Vol. 31, Issue 4, June 2020
- Julie's Scoop
- Social Circles VS Social Gatherings
- Quote of the Day
- Babies & Chit Chat & Krazy Kontests
- Real Estate Market
- Feeling like Giving Back?
- The Julie Kinnear Team's GEMs (Genuine Evidence of Merit)
- Keep an eye out for our upcoming listings!
- Featured video
- A few of our Favourite things
Julie's Scoop
Howdy,
Sending big virtual hugs and hope you and your family are well and safe. Thankfully, it has been a beautiful week of not too warm not too cold, nice and sunny weather which has been gorgeous for gardening, biking, running, and physically distancing family BBQ’s and visits from friends.
Hope everyone keeps finding those silver linings during these unprecedented times. This is the first year I have noticed the graduation lawn signs that schools are sending out for their students in their final years. It is SUCH a great idea, makes me think of all the excitement and new challenges ahead for the kids ad the family being so proud. What a neat idea. Those are definitely silver linings!
Red Day - thank you so much for your support for our Keller Williams RED Day (renew, energize, donate), is our global day of service in our neighbourhoods. The JKT community was SO generous, we ended up with over $5000 in total for the Daily Bread Food Bank. It is a beautiful thing to do a little giving back and supporting others in need, during these trying times.
Red Day team photo in front of Daily Bread Food Bank
You will see in the Market Watch section below the numbers from May, which are interesting. Even more exciting is that the first half of June matched the same number of all of May’s transactions. We got an inkling this was coming from some of the indicators we had from the technology our brokerage is using. Did you get a chance to see the video I recorded about how the number of showings and offers are reaching pre-covid #’s? This all points towards confidence in the market, that buyers and sellers are ready to move forward with their lives, and that with safe protocols we are able to make great strides towards a healthier real estate market. The really good news as well is that the real estate industry activity spins off countless amount jobs for other industries. Obviously IT/online social media experts are needed along with photographers/floor planners/lawyers/ stagers / painters / contractors, cleaners, landscapers, movers, storage etc. I call that a win/win!
The mortgage rates truly are amazingly low - check out the info further in the newsletter about those changes. Which is also spurring on growth.
In the wake of a recent announcement from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) regarding tightening the rules to qualify for an insured mortgage effective July 1, Genworth Canada has announced that it has no plans to change its underwriting policy related to debt service ratio limits, minimum credit score and down payment requirements.
Genworth is the largest private sector residential mortgage insurer in Canada. The CMHC changes are specific to CMHC, and private insurers are not compelled to follow its lead. To review the complete details of Genworth's announcement, please click here.
All in all, things are alot more positive as we navigate moving from Phase 1 to Phase 2 in the City of Toronto. No one can predict the future, so let’s firmly in the positive present.
guiding you home™,
Julie
P.S. We are always here for you - happy to help, lend an ear, support your causes and guide you and your friends and family through their real estate questions and next steps. Feel free to reach out today.
Our clients are looking for the best quality information about deciding on best schools and neighbourhoods - that is why we've partnered with a SchoolQ providing invaluable resources! Visit schoolQ.ca/juliekinnearteam & let us know what you think!
Social Circles VS Social Gathering
The Ontario government released a plan for implementing social circles (you may have heard them also referred to as ‘cohorts’ or ‘bubbles’). These changes come into effect immediately in all parts of the province, regardless of whether the region has progressed to Stage Two of re-opening.
A social circle is a way to reconnect with loved ones and friends in a manner that controls the spread of infection. They are groups of up to 10 people who all mutually agree to limit their close-contact interactions within that group. Social circles are different from the guidelines for gatherings, which have also increased to up to 10 people. Here’s the difference as described in the announcement:
Social circles: No more than 10 people who commit to one circle only and can interact and come into close contact with one another without physical distancing. Social circles will support the mental health and well-being of Ontarians and help reduce social isolation.
Social gatherings: Any 10 people from outside your household, but where physical distancing of at least two metres should be maintained. For example, the expansion of social gatherings enables individuals and families to enjoy the company of others at backyard barbeques and picnics in neighbourhood parks, while respecting physical distancing advice.
Here is the Government of Ontario’s step-by-step guide on how to build your social circle.
I know this announcement will be a great relief for many. The past few months have been hard and the effects of social isolation have brought mental health concerns to the forefront for many. Hopefully, the increased opportunities for socialization will help relieve some of those pressures. The public health advice is for us to remain vigilant, as the threat of COVID-19 is not gone. It remains our responsibility to stay safe and watch out for the health of our neighbours.
Please continue to self-monitor for any symptoms of COVID-19, and get tested if necessary.
Quote of the Day:
Babies & Chit Chat…
Layne & Chris Moore were thrilled to welcome their 3rd son Patrick, born on May 9th, 2020 with a nice and healthy delivery at at Women’s Hospital in Vancouver. It went so well she was sent home within hours! Exciting news for Julie’s cousin Layne and the whole Bellinger/Young/Moore clan.
Baby Patrick
Julie’s Annual Ride to Conquer Cancer with her awesome Proud Mary’s Cycling team has been postponed as a result of Covid, and moved to a “virtual” edition from June to August 29th. This means that this year, everyone is doing a safe “distancing” ride on own or with a small team. So many charities and great amazing causes like Princess Margaret Hospital that benefit from these huge events have been seriously negatively impacted, despite the fact that Cancer keeps on affecting so many loved ones. So Julie will be riding again that day! To give your support of $20 in 2020 please click here for her fundraising page.
Krazy Kontest Winners…Kongratulations!
The May winner was Patty Howell! Enjoy your Uber Eats gift card.
The June winner was Ruth Clark! Enjoy your Amazon gift card.
Market Watch ~ May 2020 Stats from TRREB
June 3, 2020 – TRREB President Michael Collins announced that GTA REALTORS® reported 4,606 sales through TRREB’s MLS® System in May 2020. This result was down by 53.7% compared to May 2019. While the number of sales was down substantially on a year-over-year basis due to the continued impact of COVID-19, the decline was less than the 67.1% year-over-year decline reported for April 2020.
On a month-over-month basis, actual and seasonally adjusted May sales were up substantially compared to April. Actual May 2020 sales increased by 55.2% compared to April 2020. After accounting for the regular seasonal increase that is experienced each year between April and May, seasonally adjusted sales were up by 53.2% month-over-month.
The number of new listings entered into TRREB’s MLS® System in May was down by a similar annual rate to that of sales, dipping by 53.1% to 9,104. On a month-over-month basis, actual new listings were up by 47.5%.
The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark price was virtually unchanged in May 2020 compared to April 2020. On a year-over-year basis, the composite benchmark was up by 9.4%. The average selling price for all home types combined was up by 3% compared to May 2019 to $863,599. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the average selling price was up by 4.6% month-over-month compared April 2020.
The difference in year-over-year growth between the MLS® HPI Composite Benchmark and the average selling price was related to the fact that home sales in the City of Toronto, particularly in the detached segment, were down by a greater annual rate than overall sales in the GTA. This resulted in a compositional impact on the overall average selling price.
Sales & Average Price by Major Home Type in the TORONTO 416 area for May 2020
Feeling like Giving Back?
George Hull Centre for Children & Families
Stress and anxiety for children and youth struggling with mental health issues has only magnified due to the pandemic. The George Hull Centre is one of the City’s leaders in children’s mental health space. This is family centred, focusing on children’s strengths, personalized support, intensive therapeutic approach, accessible, one-stop care, expert, multidisciplinary staff, clinical excellence, measurable impact and teaching centre.
Please consider donating to such a worthy cause.
The Julie Kinnear Team's GEMs (Genuine Evidence of Merit)
A company's success is strongly impacted by the customer reviews and for those of us in real estate, Google reviews and Facebook reviews create the biggest impact. We are asking for your help to go online and add your input and we will happily donate to a charity of your choice for your efforts!
You can do it on Google Maps here (it's very very important that you write a comment as well in addition to the rating), or you can also leave the same review on JKT's Facebook page here by clicking on "Yes" next to the "Do you recommend the JKT?" It's true, 5* reviews are almost as precious as a referral nowadays!
Interested in new build condos and townhouses? We have access to pre-public sales of new developments. Be sure to get in touch to take advantage of this leg up!
Keep an eye out for our upcoming listings!
3 bedroom Semi with a dug-down basement, separate entrance, parking and a garage, on one of the best streets in the Junction!
4 unit renovated multiplex in the heart of the action in the Junction!
2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in midtown with a mesmerizing view of the trees!
Did You Know? We have a large number of awesome trusted realtors in different towns and communities across Ontario, Canada and Internationally. Just get in touch so we can introduce you.
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.
Featured video
This Friday's video is full of weekend vibes and sunshine as Jen decided to introduce someone very special.
Watch more of our videos on our Youtube channel!
The JKT - A few of our Favourite Things:
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Claire
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Jen
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Holly
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Jay
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Julie
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Brenda
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