REDISCOVER REAL ESTATE

Finding the right real estate agent!

Find a real estate agent who is on top of his or her game.

So you have decided to buy and/or sell a home. Now comes finding the right real estate agent.

As with any professional relationship, clear lines of communication are key. Right at the start, clearly state your expectations and goals. And when interviewing prospective agents thoroughly evaluate his or her professional qualifications such as amount of experience, any honours or awards and degree of familiarity with your particular area or neighbourhood.

Other basic information you need to know:

- What is the marketing strategy? If you're a buyer -- find out how your agent will find your new home, how many homes he or she plans to show you, etc. Also test a potential agent's 'inside' knowledge of an area and what homes might be coming onto the market.

If you're a seller -- ask for a detailed plan for marketing your home. What is the pricing strategy? What other homes are you competing with? How much advertising and promotional support will your house receive?

- How busy is the agent? While it's true that some of the hottest agents are often also the busiest, it's important to get a good sense of how much time and attention you'll receive.

- What about references? Ask for references from at least three or four recent clients.

Clearly a great way to find a realtor is from a personal recommendation. If a friend or family member has had a positive experience working with an agent, find out if this is someone who will also fit your needs.

If you're having trouble finding the right real estate agent, think about attending various open houses in your area. You can collect business cards of potential agents in a pressure-free environment and also have the opportunity to ask questions. You'll also get an impression first-hand of how the listing agent markets a property.

Likeability

Your home is not only an important financial asset, but for most of us, a vitally important emotional one. So while you don't necessary need to be best pals, it is important that you like and feel comfortable your realtor.

Listen to your gut reaction when you first meet with a potential agent. Does he or she "get' what you want? Do you feel like you can truly trust this person? Do you believe they are being honest with you and that you can rely on them for something as important as finding you the right home or selling the home you currently have?

Like any type of financial decision, it's always a good idea to shop around for options. Don't settle for anything less than perfect.

How can I help?

_______________________________________________________________

b r i a n m a y e r real estate sales representative

Royal LePage Your Community Realty Brokerage

independently owned and operated

187 King St. East Toronto, ON. M5A 1J5

(416)-637-8000

Helping You is What We Do.

A referral remains the highest compliment I can receive.

www.brianmayer.ca

Canada’s hot resale housing market starting to cool

Home sales activity in Canada came up short of the record for the month of April and new listings continued to climb, according to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

Residential sales activity via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems of Canadian real estate Boards numbered 52,042 units in April 2010. This is less than one per cent short of the record for national sales activity during the month of April, which was set in 2007. Compared to April 2009, national activity was up 20 per cent.

Seasonally adjusted national home sales activity slipped 2.6 per cent from the previous month, and now stands 6.8 per cent below the peak reached in December 2009. More than half of the decline in activity over the first four months of 2010 resulted from fewer sales in British Columbia, while activity in Ontario and Quebec remains at or near record levels.

“The easing trend in national sales activity masks a rising trend in a number of major markets,” said CREA President Georges Pahud. “Real estate is local, so buyers and sellers should engage the services of a REALTOR® for knowledge about housing market trends in their market.”  [full story-->]

How can I help?

_______________________________________________________________

b r i a n m a y e r real estate sales representative

Royal LePage Your Community Realty Brokerage

independently owned and operated

187 King St. East Toronto, ON. M5A 1J5

(416)-637-8000

Helping You is What We Do.

A referral remains the highest compliment I can receive.

www.brianmayer.ca

The more things change.....

History shows that an increase in interest rates has little effect on the long-term value of a new home.

Over the decades, we have seen enormous fluctuations in the economy and in what people want in their homes, but historically, real estate remains an excellent investment.

This is especially pertinent today, with some people panicking over the prediction that interest rates will go up this year. It’s important to keep this in perspective.

Our Canadian economy is healthy right now, and even if interest rates rise, they won’t go into double digits. When I first came to Canada from Scotland in 1967, I worked for the new home builder Costain, constructing 2,000 sq.-ft. homes that backed onto a golf course.

They sold for $20,000, and interest rates at the time were 6%. People thought that was outrageous and that there wouldn’t be a market at all with rates that high. Trust me — the people who bought those homes are thrilled today. What an investment those turned out to be.

Sky-rocketing rates

And look what has happened since then. Remember the late 1980s and early 1990s, when rates skyrocketed up to 22% and experts said we would never see single-digit rates again?

Our current rates are phenomenal, and the fact that they may rise a bit is not the end of the world. Moving mortgage rates up half a point isn’t in the same league as a volcano spewing out ash that shut down airlines for days.

A slight rise in interest rates is not a catastrophe where new homes are concerned. Now is a terrific time to buy a new home. There is tremendous choice out there and a lot of competition, which is always good for buyers.

And another thing that never changes is the desirability of the Greater Toronto Area as a place to live. Our area will continue to grow for decades to come, especially with the incredible immigration statistics.

[full strory-->]

How can I help?

_______________________________________________________________

b r i a n m a y e r real estate sales representative

Royal LePage Your Community Realty Brokerage

independently owned and operated

187 King St. East Toronto, ON. M5A 1J5

(416)-637-8000

Helping You is What We Do.

A referral remains the highest compliment I can receive.

www.brianmayer.ca

River City Phase one is well under construction!

Construction is moving as planned for the first phase of the new mastered planned community - River City Condos. The complex will include a combination of condos, lofts and townhomes surrounded by exquisite restaurants, cafes and shops.

 The entire revitalization project of the West Don Lands community will include:

1. 23 acres of parks and public spaces including 18-acre Don River Park
2. Public transit within a five-minute walk of all residences
3. 5,800 residential units, including 1,200 units of affordable rental housing
4. One-million square feet of employment space
5. Pedestrian & cycling connections within neighbourhood and to city
6. Elementary school
7. Recreation centre
8. Two childcare centres

 

Please contact me today at 416-219-6662 / [email protected] for a price list and floor plans about this exciting new development.  

How can I help?

_______________________________________________________________

b r i a n m a y e r real estate sales representative

Royal LePage Your Community Realty Brokerage

independently owned and operated

187 King St. East Toronto, ON. M5A 1J5

(416)-637-8000

Helping You is What We Do.

A referral remains the highest compliment I can receive.

www.brianmayer.ca

Hot housing market to cool, TD Bank says

OTTAWA—The TD Bank says home sales will be significantly lower in the second half of this year and next — and prices are dropping too.

The new outlook is in accord with previous expectations, with the exception that TD now believes the slowdown from the current hot housing market to be sharper.

The bank says with home construction stronger than expected, the added supply will soon begin affecting prices.

The first half of this year has been hotter than expected, and the second half will be cooler, the bank says.

TD says it had expected existing home prices next year to gain a modest 1.6 per cent, but now believes they will actually fall about 2.7 per cent on average.

The bank says prices will drop next year in seven of Canada’s 10 provinces, with the three prairie provinces breaking the trend. [full story-->]

How can I help?

_______________________________________________________________

b r i a n m a y e r real estate sales representative

Royal LePage Your Community Realty Brokerage

independently owned and operated

187 King St. East Toronto, ON. M5A 1J5

(416)-637-8000

Helping You is What We Do.

A referral remains the highest compliment I can receive.

www.brianmayer.ca