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One question that pops up constantly from both first-time and seasoned homeowners alike is "When is the best time of year to buy a home?" Potential homeowners want to know the best time of year to get the best home for the lowest price - and ideally, at a time that makes sense for their life. It would be great if there were a simple and straightforward answer, like "the best time of year to purchase a home is between April 1 and April 7." But unfortunately, it's not that simple. Let's take a look at the factors that play into answering the question "when is the best time of year to buy a home?" Convenience The first factor to consider when buying a home is convenience. This is particularly important if you have a family. If you have school-aged children, you ideally want to move in between school years, so sometime between May and August. Pulling a child out of school in the middle of the year can be challenging, and children might ha...

PRIORITY TASKS FOR YOUR MOVE IN Moving into a new home is an exciting time, and you’re probably daydreaming about decor and paint schemes and new furniture. But before you get into the fun stuff, there are some basics you should cover first. Change the locks  Even if you’re promised that new locks have been installed in your home, you can never be too careful. It’s worth the money to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that no one else has the keys to your home. Changing the locks can be a DIY project, or you can call in a locksmith for a little extra money. Steam clean the carpets  It’s good to get a fresh start with your floors before you start decorating. The previous owners may have had pets, young children, or just some plain old clumsiness. Take the time to steam clean the carpets so that your floors are free of stains and allergens. It’s pretty easy and affordable to rent a steam cleaner—your local grocery store may have them available. Call ...

Toronto Real Estate Prices: 2018 & Beyond Now that summer has said goodbye, a new season of the real estate year has begun. Fall tends to be the second busiest time of the year for buying and selling properties. Families that were busy enjoying the good weather at home or abroad now have the time to look at available listings and it is early enough in the school year to change if they have school-aged children. What does this mean for Toronto real estate prices? House Prices for the End of the Year A  September analysis  of Toronto real estate prices shows that overall things are doing well. Some shining statistics to boast about are a reported increase in the average selling price of all housing types in the area: up 2.9% to $796,786 – a respectable year-over-year gain. Resale home transactions are also up 1.9% compared to the previous year. If you are a condo owner looking to sell, you will be happy to know that in the Toronto region condo prices in...

SHAWN Have a spook-tacular Halloween!     ...

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporaon (CMHC) released today its annual Mortgage Consumer Survey (MCS). The largest survey of its kind, the MCS has been conducted since 1999 and provides insight into the behaviours, atudes and expectaons of Canadians when they acquire, renew or refinance a mortgage. In April 2018, CMHC completed an online survey of 4,000 recent mortgage consumers, all prime household decision makers who had undertaken a mortgage transacon in the past 12 months. Sixty-eight percent had renewed their mortgage, 15% had refinanced their mortgage, and 16% had purchased a home with mortgage financing (9% first-me buyers and 7% repeat buyers). Total results were weighted to reflect the actual proporon of households in each region.

BUYING A CONDO FOR INVESTMENT Are you thinking about buying a condo for investment? With 60,000 condo units currently under construction in the Greater Toronto Area and another 20,000 due to be constructed between now and 2021 – it appears these days that condos are a dangling carrot. But before you take a bite into a big opportunity, there are some important things to know about buying a condo for investment. Here are some important things to consider and/or prepare for before diving in. Do NOT Trust The Floor Plan! A common misconception many people make when condo hunting is assuming the square footage of a condo only includes the living space and not the balcony or the washroom. This is true of condos for resale, but not for new and pre-sale condos! When it comes to new and pre-sale condos, balconies and/or terraces are almost always included in the total square footage of the suite. It can be a very tricky business, and the rooms may not end up looking like wha...

POPPING THE TORONTO HOUSING BUBBLE MYTH It seems to be in everyone’s conversations: the Toronto housing bubble. Many speak of it in hushed tones and worried glances, yet when pressed about it they cannot explain why. One reason for this is because they may not have taken the time to read the research. I am here to quell any concerns and pop the Toronto housing bubble myth. Is the Toronto Housing Bubble Real?  Many people will read a headline such as “property transactions are at their lowest level since the 2009 recession”. This is, indeed, a true statement but it is not an accurate barometer for the health of the housing market. We need to look at relative comparisons and more specific indicators. For example, there were positive signs in the Toronto housing market this summer when it came to average selling prices of homes, as well as the number of homes for sale.  If we zoom in on sales in July 2018 , we can see that sales were up by more than 18% when com...

FOUR GREAT VIDEOS FROM CARSON DUNLOP HOME INSPECTION - "FUN HOUSEHOLD TRICKS": ONE : TWO : THREE : FOUR :