December 2014 Market Report: The Shortage of Listings Continues
According to the TorontoMLS System, number of sales in December 2014 has increased by 2.0% to 6,519 in comparison with 6,391 units sold in December 2013.
Category Archives: Toronto Real Estate News
Book Review: Shift – How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times
Gary Keller's book describes what's the market shift, how you should react and 12 tactics you can use to negotiate your way through the turmoil.
Bidding war erupts over renovated East York house
With a high number of buyers circling available homes in East York last fall, about 30 potential buyers gravitated toward this more than century-old residence.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from the Julie Kinnear Team. May you have a blessed, successful and happy 2015!
Selling Your Parents’ Estate
Making important financial decisions while grieving the loss of loved ones can be emotionally and physically exhausting.
November Market Report: Sales Growth Continued in November
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.
Are you a Single Parent Buying on your own in Toronto?
Owning a home is a dream of the majority of Canadians, and single parents are no exception.
October 2014 Market Report: Lots of Action in All Price Ranges
The real estate market has been active this Fall once again, despite the cool and wet weather. Lots of action in all price ranges.
Done Deals: Multiple Bidders Sought Large Victorian Semi
This semi-detached Victorian was among few with modern modifications, so it banked a healthy number of showings and multiple offers.
Done Deals: This Home Lured Rival Bidders with a Wine Cellar and Car Lift
The popularity of the Leaside community often translates into quick sales, and this home was no exception. Two buyers fought for this custom-built residence after a few days of market exposure before Thanksgiving weekend.
Done Deals: Older Willowdale condo sells in a day
A small number of units were up for sale at Bayview Place in Willowdale, but the sellers of this three-bedroom suite only had to open their door to 20 buyers to find one who negotiated an offer.
September 2014 Market Report: Great News for Buyers!
Bidding wars are not a thing of the past, it is just a little bit calmer, and not as crazy, with prices going slightly over, not massively. Which is great news for buyers!
Book Review: World Film Locations – Toronto
World Film Locations: Toronto mentions so many interesting locations and films that you're sure to be inspired to hunt down films you hadn't thought to watch or go visit a previously unknown location in the city.
August Toronto Real Estate Market Report: Growth in Home Sales Continues
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.
The GTA’s Best Garden Maintenance Companies
Type "Toronto garden maintenance" into Google and you could spend a day just trying to figure out which of the listed companies best suits your needs. It seems the GTA has an abundance of people eager to mow your lawn, build you a patio, prune your plants, weed your garden, and make the snow go away.
Done Deals: Kingsway rebuild’s green features help draw four offers
Within a 15-minute walk of schools, subway, services and Kingsway shops, this contemporary, custom-built residence gathered four offers at various times, but one deal finally stuck for $1.48-million.
July Market Report: Higher Average Price and More Sales in July 2014
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.
What Hollywood Needs to Do to Get People Back into the Cinemas
Gone are the days when each Hollywood studio prided itself on its collection of prestige films and its stable of talented, marketable Hollywood stars and its bevy of tireless screenwriters. Now, all that's left after the fall of the studio system is a blank space cranking out 3-D film after 3-D film that everyone's seen before and has ultimately grown tired of.
Done Deal: Why this Swansea home got $152,000 over asking
In the Swansea community west of High Park, this detached residence was a popular spot with large crowds attending the open houses and arranging private showings this spring. The foyer’s heated slate floors warmed the feet – and hearts – of many buyers, including several who registered offers and one who added $152,000 to the list price.
June 2014 Market Report: Sales and Prices Rising
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
The Seller’s Guide to Garage/Yard Sales in Toronto
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?
Best Swimming Pool Builders in Toronto
Our choice of the top 3 swimming pool builder companies in Toronto: Solda Pools, Gib-San Pools and Betz Pools.
Top 5 Plants for Toronto’s Climate
Although there are many great reasons to move to Toronto, its climate for plants isn't high on that list. Curtis Evoy, who runs the conservatory at Allan Gardens, helped shed some light on the plants best suited to Toronto.
May 2014 Market Report – Average Selling Price and Sales Growing
Prices in Toronto keep growing. The average selling price in May 2014 was $585,204, an 8.3 per cent year-over-year increase compared to the average price of $540,544 in May 2013. Despite the higher prices, the sales have also gone up.
Globe & Mail Done Deals: Bloor West Village home goes $86,660 over asking
Just a short stroll south of a subway station, shops and restaurants on Bloor Street, this brick Tudor residence was jammed with buyers, including 150 guests during the weekend open house.The last day of March, three offers were presented to the seller, who chose one $86,660 over the $869,900 list price.
Best Tea Shops in Toronto
Over the last few years, Toronto's tea drinkers have been lucky enough to find some great spots to enjoy their favourite brews. Whether it's a warm cup on a cold day or an iced tea on a warm one, here's a list of great tea shops all over the city.
Toronto Real Estate Market Report April 2014: Do Not Assume!
There is no such thing as a slam-dunk house sale, even in downtown Toronto. This means that there are opportunities to be had. The most important thing is to prepare the home properly and price it competitively.
From Trash to Treasure: 10 Uses of Old Furniture
Old furniture is great. You have endless opportunities to redo it the way you desire and need. Often, those dated pieces of furniture were made with good craftsmanship, using quality materials, and it would be a shame to toss them away just because the knobs and varnish are out of fashion.
Vintage Furniture Stores in Toronto
To make your search through the Toronto's vintage and second-hand furniture stores a bit easier, we created a guide consisting our most favourites - with every single one store being a unique experience for different styles!
Vintage Furniture Stores in Toronto: Chatelet
Teresa Wiwchar's establishment is small and white, stuffed with little things that sparkle and larger stuff that's, well, white. You can find scarves, cushions, jewellery, and other assorted pretty things along with the furniture.
Why Your Main Real Estate Investment Should Be Your Primary Home
Investing into your personal residence allows you to built significant long-term equity plus principal residence is only capital gains tax free when sold and never rented.
March 2014: Lack of Inventory Causes Bidding Wars
The average price will probably continue to rise throughout 2014 if interest rates stay low as homeownership demand grows, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go for what you want.
Globe & Mail Done Deals: Stained glass and stonework sold buyers on this home in a converted church
As one of the only church conversions in High Park, Abbey Lofts had just a handful of units for sale in the past few years. So this two-bedroom-plus-den corner unit had an offer on day one and was purchased by the second day in early February.
On-Street Parking rules – PLEASE READ – IMPORTANT
Residents who have on-street parking permits are being asked to delay moving their vehicles to the other side of the street for parking until Tuesday, April 15.
Globe & Mail House of the Week! March 21, 2014
Our Fabulous listing at 55 Stewart #501 was featured as the Globe and Mail's - "House of the Week!" Full 3/4 page spread in their Friday Real Estate Section!
Toronto ComiCon 2014: Special Guests? The Fans
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.
Take a Seat and Enjoy the Ride: Comparing Positives in Toronto’s Public Transit
Generally, public transit in downtown Toronto is fantastically convenient. One of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in Canada, Toronto encourages many people to stay active with its welcoming vivacity. Still, many folks choose to drive their own cars.
Homebuyers Battled Nasty Weather and a Shortage of New Listings in Toronto
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.
The Most Common Health Hazards of Remodelling
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.
Globe & Mail Done Deals: Detached house in High Park sparks bidding war
Bidding wars are a common phenomenon to acquire houses near High Park, where this detached, 21/2-storey house was subject to 60 showings before a handful of visitors drafted competing offers.
What You Don’t See Behind the Scenes: Real Estate in American Beauty
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.
TIFF’s Next Wave Film Festival is Back
TIFF’s Next Wave Film Festival is back in February and will once again bring some of the best films of the year aimed at teen audiences. The third annual season of the festival, like the previous seasons, was created to educate and share excitement about films and filmmaking among youngsters aged 14 to 18.
Photo of the Week – Winter Beach in Toronto
Winter in Toronto
January Chills Home Sales in Toronto as Prices Climb
The Toronto housing market shows signs of cooling as it enters 2014 with the lowest sales number since January 2009. January isn't the best month of the year for selling homes, and the freezing weather didn't help either. Sales were dragged down by a shortage of inventory, which spurred bidding wars and fuelled rising prices.
Girl Rising!
Girl Rising is a global action campaign for girls' education powered by a groundbreaking film and the women, girls, men, and boys that stand behind it. See what you can do to help.