Happy New Year from the Julie Kinnear Team. May you have a blessed, successful and happy 2015!

The trend of year-over-year sales growth continued, but there was a significant lack of inventory, with active listings down in comparison to last year.

The real estate market has been active this Fall once again, despite the cool and wet weather. Lots of action in all price ranges.

The number of sales reported through the TorontoMLS system in August 2014 has risen by 2.8 per cent, when compared to August 2013. Sales were up for all major home types, showing that both the buyers and sellers remain active.

Despite the high prices, the demand for ownership housing is still strong. There continues to be a great deal of confidence in investing money and future in real estate. Many people are choosing to stay in the city and putting value on less commute, which perpetually has driven the market up.

There continues to be a great deal of confidence in investing their money and future in real estate. Many people are choosing to stay in the city and putting value on less commute which perpetually has driven the market up

So, you've got some old items kicking around the house that you want to get rid of, and you're looking to make a little cash? All you've got to do is stick your stuff out on the front lawn with a few signs and people will come by and pay you to take it off your hands, right?

As well as the annual FanExpo event that occurs at the end of the summer, this year celebrating its 20th anniversary, Hobby Star Marketing offered a smaller but still very exciting event called Toronto ComiCon.

House sales rose only 2.1 per cent, while prices jumped 8.6 per cent year-over-year. There's a serious shortage of new houses, which are 12.2 per cent down compared to a year ago, and people are desperate to buy before homes become too expensive.

Giving your home a facelift is always exciting, but these projects always involve a number of health risks. So you should treat renovations with special care. Canadian homeowners often prefer renovating their homes to buying a new home. The risks of remodelling are especially true of older houses — there's a higher chance that potential health risks lie behind the walls, whether it's lead in old paint, a mould infestation, or asbestos in the insulation.

The lesson to take from American Beauty isn’t that you should threaten your boss with blackmail to get a better severance package. But maybe stand up for yourself a little more so you get what you deserve in all aspects of life.

Winter in Toronto

2014 Oscar Countdown is on! The nominees were announced January 16, 2014 and they weren't a big surprise. Ellen DeGeneres will host the 86th ceremony, which is scheduled for March 2nd, 2014. We've decided to share our picks with you! If you disagree with our choices, feel free to drop us a comment with your opinion.

The fact that homes in Canada are becoming less affordable seems to have little impact on Canadian homebuyers, as their activity in the resale market is increasing.

The year of 2013 finished strongly in Toronto. You'd never guess that the slowly starting 2013 would be caught in a mania situation by its end. The high number of sales recorded throughout the year was mainly driven by the shortage of new listed properties.