Here a little info about the GTA Real Estate Market if you hadn't hear yet.
Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 7,765 transactions
through the TorontoMLS system in March 2013 – down 17 per cent compared to 9,385
transactions in March 2012. While the year-over-year dip in March sales followed the
trend that has unfolded since mid-way through 2012, it is also important to note that the
Good Friday holiday was in March this year versus April in 2012. Generally speaking, there
are fewer sales reported on statutory holidays and weekends.
In the first quarter of 2013, sales amounted to 17,678 – down by 14 per cent compared to
Q1 2012.
"Home ownership remains affordable for a household earning the average income in the
Greater Toronto Area. There are many willing buyers in the marketplace today. While
some households have put their decision to purchase on hold as a result of stricter lending
guidelines or the additional Land Transfer Tax in the City of Toronto, other households
simply haven’t been able to find the right house due to a shortage of listings in some
market segments," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Ann Hannah.
The average selling price in March was $519,879 – up by 3.8 per cent compared to March
2012. The average price in Q1 2013 was $508,066 – up by 3.2 per cent compared to the
first quarter of 2012.
"The average selling price and the MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark was up
on a year-over-year basis across most home types, especially in the low-rise market
segments where supply remains an issue. TREB's average price forecast for 2013 remains
at $515,000, representing a 3.5 per cent annual rate of growth," said Jason Mercer, TREB's
Senior Manager of Market Analysis.
If you are like me, you are still expecting to set your clock back sometime near the end of October. That is the way it used to be, but a few years ago now both Canada and the USA decided to see if there was any energy savings that would result if the daylight saving time period were extended.
As a result our clocks jump ahead earlier in the spring and go back a week or two later in the fall now.
This year we will have to wait until the first weekend of November which is (tomorrow) Nov. 6th this year to gain back the hour of sleep we lost in the spring. YES!!!!
Found this article by Jean Fogler at Investorpedia.com, and thought I'd share. It's 100% true, based on my experience.
Every homeowner must pay for routine home maintenance, such as replacing worn-out plumbing components or staining the deck, but some choose to make improvements with the intention of increasing the home's value. Certain projects, such as adding a well thought-out family room - or other functional space - can be a wise investment, as they do add to the value of the home. Other projects, however, allow little opportunity to recover the costs when it's time to sell. Even though the current homeowner may greatly appreciate the improvement, a buyer could be unimpressed and unwilling to factor the upgrade into the purchase price. Homeowners, therefore, need to be careful with how they choose to spend their money if they are expecting the investment to pay off. Here are six things you think add value to your home, but really don't.
Swimming Pools
Swimming pools are one of those things that may be nice to enjoy at your friend's or neighbour's house, but that can be a hassle to have at your own home. Many potential homebuyers view swimming pools as dangerous, expensive to maintain and a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Families with young children in particular may turn down an otherwise perfect house because of the pool (and the fear of a child going in the pool unsupervised). In fact, a would-be buyer's offer may be contingent on the home seller dismantling an above-ground pool or filling in an in-ground pool.
An in-ground pool costs anywhere from $10,000 to more than $100,000, and additional yearly maintenance expenses need to be considered. That's a significant amount of money that might never be recouped if and when the house is sold.
Overbuilding for the Neighbourhood
Homeowners may, in an attempt to increase the value of a home, make improvements to the property that unintentionally make the home fall outside of the norm for the neighbourhood. While a large, expensive remodel, such as adding a second story with two bedrooms and a full bath, might make the home more appealing, it will not add significantly to the resale value if the house is in the midst of a neighbourhood of small, one-storey homes.
In general, homebuyers do not want to pay $250,000 for a house that sits in a neighbourhood with an average sales price of $150,000; the house will seem overpriced even if it is more desirable than the surrounding properties. The buyer will instead look to spend the $250,000 in a $250,000 neighbourhood. The house might be beautiful, but any money spent on overbuilding might be difficult to recover unless the other homes in the neighborhood follow suit.
Extensive Landscaping
Homebuyers may appreciate well-maintained or mature landscaping, but don't expect the home's value to increase because of it. A beautiful yard may encourage potential buyers to take a closer look at the property, but will probably not add to the selling price. If a buyer is unable or unwilling to put in the effort to maintain a garden, it will quickly become an eyesore, or the new homeowner might need to pay a qualified gardener to take charge. Either way, many buyers view elaborate landscaping as a burden (even though it might be attractive) and, as a result, are not likely to consider it when placing value on the home.
High-End Upgrades
Putting stainless steel appliances in your kitchen or imported tiles in your entryway may do little to increase the value of your home if the bathrooms are still vinyl-floored and the shag carpeting in the bedrooms is leftover from the '60s. Upgrades should be consistent to maintain a similar style and quality throughout the home.
A home that has a beautifully remodeled and modern kitchen can be viewed as a work in project if the bathrooms remain functionally obsolete. The remodel, therefore, might not fetch as high a return as if the rest of the home were brought up to the same level. High-quality upgrades generally increase the value of high-end homes, but not necessarily mid-range houses where the upgrade may be inconsistent with the rest of the home.
In addition, specific high-end features such as media rooms with specialized audio, visual or gaming equipment may be appealing to a few prospective buyers, but many potential homebuyers would not consider paying more for the home simply because of this additional feature. Chances are that the room would be re-tasked to a more generic living space.
Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
While real estate listings may still boast "new carpeting throughout" as a selling point, potential homebuyers today may cringe at the idea of having wall-to-wall carpeting. Carpeting is expensive to purchase and install. In addition, there is growing concern over the healthfulness of carpeting due to the amount of chemicals used in its processing and the potential for allergens (a serious concern for families with children). Add to that the probability that the carpet style and colour that you thought was absolutely perfect might not be what someone else had in mind.
Because of these hurdles, wall-to-wall carpet is something on which it's difficult to recoup the costs. Removing carpeting and restoring wood floors is usually a more profitable investment.
Invisible Improvements
Invisible improvements are those costly projects that you know make your house a better place to live in, but that nobody else would notice - or likely care about. A new plumbing system or HVAC unit (heating, venting and air conditioning) might be necessary, but don't expect it to recover these costs when it comes time to sell.
Many homebuyers simply expect these systems to be in good working order and will not pay extra just because you recently installed a new heater. It may be better to think of these improvements in terms of regular maintenance, and not an investment in your home's value.
The Bottom Line
It is difficult to imagine spending thousands of dollars on a home-improvement project that will not be reflected in the home's value when it comes time to sell. There is no simple equation for determining which projects will garner the highest return, or the most bang for your buck.
Some of this depends on the local market and even the age and style of the house. Homeowners frequently must choose between an improvement that they would really love to have (the in-ground swimming pool) and one that would prove to be a better investment. A bit of research, or the advice of a qualified real estate professional, can help homeowners avoid costly projects that don't really add value to a home.
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense , who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: - Knowing when to come in out of the rain; - Why the early bird gets the worm; - Life isn't always fair; - and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights I Want It Now Someone Else Is To Blame I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
Well, I finally finished my video on FOODSTOCK. I hope you like it as this is how I remember the day from a co-organizer view point! It's 8 minutes (sorry about that but the day was 12 hours for me..LOL)
Here is my emial to all the awesome volunteers and others who helped during the day at FOODSTOCK
To All my volunteers,
Well what can I say but we did it!!!!. We made history on Sunday Oct 16 2011. I've been going over the numbers and WOW about 28,000 people attended. All of you volunteers did an outstanding job and you should all be very proud of yourselves.
This awesome event has been in the works since end of June (yes really, it was not very long to put this together). Working in the north parking lot for most of the day with you all was such a great experience and the comments were so great to hear. Everyone was smiling and raved about the food (which I only had a few bits thanks to some of you volunteers and concerned guests I found along the way) and the musicians and artists .
So many thought this was the greatest idea. Even when it was raining they told me that they where so happy be a part of this event we called Foodstock. To look and see all the cars parked down county Rd. 124, 3rd line, country road 21 and the 20th sideroad & our parking lots was like WOW (something out of a movie). At one point the traffic jam stretched all the way to Shelburne (13 km away)
Some people even parked near Horning's Mills and walked (5km) just to be a part of this. Thank you all for volunteering. You were all the greatest team I had a chance to work with (I'm a real estate agent not a event planner LOL :) There was NEVER any doubts in my mind that this was going to the the biggest event north of Hwy 7 in Ontario. I could not have done this with out all your help. Sometimes it was overwhelming, sometime crazy, sometimes disorganized on my part. I forgot a few things, could not get people to the south parking lot to the registration table, I missed the counters for the first 1hr). I have certainly stepped outside of my box through this whole journey and met lots of great people along the way.
Giving multiple interviews along the way - working with an amazing team to put Foodstock together and even being a part of a special CBC's The National was amazing.
My only regret about the whole day is that I never had a chance to feed you (my volunteers and for that I am very sorry) and for those in the afternoon that got there and did not have booth to check in, again I'm sorry) I did try but failed to get people to you as the amount of cars and people was pouring in). One big dissapointment was that CBC and Global and some other TV new stations did not cover the event! I wonder how many people we need to get at the next event before they take notice!
I have some numbers for you to think about.
North Parking Area (3rd line just north of 20th sideroad) Parking - We parked 6,514 cars, 10 Buses in the north parking lot, on 3rd line, county road 21, Hwy 124, 20th sideroad. People - We checked in 19,152 though the North lot main gate ONLY. Holy crap…LOL Cars stuck in mud - 15 in total Tractors - 6 working in the parking lots around the site Gators - 6 plus - 5 ATV's and trailers ( getting the chefs to their locations) Injurys - 3 (sprained ankles) Robberies - 0 Police arrestes - 0 Donations - Are still being worked on
South Pakring 20th sideroad Parking I counted aprox 3,234 cars People - We had no counters there but I did have some updates from people taking the donations and they where guessing that had 3,324X2 people per car = 6,468
Entrance off 124 only for Band members, speakers, some chefs, friends of foodstock - The count of people in this location is rough as the public started to rush up the driveway…It was so crazy..LOL. But again we tried to keep track of the amount of people and 3,000 is a guess.
So in total be had about 28,982 people attend food stock!!! Sweet
Some other notes:
At one point the traffic was jammed all the way from Shelburne to 20th sideroad (13km) but the police helped get that shortened down to 5km :) I also found out that 50% of the food was gone by 2pm
If any of you have video or photos of the musicians and speeches. I sure would love a copy of it or any photos of the event would be great.
Anyways I think the forest are back to normal, all quiet now. Oh, wait a minute……….things will never be normal!!! We've just started and our Stop the Mega Quarry movement is now 28,000 + STRONG. WE JUST MADE HISTORY!
It is only memories now but wonderful memories they are.
Pat yourself on the back. We deserve it.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone involved.
David Waters - 519-215-0107 Cell your friend, your supporter, foodstock co-organizer and real estate agent…..I say THANK YOU!
Please write back and let me know your stories…for better or worse :)
PS - I hope I did not miss any ones name - If I did please pass this one for me.
I operate my business much differently than most real estate salespeople, who see their customers as a one-time transactional value only. They make no long-term commitment to their customer's well-being. They are after the quick sale, then on to the next...
On the other hand, by choosing to run my business almost entirely BY REFERRAL, I understand how very special you are to me. I prefer to spend 100% of my time and energy listening carefully to your goals, explaining your options and giving you first-class treatment all the way. You will be treated like a friend, with dignity and respect.
My vision is to provide so much value that you will feel proud to be part of my “Client Family”, and that you will trust me with the people you care about. Your delight with the entire experience, and your referrals, are the key to the future of my business.
You need not be referred, but will be treated so well that you will want to refer others. I want to be your “Real Estate Consultant For Life”.
A special report has just been released which shows you step by step what you need to do to get ready to sell your house for top dollar quickly.
To get a free copy of the guide for smart home sellers called "How to Sell Your House for Top Dollar Fast!" just on the image above.
David...Elsewhere
Helping People On The Move
Cindy and David
Thank you so much for helping us to find our perfect house. We very much enjoyed working with you because you made the "daunting" house-search process painless! You were always available to answer our questions and help educate us on the ins and outs of the process. You showed us a range of homes including ones we didn't like to let us see contrast to the ones you knew we'd like. You understood us. We both recall sitting with you at Tim's and talking about Orangeville, no hard sell, just objective conversation. We couldn't have asked for better Realtor. Over & over, friends of ours said things like, "Our real estate agent didn't do that for us." We've come to realize that you are in a class all of your own, and we recognize the high standards you operate within. We are so lucky to have met you for our first foray into the housing market. It seemed so simple with you by our sides... thank you again!
Sue and Paul
“David provided excellent advice and made the sale of our home more than a sales transaction.
“He handled everything with care and professionalism - everything with our experience was top notch. From dealings with other agents, the experience was truly unique. David sets a high standard for the rest of the real estate community.
“We gave out business cards to all our neighbours!”
Sandy and Thomas
“To David– you provided us with undivided attention, and being new to the area, you gave us valuable directions which we use everyday. Your limousine service was stellar!
“Everything was excellent, David followed up on everything and made sure we were informed about the whole process. Also when we were procrastinating you made sure we understood the importance of dealing with things ASAP! You are organized, thorough, friendly, knowledgeable and you listen and deliver!
“Thank you for your time and patience! We love the home and will continue to tell our friends about your commitment, professionalism and your wonderful style.”
The Oliver Family
“Before I had decided to sell, I requested some information on the market in my area. I was very impressed with the detail of the information I was provided. From that point on, David was at the top of my Realtor list. David always had a very calm and soothing outlook on the process. He kept me relaxed and confident about my decisions. You are a hard working, down to earth couple who takes great pride in establishing personal connections with your clients.”
Mike and Anne
“Mike and I want to thank you so much for helping us find our perfect dream home and also for selling ours at record price – above asking! We are both thrilled! You exceeded our expectations with your personal service and attention – thank you again!”
Anne and Jim
“Your guide booklet helped us right until the closing day. All my questions were answered before I had to ask. I felt very comfortable with everything - keep up the great teamwork and positive attitude!
“You have a lot of knowledge about real estate and you know exactly what to do. You made everything EASY as PIE! And a very exciting and enjoyable process!”
Jeremy
“Initially going through the whole process slowly step-by-step was very helpful. It was very educational and made us feel more comfortable. David was great, very kind and friendly and gave us some very good tips. He was very informative and available upon request. He worked late hours with us throughout the process to get things done.
“Your next client should know that you are great for first-time home buyers -- very patient and knowledgeable. Thank you very much for your time and efforts!”
Katie and Dan
"I did research on the websites of various agents - yours spoke to me the most. I scheduled a time to meet with David and I knew that it was a great match as soon as he handed me the binder. I always felt like I was the only client (even though I knew I wasn't).
"What I remember most was when I was at the point where I was deciding whether to put in an offer on a house... I told David I was "pretty sure", and he said, "We only do 100% sure." I thought this was a remarkable statement, truly caring about my decision and not just trying to push me into something.
"You always exceeded my expectations with all of the personal attention, lots of contact & genuine interest to help me find a great home. I smile every time I receive mail from you, wondering what else you could possibly do for me. You are incredible agents and incredible people!"
