MY TORONTO

Just like buyers should be pre-approved before they begin to look at houses, Sellers should have their home pre-approved.   The reasons are similar: appeal to the "right" buyers, discover issues with the home early, improve marketability, increase negotiations position and close quicker. For the seller, there are few things that need to be done before the sign goes in the yard and definitely before prospective buyers see the home.   The first is to understand that once you decide to sell the home that it needs to appeal to the broadest base of buyers and that means depersonalizing your home. Once the home is sold, you will need to pack your things for the new home.   Think of this as starting the process early.   Get moving boxes and make decisions on what you intend to give away or discard in each room and closet.   Identify and pack those items before the home goes on the market. This will be the first wave of making your home more marketable. When your ...

More and more homeowners are employing smart home technology within their homes.  It may start with a video doorbell or lights and progress to other devices.  The smart-home device market is rapidly growing and Forbes research expects it to grow from $55 billion in 2016 to $174 billion in 2025. The popularity of these high-tech features will require a few additional steps to consider when selling a home.  The seller should determine which items will and will not stay with the sale of the home and identify them in the listing agreement. Confusion can arise when a home's marketing mentions its smart-home technology and is unclear if a piece like the hub, which is easily considered personal property but is integral to the working of the system.  Some might consider it an accessory and others a component. A smart home can contain multiple technology devices connected to the Internet that allow them to be controlled or accessed from computers, tablets or most common...

  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 ...

In a recent article, The Wall Street Journal reported that investors have rarely been this flush with cash.   The economic uncertainty due to the pandemic and the volatility of the stock market has caused assets in money-market funds to increase to approximately $4.6 trillion, the highest level on record according to Refinitv Lipper. The question becomes should an investor be "out of the market" until things settle down or should they seek to find alternative investments to produce satisfactory results.   Even in the middle of this uncertainty, residential rental property has been a stable performer. Rents are continuing to increase along with values.   Investor mortgages are available at 80% loan-to-value at fixed interest rates for 30-year terms.   Most other investments must be purchased for cash or at best, are limited to low loan-to-value loans, at floating interest rates for relatively short time frames. The use of borrowed funds, especially at today's lo...

SOFT AND WARM FEELING AT HOME

THEY ARE AT IT AGAIN WITH STERN WARNINGS OF FALLING PRICES!!! WILL THEY BE RIGHT THIS TIME?   ( CMHC has not been right for their last 3 predictions. And that's including pulling triggers and adjusting levers to make their predictions come true -- in complete opposition of all other government efforts to bolster housing & the economy in general.  In fact, this newest prediction is considerably more tempered than the first few, but still a rogue opinion among many economists revised upward opinions.  Somehow, I smell a rat! ) Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation President and CEO Evan Siddall is warning the domestic housing market isn’t out of the woods just yet. In an interview with BNN Bloomberg’s Amanda Lang broadcast Thursday, Siddall said that while the most bearish case for home prices doesn’t seem likely to come to pass, he still sees a price decline by just shy of 10 per cent due to the economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The number of people on ...

  Virtual Home Staging SEPTEMBER 23, 2020  | The vast majority of home hunting begins online. As a result, many argue that a listing is only as good as its visual presentation online. The better your images are, the more interest you will garner. The more interest you garner, the more foot traffic you are likely to receive at a property – which inherently increases the likelihood of strong and hopefully multiple offers. Home staging in the digital era has become an asset to the success of a listing. In the good old days before COVID, it was already challenging to purge belongings in order to better market a property for sale. Home staging is not just tidying up, throwing your children’s toys in their closet and mowing the lawn. Home staging takes time, physical energy and money. What if there was a way that you could stage your home without much less work? Now you can with virtual home staging. Arguably, one of the best times to use virtual home staging is when a property is u...

SPEECH FROM THE THRONE The Speech from the Throne  opens every new session of Parliament. The Speech introduces the government’s direction and goals, and outlines how it will work to achieve them. On September 23, 2020, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, delivered the Speech from the Throne to open the second session of the 43 rd  Parliament and outline the government’s agenda. Full text of the Speech from the Throne Download the Speech from the Throne   Play Mute Current position: 00:00:00 Total time: 00:54:53 Show closed captioning Transcript A stronger and more resilient Canada Protecting Canadians from COVID-19 It is the job of the federal government to look out for all Canadians and especially our most vulnerable. We need to work together. Helping Canadians through the pandemic The Government is using its fiscal firepower so that Canadians, businesses, and our entire economy have the support needed to weather the storm. Bui...

RENT FREEZE! Ontario tables 2021 rent freeze legislation - REMI Network : Paralegal Paul Cappa sheds light on what the upcoming rent freeze means for the province's landlords.