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  Demand for Ownership Housing Remains Strong Throughout the G.T.A . February home sales were down compared to the record in 2021 but represented the second-best result for the month of February in history. New listings dropped by a marginally lesser annual rate than sales, pointing to a modest move to a slightly more balanced market. However, competition between buyers remained tight enough to support double-digit price growth year-over-year. Greater Toronto Area (GTA) REALTORS® reported 9,097 sales through the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s (TRREB) MLS® System in February 2022, representing a 16.8% decrease in the number of sales compared to February 2021. The supply of listings for low-rise home types (detached, semi-detached and townhouses) was also down year-over-year, but not by as much as sales. In the condominium apartment segment, particularly in Toronto, new listings were up compared to February 2021. For more information, refer to the full report HERE . All content...

YOUR GUIDE TO THE HOME APPRAISAL You have found your dream home and now it is time to cross all your T's and dot all your I's before it’s all your own. And one of the first items on your closing checklist the home appraisal. So, what exactly is that? The home appraisal is essentially a value assessment of the home and property. It is conducted by a certified third party and is used to determine whether the home is priced appropriately. During a home appraisal, the appraiser conducts a complete visual inspection of the interior and exterior of the home. He or she factors in a variety of things, including the home’s floor plan functionality, condition, location, school district, fixtures, lot size, and more. An upward adjustment is generally made if the home has a deck, a view, or a large yard. The appraiser will also compare the home to several similar homes that were sold within the last six months in the area. The final report must include a street map showing the prop...

TURNING A BEDROOM INTO A LUX BEDROOM For most of us, our bedroom is little more than a place to sleep and relax. However, just because it has always been that way doesn’t mean that we have to settle for drab and dreary. One trend that is gaining steam these days is converting your current bedroom into a luxury suite (or something comparable). If you want to live like you are renting a room at the Ritz, then you want to follow these tips. Compartmentalize Your Activities Making your bedroom more functional is going to make it more luxurious. Add a gorgeous desk for working and a TV area for entertainment, and you will be living it up in no time. Make it Chic Choose a color palette that is both luxurious and classy. Silver and gold can seem tacky, so choose muted shades that compliment each other. Also, a brilliant and commanding headboard can instantly upgrade the look of your room without any other changes. Light it Properly Finally, make sure that you have the right ...

WHAT TO REPAIR BEFORE  YOU LIST When you’re getting ready to list your home, it’s of the upmost importance to ensure you are showing it in the best light. Taking time to highlight its strengths and fix up some of its possible weaknesses can make a big difference in how fast it sells. Here are our top four recommended repairs to make before selling your home. Repaint walls . Giving your home a fresh coat of paint is one of the most cost-effective ways to spruce it up, and generally, it can be a do-it-yourself project. Make sure cover any walls with scratches and chips and consider updating any accent walls with a more neutral coat. Repair floors. Hardwood floors are a very desirable feature in a home, so you want to ensure they look their best by fixing scratches or dull areas. If your carpet is worn or stained, consider replacing them. And don’t forget the tile in your kitchen or bathrooms. Re-grouting can go a long way in making dingy tile work look brand new! Refresh the lan...

  49 Coronavirus and Quarantine Jokes to Retrain Your Face to Smile It's a pundemic. By  Emily Kelleher   Updated Oct 20 2020, 1:21 PM   Humor is essential, even — or especially — in tough times.  Shared laughter  gives us strength in adversity and can help us feel a bit more in control when  the future looks uncertain . Most important,  funny jokes  — even funny  coronavirus  and quarantine  jokes  — bring us together and help us to feel connected, one pandemic quarantine pod to another. And laughter literally makes us stronger: Recent studies have found that a  good laugh  can boost our dopamine levels and even shore up our immune systems. So, while we all obviously continue to take COVID-19 very seriously, and follow the  recommendations from the CDC  and the WHO, we also  need to laugh  and to have a few moments in the day that  feel lighter . A few pandemic  jokes  might ju...

  DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? In these Covid-19 second wave times, it's getting harder and harder to stay upbeat and positive. And then along comes Kylie Minogue asking " Do you believe in magic? " To which I resoundingly say " Yes! "  An album of simple and fun songs with great beats & fun visuals is all that it takes sometimes to take one's mind of the dark foreboding world outside. And, nobody does this combination as artfully and perfectly as Kylie Minogue.  With a career spanning some FOUR decades, she has captured the spirit of every era she's occupied. And unlike many of her contemporaries, she still remains relevant and not ridiculous. A major feat. And one at a time like this that we can all celebrate.  So, grab your headphones, throw on your youtube premium channel and power up the tunes with Kylie Minogues newest album " DISCO " -- her fifteenth studio album! Enjoy!  (Go HERE for more information on this album and it's creatio...

 

TOP TIPS FOR HOUSE HUNTING ONLINE Hunting for a new home online is a great place to start your search, but it should not be your end all be all. Good listing agents are excellent at highlighting the best features of the home, but keep in mind there may be more than meets the eye. To make the most of your time and efforts and gather a well-rounded picture of home listings online, keep the following three things in mind. Stay up to date. When you start your search, make sure you find a site that pulls up-to-date listings directly from the multiple listing service (MLS) where real estate agents actively post their most current homes for sale. Many online resources update less often or fail to remove listings that are off the market, making it more difficult to sort through the clutter. Pictures can be deceiving. Real estate photographers are experts at showing a home in the best possible light. Many use tools and strategies to boost appeal, such as a fisheye lens to make areas look larger...

  Summerhill Properties Summerhill properties are beautiful to look at and a joy to live in. They are located within a neighbourhood of well-regarded public and private schools, all while being in close proximity  to the downtown core. Owning one of Summerhill’s properties would instantly make one of the most desirable neighbourhoods in all of Toronto your new home. Here are some facts about why I love this neighbourhood so much and why you should consider Summerhill properties when looking for your next home. Summerhill derives its name from a stunning regency cottage named Summer Hill House. While the house itself is no longer erect, you can still see the Summer Hill Coach House at the rear of 36 Summerhill Gardens: it boasts an outstanding slate roof which can be seen as far as the south end of the Rosehill Reservoir. Around the 1880s, Summerhill developed around the North Toronto Railway station which in the 1920s, became the main station of the Canadian Pacific Railw...

Real Estate Terms Cheat Sheet Buying a house can be an exciting, but  complex process . So when you embark on your journey, one of your first stops should be familiarizing yourself with the lingo. We’ve curated helpful information from our  Homebuyers’ Road Map  and  Tips for Buyers , to share with you some of the most important terminology a new buyer needs to know—from pre-purchase to post-purchase. Before you buy First things first, you need to find yourself a  REALTOR ® . A REALTOR ®  can bring you peace of mind thanks to their experience and professionalism. From helping you find a home that meets your needs and price range, to negotiating your purchase price, directing you through complex contracts, a REALTOR ®  is an important part of your home buying journey.  While it’s exciting to start visiting open houses, you must first determine how much a mortgage lender is willing to let you borrow to purchase your first home. Your  mortgage ...