Maybe you want your Mom nearby.  Maybe its health. Maybe you just want Mom around to spend more time with her grandchildren. Its easier to take her to Medical Appointments if she lived with you. The costs of keeping a Family reunification or Multi Generational living is making a revival in Toronto. Adults are now moving their mature elder parents, in with them. To save both on the nursing home costs, Retirement Care needs, Home Care, Maintenance on an additional property and other worries that might occur. Maybe your parents are going to help out with the grand kids; To look after them.We now have multi generational living. You are going to sell Mom's house,you are going to have the proceeds of that sale,and you are going to be selling your house, You can find yourself on a very nice ra... 02/11/2014

  101 Erskine Ave, Toronto Condos for sale   Smartly Designed1 Bedroom + Den SuitesStunning openconcept designs9’ ceilings & largewindowsPremium planklaminate flooringCustom designedlinear kitchensBuilt-in stainlesssteel appliancesGranite or quartzcounter tops   Elegant lobbySpectacular recreational amenities including a rooftop infinity poolStudios from $243,000*1 Bedroom & Dens from $338,000*2 Bedrooms from $477,000*2 Bedrooms & Dens from $624,500*For bookings and avail VIP please call,Sham PathaniaSalespersonHomelife/United Realty Inc. brokerageO 905 672 1234C 416 562 8417   http://www.torontocondoinfo.com   02/02/2014

So here we go.... 2014.  Low inventories. Heightened Demand and a competitive Toronto market. I learned a great Lesson this year from Leo Bruneau  from Coquitlam BC. We talked at the RE/MAX Kickstart held in Toronto, just last week.    GAZUMPING is where you have a real estate agent (REALTOR®) who has verbally agreed to your offer; but when you arrive, show up with all the paperwork signed they took more money from someone else. This is happening!  GAZUMPING The other thing that's going to happen this year, in West Toronto detached homes sales, is pocket listings.  Pocket listings are where a Real Estate Agent takes that listing, keeps it off the MLS for those extra few days or a week, provides it only to his sign calls or to the client database  that he already has.   This does a big d... 01/29/2014

1 Jump starting the home search without any research Buying a home is more than just signing a legal document and writing out a cheque. Whether you are buying new construction from a builder or an existing resale, it's important to do your research before starting the home search process. Every buyer has different objectives to meet their needs. Source an experienced real estate agent to work with to help you tailor your search and represent your best interest.   2  Starting your home search without a pre-approval When I speak to first time home buyers, the first thing I ask is if they are pre-approved by a lender for the amount they wish to spend. Often times, the answer is 'yes' and that they walked into their bank and got their financial advisor to pre-qualify an amount. What buyers... 01/28/2014

East Bayfront – Bayside Development on Queens Quay E. is being planned, to be a vibrant 24/7 live, work and play community.  About 5% of Bayside’s housing units are going to be 3 bedroom or larger to accommodate families. Bayside is going to be part of a large 55 acre sector bounded by Lower Jarvis, Lakeshore Blvd., Parliament St. and Lake Ontario.  When it is completed (in 10 years or more) it will also have a park, community centre, daycare and grocery store. When funding is available there will be an extension of the LRT on Queens Quay extending eastwards to Cherry Street. 01/25/2014

Fewer homes on the market; stronger multiple offer competition, Buyers prepared with letters of approval from their lenders or standing on the curb as an unrepresented buyer wondering what happened?  2014 will continue to see price increases and competition for detached homes in Toronto that outpace the rate of inflation. Last year the Toronto Real Estate Board sold 87,000 units. That's over 85,000 in 2012. The average price of all types of Homes in Toronto was at $520 thousand. This is up a collective 9% year over year,  the average price of a detached house in the 416 is topping out at $864 thousand, and there are 5% fewer available for sale. This is going to cause more price increases, multiple offers and competition this year. The average price of a house in the 905 have moved itsel... 01/20/2014

What are the reasons to have an online Video? I've spent many hours with agents, looked through their profiles on directories and websites to help them set up with all the benefits that those services offer. Bios, photos, service areas, specialties, skill sets, recommendations and customer reviews.   Do you know what they all concluded? "You've got to have a unified message”.  The way I explain it is that you’ve got to have a coherent brand message for all the shiny new websites to really work in your favor.  To be found You will need to create content online that will get seen, read and +googled.With Blogs and videos This content creates an opportunity for you to display why you are a leader in your community.You are busy; filing dates, appointments, deadlines, court appearances and sc... 01/16/2014

An ipad won't help that older couple that are selling a home after 40 years of memories and not discussing the door frame with Johnny's height carved in every year on his birthday. They crave the comfort of fondling a piece for paper that makes a break with the past. The signing on the dotted line that signifies a commitment.  "Honey,  How does the offer Feel to you?" The iPad won't help the out of town seller dealing with the estate. How will they catologue and sell the contents from there? Yes, using the EVERNOTE record audio button is quick for those questions we ask a Seller, for our own reference and recall of course and with their full knowledge and consent.  Saving TREES!  Less paper is the battle cry!  We can use the newest scanner feature to "copy" all bills, utilities, taxes a... 01/07/2014

Core Condos is located in the heart of downtown Toronto at the intersection of Church and Shuter and is within a 5 minute walk to the following major amenities: - TTC Subway at both Dundas (access directly off of Shuter Street) and Queen o Toronto Eaton Centre - Yonge and Dundas Square - St. Michael's Hospital - Ryerson University - Massey Hall - St. Michael's Cathedral - George Brown - Elgin Winter Garden. Register at www.torontocondoinfo.com 01/06/2014

  From some of the FAQs from Hive Modular inquiries, we have been looking at financing options with our mortgage broker partner for modular home construction, as a lot of interest is growing in this construction method in the Toronto urban real estate market.  The market place at large has not yet embraced this form of construction so not all institutions are financing these construction projects, and the ones that are will proceed cautiously and still don’t have their “process” well defined – at least in this market. The process and product offering can differ greatly from lender to lender.           As modular construction becomes more understood and accepted by the marketplace, more robust product offering will be offered by various financial institutions.     First it needs to be me... 01/04/2014

Mark Weisleder reminds us that getting an extension date on your closing date has costs and that needs to be addressed;    Who Pays?  Buyers often need to request an extension to their closing date. The main reasons are as follows:·         The buyers have not yet sold their current home; or·         The buyers' financing has fallen through or the buyers have not complied with all of the lender's requirements;The main lesson for everyone is that no buyer is automatically entitled to an extension. If a buyer can't close, the seller can take the position that the buyer is in default, sue for the deposit and any loss that they may suffer in the re-sale of the property.Real estate agents are divided as to whether you should buy first and then sell your existing home or sell first and then ... 12/30/2013

New York City was at 22C over the weekend, and Toronto just got over one of the worst ice storms in history. About 200,000 housholds are still without power due to down power lines and fallen trees. Up to 30mm of ice fell during the storm. Some power will not be restored for Christmas until the weekend. This week's temperature will remain below freezing, and lots of homes will be without heat. It is heartwarming to see compassionate neighbours and friends reach out to others who are affected.     The city and police division has opened warming shelters at the following locations: Dennis R. Timbrell Resource Centre 29 St Dennis Dr., Toronto 416-395-7972 Malvern Community Centre 30 Sewells Rd.,Scarborough 416-396-4054   Agincourt Recreation Centre 31 Glen Watford Dr.,Toronto 416-396-4037 ... 12/23/2013

  As a Toronto Real Estate Agent who specializes in the sale and purchase of homes in master planned communities, I am excited to see how Regent Park redevelopment has been taking shape in East Downtown over the recent years. Selling condos in this community is different than any other. No condo building in Regent Park is just another condo. There is a true sense of community and place making.Regent Park Revitalization is featured in the Mega Projects section of this release of Spacing Magazine10th Anniversary Issue.  "The revitalization of the neighbourhood is epic in its mandate and challenges." We couldn't agree more. Remember to look for it on the newstand!     12/19/2013

  Google+ [or Google Plus] I love G+ for it's great curated contents, images and videos. As a novice user, I was recently offered a custom URL by Google+  to plus.google.com/+AnneLok which makes the URL much easier to share. To qualify, your G+ account must be 30 days old, with at least 10 followers and a completed profile preferrably with a link to your website. 2014 will include building followers, and communities, posting meaningful content, and brushing up on my photography skills. For inspiration on industry and interesting topics to post, I reference Alltop.com. I like G+ as it's an intelligent platform and the way it lets the author curate and tell/retell the story. The more features you play with, the more surprises you will find. The feature under "Communities" of special inte... 12/19/2013

If you are checking out this blog you may or may not tried to furnish a teeny-tiny condo, and 435 Sqft can often leave buyers' heads scratching as to not only how am I going to furnish such a small space but how am I going to live in it?    Easy!!!  Below are a few tips to successfully staging teeny-tiny condos. Colour Colour can have a huge impact on how onlookers perceive a space.  To give a space a larger appearance, utilize cool colours.  It will open up a space and make it feel larger.  If you want a space to feel cozy and bring walls in you use warm colours. Scale Don't try to over fill a small space with overly large pieces.  You can add one large piece but be sure the other pieces are smaller in scale and allow for comfortable moving room around the unit. Repetition It is import... 12/16/2013

When making a multiple offer on a property, we have a form available to Realtors, for the seller to sign, that they have actually seen your offer to purchase. This may not neccessarily get you a sign back, or counter offer, but at least will know for sure that they have been presented your offer. I recommend making your offer in person, not by fax or email, and attend with me at the house for the Offer Presentation.   I would like you to obtain and include a Letter of Capacity from your bank, that you have the funds and ability to close on this purchase.  This will make a difference when compared to other people who are all conditional upon financing and have other obstacles to overcome, like the sale of a property. I would like to work with you to make it simple to get your next home. ... 12/16/2013

It really does smell badly,  Smoking, Cooking Odors. Animals. Many sellers get used to the smell of pets and gym bags in their home and don't realize how overwhelming the scent can be to potential buyers. "These people are not thinking about how this IMPACTS their property,"  My Mentioning the odors may alienate you as my sellers; We still need to deal with it to get the best price. But as my Buyer you could get a better deal by offering less than the asking price. Chances are, other buyers will have noticed the stink, too. Call me; Lets Talk about you selling and where you will go... 647 218 2414       12/14/2013

  Neighbourhood profile With Walkscore of 90, the Distillery District, a National Historic Site of Canada, boasts more than 40 heritage industrial buildings of the Victorian era, and 80 shops, performance venue, art galleries, make this a vibrant destination and spectacular landmark in East Downtown Toronto.    Transit   [TTC System Map] TTC Bus on Parliament Street, Mill Street, Cherry Street TTC King Streetcar Car sharing and bike sharing   Access to Highway and Major Arterial Roads Gardiner Expressway DVP Lakeshore Boulevard   Condominiums inventory Clear Spirit Lofts and Condos Pure Spirit Condominium Gooderham Condominiums Lindenwood Condominiums  [70-80 Mills Street] 39 Parliament St   Nearby Parks Corktown Commons Esplanade Park Underpass Park David Crombid Park at Sherbourne and... 12/13/2013

I agree that the internet has made it easier for buyers to find homes they “want” online this is where my leniency ends. Online property search is simply an entry point into the discovery process and in no way guarantees a home search will take less time than working with a buyer who had no internet access at all. Some buy quickly, others take 4 - 6 months to look at dozens of Homes. Do you trust the real estate advice on Yahoo Answers?! My  Answers are glossed over, muted, by the advice of a woman with a tattoo for her favourite Dixie Chick.   You deserve an experienced negotiator on your side. Prior to my 25 year career in real estate, I worked for over 6 years in the area of corporate finance and lending negotiations. In addition, I have bought, sold  and managed numerous properties... 12/08/2013

Whether you're a real estate agent seeking to expand your client base and appeal to builders or you're a builder seeking to sell your homes more efficiently, virtual staging can provide an alternate platform that brings concepts and ideas that can now be shared to prospective buyers.  You no longer have to rely on merely a 2 dimensional floor plan that consists merely of lines, boxes and dimensions that don't mean anything to the average buyer.  Now you can expand this basic idea to add depth, dimension and a more accurate sense of size and style.     Let's take it one step further, much like pictures that would be added to the MLS you can now add images of the interior and capture the product that person will be purchasing, an image presented with an element of realism that allows a bu... 12/02/2013