The Canadian housing market will grow at a much slower pace compared to the surge seen in the past decade. Home resales are expected to grow by 0.9 per cent this year and remain unchanged in 2012, while home prices will increase by 4.4 per cent this year and 0.4 per cent in 2012.
Garth Turner will have you believe that the federal government’s policy to allow 40 year amortized mortgages ...
Posted by Sean Kavanagh
on September 8, 2011
Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney’s plans to raise interest rates this fall have been put on hold as a result of the continued financial struggles in both the U.S. and Europe. It was originally believed that the bank would be raising rates this September, but recent indications suggest that we could be looking at rates dropping again before we begin to see increases. Home owners concerned ...
Posted by Sean Kavanagh
on August 17, 2011
Hot real estate markets will always result in the emergence of alternative methods to buy and sell property. However, even in the hottest markets, more than 90% of Canadians still choose to enlist the services of a professional real estate agent to sell their homes.
‘For Sale By Owner’ companies promote a unique system for selling real estate. A system that makes potential clients ...
Posted by Sean Kavanagh
on August 12, 2011
Colby Sambrotto, founder of the website ForSaleByOwner.com, which lets people sell their own properties, has sold his two-bedroom apartment with the help of a real-estate broker at a 6% commission.
"At first he wouldn't let me increase the price," [the broker] said. "I told him I know what I am doing-the market is picking up."
Not only could the For Sale By Owner guy not sell his own apartment, ...
Posted by Sean Kavanagh
on August 9, 2011
Low interest rates will “create their own risks” for the economy as it pertains to household debt levels, says the Bank of Canada deputy governor.
With household debt reaching extraordinary high levels, the Bank of Canada urges people to show prudence in their personal finances. Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney also warns of the risks posed by overstretched Canadian households, ...
Posted by Sean Kavanagh
on January 11, 2011
As anticipated, July 1st has come and gone leaving a cooling of the real estate market in its wake. With many buyers and sellers trying to complete transactions before July 1st due to the HST introduction, raising interest rates and new government regulations on real estate purchasing, we are now witnessing a collective SIGH in the market......the calm after the storm, if you will.
Experts ...
Posted by Sean Kavanagh
on July 13, 2010
Just put up the SOLD stickers on this great property in Burlington, Ontario. If you are thinking about getting some SOLD stickers put up on your property, all you have to do is give me a call!
LIST WITH ME AND GET HOME STAGING FOR FREE!!!
As part of my full service listing package to my clients, I offer free home staging as a bonus for anyone who decides to use my real estate services to list ...
Posted by Sean Kavanagh
on June 26, 2009
During these first days of summer, as economists are telling us that the worst of the recession may be over, Canadians are wondering how the values of their largest financial assets - their homes - are holding up. Media reports of real estate statistics have left many Canadian homeowners rightfully confused. The problem is that these statistics are usually based on averages of city, provincial and ...
Posted by Sean Kavanagh
on June 22, 2009
Home buyers are now twice as likely to use online sources than print sources to find information about open houses they are interested in.
A study found that 62% of home buyers use or plan to use online sites to find open houses, compared with 53% who use/plan to use information from real estate agents, 36% who use/plan to use neighborhood signs and less than one-third (31%), who use/plan to use ...
Posted by Sean Kavanagh
on June 18, 2009
Thinking of doing a home renovation? Here are seven things you need to know before hiring your contractor:
1. Get at least three references for the contractor you think you want to hire and thoroughly check all of them. 2. Ask for photos of previous jobs to ensure the workmanship. If you are asking for a specific job to be done, ask for photos of similar jobs so you know what you can expect. 3. ...
Posted by Sean Kavanagh
on June 2, 2009