THE Blog VAULT
My philosophy is that information is power. I want you to be equipped with all the details you need to make informed and strategic decisions. Take a dive into The Vault below!
How to Stage Your Home in the Winter
How to Stage Your Home in the Winter The decision has been made. You’re going to list your house for sale during the winter months. Now, before you start taking photographs and choosing the best shots for the online listing, you’ve got some work to do to optimally stage your home in the winter. Staging your home in the winter is especially not a task that you can complete quickly. That’s if you want to garner the attention your property deserves; and, of course, if you want a better chance to receive maximum value for your home. Staging Your [...]
February 2024 Market Report – Deceptive Numbers
February 2024 Market Report – Deceptive Numbers 2024 in the Real Estate industry started much like 2023 ended. Slowly. The first two weeks saw few new listings. If you were a buyer and were looking for new listings to start your day, you had some disappointing mornings. But then the third week of January happened. Since then, it’s been a whole new market. Not only have new listings grown, but the number of offers coming in has risen drastically. And while the January statistics reflect the opposite of this upturn, they may not have caught up with the recent [...]
The Land Transfer Tax Increase – What You Need to Know
The Land Transfer Tax Increase – What You Need to Know If you have bought a home in the City of Toronto since 2008, you’re likely familiar with the Municipal Land Transfer Tax (MLTT). If you’re not familiar with the fee, it is a one-time tax paid by a City of Toronto homebuyer when they purchase a property. The fee is part of closing costs and must be paid in cash; it cannot be rolled into a homebuyer’s mortgage. This detail is important for prospective buyers to consider when budgeting for the purchase of a new home. This tax [...]
The Vacant Home Tax – Filing Deadline Reminder
The Vacant Home Tax – Filing Deadline Reminder It’s that time of year again. It’s time to declare the status of your residential properties. If you’re catching up, beginning last year the City of Toronto required all residential property owners to make an annual declaration on the status of their properties. This year the deadline is February 29th. You can declare the status of your properties by visiting the City of Toronto website and filling out the forms in the secure online portal. Failure to file on time may result in a $250 fine. And if you make a [...]
January 2024 Market Report – A Surprising Finish to 2023
January 2024 Market Report – A Surprising Finish to 2023 2023 is now past, and so is the associated GTA real estate market. Many people might think that it was a down year for real estate in the region, but I think the market turned out to be fairly strong. What do I mean? 2023 Review Despite interest rates that reached levels not seen in many years, the average selling price of GTA homes in 2023 was still $1,126,604. While this is down from 2022, it’s only down 5.4% from the $1,190,749 average selling price of last year. So [...]
Find the Right Realtor – How to Find Your Perfect Match – Part II
Find the Right Realtor – How to Find Your Perfect Match – Part II As we noted in Part I, entering the real estate market is more than just finding the right home. It’s about the experience and understanding how the process works. There shouldn’t be any surprises along the way, or after you have completed the purchase of your new home. The key to all of the above is finding the right realtor. In Part II, we provide additional qualities and characteristics of a realtor that will help to ensure a great home-buying experience. Track Record/Focus Strategist/Negotiator Communication [...]