Toronto Real Estate Newsletter January 2018

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Kinnear's Komments

Vol. 26, Issue 1, January 2018

Julie's Scoop

Happy New Year from all of us at the JKT! Hope you had a peaceful, restful, joyous holiday season. My oh my the weather has been a chiller though! I just love snow, so that was no problemo but our dogs hate the salty sidewalks and freezing cold weather!

Mary and I celebrated Christmas with the Palacios clan this year up at our beloved cottage "Crooked Creek" in the Haliburton Highlands, playing games, watching hockey and plenty of Christmas movies. We celebrated the New Year in Vancouver (where the weather was far more mild - sunny and around 3 degrees). I see why so many Canadians are flocking there at all ages for the quality of life. Those views and smells of the mountains and ocean is like a temple for me. Feels like it calls... that sense of tranquility being in nature.

Julie and Mary in Deer Lake

That leads me to resolutions and plans for 2018. Did you make any goals, plans or resolutions? It’s amazing how powerful they can be. This year is unique for my sister Kathryn & myself. We are born 11 months apart (referred to as Irish twins) so to celebrate our big 50 milestone birthdays, we have chosen to conquer a big cycling challenge for us - the Whistler Granfondo - biking from Vancouver to Whistler via the Sea to Sky highway, (they close one lane in September for the 122 km event)! It is worth trying something like this yourself - as I am finding it extremely motivating through the winter days to remember a special goal. Honestly it is a bit weird to be thinking about this "mid life milestone" as I’m not sure I feel that way, although hey I’ve still got about 11 months in my 40’s - hahahahaha :)

The team was very busy this late Fall and leading into the Holiday season. We had a blast at the Second City Comedy Show an annual team holiday event, thanks to Claire. It is a tradition we all look forward to! Lots of laughs! Same with volunteering at the Daily Bread Food Bank - every year we happily help them decorate and set up tables for a big event they host as well as wrap gifts. This year we had even more clients help - made for lighter work - and more fun!

We had so much fun volunteering at the Daily Bread Food Bank

Jen & I spent Christmas with the Palacios clan up at our cottage. Many dogs, family, games and snow!

Jen walking dogs in the light of New Year's moon

Tyler & Ashley trekked around visiting family and friends in Toronto and Oshawa.

Claire is our resident Christmas fanatic - and you can thank her for suggesting the calendar with the comfort food recipes. Enjoy!

Holly headed out west to be with her brother, niece and nephew up in Squamish/Pemberton. Holly also attended an intense and enlightening meditation retreat in December.

Holly's view on Christmas morning

And our KW office holiday party is way too much fun at the High Park curling club - what an entertaining sport to participate in - love it!

The market continued to be very strong through to the end of the year, particularly in the high demand downtown Toronto neighbourhoods. It was likely in anticipation of locking into mortgages while rates are still low and / or because the over $million dollar property stress test was looming plus confidence in the economy. The condo sales continue to thrive as well. All positive signs!

Thank you for your continued support - as we once again were recognized as a top team for Keller Williams Canada! We are happy to help any of your friends and family with any real estate decisions coming up.

Lots to look forward to in 2018! Happy Happy New Year!

guiding you home,
Julie

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Chit Chat...

Mike Boccia would like to share his new business venture as a Mortgage Agent with the Mortgage Train: "With the always changing mortgage landscape, it has never been more important to work with a knowledgeable and respected mortgage agent to answer any of your questions or concerns. That is why my focus is to help people achieve their home ownership dreams. My long time interest in the real estate market combined with a background in economics, focus on customer service and experience in the home buying process allow me to offer my clients a first rate service. I know through purchasing my own home that it is an extremely stressful time. I want to help alleviate some of that stress by finding the right mortgage for you; one that offers the terms that suits your needs perfectly. My goal is to find you the lowest interest rates with the best mortgage terms available no matter your situation." If you are interested to discuss your mortgage needs, contact Mike at or visit mortgagetrain.com
Emily Wong & Joe Zupo (Jen and Mary Palacios' niece and boyfriend) are moving for 8 months to Cairns Australia where Joe will be playing for the CFC soccer club.

Babies...

- Kevin Ong and Alissa Sugar are over the moon and happy to announce the arrival of their daughter, Elliot Siyi Maris Sugar-Ong, who decided to enter the world on the winter solstice, December 21st, 2017! "She surprised us a little as we were expecting at least another week of rest before she joined us. Little Ellie is small (born just shy of 6 pounds), but her lungs are powerful. She is putting on weight steadily and definitely the cutest baby I've ever laid eyes on (totally unbiased observation...)!" Congrats Kevin & Alissa welcome to the beautiful world Ellie.

- Sophie and Cody Lynge lives are forever changed.... On September 28th, 2017 at 10:15am Alden Daniel Lynge entered the world weighing 9lbs 4oz. "Just when we couldn't wait a day longer. We can't stop staring, smelling, kissing, cuddling... Alden you made our world." Congrats on this life changing event Sophie and Cody.

Market Watch - GTA REALTORS® Release December/Annual Stats

January 4, 2018 – Toronto Real Estate Board President Tim Syrianos
announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 92,394 sales through TREB’s MLS® System in 2017. This total was down 18.3% compared to the record set in 2016.

Record sales in Q1 were followed by a decline in Q2 and Q3 after the Ontario Fair Housing Plan (FHP) was announced. The pace of sales picked up in Q4, as the impact of the FHP started to wane, and some buyers arguably brought forward their home purchase in response to the new OSFI stress test guidelines effective January 1, 2018.

"Much of the sales volatility in 2017 was brought about by government policy decisions. Research from TREB, the provincial government and Statistics Canada showed that foreign home buying was not a major driver of sales in the GTA. However, the Ontario Fair Housing Plan, which included a foreign buyer tax, had a marked psychological impact on the marketplace. Looking forward, government policy could continue to influence consumer behavior in 2018, as changes to federal mortgage lending guidelines come into effect," said Mr. Syrianos.

The average selling price for 2017 as a whole was $822,681 – up 12.7 per cent compared to 2016. This annual growth was driven more so by extremely tight market conditions during the first four months of the year. In the latter two-thirds of 2017, fewer sales combined with increased listings resulted in slower price growth. In December, the MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark was up by 7.2% year over year, and the overall average selling price was up by 0.7% year over year.

"It is interesting to note that home price growth in the second half of 2017 differed substantially depending on market segment. The detached market segment – the most expensive on average – experienced the slowest pace of growth as many buyers looked to less expensive options. Conversely, the condominium apartment segment experienced double-digit growth, as condos accounted for a growing share of transactions," said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Director of Market Analysis.

Feeling like giving back? ALZHEIMER SOCIETY OF CANADA

Behind every person with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, there are hundreds of people dedicated to helping. The Alzheimer Society is the leading not-for-profit health organization working nationwide to improve the quality of life for Canadians affected by Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and advance the search for the cause and cure. Active in communities right across Canada, the Society has programs and services near you. Since 1978, they have been dedicated to providing help for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and their caregivers. That help comes in many ways.

To donate please visit: www.alzheimer.ca

The JKT Recipe of the Month

Serves 6. Ingredients:

5 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
3/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese
7 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 green onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3 plum tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients. Pour into a greased 9 inch pie plate.
Bake 40 minutes. Arrange tomatoes over top; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the edge comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

The Julie Kinnear Team's GEMs (Genuine Evidence of Merit)

Dear Julie Kinnear Team,
Thanks for helping make this a great year for our family! Christine and I wish you all a great Holiday and New Year! Especially to our lovely Jen who ran around with us endlessly - we miss you! And also just in case we haven’t mentioned it more recently, please know that everything good in our life has only been possible with all your hard work, and we appreciate every moment of your time and obvious sacrifices.
Kindest regards, Caitlyn

What They Got - More of our happy buyers & sellers!

A continuing column of the Julie Kinnear Team's sales...


186 Brunswick Avenue ~ Harbord Village List Price: $1,499,000 Sold Over Asking	538 Crawford Street ~ Little Italy List Price: $1,249,000 Sold Over Asking

14 Norma Crescent ~ Bloor West Village List Price: $1,289,000 Sold Over Asking	772 Windermere Avenue ~ Bloor West Village List Price: $1,389,900 Sold For Asking

216 Osler Street ~ Junction Triangle List Price: $649,900 Sold Over Asking	980 Broadview Avenue #1107 ~ Broadview North List Price: $639,000 Sold Over Asking

Our Purpose

Our purpose is for you to be so outrageously happy with the service we provide that you gladly refer us to your friends and family before you’ve even bought or sold with us.

The JKT - A few of our Favourite Things:

	Tyler Rec Room - I went here for a friend's birthday without knowing anything about it. It was a great time! It's a 40,000 sq ft space featuring exposed brick and wooden beams, great food, a dance floor, several bars and loads of fun games, including arcade, ping pong, billiards, VR, shuffle board, etc. etc. It's just outside of the Rogers Centre, so a great place to grab dinner before or after a Jays game!
	Claire Speak Out game by Hasbro - Bought my nieces this game for Christmas so of course we had to try it out. It is quite funny to watch how ridiculous everyone looks trying to say their phrase which are of course made to sound like some pretty crazy stuff. Mackage coats - Thanks Meghan Markle for my newest coat addiction love this designer.
	Jen Echo Dot - I ask Alexa mostly to play me music. She plays some great playlists!! It is also handy for random questions: Alexa - how old is Robert Redford. It really saves time in an argument! LOL. Winter Horseback Riding - as many of you know, I have a horse Nellie. She is amazing and I love her. It is so beautiful riding in the winter, especially when it is so snowy. Both walking the trails and cantering the fields, it is all so wonderful… The only downside is it's really hard on the frozen toes when you jump off!!
	Holly In the process of making plans for 2018, I came across the to-do app TeuxDeux - It’s a simple, well-designed and paperless way to keep me organized. I love that the unfinished tasks are automatically rolled over to the next day. I also love the customizable lists and “Someday” lists. Vipassana Meditation Course in Egbert Ontario - At the beginning of December, I attended a 10 day silent meditation retreat. No talking, no eye contact, no reading, no writing. That was the easy part! The most challenging and rewarding part was the 10hrs a day of meditation practice we did every day for 10 days. It was at times agonizingly difficult but I got through it and I now feel like I have a tool to help bring some calm to my day. I highly recommend it.
	Julie VintageMapCo - Vintage Canadian Map Pillows - made amazing Christmas gifts, great conversation piece and memory for those history buffs, cottagers, people who live away from where they grew up. Our friend and client Helen Hawketts is the owner and maker. Bose QC 35ii wireless headphones, noise cancelling - love my new toy - they will be great on planes of course, but also great for making calls from my iPhone, quiet listening at home with others around, even shovelling snow. So nice to be wireless.