Kinnear's Komments
Vol. 26, Issue 4, July 2018
Julie's Scoop
Happy Summer! Aren't we blessed with beautiful weather in Ontario so far? Wow. Sunny and warm. Also grateful for central air conditioning for sleeping in the city - the heat wave seems to have returned :) You just can't win them all, it's either too warm or too cold!
Lots of updates since our May newsletter. Hope you are keeping an eye on all the action on our Instagram and Facebook accounts! The JKT was a proud sponsor of Fern Public School's "Fernapalooza" event where we donated the photo booth for the night - everyone seemed to really love to ham it up and raise $ for improving the Fern schoolyard and making it a special place where children and neighbours can come together.
Our KWNR office really enjoyed the annual summer party - where Holly collaborated and sang with another realtor Ernie - both so talented. Holly has been writing music and singing more than ever and you can sometimes catch her at the Rivoli and other Toronto hot spots.
Holly singing at KWNR annual summer party
Jen is away right now on a long anticipated 2 week canoe trip on the stunning turquoise waters of the Keele River that flow through the Mackenzie Mountains in the Northwest Territories. Good for Jen for tenting and camping :) Jen also volunteered again with IFAW - travelling to northern Ontario communities with a team of vets and aids to rescue dogs to be re-homed in Southern Ontario, as well as spay/neuter as many as possible, to keep the dog population healthy.
Jen's paddlers crew is ready for the adventure!
Tyler is very much looking forward to his West coast adventures with Ashley this summer. They will be taking in the Rocky Mountains, Banff, Jasper, the Okanagan Valley, Vancouver and Whistler. Sounds like it will be filled with highlights!
My mother Brenda and I got away for a week in June for our annual Mother-Daughter trip, this year we headed to Newfoundland! Such great hospitality, history and hiking! We started in St John's, then Trinity, Gros Morne Park and then the Northern Peninsula to see the icebergs in St. Anthony and the Viking settlement in L'anse aux Meadows. The weather was surprisingly mostly sunny, with a bit of fog and only when visiting the Norse site did we really experience serious cold & wind. Locals were referring it as "Junuary" this year, with the extended cold, so we got away pretty unscathed. I've included some photos! Another highly anticipated moment was our dinner at Raymond's that had recently been featured on the late Anthony Bourdain's television show Parts Unknown in May.
Annual Mother-Daughter trip!
Nature beauty of Newfoundland
The real estate market stayed pretty steady and on the upswing happily, despite the media reports! - See the Market Watch commentary further in this newsletter. The Bank of Canada sounds like they are planning on another rate hike which is a positive economic indicator. We found that May was particularly busy and active with our team, we had many successful buyers and sellers. June and early July inventory is low, which drives the prices up and also presents an opportunity to sell. Not sure if the new Conservative provincial government will have a positive influence on the economy - so far it looks like a lot of slashing of programs.
guiding you home,
Julie
P.S. Hope you have a wonderful summer, whether it be camp, staycations, cottage time, or a European adventure!
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Chit Chat & Babies
A big congrats to Shannon Kinch & Cory Breed on their recent June wedding.Congratulations to Karine Baser & Doug Rollins and big brother Ellis who welcomed baby Aiden David Rollins on June 21st, 2018.
Congratulations to our social media and website manager Sanela Kurtek who got married on June 30!
Our client & friend Helen Bucknell has started a new exciting career as a travel agent for Flight Centre. If you or your family and friends need any help with travel plans, please get in touch - Helen is extremely well travelled, super helpful. (Lots of options for your flights, hotels, car rentals, tours, activities, things to do, etc.). Email
Michael Fagan & Bianca Sayan - run a community group, the Toronto Clothing Repairathon. They attend events with other amazing volunteers at various locations to provide free clothing repairs - they teach skills, save people money, the environment and much more. The Repairathon is a money-free organization who do not accept financial donations, however all of their materials and supplies (like thread & scissors) are welcome donations. They have recently been at the Brickworks, Taste of Regent Park & Withrow Park Farmers' Market. Thank you to you and your dedicated volunteers - what an amazing generosity of spirit and willingness to make a difference in our communities.
Market Watch - GTA REALTORS® Release June stats
July 5, 2018 - Toronto Real Estate Board President Garry Bhaura, is pleased to announce some positive signs with respect to the housing market.
Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 8,082 home sales through TREB's MLS® System in June 2018 – up 2.4% compared to the low June 2017 result. After preliminary seasonal adjustment, sales were also up 17.6% on a monthly basis between May 2018 and June 2018, continuing the trend of somewhat volatile month-over-month changes over the past year as home buyers reacted to various policy changes impacting the market.
"Home ownership has proven to be a positive long-term investment. After some adjustment to the Fair Housing Plan, the new Office of The Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) stress test requirement and generally higher borrowing costs, home buyers are starting to move back into the market, with sales trending up from last year's lows. Market conditions appear to be tightening, with sales accounting for a greater share of listings, as new listings have dropped compared to last year," said Mr. Bhaura.
The average selling price edged up by 2% on a year-over-year basis to $807,871 in June 2018. After preliminary seasonal adjustment, the average selling price was also up by 3.3% month-over-month between May 2018 and June 2018. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) was down by 4.8% on a year-over-year basis, but remained basically flat month-over-month. The difference in the year-over-year rates of change between the average price and the MLS® HPI was likely due, at least in part, to a change in the mix of properties sold in June 2018 compared to June 2017, with low-rise home types accounting for a greater share of sales in June 2018.
"The expectation is to see improvement in sales over the next year. Over the same period, however, it is likely that issues surrounding the supply of listings will persist. This suggests that competition between buyers could increase; exerting increased upward pressure on home prices. With a new provincial government in place and municipal elections on the horizon, housing supply should be top-of-mind for policy makers," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Director of Market Analysis and Service Channels.
Feeling like giving back? CAMP OOCHIGEAS
Ooch really is a summer camp unlike any other in Canada! Ooch exclusively serves children with cancer, is privately funded, staffed entirely by volunteers including medical staff and completely free. A camp where every child, no matter how debilitating their illness, is provided an opportunity to explore enriching, challenging, fun experiences through what is fondly referred to today as the Magic of Ooch. Both Jen and Julie have volunteered with Ooch and experienced firsthand what a really special place it is, and how the kids truly get to be kids.
To donate please visit: www.ooch.org
The JKT Recipe of the Month from our calendar
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg. (250 g) brick cream cheese, softened
- 1 can (14 fl oz/398 ml) marinated artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
- 1 pkg. (300 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup 100% parmesan grated cheese
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
Directions:
Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix ingredients until blended. Spoon into shallow baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 20 min. or until heated through.
The Julie Kinnear Team's GEMs (Genuine Evidence of Merit)
Tyler, nothing short of a miraculous job! More than you indicated, more than I expected. Your recommended approach was perfect at each step and the timeframe for selling it couldn’t have been much quicker.
Ron
What They Got - More of our happy buyers & sellers!
A continuing column of the Julie Kinnear Team's sales...
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88 Colgate Avenue #633 – Leslieville Sold Over Asking |
119 Westlake Avenue – East York List Price: $599,000 Sold Over Asking |
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60 Fairfax Crescent #326 – Clairlea-Birchmount Sold Over Asking |
26 Boxbury Road – Markland Woods Sold Under Asking |
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1990 Bloor Street West #803 – High Park Sold Over Asking |
161 Dowling Avenue – Parkdale 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:
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Tyler
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Claire |
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Jen
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Holly
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Julie
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