Welcome to Residential Toronto Homes
May 20th, 2012 
Nancy Biderman and Adeana Axler
Sales Representatives, TOP PRODUCERS - CHAIRMAN'S AWARD

Harvey Kalles Real Estate Limited, Brokerage
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APRIL 2012 SALES AND PRICES UP ! WHY IT'S A GOOD TIME TO BUY A HOME by Mark Weislder
Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 10,350 transactions through the TorontoMLS system in April 2012. This level of sales was 18 per cent higher than the 8,778 firm deals reported in April 2011. The strongest sales growth was reported in the single-detached market segment, with transactions of this home type up by 22 per cent compared to a year ago. “Interest in single-detached homes has been very high, both in the City of Toronto and surrounding regions. Growth in single-detached listings has not kept up with demand, which means competition between buyers in this market segment increased. With this in mind, it was no surprise that the strongest annual price increase was also experienced in the single-detached segment,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President, Richard Silver. The average price for April 2012 transactions was $517,556 – up 8.5 per cent compared to April 2011. While price growth was strongest for single-detached homes, the better-supplied condominium apartment segment experienced a more moderate annual rate of price growth, at four per cent. “Monthly mortgage payments remain affordable for home buyers in the Greater Toronto Area. While interest rates are generally expected to increase over the next two years, the extent and timing of rate hikes has been thrown into question by slower than expected economic growth in the first quarter of this year. On net, borrowing costs are expected to remain a positive factor influencing home sales through 2012,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market AnalysisMark Weisleder is a Real Estate Lawyer, Columnist, Author and Speaker. I believe there has never been a better time to buy a home. I’ve been in the industry for 28 years as a lawyer and I haven’t seen so many positive signs for housing, whether you are thinking or buying or locking in a mortgage. Here’s why: Mortgage rates at historic lows: They can’t get any lower. Four to five-year fixed mortgages at 3 per cent are unheard of. It is lower than the variable rate that most Canadians have been paying for years. Rates have nowhere to go but up, either later this year or next. If you are paying a variable interest rate, lock in now. Canada’s appeal: This country has everything going for it — a stable banking and political environment, steady real estate market, the natural resources people want and few social tensions. That makes us a safe haven in a volatile world. Our immigrant draw: Because of the above, we’re a draw for immigrants, often wealthy ones. When they get here, they need a home. So in my view while the real estate market may level off in some areas of Ontario, it should stay strong in most of the GTA and likely Canada’s other large urban centres as well. Mortgage defaults: According to CMHC, over 99 per cent of Canadians pay their mortgages on time. It quite a different picture in the U.S. where 7 million homes are in foreclosure and perhaps another 7 million homeowners are under water. This represents almost 15 per cent of all homes. So while the American housing market will likely be weak for the next few years, this should not occur in Canada. Our banks are not dumping homes onto the market, so there is no downward pressure on prices. Recourse Mortgages: In many U.S. states, if you can’t pay your mortgage, the only thing the bank can do is foreclose; they cannot sue you for any shortfall. So when homes go under water, owners give the keys back to the bank. In Canada, loans are almost all Recourse, meaning if you don’t pay and the
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8 WAYS WE HELP YOUR HOME TO SELLCURB APPEAL MAXIMIZES THE SALE OF YOUR HOME !HST DOES NOT AFFECT RESALE HOMES
1. Effectively marketing your property. Good marketing distinguishes your home from hundreds of others on the market, selling its benefits not just its features. We use an effective Marketing Plan to attract buyers. Ask us to provide a list of things we will do to successfuly market your home. 2. Setting the asking price of your property should always be based on Market Value not on needs or emotions (Subjective Value). Market Value (Objective Value) looks at the condition of the property, it’s location, what properties with similar features in the same area have sold for, what other properties in the same area are listed for, and the overall condition of the economy and real estate market. We always provide you with a detailed Comparative Market Analysis right from the Toronto Real Estate Board to determine the true market value of your home. If your home is not priced competitively, homebuyers will prefer larger or better homes in the same price range, increasing your time-to-sell. 3. Present your home in the best possible way. A property that is not clean or well maintained often suggests hidden defects that increase the total cost of ownership. We will advise you whHere are some easy, inexpensive fixes that will help create that outside appeal and get you one, giant step further to the sale of your home. 1. Paint or stain the front and garage doors, especially if they show any weathering. These are the first visuals where a potential buyer focuses. If garage doors are metal and dented, they may need to be replaced. 2. Any old, basically abandoned sheds or small structures, must be removed, the area graded and the grass replaced. 3. Change any dated, outside light fixtures. 4. Fix that driveway. If it is blacktop, make sure cracks and crumbling areas are dug out and filled and then the whole driveway sealed. If it is cement, have large cracks filled and repaired professionally. The buyer must at least feel they can drive the moving truck in confidently! 5. Make sure landscaping bricks are in their proper placement. Mowing, weed-whipping sometimes moves them and this is something the homeowner rarely notices, but makes the property look unsightly. 6. Fill in bare dirt under large shade trees. Plant shade-tolerant plants in defined planters or groundcover. Landscape properly for that area. 7. All landscaping beds should be cleaned out and updated for the time of year it is in your region. Place new bedding material down. 8. Have trees and bushes pruned and trimmed. If a bush or tree is looking old or about to expire, remove it and replace it with a similar size and type if you can. If there is a tree limb(s) over the roof, have them removed. 9. If the house needs painting and a full paint job is not in the cards; have it touched up professionally in the worst, most visible spots. Paint shutters and fix them if they are hanging crooked. 10. If the house is sided, have it power-washed and have gutters and windows cleaned. Window cleaning inside and out makes the house feel updated and fresh, rather than old and dingy. 11. Make sure grass is in good shape, weeds are removed, trimming doneThe Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), in effect since July 2010, applies differently depending on the type of real estate, whether it is resale housing, newly constructed housing, or business properties. One of the most important things to know about the HST is that, fortunately, it does not apply to the purchase price for resale housing. That’s because resale housing, was never subject to Provincial Sales Tax (PST) or the federal Goods and Services Tax. And therefore it's excempt from the HST. However HST does apply to newly constructed homes. Newly constructed housing was always subject to the GST, meaning thousands of dollars of tax for home buyers choosing this option. Now, under the HST, new housing is also subject to PST, meaning thousands of dollars in added costs for home buyers of new housing. However, there is a small silver lining from the provincial government which provides a rebate of 75 per cent of the PST on the first $400,000 of a newly constructed home, or a maximum of $24,000. For example, someone purchasing a new home priced at $500,000 would face $40,000 in additional tax from the provincial portion of the HST, which would be reduced to $16,000 with the rebate. Obviously, the rebate softens the blow, but an extra $16,000 of tax for a newly constructed home is nothing to sneeze at. There is also helpful news when it comes to real estate for businesses. Although the costs of buying or renting a commercial property are subject to HST, businesses ar
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Find Your Dream HomeFree Evaluation
If the time has come for You to "Find Your Dream Home", then we would love to help. New properties are listed every day. By filling out the form, we can have new Listings emailed to You as soon as they become available.The Equity in your home is like any other investment - it needs to be monitored. Homeowners should have their Equity evaluated once a year.
Now might be the perfect time...
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