Toronto Real Estate

Should I Buy or Sell First? What’s Less Stressful?

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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 […]

Investor’s Tips for Happy Long-Term Tenants

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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

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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 […]

Condo Insurance Explained

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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. […]

Credit Matters!

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Let’s talk credit as it relates to real estate. A good credit score complimented with proven income are the main imputes required for a mortgage approval. It’s never too late to check, maintain and improve your score. Start at either of Canada’s main reporting agencies Equifax or Transunion. Long story short, a score of 700 basically implies you’re in the clear, and have maintained your credit facilities well enough for most lenders to be satisfied. Under 680 might imply more hurdles for you to jump through to satisfy a lender. Remember, your rating is based on many factors being reported and a statistical calculation of all those factors. So be proactive and aggressive, as a banking error might miss a payment or a […]

Make Your Home Smart

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Make your house smart! Here’s a guide, broken down by category, to help you sort through the plethora of products. Assistant Temperature Sound Lighting Security Safety CO and Smoke Alarm Cleaning Smart Plugs Hacker Alert! Assistants are voice-controlled products that make it easy to control your smart home products simply by voice activated commands. There are a few different products like Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Home. Each one of these products have pros and cons, so choose the one that will work more closely with your needs. Once set up, you can connect it to all other compatible smart home products to be able to control your lights and anything plugged into a smart plug.   Similar to the […]

Downsizing to a Condo – The Lifestyle Transition

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Living in a house is quite different from living in a condo. There are things to consider when making the transition from a house to a condo, including costs, living space and lifestyle. As the market continues to rise, houses may be less affordable and downsizing to a condo is becoming a popular option. Condo Living If you want to downsize from your family home, a condo is a more affordable option. The average cost of a condo in Toronto in 2018 was $552,423, compared to the average cost of a house, which was $1,009,535. Forget about mowing the lawn, shoveling the snow, and landscaping, that’s someone else’s job now. Even if you live on the second floor, you do […]

Be Nice To Your Concierge

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If you live in a condo, there’s one person you probably see on a regular basis. That person is your concierge and they can have a big impact on your day-to-day condo living. There are many reasons to be kind to your concierge, if for no other reason than they literally know where you live. First of all, your concierge is a shift worker. When you see them, it is often at the beginning or the end of their day. If you’re nice to them as you’re coming and going, you have the chance to help your concierge start or end their day on a happy note. There’s a few things to keep in mind regarding your concierge. They handle […]

Condo Liens – Avoid Them At All Costs!

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A client of ours, and current condo owner, had required work done for their unit, performed by the condo corp. They saw a $2,600 total charge for a $600 unpaid fee relating to this work. A misunderstanding escalated, the owner adamantly refused to make payment and ignored important notices regarding the charge. The condo’s property manager and board members were left with the only option of a placing a lien on the property, as permitted by the Condominium Act, 1998. The $2,000 in lawyer fees, lien registration fees and lien discharge fees could have been avoided if the owner was more informed.   Pay attention to your condominium notices. If you are in arrears for maintenance fees, a special charge […]

Knob and Tube Wiring

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Knob & Tube wiring pops up during a real estate transaction. It occurs when a buyer discovers it during a home inspection, or a responsible seller discloses it.   What is it? Pictured above is the way houses were most commonly wired between 1880s and 1920s. Individual wires are suspended from white ceramic knobs and go through ceramic tubes where passing through joists. If a home was built in the 1930s or earlier, it was likely wired with Knob and Tube. Knob & Tube is actually still an approved and safe form of wiring by the ESA (Electrical Safety Authority). For the dry facts, read more info here. What’s the deal? The main source of headache is when buyers are […]

Real Estate Myths

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1. Listing Price Doesn’t Matter You should not list over a fair market price or you won’t get the exposure your listing deserves in the Internet, MLS and marketing. You don’t want to be outside the market but in it. The listing price should be chosen very close to the date the listing is loaded, with an understanding of available comparable listings for sale and recent sold prices. 2. You Don’t Have To Fix Up Or Stage An Old House. You need to put every effort in presenting your home in the best possible light. You don’t want to distract in any way from the space, rooms, light, lot and details (even dated ones). We have often listed a home […]

Roles of a Realtor

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Pre-Listing Activities Review pre-appointment questions Research all comparable currently listed properties Research sales activities for past 18 months from MLS and public records databases Download and review property tax roll information Prepare unique “Opinion of Value” to establish fair market value Research property’s ownership and deed type Research property’s public record information for lot size and dimensions Research and verify legal description Research property’s land use coding and deed restrictions, zoning, etc. Verify legal names of owner(s) in public property records Prepare listing presentation package Perform exterior “curb appeal assessment” of subject property and area Listing Presentation Give seller an overview of current market conditions and projections Review agent’s and company’s credentials and accomplishments in the market Present Opinion of […]

Aluminum Wiring

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Aluminum Wiring In Your home is okay, but involves some Insurance “Fun”. Aluminum wiring is common in homes built in the Mid 1960s to Late 1970s and is still a completely acceptable form of wiring according to the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). You still need to be informed, and if buying or selling a home with Aluminum wiring, you should be informed of the solutions and costs. Homes with Aluminum wiring can be perfectly safe, and insurable but you need to understand the safety issues and understand what insurance companies will want. There are still safety concerns with aluminum wiring: Creep Aluminum expands more than copper with the heat produced with electrical flowing. Constant expanding and contracting can cause the […]

Commission Explained

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Commission is a commonly misunderstood part of the home selling process. While most people understand that it involves a percentage paid to a realtor, many key aspects of this part of a transaction remain unclear to many. As this payment can add up to tens of thousands of dollars, you need to understand it in order to be a truly informed buyer or seller.   The Seller During a sale transaction, the Seller hires a Listing Agent to sell their property. The Seller and Listing Agent sign a listing agreement that will outline the terms and will show the commission rate, typically 5% (which is HST applicable). In this listing agreement, it will also show that there will be a […]

Tips For Renovating Your Condo

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Whether you’ve just bought a condo that needs some love, or have been living in one for several years, you have probably been considering ways to spruce things up. While condo renovations are typically far less complicated and nuanced than house renos, there are some key ways to make your project as high-impact and low-stress as possible. Painting There’s perhaps no better way to feel like you’re in a new space than by adding a fresh coat of paint. But there are some important choices to make along the way. Here are some important considerations for any condo-painting project: Use bright colours (typically, the brighter the better in small spaces) Make your trim pop by using a different colour for […]

Why You Should Get A Home Inspection

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The Smart Way to Go For the typical home buyer, a home inspection should be considered an essential stage in the purchasing process. It arms you with a detailed report from a true expert who has gone through an extensive checklist of virtually everything that could go wrong with the property and eat into your pocketbook. This includes the roof, grading, plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling, and so forth. To make a long story short, the home inspector acts like a physician giving a physical, without the annoying waiting room.   Timing is Everything Many home buyers have the mistaken idea that they need to wait until after they’ve made their purchase to get a home inspection, as an exercise in due diligence. […]

5 Common Questions From Sellers

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1. What is going to happen to the real estate market? This is not easy to answer on general terms. We can share our thoughts on interest rates, employment rates, and housing starts, but they aren’t always the best indicators. It’s important to understand markets don’t all move in the same direction. We always look at neighbourhood stats to show you current market strength and trends over the years, to help you time your decision best.   2. What affects the sale… of a condo? – Location, Location, Location – View and exposure – Layout and square feet – Building/Amenities – Number of beds, baths and dens – And of course condition and renovation of the unit   of a […]

How To Negotiate – As A Seller

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As mentioned previously, making sure you have the right price for your home is absolutely essential. It will give you the confidence you need to ensure the step we discuss today – how to negotiate as a seller – is a success. PAY ATTENTION AND KNOW YOUR ADVANTAGE You need to be active as a seller and read the market for your home. Look at the number of showing requests you’re getting and recognizing how much demand there truly is for your property. Remember that you have more information than the buyer. Buyers are working with a black box – they only know what they’ve seen. They don’t know how many other people have seen your property or the level of interest […]

Downsizing

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Do you need convincing to downsize? Are you ready? Are you ready to downsize? Are you an empty nester or ready for a change? Condo living can present new opportunities, greater freedom and a simpler life. Maybe you want a more urban, stylish and pedestrian lifestyle. Maybe you want to minimize your possessions and have less home maintenance. Maybe your house really needs a renovation or you own a cottage where you spend a lot of your time. BUT… You are worried about living in a smaller space or choosing the right floor plan for your lifestyle. You might think it’s difficult to find the right condo in the right area. You are nervous about condo fees, reserve fund, condition […]

Finding The Right Listing Price

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There are many key decisions for sellers to make on their way to a successful transaction. Perhaps the most important is setting a price that will yield a fair price in a reasonable time frame. Unfortunately, there are many pitfalls that can cause sellers to end up feeling like prisoners in their own home while their property languishes on the market for weeks or even months. It’s also common for sellers to second guess their listing price if their property sells quickly. Educate Yourself About the Market To prepare yourself for the market, you need to start by stacking your home up against others. Often the best way of teasing this out is by looking at the ten most comparable […]

How To Handle Inconsiderate Neighbours

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  No matter where you live, house or condo, you run the risk of living with an annoying or inconsiderate neighbour. Whether it’s excessive noise or harassment, having a bad neighbour is very common. If you haven’t experienced it yet, consider yourself lucky! If you have or are currently dealing with an inconsiderate neighbour, check out the following tips for how to handle it: Communication – Talk to your neighbour about the issue that you are having so they are aware. They may not be aware that they are being inconsiderate to those living around them. This often helps the feud from spiraling out of control. Ensure you are being assertive and not aggressive. Avoid Retaliation – No matter how frustrated you […]

Condo Rules For Pet Ownership

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For many condo buyers and renters, finding a place that will accommodate your pet, especially a large dog, can be difficult a experience. Every condominium MLS listing has a “Pets Perm” code stating either: “Y” for permitted, “Restrict” for restricted or “N” for not permitted. When you see a “Restrict” code, this could mean a few different things including size of the pet, number of pets per unit, cats vs. dogs, breed of dog, weight of dog, etc. Some buildings will have pet rules that may be somewhat flexible. Here are some things that you should know regarding your furry friends living in a condominium: Landlords cannot prohibit their tenants from having a pet unless it is specifically in the […]

Kitec Plumbing – Is It A Deal Breaker?

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Kitec Plumbing has quickly been pushed into the “trigger word” category in real estate, having the potential to be a deal breaker. Current list of trigger words include: UFFI, Fuses, Aluminum wiring, Knob & Tube wiring, asbestos, lead or galvanized pipes and mould.  Home buyers and sellers have become aware of these, but with Kitec, most of the “victims” of misinformation are condo owners and buyers. Some things to know about Kitec: Kitec was the first version of plastic plumbing (known as PEX) that replaced copper for hot/cold water supply and radiant heating. Kitec was made by IPEX Inc between 1995 and 2007. If your home or condo was built between 1995 and 2007, it likely has Kitec. At that […]

Renovating? Get The Most Bang For Your Buck

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Are you planning on renovating your home prior to selling? There are many renovations that could actually decrease the value of your home if not done properly. It is important to keep up with the trends for what people want and are looking for when buying a property. Below is a list of 10 renovation tips that will help you get the best return on investment when selling your property.   Paint Inexpensive and can completely change the look and feel of a room. Use a subtle paint colour to emphasize your home’s strengths and minimize weaknesses. You can also paint exterior wood windows, trim and decks for a fresh, updated look. Kitchen It’s the heart of the home so opt for […]