Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 4,355 home sales through the TorontoMLS system during January 2015.  up 6.1 % over January 2014. During the same period, new listings were up by 9.5 %. The average selling price for January 2015 home sales was up by 4.9 % year-over-year to $552,575. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite benchmark was up by 7.5 % compared to January 2014. "The January results represented good news on multiple fronts. First, strong sales growth suggests home buyers continue to see housing as a quality long-term investment, despite the recent period of economic uncertainty. Second, the fact that new listings grew at a faster pace than sales suggests that it has become easier for some people to find a home that meets their needs," said Mr. Etherington. 02/04/2015

Items to freshen-up the home space   In the Winter we keep the windows and doors closed, so as to keep the warmth in and not let the cold air in. Many homes today, especially condo units are energy-efficient ‘sealed’ spaces.   So, people buy items to freshen-up the air in the space.  Some of these items may give-off a chemical smell. However, some houseplants are efficient air purifiers and also reduce or eliminate the chemical smell in the space. Examples of these are Aloe Vera, Areca Palm and Boston Fern.     Another source of natural air purifiers are herbs. Examples are Rosemary, Jasmine and Lavender.     So, what is your choice to freshen-up the home space? 02/03/2015

Toronto, ON was named the best overall city to live in, by the U.K.-based magazine, The Economist.       Factors that were taken into account for the ranking were based on business environment, democracy, food security, safety and livability indices.   Although the overall rank was #1; Toronto was placed 4th on two of the indices: the Business Environment and Livability rankings, and only #8 in the Safe Cities category. Tokyo was #1 in this category based on indices that included pedestrian friendliness. One of my colleagues who was there a couple of weeks ago, did mention to me, that he was impressed by the pedestrian friendly streets in Tokyo (besides other things that fascinated him).   Toronto’s lowest ranking was in the cost of living index, in which it ranked #70, exactly in the m... 01/30/2015

  A short list to keep Buyers and Sellers Happy.   To have a successful business in real estate we have to make sure Buyers and Sellers feel we have given them good service:   1.   We have to get to know our clients and build a professional relationship. Listen to them and also make sure to respond in a timely manner.   2.   We should explain the key points in the contracts and educate where necessary in simple terms.   3.   Stay connected with them until closing; and then keep the marketing connection for future business from them.   4.   Ask them for feedback and obtain testimonials.   5.   Learn from the feedback and improve the service we provide.   01/29/2015

Interest rate competition?  - to help move the fence sitters.   Last week when the Bank of Canada cut the interest rate, the big banks were not in a rush to cut interest rates, but this week the talk is that the Royal Bank of Canada is the first of the big banks to drop its 5 year fixed rate to 2.84% and it is also cutting the rates for its other fixed rate products.   So, setting up the possibility for ‘interest rate competition’, between financial insititutions.   This gives impetus to buyers who are still sitting on the fence renting, and waiting to buy. Some renters just need a little more confidence in believing that they can take on a mortgage and manage their budget.   01/28/2015

Toronto, ON The Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey done annually lists the most expensive and least expensive housing markets in the metropolitan areas of the world.   In their 11th annual report that was just released in January 2015, Toronto, ON is listed as the 3rd most expensive real estate market in Canada, behind Vancouver and Victoria, BC.   Toronto: Median income: $73,900 Median household cost: $482,900   In the metropolitan areas of the world, it is important to maintain mobility and housing affordability. Mobility in the: 1.   The ability to travel in less than an hour from one part of the city to another, and, 2.   The ability to buy and sell real estate with low closing costs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------... 01/23/2015

BoC Breaking News.   The Bank of Canada made a surprise announcement today. For the first time since September 2010 the BoC cut its overnight lending rate by a quarter of a percentage point to ¾ percent.   This in turn will affect mortgage rates and probably the real estate market activity.   This cut for the first time in over four years comes about as a result of the economic risk being faced by the decline in oil prices. The sharp drop in oil prices is assumed to negatively impact growth and inflation in Canada. 01/21/2015

 Condo Sales in the last quarter of 2014   In the last quarter of 2014, 4975 condominium units were reported as sold on the Toronto MLS system. This is an 8.3% increase over the last quarter of 2013.   Although the number of re-sale units listed for sale grew in that 2014 time period and also added to by newly completed units that became available on the market; the demand for these units was much greater than the supply.   The condo segment of the real estate market has not shown any signs of slowing down in the Toronto, ON area. To the contrary, the increased demand and the competition between the buyers has also increased the prices by about 3.8% compared to the same period in 2013.     It will be interesting to see what happens in 2015, with even more new units becoming available on... 01/20/2015

Charmin Upper Beach 3 Bedrm Executive Rental OverviewMapsPhotosDescriptionNeighborhood $3,200 Residential Rental Main Features 3 Bedrooms1 Bathroom1 Partial Bathroom Location 2086 Gerrard St EastM4E 2B1Toronto, ONCanada ANNE LOK Homelife/Realty One Ltd. Brokerage416-922-5533anne@annelok.comhttp://www.annelok.com       Listed by: Homelife/Realty One Ltd., Brokerage Our recent listings Spacious Urban Condo 1 Bed plus Den Subscribe to our listing feed Nearby rentals 01/19/2015

Toronto Condo Rentals   The number of units rented across the Greater Toronto Area in 2014 increased by 15% over the previous year, according to the Market Research firm Urbanation.   New rental units that are becoming available, from the release of keys to buyers in the newly completed condo buildings are much smaller in size than the older buildings and so, although the rental rates are higher, they have not increased much, only about 1% over the 2013 rates.   In my experience, I find that young people moving to Toronto, to live and work, prefer newer buildings, and are not too concerned about the smaller size, especially the kitchens. I guess it is because they do not spend too much time cooking!     01/17/2015

    Toronto’s First Post Office (or Fourth York Post Office) is at 260 Adelaide Street East, and it continues to offer all the services, as an authorised dealer of Canada Post.   It is also a museum now, and you can get a reproduction of the historic cancel, in red ink; just like it was in its early days, of the 1830’s.   Admission is free, but donations are accepted.   It still functions as a regular post office and it is hoped that its unique atmosphere, helps to bring in business, to maintain this small museum and heritage site (the Georgian architecture of that era has been preserved). 01/14/2015

First Pedestrian Tunnel -Under Water to an Airport     The world's first pedestrian tunnel under water to an airport is due to be completed this year.   This project under taken by the Toronto Port Authority involves building a pedestrian tunnel across Toronto's Western Gap to connect Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to the mainland.   The pedestrian tunnel construction began in March 2012. When completed the tunnel is expected to provide an easy access route for travellers.   This pedestrian tunnel will have four moving sidewalks, travelling at 2.3 kilometres per hour. This part of your journey is expected to take about five minutes or so. At the end of the tunnel are escalators, which lead to the Airport’s check-in area.   I think the hope is that it will be completed before the Toro... 01/12/2015

Toronto, ON - Downtown Waterfront Development   A new development is being planned for the Toronto Downtown Waterfront at 143 Queens Quay East. The main intersections are Queens Quay East and Jarvis St. It will include an arts community, a music venue and another branch of George Brown College. Work is to start this year, when Daniels Corporation, takes over the lease, on land currently occupied by the night club called ‘The Guvernment’.   This night club building, which has been holding entertainment events for the past 18 years, will be demolished and then construction will start on a 10 storey and a 13 storey towers with a 4 storey podium. There are also plans to extend public transit, the streetcar service to this area, in the near future. Currently, the transit Buses that run East ... 01/08/2015

  Report Toronto Estate Market Year 2014   There were 92,867 residential sales through the TorontoMLS system in 2014, including 4,446 in December. This represented a 6.7 % increase over the 2013 sales figure of 87,049 and was just short of the record set in 2007.   While home prices certainly increased substantially in 2014, the purchase of an average priced home remained affordable, in terms of the average household's ability to comfortably cover their monthly mortgage payments.   The average selling price continued to grow on a year-over-year basis in calendar year 2014, with an 8.4 % increase over calendar year 2013 to $566,726. This included a 7% increase in the December 2014 average selling price to $556,602.   Lack of supply and high buyer demand was the contributing factor  for p... 01/07/2015

FREE Etobicoke 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 Me... 12/29/2014

FREE Toronto 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 Meth... 12/29/2014

FREE Home Sellers Seminar - For Toronto Homeowners Are You Thinking about Selling Your Home Or Condo In The Next Six Months? Sign Up For This FREE Educational Home Sellers Real Estate Seminar! You Will Gain Insider Secrets To Selling Your Home Or Condo Quickly For Top Dollars!  www.TopHomeSalesProgram.com     Available Date: Monday January 12, 2015Time: 6:00pmLocation: Markham, Ontario Who Should Attend?Whether you're a first time home or condo seller or have sold seven(7) homes in the past. You will learn how to get the best price possible for a home or condo and how to move worry free. The home/condo selling process will be broken down so that you can understand and use practical tips. You will also learn Real Estate Lingo!  FREE Offers:* Get A FREE Copy Of " The Ultimate Home Seller'... 12/18/2014

Now, I can say ….... it was so.   In July, I had written a blog titled,  ‘Looking forward to the next six months …...’ ……., and to those that read it and commented on it, here is the follow-up,  ….., there were a STELLAR couple of months for me; I can now tick off an item on my ‘bucket list’, and I also made the Top Fifteen List for the month of September, in my Brokerage.     September and October were good sales month for me. I hope the momentum keeps up ……… even though the global economy does not look so great for 2015. The Toronto Stock Exchange has been going up and down like a yo yo recently. 12/18/2014

Toronto Real Estate Board reported 2,496 sales through the TorontoMLS system during the first 14 days of December 2014. Up by 1.9 % compared to the same period in December2013. Over the same period, new listings were down by 1.8 & year over year. The average selling price for December mid-month transactions was $565,873, which represented a year-over-year increase of 8.6 %. Price growth was driven by the detached market segment in theCity of Toronto. Demand remains high but inventory is low. Buyers are having a tough time getting the homes they want because of multiple offers, which continue through December. “Sellers’ market conditions remain in place for low-rise home types, including detached and semidetached houses and townhouses. The condominium apartment segment of the market has ... 12/16/2014

RESA has voted our company 2015 Top Ten Stager  Canada in the Vacant Category again this year! We are so honoured to have been selected for the work we do marketing properties for sale.  The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) is the trade association for professional stagers across North America. Our work is well known in the Toronto GTA and Vaughan area for the results that we achieve with the real estate professionals that we partner with to prepare their listings for sale. This award from our peers gives extra special meaning to our work. These are the dining room  before and after photos that won the award...                Michelle Finnamore The Go To Girl 416.028.2999 michelle@finnamoreinteriors.com   12/13/2014