In a discussion with a friend about greening our home and property, he said, "I don't do that stuff." However, once we got talking I asked him, "Did you not put in new windows in the last year?" to which he replied, "Yes." Then I asked him, "Did you not just put in Energy Saver Appliances?" to which he also answered, "Yes." Then I asked him why, and his ...
Posted by Lydia Ingles
on March 7, 2010
The new mortgage rules are set to take place on April 19, 2010. Let's examinie what impact these new rules will have on the consumer.
Firstly, In order to qualify for an insured mortgagage, borrowers will now need to qualify for a five year fixed rate. This means that the borrower must now be able to afford payments and interest of a 5 year term mortgage product, in order to qualify ...
Posted by John Siarkas
on March 6, 2010
Strong Start to 2010 Real Estate Market
No matter where your travels take you throughout the Greater Toronto Area these days, you’ll find that real estate is on many people’s minds. From office lobbies to restaurants to subway trains, snippets of conversations about the market can be heard. This is a reflection of how profoundly our city’s real estate market affects all of us. ...
Posted by Kassim Karawalli
on March 4, 2010
It seems that of all the properties that I have listed over the years, the houses I couldn't sell are the ones I remember the most.
Early on I tried to sell the "cat" house. For 20 years the owners had 5 cats that really owned the house. Neither the cats nor the owners had ever heard of a litter box. The home smelled so badly that my dad's eyes burned after he conducted an agent's open house ...
Posted by Randy Corcoran
on February 28, 2010
There is much talk about the home inspectors we use in this business and I'm finding it VERY important to be the eyes for my clients at each inspection. It's vital that we as agents know what we are talking about when we sit in on an inspection. Let's not just allow the inspector to do the job anymore. So many times things are missed in an inspection that should have been caught.
There ...
Posted by Melinda Flokstra
on February 24, 2010
CHANGING REAL ESTATE PRICES IN AURORA & NEWMARKET
It seems that the real estate market in Aurora and Newmarket has gone through some extraordinary trends over the last year. Januray of 2009 saw economic uncertainty, and as a result, there was very little demand and sales dropped off dramatically. Just one year later, the same market has seen a complete reversal. ...
Posted by John Seggie
on February 23, 2010
The Century 21 'Walker Team' of the Thornhill Community Hockey League provided many thrilling moments while competing in the the Tony Ro man Tournament. This exciting event is in its 37th year and has become a favourite of players and parents alike. It is played over 2 weekends and wraps up on Sunday January 17th.
There are 134 teams participating in the competition, 41 teams from Markham ...
Posted by Eva Walker
on February 22, 2010
I'm thrilled to announce the 2010 Runway to Spring Red Carpet Fashion Event to benefit the Easter Seals "Send a Kid to Camp" program. I am proud to co-host the event with Sandy Galli, publisher of Chloe Magazine and Tim and Linda Maunder of Maunders Food Shop in Aurora.
Last year's event was a huge success raising over $12,000 and giving 6 disabled children the opportunity to go toan Easter ...
Posted by Michele Denniston
on February 17, 2010
How real estate has changed from last year (2009) this time. A year ago, we were frozen with fear--fear of the unknown--will things get worse, will the first time buyers come back into the marketplace, how long will this recession last?
Our fear started in Oct 2008, when it felt like someone put the brakes on, when the U.S. economy and banking system started its nosedive into the abyss. ...
Posted by Gitta Levi
on February 5, 2010
It seems that the busier I am as a real estate agent, the less time I have to cook. Many times in the past I have made up for this lack of time by stopping at Tim Hortons on the way to or from the next appointment. And there was a time when I didn't feel I was abusing my body by doing so. I remember when the coffee was good, the donuts and muffins were bigger, and you could always meet several other ...
Posted by Randy Corcoran
on January 25, 2010