There are many opinions from agents on the worth of conducting open houses.  Some believe it is a waste of time, others feel it is a worthwhile exercise.  I suspect those that feel it is a waste of time aren't taking the necessary steps in preparation to have a successful one, or not going in with a positive mindset. Of course, it is up to the Seller if they request that you conduct one... and I most always suggest at least one public one, in addition to one for agents. The objective is to try and get as many prospective buyers into the home... Have you ever wondered what tools the super stars in the industry use every single time they do an   Open House and what sets them apart from the rest? Here are just some of the things I do when conducting a successful open house.  If it doesn't ... 01/14/2015

When you buy a newly constructed home, condominium or town home, the entire purchase price including land is taxable. If the property is to be rented to tenants, the full 13% HST is charged on the purchase price. However, if the home is going to be your primary place of residence, it may qualify for a partial HST rebate, depending upon the sale price. For homes costing $400,000 or less, you will qualify for a tax rebate of 6%. You do not have to pay HST on the purchase price of a used residential home. In other words, the purchase is ‘exempt’ from HST.The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency defines ‘used residential property’ to include a previously occupied house, condominium, apartment, summer cottage, vacation property or non-commercial hobby farm, that has been occupied as a residence... 01/14/2015

You’re considering selling or buying a house and you have to choose a real estate agent to handle the largest financial transaction you will ever make. You’re caught in a dilemma because you have a friend in the business and you just don’t know if she’s the best person for the job. How do you decide and how will you tell her if you choose not to use her without damaging your relationship? You’ve been putting this off because you just don’t want to deal with this. So what do you do? First and foremost interview real estate agents that are active in your area and find out what they offer. Then interview your friend, as you would any other agent, and hire the most qualified person for the job. This of course is easier said than done so let’s discuss the pros and cons of going against your ... 01/13/2015

In today’s highly competitive housing market, home staging gets a better price for your home or condominium. As part of my services, I offer a complimentary home staging consultation to my clients. It focuses on improving your property and transforming it into an attractive product for sale. Even beautifully decorated homes need to be turned into a merchandised product that enhances the home’s best features. The goal of staging is to sell quickly for a high return by appealing to a greater number of prospective buyers which in turn will lead to more offers or even multiple offers. You only have one chance to impress potential buyers. Buyers’ first impressions are formed as soon as they step inside your home. Staging highlights the full potential of your property by incorporating design ... 01/12/2015

The Home in Peel Affordable Ownership Program is designed to provide low-to-moderate income residents who are currently renting a unit in the Region of Peel (Brampton, Caledon or Mississauga) the opportunity to qualify for down payment loan assistance to buy a home in Peel Region. This program will assist eligible applicants who have a total gross (pre-tax) household income of $80,000 or less to purchase a resale home in the Region of Peel that does not exceed a purchase price of $295,000. Do you qualify? -Applicants must be 18 years of age or older-Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status-Applicants must not own or have an interest in another residential property in Canada or elsewhere-The home must be the sole and principal residence of the purchaser-The... 01/11/2015

The Greater Toronto Area is premier destination for many new immigrants and the population of this region is expected to grow to 4 Million people by 2030. Mississauga alone takes approx. 35,000 new immigrants every year. Also Region of Peel has the longest waiting list for social housing in Ontario, upwards of nine years. To meet this annual growth in population and affordable housing needs, options like Second Units, also known as basement apartments or in-law suites have been identified as a way to provide healthy and safe housing choices to households, with affordability issues. With the average cost of a detached home in Mississauga now at $713,000 and increasing every year, second units are also a part of the City’s Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan. As well, second unit ... 01/08/2015

A land survey is the most important document in real estate transaction. It baffles me why a clause to that effect is not a part of the standard form agreement of purchase and sale, or at the very least added to every contract as part of a schedule. A land survey shows: -the size of a parcel of land-its location relative to nearby lands, roads, or geographical features-the location of public and private improvements such as buildings, pools and fences, relative to the property boundaries, and-the physical features of the property. The purchase agreements commonly used in the industry today are published by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) and in annual revisions over many decades have avoided any reference to land surveys. A land survey is the most important document in any re... 01/07/2015

What determines Ontario real estate market conditions in 2014? Pricing of a home is the same thing as the pricing of anything; it is based on supply and demand ‐ how much of that item is available, and how many people out there want to purchase that item. When you discuss homes, if you have less than six months’ inventory, that means there are not enough homes out there to satisfy the number of potential buyers. The result is that the buyers fight over the available inventory. How do they fight? By price… which causes prices to appreciate. So, when you have less than six months’ inventory – prices will continue to go up. Between six and seven months’ inventory, you’re pretty much at a neutral market, meaning the number of houses for sale and the number of buyers are roughly equal. Home ... 01/06/2015

Most Canadians are aware of the health risks posed by chemical toxins in the workplace. However, many of us may not know of the risks posed by long-term exposure to chemicals in the place where we spend most of our time: our homes. In the vast majority of cases, the best way to reduce levels of chemical contaminants is to prevent them from entering your environment in the first place. To keep your house as chemical-free as possible, thoroughly screen all substances you bring into your home and carefully select building materials if you’re building or renovating. To identify potential sources of toxins, take an inventory of the products and materials that you use and avoid or minimize those known to give off chemical emissions (also called off-gassing). Unfortunately, only a few products... 01/05/2015

Even though we want our homes to be our shelter, and a place where we could really relax and take our mind off stressful things that plague our life. Truth be told, even in our homes, we are not as safe as we would like to think, and there are a number of things that could endanger not only your health, but the well-being of your family as well. Naturally, a perfect way for protecting your property and the health of all occupants does not exist, and you will have to find all the flaws and fix them, but these are top home hazards that can endanger your family. Fire:Fire takes away thousands of lives each year, and the saddest thing is that all of this incidents could have been prevented. The most common starting point for domestic fire is usually the kitchen, and due to ignorance and lac... 01/04/2015

Bidding wars have been part of the Real Estate Industry for some time. Bidding wars have been around even when interest rates were double then what they are today. If you are the kind of Buyer, who likes buying real estate which is in “ready to move in” condition and in high demand neighbourhoods, you would typically be subjected to bidding wars. Most Common Reasons for Bidding Wars are as below: 1. Property is Priced Lower then Market Value.2. It is a product which at that given point is too much in demand.3. Market is very hot.4. Seller decides to hold back on accepting offer till a certain day.5. Property is presented very well.6. Lending criteria’s are about to change not favouring buyers. How do bidding wars work? According to the law, in a bidding war, the listing agent must tell ... 01/01/2015

Beleive in Yourself... Program Your Mind to Success   One of my colleagues posted an animated video on facebook a while ago about the power of beleiving and using your imagination.  It was a cute video, but really got the message across and made me stop and think... Its about power... the power of believing we can do anything.  We had that power as children... put a cape on and you're superman! or superwoman! You took your mom's broom and you were transformed into a witch. You made ideas happen because you BELIEVED you could!   But somehow it got lost as we grew older... and doubt and lack of confidence took over. We hesitated to do things we really wanted to do, and listened to the negative thoughts we let creep into our psyche and listening to the negative thinking of others rather th... 12/31/2014

Lately we have seen many For Sale By Owner Online Services coming up in the market, which generally charge you a lesser commissions to list your property privately as compared to a Licensed Real Estate Agent. Consumer gets attracted towards these services, as they want to save. Mark Weisleder (lawyer, author and speaker to the real estate industry) discussed a experience of one of the Ontario Consumers, in his column for the Toronto Star News recently. This story tells about how this consumer started with a flying start and then fell all flat. She was able to list her home for $419,000 using one Private sale service and even create a bidding war after an open house. Eventually, she received an offer for $10,000 more than she was asking and accepted it: $429,000. But then, the buyers wer... 12/30/2014

The student market can be a lucrative business but landlords need to do their homework when selecting tenants. When renting to a ‘typical’ tenant, the normal checks that I undertake references, job credentials and a credit check. I could then take all that information and make an educated decision on whether to rent out to that particular individual. I’m also a big believer in trusting your gut so if your intuition is screaming something’s not right, well then it’s probably worth listening to. When it comes to renting to students, things can be a bit trickier. Credit checks are irrelevant as students often have not had time to build credit check. As such, it may be necessary to do a credit check on the guarantor. By having a fabulous advertisement with great pictures and offering utilit... 12/29/2014

FREE Mississauga House Flipping Course For BeginnersRegister @http://eliterealestateinvestorsclub.weebly.com/ At This Workshop You Will Learn About:* How To Successfully Renovate & Re-sell Properties For Profit!* How To Become Independently Wealthy!* Real Estate Flip Investors Insider Tips!* The Top Ten Mistakes Most First Time Home Flippers Make and How To Avoid Them.* The Different Flip Exit Strategies.* How To Find Properties To Increase Monthly Cash Flow!* How To Instantly Grow Your Net Worth Using Real Estate In Any Market.* How To Get Yes To Financing.* Financing Pitfalls and Road Blocks To Avoid.* How To Identify Profitable Real Estate Flip Investment Properties.   * How To Analyze Investment Properties.* How To Become Independently Wealthy Using The 5 x 5 Real Estate Investment ... 12/29/2014

FREE Mississauga Power Of Sale Real Estate Seminar!!!  You Will Gain Insider Secrets To Purchasing Power Of Sale Properties $$$$ Thousands Of Dollars Below Market Value!!!  Seminar Available Date: Saturday January 17, 2015 @ 10am Location: Mississauga, ON Admission: FREE   FREE Offers: * Get A FREE Power Of Sale and Distress Sale - Home Buyer’s Guide For Newbie’s.* Get A FREE Power Of Sale and Distress Sale List Of Homes and Condos With Pictures and Detailed Description.Price Range From $159,000 - $849, 900!!!   Register Today @ :www.bankforeclosurehouseprices.com  Our FREE Power Of Sale Real Estate Seminar Will Teach You How To:* Purchase a house or condo with *zero down payment. * Move from renting, to first time homeowner to Real Estate Investor in as little as 3-5 years.* Learn how ... 12/29/2014

  Selling a home is one of the most important financial decisions you will make, and working with the right realtor to market your home, is another important decision you will make to achieve the best possible benefit.  Selling a home can be a stressful experience, and although you probably have been through the process before, every sale is different and the variables can change. Your first task, is choosing the right realtor, one who  makes the experience of selling your home as pleasant and seam-free as possible, and with as little inconvenience to you as possible. Choose a realtor who: §  works in and is familiar with your neighbourhood §  works full time in the real estate business §  keeps up with the latest market trends §  is accessible through a pager and cell phone §  works fr... 12/28/2014

The home is the biggest source of money saving in one’s life with most people. So when selling a home, they not only expect to get the full money back, but also to get as much as possible. However, they often make very simple mistakes when pricing a home and because of these mistakes, they end up in selling their home with a lower price than its current market value. Here are the major pricing mistakes and how to avoid them. Setting the sale price based on the money invested in the property:It is not always the case where sellers can get back the full money that they have invested in their home. Some renovations will increase the value of the house and the money put in will be automatically returned when the house is sold, but some renovations only serve the owner’s needs and do not con... 12/28/2014

                CURB APPEAL - MAKE THE OUTSIDE INVITING TO GET THE BUYERS INSIDE                                                                         In my 27+ years as a real estate agent, I can usually tell when I pull up in front of a home I'm about to show what the inside of a home will look like based on the exterior.  If the exterior looks uncared for and messy, then you can bet that the inside is generally the same.   Here is an exercise you may want to try: Take a photo of your home’s exterior and critique it through the eyes of a potential buyer and make a list of the problem areas. Complete the repair and clean up chores first, then put some time into making the grounds more attractive. Curb Appeal A vast majority of home buyers decide whether or not to look inside a home, ... 12/27/2014

FINANCING PRE-APPOVAL - IS IT REALLY THAT IMPORTANT? I have been a real estate agent for 27 years, and one of the things I always suggest to my clients is for them to contact their financial institution or a mortgage broker and get their financing pre-approval in place prior to going out house hunting. There is nothing worse that a couple finding their dream home, only to find out it is out of their price range and they can't afford to buy it.                         Recently, I was working with a past client who was looking to sell her Townhome and buy a detached home.  After working with her in the past, and knowing her for more than seven years, I knew she was financially sound and would have no problem getting a mortgage.  I still however, advised her to get in touch with her mortga... 12/26/2014