realty ® MID-YeAr HoUsIng CHeCkUp

realtyreport
Compliments of Danny Brown
®
Market Connections Inc.®
Mid-Year Housing Checkup
We’re halfway through 2013 – a great time to have a look at the year
so far, as well as what’s still to come!
Danny Brown
Real Estate Agent
Market Connections Inc.®
94 Scarsdale Road
Toronto, ON M3B 2R7
Tel:
(800) 387-6058
Fax: (800) 800-7093
[email protected]
Greetings! You’re receiving this
newsletter with hopes that you find
it informative and entertaining.
If you’re thinking of making a move,
or are just curious as to real estate
trends in your area, please feel free
to call at any time. It’s always good
to hear from you!
All the best,
Danny Brown
Gregory Klump, Chief Economist
for the Canadian Real Estate
Association, notes, “Mortgage rules
are expected to remain as they
are, so sales should be less volatile
than they have been in recent
years.” Klump adds, “Interest rates
are also expected to remain low as
the economy grows and adds jobs,
which is supportive for the resale
housing market.”
As far as new building activity, the
Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation (CMHC) expects
that a moderation in economic
fundamentals will lead to an overall
decrease in multi-family starts this
year. Next year, however, the CMHC
forecasts a slight increase in multifamily starts. Multi-family starts are
expected to range between 103,800
and 116,200 units in 2013, and
between 99,500 and 125,100 units
in 2014.
– next year’s optimistic forecast
reflects the expectation of increased
housing demand as a result of
improving economic conditions,
relatively low vacancy rates for
rental condominiums and a strong
net migration in 2014.
Thinking about moving this year or
next? Interested in the forecast for
condominium movement in your
own area, or in the area you’d like
to live? Please call today for a noobligation update!
While some of this year’s decline
in building requirements is blamed
on lower population growth among
the 25 to 34-year-old market –
first-time homebuyers who would
find condos a less expensive form
of homeownership than a house
CNC
Volume 9, Issue 6
Off the Wall Ideas
Your home’s walls are its biggest canvas. While paint and wallpaper are the most common ways to decorate
them, they’re not the most creative options. Below are five ways to liven up your walls that go beyond merely
painting or wallpapering them.
Stick To It
Wall decals aren’t what they used to be: made of resilient
materials like vinyl, today’s decals are just as easy to
remove as they are to apply, so you can effortlessly change
them when you get bored and take them with you when
you move. Available in a range of sizes and prices, and a
huge variety of colors, designs, and themes, from animals
and cartoons to words and abstract designs, decals are just
as suitable for your stylish, sophisticated living room as
they are for children’s rooms.
Material Issue
With its variety of colors, patterns, and textures, fabric is
a versatile tool for dressing up walls, especially damaged
ones. It’s like commitment-free wallpaper: use liquid starch
to apply fabric to your walls just as you would wallpaper;
to remove it, just dampen and peel. Or hang fabric panels
on your wall as you would over your windows, whether in
pleats, shirred, or flat across the wall; this technique is best
used for one accent wall and makes it easy to change the
look when you tire of it.
Shelve It
Available in a huge selection of colors, materials, shapes,
and sizes, floating shelves lend movement and dimension
to walls. What’s more, they’re functional, providing added
storage and display space, which no one ever seems to
have enough of. Plus, you can always easily change what’s
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on your shelves to create a fresh look. But when you get
really creative in your choice and placement of shelves
(by grouping together cube shelves of varying sizes or
color, for example) it’s the shelving itself that becomes the
decorative element.
High Profile
Molding isn’t just for the space where floors and ceilings
meet walls; like shelving, it’s a great way to add dimension
to walls themselves, and is versatile given its variety of
sizes and profiles. Use it to create raised panels for a formal
look evocative of Colonial homes; to create a latticework
pattern of flat trim; to frame artwork, collections, mirrors,
or architectural features like windows or built-in shelves;
combine it with beadboard for a Cape Cod look; or even to
make floor-to-ceiling or wall-width stripes.
On a Roll
Wallpaper has competition from a new trend: tape. You
can get just as creative with wall tape, given the variety
of colors, widths, and patterns available. It’s cheaper and
easier to remove too. Your best bet is probably Japanese
masking (or “washi”) tape, which is made of rice paper, but
you can also use regular masking tape, electrical tape, and
gaffer’s tape. Make stripes, a diamond pattern, or wall art
(abstract or otherwise) on your walls. Craft and art-supply
stores carry decorative tape, but you’ll find the greatest
selection online.
Still Searching?
Time Management
Time wasters are a common complaint amongst
Are you looking to move but your search for a new
homeowners who sell their own properties. Here’s
home is taking longer than you’d like? Below are
why real estate sales representatives are a seller’s
a few factors that might be holding you back from
best line of defense against tire kickers and
finding and purchasing your next home
unqualified buyers.


FSBO (For Sale By Owner) seller has to field every
A
phone call personally and even deal with would-be
buyers showing up at their door unannounced. When
you have representation, you have a buffer between
you and prospective buyers, someone to filter all those
initial inquiries that lead nowhere and bring you only
those that have potential to become a sale.




our real estate representative pre-screens buyers to
Y
ensure that in addition to being interested in your
home, they can actually afford to buy it. By finding out
whether buyers have their own homes to sell and have
obtained pre-approval for mortgage financing, your rep
weeds out unqualified buyers, allowing you to focus on
those buyers who are able, not merely willing.
y marketing your home through the Multiple Listing
B
Service® (MLS®), your rep exposes it to a network of
other real estate professionals who are looking for
properties to present to their clients – clients they’ve
ensured are serious, qualified buyers. This is one
more way in which having a representative means
sellers are exposed to fewer time wasters and more
promising prospects.
F SBO sellers have to host their own open houses and
showings – which tend to bring out nosy neighbors
and lookie-loos. As a seller with representation, you
don’t have to deal with time wasters at open houses or
handle buyers’ questions at showings – that’s your rep’s
job. You don’t even have to be there. In fact, it’s better
if you’re not.
Volume 9, Issue 6


n inability to see past cosmetic flaws. Gaudy
A
wallpaper, stained carpets, outdated fixtures, and
sloppy paintjobs are off-putting, but if you can’t
look past such superficial, easily remedied problems,
you may well end up passing over properties that
meet your needs as far as the important things such
as “bone structure,” size, layout, location, and price
are concerned.
nrealistic expectations. Are you waiting for “the
U
perfect home” to come along? Are you wasting time
looking at homes that are beyond reach of your
budget? If so, it’s time to reevaluate your list of
needs, wants, and deal breakers, and, if you haven’t
already, talk to a mortgage consultant about what
you can afford and get pre-qualified for financing.
Indecisiveness. There are a few reasons you may be
suffering from analysis paralysis: fear of experiencing
buyer’s remorse, always thinking there’s a better home
just around the corner, or holding out for a better
deal. Of course you don’t want to rush into buying
a home before you’re ready, but there comes a point
when you have to pull the trigger.
ou’re trying to do it all yourself. You can spend
Y
endless hours combing through classifieds and
clicking your way across the Web, but a professional
real estate representative is the best way to narrow
your search and find the right home for you more
quickly, by presenting you with only those properties
(even ones not actively being advertised) that meet
your criteria.
3
Summer Shish
Kebabs
Meat/Seafood:
eef
b
pork
 chicken
 lamb
s ausages
shrimp
 scallops
 any firm fish




Vegetables/Fruit:
r ed or white onions
bell peppers
 mushrooms
 zucchini
 cherry tomatoes
asparagus
butternut squash
 pineapple chunks
 2" wedges corn-onthe-cob




Easy All-Purpose Marinade:
1. In a large Ziploc bag, mix: ¼ c. olive oil, 1
tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. black
pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp.
dried oregano.
Terminology Tip
Assumable Mortgage — An assumable
mortgage is one that can be assumed (taken
over) by the buyer of a property when that
property is sold. Usually, the borrower must
2. A
dd your choice of coarsely-chopped foods
from the list above, mix well with marinade
and refrigerate for at least an hour.
apply and qualify for the mortgage in order
3. R
emove from fridge, assemble skewers,
barbeque and enjoy!
seller’s loan obligation and is responsible for
to assume the loan. If the lender approves
the borrower, the buyer then takes over the
making mortgage payments on the property at
the seller’s existing mortgage rate and terms.
The information and opinions contained in this newsletter are obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but their accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The publishers assume no responsibility for errors and omissions or for any damages resulting from the use of the published
information. This newsletter is provided with the understanding that it does not render legal, accounting, or other professional advice. Not intended to solicit properties or businesses listed for sale and agency agreements in place with other real estate brokers. Whole or partial
reproduction of this newsletter is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. © Market Connections Inc.® 2013, Phone: (800) 387-6058.
Compliments of Danny Brown
4
Market Connections Inc.®
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