Buy or Sell First? What's Less Stressful? This is one of the most common issues our clients have and it plagues them with unanswered questions and sleep loss. “If I Buy first, I’ll have to have sell my home by a certain date. “If I Sell first, I’ll feel forced to buy a house. There isn’t a magic answer, however, there is a formula for making the right choice for you. Let’s break down the 4 major steps involved in buying/selling, so we can pinpoint the main stresses, and sift out all the other “annoyances”. Stage 1 - Education and Preparation This is the stage where you prepare your home for sale and get accustomed to the market you’re buying […]

A happy tenant means a happy landlord. Happy tenants are more likely to renew their lease, keep you informed of any issues in the property, and also take care of the property being rented. Here are a few investor tips to maintain a good rapport and keep your tenant happy. Be a proactive landlord – Make sure the property is in good condition when the tenant moves in. This determines the quality of your tenant and how they will treat it themselves. It’s a good idea to establish grounds for open communication and educate the tenants on the property rules and quirks. Be responsive to the tenants’ needs – Tenants, like most people, don’t appreciate being ignored so return calls, […]

Parking Matters – Blog Parking is a big deal, even if you don’t have a vehicle. All of our buyers looking in Toronto’s parking restrictive core get this crash course.  There are many different parking scenarios in Toronto, so we attempted to rank them according to our biased experience from most to least favourable. Parking Via Public Laneway Arguably better than private drives. Your land is utilized better with no driveway, and it also has better curb appeal, and more front or back yard space. Most city public laneways are wide and accessed by concrete. A main negative to laneway parking is the laneway being inaccessible if another car blocks the way, or if there is a large snowfall that […]

We once had a client who had a washer/dryer malfunction that caused damage to their unit and 14 units below them. Because they did not have insurance and it was an issue in their unit, it was their responsibility to cover the cost of these damages. Your condominium corporation has insurance, but only for the building’s common elements. Most would strongly suggest insurance for your individual unit. Most condo insurance policies cover: Your personal liability for property damage or bodily damage you unintentionally cause to others (if a fire or flood starts in your unit). Your personal property (appliances, furniture, clothing, electronics, and items in your locker). Additional living expenses in the event you are relocated during the condo’s restoration. […]