Mid-Summer Momentum

As Toronto enters stage 3, we hope this message finds you well. July real estate results were strong as low interest rates and declining Covid 19 cases instilled consumer confidence. New listings and sales jumped compared to July 2019 as buyers and sellers acclimated to post-pandemic ways of transacting real estate.  The beneficiaries were clearly sellers of freehold properties as…

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Hitting A New High

As new Covid19 cases in Toronto drop from triple to double digits, we hope this newsletter finds you well. It’s been almost 4 months since the beginning of the state of emergency but for many of us, it feels like 4 years. Although the coronavirus continues to dominate headlines, for the first time ever, Toronto’s…

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Why Haven’t Prices Dropped?

Compared to April which was the first full month of Covid19 protocols, Toronto’s May 2020 real estate results indicate that buyers and sellers are becoming more comfortable operating in the post pandemic environment. The real estate practices outlined last month still apply but as the weather warms and more businesses re-open, there is cautious optimism.…

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A New Way to Work

In our March newsletter, I was commenting on the white hot real estate market. It’s remarkable how much has changed in such a short time. While the real estate industry was designated an essential service in March 2020, it has been far from business as usual. The Ontario Real Estate Association discourages in person meetings…

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Here We Grow Again

The spring market is upon us and Toronto is back to the white hot market of 2017.  A quick glance at Toronto’s February results shows double digit price increases for all types of housing. Last month, I provided an overview of the Toronto Real Estate Board’s forecast for 2020.  They estimated 10% price growth this…

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The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

As we welcome in the new decade, I can’t help looking back at developments of the past decade.  When we first moved into our house about 10 years ago, I recall speaking to one of my neighbours who has lived on my street since 1964.  He told me he loved the neighbourhood and his home…

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Will You Be Paying Too Much In Property Taxes?

Every 4 years, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) re-assesses all properties.  Like the US presidential election cycle, MPAC will be re-assessing 2020.  If MPAC over estimates the value of your property, you will be overpaying property taxes for the next 8 years. Property taxes are derived by multiplying the property tax rate by the…

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Lanes Aren’t Just For Cars

With snow already on the ground and subzero temperatures, it’s undeniable that the autumn has already switched to winter.  One of the biggest real estate shifts this year was the introduction of laneway houses in Toronto which has an apt program name:  Changing Lanes. Given the high cost of housing and low vacancy rates, collecting…

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From First To Worst

Happy Thanksgiving! Fall 2019 has been active as September year over year results saw an increase in sales volumes and prices across all types of housing in Toronto compared to last year. Given the tight housing supply, the days on market (DOM) decreased and multiple offers aka bidding wars are common.  As with every war, there…

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Your Car Also Needs A Home

As summer comes to a close, September welcomes in the new school year which also means more traffic.  Seems like us Torontonians are constantly battling traffic only to wrangle for parking once we reach our destinations.  When purchasing a home, whether to include parking in the search is a trade off my clients often face. …

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