Toronto Real Estate Blog - Condos, Lofts & HomesToronto Real Estate Blog - Condos, Lofts & Homeshttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2012-02-04T05:00:45ZSquarespaceGTA REALTORS® RELEASE MONTHLY MARKET FIGUREShttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2012/2/3/gta-realtors-release-monthly-market-figures.htmlJoanna2012-02-04T04:54:51Z2012-02-04T04:54:51ZGreater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,567 sales through the TorontoMLS® system in January 2012. This number was 8.8 per cent higher than the 4,199 sales reported in January 2011. Sales growth was strongest for low-rise home types in the regions surrounding the City of Toronto.

“A favourable affordability picture bolstered by very low posted fixed mortgage rates has kept home buyers confident in their ability to achieve the Canadian goal of home ownership,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. “The buyer pool remains diverse in the GTA with strong interest in home types across the pricing spectrum,” continued Silver.

]]>The Top Renovation Projects That Yield Most Return on Investmenthttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2012/1/27/the-top-renovation-projects-that-yield-most-return-on-invest.htmlJoanna2012-01-27T06:16:09Z2012-01-27T06:16:09ZThere is no doubt that homeowners want to get the biggest return on their investment (ROI) when they decide to sell their home. You can easily increase your home’s value by performing a few renovations.

These renovations can vary widely depending on the type of home that you have and the amount of money you are willing to spend to boost the appeal and value of your home.

Even the slightest amount of change to your home will help. It is a consensus among real estate agents that renovations prior to selling your home absolutely impacts your return on investment. However, there are definitely some renovation projects that will be more fruitful than others.

]]>A January state of mindhttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2012/1/23/a-january-state-of-mind.htmlJoanna2012-01-23T18:49:00Z2012-01-23T18:49:00ZWhy do people list their houses and condos for sale in the depths of January?

One good reason is that they’re trying to sell on a busy street. Canny agents will advise listing such a property during the coldest time of the year because buyers are less likely to open the windows and hear the streetcar rumbling by or noise from cars whizzing along the highway.

Other catalysts include death and divorce, but if sellers have the option of waiting for better spring weather, they usually do. For the past several years, agents have been lamenting that more sellers don’t list in February when house hunters feel rejuvenated after the traditional market break during the holidays and can’t wait to get out and look again.

]]>GTA REALTORS® Report Mid-Month Resale Housing Market Figureshttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2012/1/17/gta-realtors-report-mid-month-resale-housing-market-figures.htmlJoanna2012-01-17T20:36:34Z2012-01-17T20:36:34ZGreater Toronto REALTORS® reported 1,506 sales through the TorontoMLS® system during the first two weeks of January 2012. This result represented a six per cent increase compared to the first 14 days of January 2011. New listings were also up on a year-over-year basis, but by a lesser 3.7 per cent.

“The market didn’t miss a beat after the holiday season, with robust sales growth continuing and sellers’ market conditions remaining in place. Strong competition between buyers continued to push the average selling price higher in the Greater Toronto Area relative to a year ago,” said Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Richard Silver.

]]>Homebuyers set to win in mortgage-rate warhttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2012/1/17/homebuyers-set-to-win-in-mortgage-rate-war.htmlJoanna2012-01-17T19:15:00Z2012-01-17T19:15:00ZIt was the mortgage shot heard around the country.

BMO fired the opening salvo in a mortgage rate war this week by offering a 5-year fixed rate of 2.99 per cent, the lowest 5-year rate in modern Canadian history. Friday, other banks starting striking back, with TD and RBC cutting 4-year rates to 2.99 per cent.

Experts say other banks are likely to follow suit, with homebuyers being the clear winners.

“In the near term, mortgage rates are on sale, and that’s great news if you’re looking,” said Robert McLister, editor of the Canadian Mortgage Trends newsletter. McLister noted that even some 10-year rates are dropping.

]]>Bulging with Stuff? Time to Trim Downhttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2012/1/9/bulging-with-stuff-time-to-trim-down.htmlJoanna2012-01-09T18:58:00Z2012-01-09T18:58:00ZThe boxes of new toys vying for space. The mail piled up by the door. And the holiday decorations that have cross-pollinated with your belongings. It’s no wonder decluttering is now a top New Year’s resolution, right up there with dieting and exercising.

“People are looking around and seeing that their whole house needs a diet,” says Jacki Brown, the president of the Professional Organizers in Canada.

While most of us won’t cross over into dangerous hoarder territory, hoarding expert Randy Frost says even for well-functioning people, a jam-packed basement and attic could be a harbinger of things to come. “As people get older, these problems tend to get worse.”

]]>Study seeks neighbourhood factors in cardiac arresthttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2012/1/9/study-seeks-neighbourhood-factors-in-cardiac-arrest.htmlJoanna2012-01-09T17:00:00Z2012-01-09T17:00:00ZA new study that tracks the frequency of cardiac arrest in Toronto neighbourhoods has researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital looking at what factors could be at work, from walk-ability and the amount of green space to affluence.

The study mapped the addresses of more than 5,000 participants who had suffered cardiac arrest outside of a hospital. It found that those living in southwest and central Scarborough, western parts of North York and north Etobicoke had the highest rates of cardiac arrest – about 500 per 100,000, over three times higher than the lowest-rate areas: north Scarborough, downtown Toronto, East York and the northeast part of North York.

“One of the things we thought was very surprising about this study was the fact that there are areas that have very, very high [rates of cardiac arrest] adjacent to very, very low,” Katherine Allan, a PhD student at the University of Toronto and the lead investigator of the study, explained.

]]>GTA REALTORS® RELEASE MONTHLY RESALE MARKET FIGUREShttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2012/1/6/gta-realtors-release-monthly-resale-market-figures.htmlJoanna2012-01-06T21:30:11Z2012-01-06T21:30:11ZGreater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,718 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in December 2011. The December result capped off the second-best year on record under the current Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) boundaries. Total sales for 2011 amounted to 89,347 – up four per cent in comparison to 2010.

“Low borrowing costs kept Buyers confident in their ability to comfortably cover their mortgage payments along with other major housing costs,” said TREB President Richard Silver. “If Buyers had not been constrained by a shortage of listings over the past 12 months, we would have been flirting with a new sales record in the Greater Toronto Area,” added Silver.

]]>Sales tower above recordshttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2011/12/30/sales-tower-above-records.htmlJoanna2011-12-30T07:08:52Z2011-12-30T07:08:52ZPreliminary results indicate best year yet

If their New Year’s resolutions involved selling more suites, Toronto’s condominium developers got that and more in 2011. While the final sales numbers for the year are still to be determined, the Greater Toronto Area’s condo market has already reached record highs this year, beating out 2007’s former record of approximately 22,500 condo sales.

Ben Myers, executive vice-president and editor of market research firm Urbanation, the Toronto CMA should see high-rise sales of about 26,000 to 27,000 units by year’s end.

But what’s the story behind the numbers? What were the biggest trends that kept the Toronto condo market hopping through 2011?

]]>GTA REALTORS® Report Mid-Month Resale Housing Market Figureshttp://www.thinktorontohomes.com/blog/2011/12/19/gta-realtors-report-mid-month-resale-housing-market-figures.htmlJoanna2011-12-19T16:58:31Z2011-12-19T16:58:31ZGreater Toronto REALTORS® reported 2,699 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system during the first 14 days of December. This result was 11 per cent above the number of transactions recorded during the same period in 2010. On a year-to-date basis, sales amounted to 87,407 – up 4.3 per cent compared to 2010.

“We have had the second best year on record for transactions under the current Toronto Real Estate Board boundaries. Households have continued to take advantage of affordable home ownership options across the diverse array of housing types available in the Greater Toronto Area,” said TREB President Richard Silver.

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