A new study says home owners won’t see their utility bills drop until they’ve conducted four or more energy upgrades. Here are projects that will give you the greatest bang for your energy buck.
Energy is like saving calories: Small measures add up, until a Thanksgiving pecan pie — or a dazzling holiday light display — wrecks a year’s worth of small though consistent ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on January 4, 2012
Home buyers who found it difficult to make a deal in the spring and summer due to a shortage of listings have benefitted from increased supply in the fall which has resulted in a continued upswing in prices. The average selling price through the TorontoMLS® in October was $478,137 – up eight per cent compared to October 2010.
Sellers’ market conditions remain ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on November 7, 2011
The most common question I hear in real estate is "When will prices drop?" Apparently not for anytime soon as evidenced by a report from Stats Canada stating that home prices continued their climb in August.
Fuelled by a healthy demand, sound underlying economic fundamentals, as well as a continuing low interest rate environment that contributes to supporting affordability, August marked ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on October 14, 2011
I was following up on a report from Scotia Capital about the world economy and was pleased to see something that matched what we in the industry have been seeing first hand....Canada continues to have a good economy and is a great place to be invested in real estate. Below is a direct quote from the report which I have included a link to further down in my blog.
"Canada’s housing ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on September 28, 2011
Greater Toronto Realtors reported 7,542 sales through the TorontoMLS® system in August – a 24 per cent increase over 6,083 sales in August 2010. New listings, at 12,509, were up by 20 per cent compared to August 2010. So what this means is there were 20% more homes for sale but 24% more homes being sold meaning the market is favoring sellers over buyers.
"Home sales in the GTA have stood ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on September 13, 2011
Lately I"ve been asked by friends, family and even people I meet on the street who find out I"m in real estate, "I hear prices are going to drop by 25%. Prices are so high, it's about time."
My general response is the same. Yes, prices might drop by 25%, or they might go up even more! When we look at the information that is causing the prices to go up it really doesn't seem possible ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on August 10, 2011
Well, with 15% fewer listings this May compared to last May, and mortgage rates still at record lows the Toronto Real Estate market continues to perform well, favoring sellers over buyers. Sales were up 6% over last May. “Positive economic news and low borrowing costs led to strong sales through the first five months of the year, including the increase in May,” said Toronto Real Estate ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on June 13, 2011
Toronto Real Estate Board states “The number of listings has been below expectations so far this year. Increased competition between home buyers has led to an accelerating annual rate of price growth,” which has pushed home prices up to a 9% increase over last April, setting the average home price to $477,407. There is an expectation that this new spike in prices will encourage ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on May 7, 2011
This spring continues the pattern of being a popular time to buy and sell homes. The Toronto Real Estate Board reports9,262 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in March 2011, representing the second best March result on record. The number of transactions was 11 per cent lower than the record result reported in March 2010.
“The strong home sales reported in March and ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on April 5, 2011
It never stops to amaze me how active the spring market can be. There seems to be a shortage of good homes for sale and as a result home buyers are actively seeking out these homes and are prepared to pay to get them. What seems to be different this year from prior years is that buyers are actually passing over lesser homes and holding out for the ones that are well staged, clean and show ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on March 21, 2011