KINNEAR'S KOMMENTS

Vol. 23, Issue 6, November 2015

Well, I look at November fondly as “Birthday Month” for me :) Apparently it is not everyone’s fave month but this year has certainly been blessed with beautiful early Fall - like weather so far. The Royal Winter Fair is now on, and watch out for all those November mustachio’s! And of course for Claire on our team and other Christmas lovers, it means holiday music starts on the radio and the Santa Clause Parade is imminent!

Our team is well - we enjoyed a bit of a wet and wild Pumpkin Patch give-away. It was plenty of fun to see so many of our friends and clients, dress up in this years theme of Holidays… as well as raise food donations and $$ for Daily Bread Food Bank. Facebook and our website have all the pics!

The JKT 2015 Pumpkin Patch

Change is in the air for The JKT. We have just said good bye and thank you for almost 7 years with our very own Steph Mitchell. I know our clients, our charities, and our team will all miss her. We wish her the very best as she sets out on new endeavours.

Lake Placid Hiking 2015

Mary & I enjoyed a couple of road trips this Fall, including some golf for her and biking for me around gorgeous Lake Placid in the Adirondacks and a winery tour around the stunning Niagara wine region. It was a great reminder of how blessed we are to be so close to such quality vintages and to appreciate the hard working farmers and vintners who are working the land and creating amazing experiences. Staying overnight in Niagara on the Lake was a trip back in time (with indoor plumbing), lovely homes, cute shops, and great dining.

Lake Placid view 2015

Holly has been letting her creative side out in her art projects, singing up a storm with some friends and happily living out the principles of the Japanese Art of Decluttering. A great book btw. Tyler has been relaxing by fixing up his basement for a prospective tenant.

Sherman really loves the JKT pumpkins!

Jen kindly picked up all the pumpkins in Caledon for the JKT Pumpkin Patch and has been enjoying training Sherman her rescue Lab, riding her horse, and prepping the Hacienda for winter! Nothing like a little wood stacking and raking to get the blood pumping. Claire as you will hear had one of our trusty handy people Mike, install new flooring in her townhouse and loves it. The Central Division offices are open at Davisville and Yonge and it has been a great additional resource for our team and clientele.

The Fall market as you can read in the TREB Market Watch section report of this newsletter has been strong and hit another peak in sale prices and number of transactions. From here in the trenches I would say it is active for sellers and competitive for buyers as there is so little inventory out there. It requires a lot of hard work, strategy, patience, full circle thinking to create the best scenario for both sellers and buyers. Sellers need a marketing plan and buyers need input to establish the value of a potential purchase. Especially in these days of ubiquitous bully bids and multiple offers.

I hope that the new change in Federal politics and the Liberal Majority will continue to keep us riding that good feeling wave of optimism and growth for the future. Toronto is still not the most expensive city, and the interest rates are still at a record low, so investing in real estate for personal or financial reasons is a good way to go.

guiding you home,
Julie

P.S. Thanks for your continued support and referrals of friends and family. We have many new client testimonial videos on our site and YouTube channel. In case you wanted to introduce any prospective friends or colleagues to us, point them there as they will get a good sense from the vids.

P.P.S. As you probably know in this day and age reviews on Google+ and Yelp, LinkedIn or Facebook make a big difference for even referred clients to get validation for their potential realtor. If you have a Gmail account please go onto Google+ today and leave us a review!

QUOTE of the day:

Chit chat…

• Jen Drome and Darren Bunce had the coolest, most romantic Fall wedding here in downtown Toronto on October 17th, 2015. Congratulations!
• We happily recommend Harvey Minuk. Harvey would like to offer his services to any of our clients in need of a quality, visionary General Contractor. Call or email him: or 416-489-4083.
• Meredith Vuchnich wrote a valuable article for Toronto Life re: concussions - please share with anyone you know who is also going through this all to common health issue these days.
• Paige Reason and Greg Sheldrake have joined in with many of their neighbours on Wroxeter St. in Riverdale to support/sponsor a Syrian Family for a year. There is a big fundraiser concert at the Jam Factory on Nov 27 as well!

Babies…

• Amber (Sheffield) & Derek Knight welcomed daughter Maggie Jean Marie Knight, born June 6 2015. Big brother Everett is pretty thrilled too.
• Christina & Josh Murray were excited to share their newest addition to the family Hailey Hunter Murray was born on October 8th, 2015. Hailey is one lucky girl to have Devon for a big brother.
• Parents Meghan Thomas & Colin Smolders and big brother Luke are so excited about their new bundle of joy Jack Symon Smolders, born on September 30th, 2015.

Record Home Sales for October

November 5, 2015 - Toronto Real Estate Board President Mark McLean announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 8,804 home sales through TREB's MLS® System in October 2015. This is the best result on record for the month of October.

It is clear that many GTA households remain upbeat about home ownership because owning a home represents a high quality, long-term investment. We will see a big, new record this year for home sales reported through TREB's MLS® System,

said Mr. McLean.

Despite the record October result, I must point out that the Government of Ontario could hamper home sales in the near future. The Wynne government is seriously considering allowing municipalities throughout Ontario to institute a second land transfer tax on top of the existing provincial tax. Recent polling has shown that the great majority of Ontarians oppose this tax and would consider delaying a move if they were forced to bear the additional upfront cost,

added Mr. McLean.

The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark was up by 10.3% year over year in October. Over the same period, the average selling price for all home types combined was up by 7.3% to $630,876. Price growth continued to be driven by the low-rise market segments.

Record sales coupled with a constrained supply of listings in many GTA neighbourhoods has underpinned very strong price growth throughout 2015. Even if we do see a greater supply of low-rise listings in the marketplace over the next year, market conditions will remain tight enough to see continued price growth well-above the rate of inflation,

said Jason Mercer, TREB's Director of Market Analysis.

Average Price by Major Home Type in the Toronto 416 area

Feeling like Giving Back? MOVEMBER

Time to get that handlebar moustache going!

The Movember Foundation is a global charity committed to men living happier, healthier and longer lives. Since 2003, millions have joined the men’s health movement, raising $677 million and funding over 1,000 programs focusing on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health and physical inactivity. Their focus is creating positive change for men’s health by raising awareness and educating men not only for November but year-round.

To Donate Contact:

Movember Canada
Email:
www.Movember.ca
1-855-4GROWMO (1-855-447-6966).

Many of our clients have had their personal experiences with The JKT caught on video instead of the regular written word – they're even posted on YouTube! We so appreciate your kind testimonials. Our YouTube channel is growing exponentially and has had over 250,647 hits!

6 Fun Facts About Our Very Own Julie Kinnear

1) What’s your favourite fast food chain?

McD’s. I am still a sucker for the Big Mac Meal on the odd special occasion :)

2) Have you ever had a proper Tarot reading?

No - considering I don’t really even know what that is.

3) Have you ever done something really unbelievable, only to have no one around to see it?

I thought it was pretty unbelievable to be up in a hot air balloon over Tuscany on the morning of Mary’s 50th bday, but there were a few others there :)

4) Do you have any unusual fears or phobias?

For some reason worms have always made my insides churn. And my siblings enjoyed taunting me with them. Must have been all that gardening we did as kids.

5) Do you collect anything?

I used to have a big Diana Princess of Wales collection. Now I just tend to collect our old People Mags for friends to read at the cottage. I also keep all the cards and momentos I have been given since I was a teen.

6) Have you ever given someone a handmade present?

Funny you should ask - one of my “favourite things” this month in this newsletter includes a handmade present.

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

My father usually makes big money decisions like selling the house, but it was me to take that responsibility this time. So I really needed an honest real estate agent. When I first met Julie, she was ready to listen to my needs and concerns and provide answers to them. After an hour conversation with her, I became very confident about selling the house.

Peter Choi

What they got! More of our happy buyers have found their new home!! A continuing column of the Julie Kinnear Team’s sales…

 

See a For Sale Sign/Sold you were wondering about? We are happy to let you know about houses in your neighbourhood - feel free to contact Claire:

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!

Mortgage rates

Courtesy of Carrie Davidson - Dominion Lending Centres Service
First Mortgages #12089 License #M08003121
www.carriedavidson.com
Phone: 416-693-6946

The JKT – A few of our Favourite things:

Gini

McDonald's new No-Fat Latte with Sugar Free French Vanilla Syrup - delicious and hot on a cool day.

Indigo's Luxe Cozy Throw- so soft I get lost in the luxurious comfort of it!

Claire

My new floors. So happy with my new floors and NEVER seeing my old 80’s carpet ever again.

Random surprises from friends. My friends planned an amazing, stress free and fun filled night out for me just cause. It was nice not knowing where we were going. 

Tyler

Halloween - Another year of pumpkins, candy and costume parties has passed. Every year I have to do two costumes - one for our annual JKT Pumpkin Patch and another for a Halloween party Ashley and I attend. I have learned to love the process of figuring out a theme, inventing a costume and showing off my creation!

Tyler's costumes - Tin Man, Papa Smurf, Hockey Player and New Year's Eve

Holly

David Leyes - photographer - Love him, he's the best!

Annette Food Market in the Junction - run by Max and Amara Mancuso (owners of the Good Neighbour Cafe next door) The food, cocktails, wine, space, service and vibe have it goin' on.

Carpinus Dry Furmint 2013 White Wine from Hungary - yum
 

Jen

South Beach, Miami - beautiful beaches, lots to see and do, and really good food. What's not to love?!

What's App - an app that keeps people connected. When we were in Spain, my cousin set up a Team Palacios What's App group. Now, with them in Spain and us in Canada, we send pictures and videos, and stay connected. Closer to home, I use it for smaller groups of friends. Good app to consider! 

Julie

Love those SLOW DOWN lawn signs in all the different Toronto neighbourhoods. They certainly are a great reminder for us all, and an opportunity for the residents to speak out against careless driving. The original campaign was for Leaside Kids At Play.

Scrap booking! I have always enjoyed bringing all my maps, receipts, plane tickets and momentos from big trips home and arrange it in a keepsake album to highlight the accompanying photos. This year I made a scrapbook album for my Mom for our trip to Europe and cruise on the Danube.

Scrapbook for Brenda