It seems like the restricted inventory we are seeing in the market has given us the return of the Bidding Wars or more politely referred to as The Offer Date in most real estate literature. For the most part they help listings sell at a faster rate than perhaps they would without it and in some cases they sell for better than market value.
Just this week my clients fell in love with a very ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on May 17, 2013
I received an email this week from the “For Sale By Owner” company known as “The Property Guys”. They are a company that sells you signs to post on your lawn in an effort to attract buyers to your home. If you want to pay more they will even put a picture on the MLS with a sparse description of your home, no guarantees on its accuracy. In their email they purport to dispel ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on March 26, 2013
When you decide to purchase a property you need to know your rights as a buyer to protect yourself. Sellers who use a real estate agent have selected a real estate professional to represent them and get their home sold for the most money possible. They have a written contract in place that states this and they have agreed to compensate the agent for this task. The agent in turn will use that money ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on March 16, 2013
According the Toronto Real Estate Board president Anne Hannah, there were 4,375 transactions through the TorontoMLS system in January 2013 down slightly from 4,432 transactions reported in January 2012. The interesting news here is that the rate of decline was was lower than what was reported for the second half of 2012 suggesting that buyers are coming back to the market.
"It is ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on March 8, 2013
Home buyers have lots of questions, which is great. However, if you don’t know what questions to ask how do you get started? Here are six mistakes that you should avoid when making a home purchase:
Not having a budget
Driving around to find a house
Trusting the seller
Not having sufficient cash on hand
Thinking all you need to pay is just the price of the house
Not getting expert help ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on March 6, 2013
Duty of care to clients and customers
When you meet with a realtor to discuss either having your home put on the market or, being shown homes that you might consider the purchase, be sure to know your rights. Real estate agents (registrants) are obliged to treat you as either a client or a customer and knowing the difference is crucial one in real estate.
The key difference in these two terms, ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on March 2, 2013
Every month and mid-month the Toronto Real Estate Board releases information about how the market is performing in relation to the same time the previous year. The intent is to give a seasonal comparison rather than a month by month comparision.
The latest report (found here) tells a similar story as we have been hearing for several years now, demand for homes in Toronto is still strong in ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on February 20, 2013
St. Valentine, patron saint of lovers
While Cupid or the ancient god Eros gives us the inspiration, St. Valentine supplied the name of our current holiday. There are a number of Valentine legends as to why his name is linked to lovers. One is that the Roman emperor Claudius II thought that single men made better soldiers and therefore forbade them to marry. St. Valentine is said to have secretly ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on February 14, 2013
Do you see the value? This picture is two houses on opposite sides of the street. One backs on to the park and the other backs on to Lake Ontario. The one on the right is selling for over $1,800,000 and the one on the left...what do you ...think? Drop by my open house this Saturday or Sunday from 2-4 PM and find out how you can turn the house in the left into the house on the right and...equally ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on February 1, 2013
Traditionally the spring market is viewed as “THE” time to sell a home and while it is a great time, the winter market offers an excellent opportunity for selling, and buying, as well.
Being well informed about the benefits and the challenges will help you decide if it’s the right time for you or not. The upside of a winter real estate transaction:
1) Reduced Competition ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on January 12, 2013