Virtual Staging
There has been a lot of advances in technology this year, and one of the areas is virtual staging. It has come down so much that some agents are looking at this as viable alternative to staging, rather than have the place look empty on photos and videos. In my...
Price Drop 30% put into Perspective
The prices of sales in the GTA have come down 30% from last year. Let's put this stat into perspective. The prices from January to April sky rocketed and then came down after that. Of course they are going to be a lot lower since the prices jumped so much. The media...
Will the Market Bounce Back This Year?
The Liberal Government both at the Federal and provincial level as well as Mayor of Toronto seem hell bent on bringing down the prices of real estate to make it affordable for everybody. In some imaginary world this is going to stick. The problem is with their plan is...
Are You Ready For Your Information To Go Public?
I read the articles, I read the comments, people want information. They want it all. That is the new way of doing business. They want all of the information that real estate agents have access to, and they want it for free, and they want it now. People think they have...
Buying a New Build From A Builder Sucks
I've had enough of these builders and you should really beware before buying a new build. Over the past 10 years I've been selling Real Estate, I've had one bad situation over another with my clients. The past two years, I've reached my limit and I'm here to say don't...
ADDITIONAL COSTS WHEN BUYING A HOME
The purchase price of your home is only one of the costs you'll encounter. Here are other possible costs you need to consider: Mortgage loan insurance: If you are putting less than 20 per cent of the house value down, you're going to need mortgage loan...
Over Rated Home Features
When I do an open house or put a house up for sale, I always get a few questions about features that I always say, why do you want that. Here they are: 1. Central Vacuum: Why do you want to lug around a snake and try to clean the house? Its simple, its called Dyson....
Uber is Not Like Real Estate!
I read articles all the time written by Real Estate agents who are trying to convince themselves that we are in a good business to be in, and that it is necessary to use an agent for every transaction. In Toronto, put up a sign and your property will be sold by the...
Transit Solutions Would Help Lower GTA Prices
One thing that can truly help lower GTA prices are some major transit solutions. It is apparent that the GTA market and all of the surrounding areas have gone buck wild in the past few years, and especially in the last few months. So many sales records have been...
Why You Should be Underpricing Your House For Sale?
Its all about quantity and impression.When people are buying a house, they get into some-what of a HEAT! Underpricing Your House drives that heath up. I would call it a hunter gatherer mind set. Buyers are constantly on the hunt, and one thing that I've noticed is...
Landlords Are Doubling Their Rent, Here’s Why
The liberal government has announced that they will be doing something to calm the renting hikes from landlords. While this is a good thing for renters, it could be a detriment to housing and landlords going forward. Some landlords have already become proactive and...
John Tory’s Toll Would’ve Increased House Value Everywhere
While the Ontario Government cut this John Tory's dream of having a great highway into Toronto short, I believe he was on the right path to increasing the value of Real Estate. When I heard they were going to add some sort of toll to cars going into the city, I was...
Would You Go Into a Court Without a Lawyer?
Buying a house and using the listing agent is like going into court without a lawyer to represent you. Each and every time I have a listing, I have somebody calling me asking me "what's the price if I don't have an agent and buys directly though me?" I always want to...
Liberals Are Going to Tank This Market!
What is the one thing the liberals are looking for right now? Votes and money. The way that they will try to get both is to try and capitalize on this hot real estate market. The middle & lower class does not like the fact that they cannot afford any real...
Marijuana will Be a Major Concern when buying houses next year
Right now marijuana, and grow ups are a fairly minimal concern when buying houses. Agents typically put a clause that the owner never grew or has known about any grow ops in the house, but this is about to change next year. What is changing is that July 1st, 2018,...
Tesla’s Solar Roof Powered Shingles
Solar roof panels are the ugliest feature to attach to your house. I tried to sell a house once with solar panels and nobody wanted to even think about it. The panels were bulky and ugly, and the technology to save the power to batteries was messy and confusing. ...
Drone Restrictions Will Change Marketing for Real Estate
For the past few years, all of the new buzz in Market was for aerial footage. While it was great and produced some really cool pictures and video, there is going to be a shift away from the practice. Many Real Estate agents got their own drones, and did their own...
Is A Pet Clause Valid?
This is a question I get asked all the time. The Short Answer is No, you cannot tell somebody you won't rent out your place because they have a pet. Another question, many people have is, whether or not you have a pet clause in there, and then the tenant gets a pet...
If Real Estate Experts Knew Anything, They would sell Everything Now!
Why does everybody have an option about what is going to happen in the real estate market in Canada? It is a story that is not going to go away. An abundant of money tied up in the Real Estate. Every facet of life is intertwined with Real Property. I must read or talk...
Is My Lease Finished after the Term?
Many landlords do not understand what the rules are regarding leases. The landlord tenant act is something that all landlord's should study before renting out your investment property. A major reason why is that tenants study it, and know it very well. Tenants used to...
The Risk of Waiving a Home Inspection
If you put an offer on a house that goes into multiple offers, chances are you must waive two conditions: home inspection, and financing. We will deal with financing next week, but for now lets talk about the home inspection clause. In the 80's there was no such thing...
The Banks Are To Blame For Our “Housing Bubble”
The banks are to Blame for Our Housing bubble. No Really, there is no one else to blame. You could throw the government in there too but mostly the banks. You can blame Realtors for driving up market price. You can blame Owners for jumping on the band wagon and...
Reasons Why Top Agents Always Get Top Dollar
Have you ever thought about something, then saw an advertisement, and caught yourself changing the way you think about something and then going after it to buy it. I'll give you an example, we used to think of Japanese cars as a cheap imports. American cars were the...
Listing Prices Are Obsolete in This Market
Everyone of my clients and people I come across have the same mentality when it comes to looking at Real Estate, what is the listing price. In this market of craziness, it means nothing. The only thing that matters is the last sold on the market, and the current...
Buyers Checklist: Getting Yourself Ready to Get in The Game
It always starts very innocently, you drive around on a Sunday, then you go from neighbourhood to neighbourhood saying, "hey this would be great to live here, how much do you think we could get for our house?" After you hear about what the last comparable sold for,...
Is The Real Estate Market Bubble is Going to Burst?
I've been Selling and Buying Real Estate Since 2008 and before that I've worked in the mortgage industry. Since the 2008 Drop, people have been constantly saying that they are waiting for the market to drop. Since then the prices have been going up and up. If you look...
It’s Time To Start Making Your Equity Work For You
You want to retire early don't you? Like Most people working in this rat race and trying to get ahead, we are always looking for that lottery win. Be Honest with yourself, you see other people who had the guts to get ahead, and use their equity to make purchases, and...
How To Avoid the Buyers Blues
Buying a house in a tough market like Toronto can be very emotional draining. There are many obstacles to overcome such as bidding wars, no inspection clauses, no finance clauses, and being unsure of so many factors. In a crazy market, it is best to find your house...
5 Ways to Lose Money While Selling Your House
There are many ways to increase value when thinking about selling your home. A lot of people might get impatient and just put their house on the market as is, and that is a big mistake in this market. I hear all the time that people say that it doesn't matter that...
Heath’s Corner: Where to Invest Your Money in Real Estate?
In this hot market, there are many ways and places to invest your money. It seems as thought everybody wants to get into the Real Estate game. The reason being is that even though Real Estate goes up and down, in the long term, Real Estate is a solid investment. There...
New Mortgage Rules Will Affect the Canadian Housing Market
I'm not going to write about the new mortgage rules, but you can read about them right here. So Go read them and come back. Now that you are up to speed here is what will happen in the short and long term. The market in the next few weeks is going to go crazy, I mean...
Jimmy The Renovator: I Want a Good Cheap Contractor
Forget the title. It doesn't exist. I don't want to pay a lot when a renovation job needs to be done. I come from a construction background and the do it yourself mentality is in full effect in my family. I also know that a lot of contractors rip off their clients and...
I’m waiting for the market to slow down…
Since I've started selling Real Estate about a decade ago I've heard those words a million times, yes, that's right. A million. I heard that from my clients and people stopping me on the street to talk about real estate. I heard it in the bathroom, I hear it in the...
Will Toronto Prices Get Insane with Vancouver’s 15% Foreign Sales Tax?
Unless you've been under a rock for the past few months, you will know that Vancouver has introduced a 15% Sales Tax to foreign investors buying property. There are so many things I can talk about regarding this development. I see this as another quick money grab for...
No Area Is Safe From Bidding Wars
Bidding wars for the past few years have been exclusive to Toronto and some hot neighbourhoods in the GTA. Well if you've been looking for a house lately in Ontario, you will know that it is crazy out there. I personally have been inching further and further away with...
Your Information May Be Public Soon
It is not clear what or how information will be distributed in the future, but one thing that is going to be true soon, your information is going to be public soon. A ruling has been passed that the Toronto Real Estate board practices are anti-competitive with...
Buying a House is a Split Second Decision Now
If you have been looking for a house in this market, you will certainly know that buying a house now is a split second decision. Long gone are the days of waiting it out, and seeing what else comes up on the market and thinking about putting an offer. Chances are if...
Is Our Market Indestructible?
Look up, its a bird, its a plane, No.. its not superman, its our Real Estate Market! Almost everyday I speak to somebody regarding the Real Estate market in the GTA crashing. Everybody says to me, wow, I can't believe that house sold for 200% over asking. I started my...
Should You Rent on Your Own or with Your Friends?
The school year is a while away, but looking for a residence for the up coming school year is almost upon us. For many this will be the first time that they will be away from home, and the first time they will be responsible for a residence and rent. Many...
The Only Thing That Will Change Our Market
I hear a report daily about the market is set for a downturn, or that we are in a bubble. While most of the country is in a slower market, Toronto and Vancouver are not. In fact they are defying the odds and the price of Real Estate is steadily going up each month. It...
Selling Your Home In the Winter
Sure, there are fewer buyers and the skies are gloomy. So warm and brighten up the place; make it look like a refuge from the weather. What makes selling a home more stressful? Selling it in the middle of winter. The lawn is brown, the weather is usually bad and,...
Family Pictures…Take Them Down!
The first thing I do when I go look at a prospective house to sell is to look at the walls. I look for family pictures that I will be telling my prospective clients to take down. Some people put up wedding pictures, baby pictures, and family pictures of deceased...
How to Avoid Buyers Remorse
Scenarios that Bring on Buyers Remorse Remorse sometimes kicks in after we start talking to others about the new house. Discussions with family and friends. They usually mean well, but it's not uncommon for family and friends to question your choice and what you paid...
Too Many Showings Can Be a Waste of Time
When you list your house you obviously want agents and people to be coming to your house to see it. While the first weeks are very important for traffic, too much traffic in your house with no offers can be a sign that your agent is misrepresenting your house in the...
Tips for Investing in Condos?
I have been receiving a lot inquires in the past few weeks regarding investing in condos. Both have been from condos either downtown, or in the Mississauga area. I thought I would share some tips to help you if you were considering investing in a condo. 1) If possible...
Problems that can happen when closing a house
Here are a few Things to consider that can go wrong from the beginning to end of trying to buy a house. 1. Financing: This is a big one, make sure you get pre-approved and know how long that pre-approval is good for. Just because you have a pre-approval it doesn't...
Learning to Love a New House
There are going to be an abundant of new home owners this February. With all of the mortgage laws changing, there are many people who will not qualify after the changes therefore will buy a new home before the rules change. Moving is said to be a stressful time...
Now Is The Best Time To Sell Your House
Everybody tell you that you shouldn't sell your house in the winter. This is not true. Forget what people are telling you and most agents and people have it wrong. It is true that snow discourages people from buying a house, but if you look at the market right now you...
Is Real Estate Investing For You?
I have clients and friends who approach me regarding investing in Real Estate daily. There are many types of Real Estate Investing from REIT's, commercial properties, industrial properties and of course basic residential properties. I am approached about residential...
Keeping The Value of Your House
In my Real Estate adventures I have learned a few things: one thing that a lot of homeowners do not realize is that to keep the depreciation on your house at par, you must continually keep your house up to date and renovated. This is not a subjective, it is just the...
360 Degree Video Will Change Video Tours
The biggest thing which I believe will hit the Real Estate market in the next couple of years is 360 degree video. Youtube is already hosting videos and a bunch of cameras came out at CES conference and some are already on the market. Basically this is an extension of...
Real Estate Prices are not going Down
While the interest rates may have gone up a bit yesterday, I believe that the Real Estate prices in Toronto, and GTA are not going down at all. There is a lot going against the market, new regulations, interest rates, unemployment, and our dollar. There are many...
SELLING YOUR HOME IN WINTER
Sure, there are fewer buyers and the skies are gloomy. So warm and brighten up the place; make it look like a refuge from the weather.What makes selling a home more stressful? Selling it in the middle of winter. The lawn is brown, the weather is usually bad and,...
Adding Value To Your House.
From my experience as a Real Estate agent, buyers look at some basic things right away. Obviously each couple and each situation is different but I notice a few similarities between buyers. Some of the similarities are: 1. Washrooms, bathrooms: People look to see...
Signs Are the Gateway To Selling Your House
For some reason I've noticed that sellers do not want to put for sale signs on their property. I get that it is a hassle telling your neighbours that you are moving, or maybe a little embarrassing to explain that you are leaving for such and such reason, but it is the...
No Land Transfer Tax
People outside of Toronto can breath a sigh of relief. There will be no municipal land transfer tax added to the already ridiculous provincial land transfer tax already in effect. Municipal Affairs Minister Ted McMeekin announced the Liberal government would not allow...
Mild Winter Will Lead to Increase Sales
So far here in Toronto, we have not really seen a heavy downfall of snow like we saw last year. If this year turns out to be a mild winter like we saw a few years ago, we may see a mini boom in Real Estate, more so than we have already seen this year. While there may...
Asking Questions is the Key To Open Houses
Many agents and people think open houses are just about opening the door and letting people in the house. For many agents that is the case because they don't have a sales instinct in their bones. The key to open houses are questions. When somebody comes to the door, I...
Social Media Strategy To Sell Your House
When was the last time you walked into a store and bought something without checking it out online first?Especially big ticket purchases. Before Hiring an agent you should ask a few questions on his or her online strategy to sell your house. You should also do a quick...
How To Rent a Place Without A Credit Check
It is true that renting a place these days are harder than getting a mortgage. The reason being, if you don't pay your mortgage, its 3 months and they foreclose on your property and take it from you. If you don't pay your rent for three months..well it gets...
When Not To Use A Drone?
The use of drone footage has also become very common place since the units themselves have become more sophisticated, while prices have dropped significantly to under $1000 for a decent unit. Using drones for Real Estate Videos and Photography is pretty tricky. Most...
New Regional MLS System Implemented
There are two MLS systems that matter in South Ontario, TREB MLS or Toronto Real Estate Board and the new Regional MLS system. There used to be many board MLS systems such as Oakville, and Hamilton. Now a bunch of boards decided to get together and share information...
Questions To Ask Before Renting a Place
Renting an apartment can be very stressful, especially if you are a student. Landlords demand that you have a certain income, or co-signer. They will also check your credit call your references and scrutinize everything about you. What about the Landlord? Questions...
New Anti-Phantom Offer Forms Won’t Matter
As I see more and more years in the Real Estate Industry, I see good things and bad things as well as agents. The one thing that I've learned is that you can walk two paths, the ethical one, or not. Going in the not directly is a slippery slope. Lives, laws and...
Blue Mountain is A Great Trip Close to the City
One easy get a way spot for people in the GTA is Blue Mountain Collingwood. While many people just go there for the Skiing, it has become so much more over the years. I used to go there as a child, and what has happened to Blue Mountain, and Collingwood has changed it...
Working With Seniors
Are you parents selling their house? Or is there an emergency in the family? After taking the ASA (Accredited Senior Association) Course and selling numerous Seniors homes this past year, I've learned a lot. If your parents are seniors, you might not even look at them...
Looking for A House is Not #1 Priority When hiring a Buyer Agent
The Real Estate industry has changed dramatically in the past decade. Not only has it changed, but the scope of it has expanded. The one thing that was the Real Estate agents primary focus was to look for a house for buyer or investors. While this task is still there,...
Interests Rates Are Going Down, What’s Next?
Unless you've been stuck in an igloo for the last week, you should know that the bank of Canada cut their lending rate down by .75% a few weeks ago. This means that the banks cut their lending rates, and it looks like the rates are going to go down again. Initially...
Jimmy The Renovator: Get Your House Ready Now!
Up here in Canada its a deep freeze. Nobody wants to do anything right now, let alone go look for houses. Some people have no choice. The people that have a choice and are thinking of selling your house in the spring should start getting your house ready. If you have...
Final Offer? Maybe Not!
Negotiating is a delicate process. There are always emotions that get into the equation. Of course there are emotions, its a big ticket item and a house usually has a lot of memories either good or bad in it. A Real Estate agent is really a mediator between a...
What will Affect the Housing Market this year?
Everything affects the housing market. if the interest rates go up .25% it affects the market. Job rate, solds, inventory, immigration, the dollar, and many more factors go into what will make or break a market. Here are a few things that could affect the...
GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE NOW!
Your House is for sale, and you have a showing coming. You ask your agent if you could stay? You are curious to see what they say; who is looking at your place; Do they like it? The agent says nervously, sure you could be home. WRONG. The agent is just saying...
What’s a Condo Status Certificate?
Something that can make or break a deal after its done is a condos status certificate. It is a document that is paid for by the condo owner at the buyers request, that will give the buyer a snapshot of what the financials and condition of the condo is...
Banks & Brokers Who Kill Deals
When Your buying a house the first thing you need to do is assemble your team. Whether that be from a referral from your agent or people that you already deal with, you must do this task. The problem is when one of those team members are a weak link. Whether it...
A Lot Of Chatter: Prices Going Down
Its seems as though everyday & every year around this time of year, there is a report that the prices of Real Estate in Canada will go down significantly. Last week there were reports from the money sector of the government that they think that Real Estate is over...
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How to Be A Real Estate Bully
Real Estate negotiations are a lot like playing poker. The more chips you have the more power you have in the game. You can bluff and you can go all in whenever you want. The Same thing applies to negotiating in anything, but in particular in Real Estate. When you are...
If Your House Doesn’t Close, What Happens?
People have this notion that if the party that bought your house doesn't close on the closing date, you win a million dollars and they go to jail. That is simply not true. I was recently speaking to a Real Estate lawyer and what came out of my hour long...
NEW! REAL ESTATE TECHNOLOGY
Typically Real Estate is an industry that is always going to be about the tried and tested methods of selling. Great Salespeople, with rolodex's will always be a major factor in selling a property. Being a Great Negotiator and salesperson will never go away....
Jimmy The Renovator: Lower Your Bills
This method will take some investment on the homeowner but in the long run it will pay off. 1. High Efficiency Furnace: Get the latest furnace to hit the market. The newest ones are really great at driving cost down. 2. Windows & Doors: Get the latest high...
Setting Your House Apart
The days of posting your listing on mls and praying for full price are over. While there are still many agents that are still only doing that, those are the basics and your commission dollars deserve more. In many cases you have a lot of competition in your community....
Remove Family Pictures Now!
Every time I sell a house, I get disgruntled owners who want to keep their family pictures up. Its as almost when I say that they must come down that I'm invading their lives and making those people in the pictures go away. I've gotten a lot of resistance from...
Get Ready for Another Year of Price Jumps
With One More Month to go in 2014, and another year of record increases in the GTA, get ready for another year of price jumps in Toronto and surrounding areas. If you are looking to buy a place in Toronto, and surrounding areas get ready to pay more. If you are...
Jimmy The Renovator: How Much Are My Renovations Worth?
Renovations are like Art, some people might like them, and some people will not. Make sure you do it right, or the you could actually decrease the value of your house. This is how: When an educated buyer walks into a house, and they don't like the renovation, and they...
The Market Is Not Slowing Down Sorry!
Since I started selling Real Estate, I always hear from people wanting to buy or sell, I'm waiting for the market to go down. If you live in Toronto, Vancouver or Alberta, you are going to have to pay more money to get a house or property. What's Driving this market?...
When You Sell Your House It’s an Invitation for Burglary!
Selling Your House in the digital time, is exciting and it could be an invitation for theft. Even if agents who do not do extra advertising to your property most likely will be all over the internet by the time the listing hits mls. Without knowing it, your agent...
Santa Could Lose Money for You!
Now that Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is on its way, we are in the last quarter to sell your house for the year. This is usually a busy final months, period then it slows down. While there are still properties for sale close to Christmas and the new year,...
Are You Doomed Before You Even Go Into a Bidding War?
There are many factors that go into winning a bidding war. Primarily its the money on the table but in some cases your agent or you might be losing before you even go into the presentation. Here are few factors to consider. It's not always the money talking for some...
What is the most important feature when buying a house?
Common Promises from Realtors and For Sale by owner companies that are Horse S#IT!
As a part of my job, I must interview for jobs. I must explain to people my process and how I work and the things I will do to market and sell their house. Somewhere in there I hear, well the last guy said that we could get this, and do that. Making statements and...
“Old Pops” Presents…Frequently Asked Realtor Questions
Ever have questions about the way the Real Estate Process Works? "Old Pops" and Ernie Answer questions from their mailbag. Watch the Video Blog here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFeCzkSyn_I
Before You Start an Energy-Efficient Retrofit : Mechanical Systems
One of the best ways to make your home more comfortable, healthier and less expensive to operate is top grade the heating, cooling and ventilation systems. Energy-efficient equipment upgrades can be expensive, but can be offset by lower operating costs. Before you...
Jimmy the Renovator: The Best Upgrades According to ME!
I've been selling Real Estate long enough to have a good opinion of what to renovate in a house. I'm a good observer of what impresses buyers and neighbours when walking through my open houses. Here is a list of upgrades I notice regularly. 1. Hardwood: Putting in...
Things You will Have To Do No Matter What House You Buy
People think that if you had that extra amount of money, you could move in and do nothing when you buy a house. This is not the case in 99% percent of the homes that are bought. No matter what, you will have to do something. No house is walk in ready. There are houses...
Make Sure to Google The Property You Are Buying First!
So you put an offer in, you're deposit is down, you've got the financing, you've done a home inspection and you're ready to move in. Wrong! You should do a web search and a newspaper search on the house you are looking to spend the rest of your life in. Most people...
You want to Use the Old Photos? Really?
I hear horror stories about how agents will just use the old photos from MLS. Its the laziest thing an agent can do. Even to take a picture with your iPhone would be better resolution than old photos from MLS. Its crazy to think that an agent in this day and age will...
Is Quartz the New Granite?
I was recently representing a condo buy for one of my clients, and to my astonishment they told me that the quartz in the model is an upgrade, and that granite comes with the condo. I was so perplexed because last year when I put granite in my kitchen, the granite was...
Is Staging Worth The Money?
Most Agent will always say you should stage your house. I agree. If you call cleaning up and making your house as presentable as possible. I disagree if you think that you must spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to bring in new furniture and redo you're whole...
Investing In Real Estate? How to Get In!
Investing in Real Estate is a multi faceted industry. There are companies that will do it for you, there are agents that will invest and take a cut. There are seminars, you could spend years researching the market and waiting. The best advice that I've gathered is to...
Jimmy the Renovator: 2014 Swimming Pool Trends
Glass Tiles Glass tile is quickly gaining strength and use over tried and true ceramic tiles. Glass tiles are impervious to common problems associated with ceramic tiles. Glass tiles are harder than normal ceramic tiles and therefore are harder to crack or break. Pool...