs and/or pulls to identify the type of... [read more]

"While average selling prices have not climbed back to last year's record peak, April's price level represents a substantial gain over the past decade. Recent polling conducted for TREB by Ipsos tells us that the great majority of buyers are purchasing a home within which to live. This means these buyers are treating home ownership as a long-term investment. A strong and diverse labour market and continued population growth based on immigration should continue to underpin long-term... [read more]

Although there has been a lot of news around the decline in the volume of trades and the increase in active listings, inventory(homes on the market) is still considered low with just over 2 months of supply across the GTA. This has kept pricing competitive as we are finding ourselves in multiple bids on different types of homes. The market is busy and prices are rebounding as they have climbed 2% on average from February 2018. The detached home market is impacted mostly by the decreases in... [read more]

How To Deal With Competing Offers   Ideally, you want to be the only buyer who makes an offer on a particular property. That way, assuming your price is acceptable to the seller, you’re almost certain to close the deal. But, it doesn’t always work out that way. In the case of highly desirable homes, it’s very common for there to be... [read more]