KINNEAR'S KOMMENTS

Vol. 20, Issue 2, March 2012

JULIE' S SCOOP

Campaign for Habitat for Humanity
by Andreas Duess

Happy March break! Funny how the world seems to revolve around traditional school even if you don't have kids or they're not in school anymore!

Our team just participated in another great day of volunteering for Habitat for Humanity last week. It is so invigorating – donating our time feels good, as does learning new skills, and even working outdoors – a nice change from the office. It is for such a worthy cause and helps others. We thought next time that we would invite any JKT family and friends to volunteer with us! Get a big group together – even more powerful! Our plan is to be on a job site 4x per year – every quarter. Keep an eye out for our next date.

Habitat March 2012 Group

Mary and I recently returned from the annual Chairman's club retreat - this year it was in Panama. This is the 7th year in a row that I have qualified for this prestigious level - being nationally ranked. It is truly a blessing to have such a rewarding bustling business. I am grateful to our incredible Julie Kinnear Team community of exraordinarily supportive clients and friends! I do realize couldn't have done it without the team! Panama was such an interesting country and a unique experience - gorgeous weather! There are a lot of Canadians investing and vacationing there nowadays. It is quite the land of opportunity.  Enjoy Julie's photos!

Panama City Skyline

Panama Canal Shipping

Flower Lips

Royal LePage holds an annual Garage Sale nationally in May every year in support of women's shelters. Our office supports The Redwood Shelter. You can help by donating anything hanging around your house or garage that you've been planning on giving to good cause or maybe even selling on Craigslist! The easy part for you is that thanks to Atlas Van Lines – they will in fact pick up your larger pieces the week before the big day! Our team is throwing ourselves wholeheartedly into this again this year as well.

With regards to the market – the springlike weather we've been having all season has really made the market lively all winter long. Did u see the article we've republished from Market Watch? Average sale prices have soared. I know I keep repeating that the interest rates are so darn low – and they are! It is incredible. What an opportunity to lock into a long term guaranteed rate!

Enjoy Easter with your loved ones,

Julie

P.S. Enclosed is our annual Easter Kolouring Kontest! Please have your kids fill out and send back today! All entries receive a treat and we love posting the works of art all over our office! FUN! 

QUOTE of the day:

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams
 

Chit chat…

• 
  High Park by Wikimedia Commons

  Holly Chandler has made the most exciting changes for 2012. Holly has reached her dream of buying a new home near High Park. It will be fabulous to be close to the park for running and training for triathalons.   Holly has truly experienced the emotional roller coaster and hard work it takes to prep and sell as well, after successfully selling her current home with us too!  We are all so proud of you Holly!

• Denise Lambert is happy to report her daughter Gwens hockey team she has been coaching has clinched 1st place. With only 1 loss and 3 ties, this team of 7-12 year olds have worked hard every game and practice to be the best they can be and going into playoffs, they are well poised to take it all! Go Ranger Go! Yeah Gwen!
• Stephanie Riley is an occupational therapist with extensive experience with geriatric rehabilitation and accessible home modifications. If you know of someone who is concerned about their ability (or their relative's ability) to remain in their home due to physical, environmental and/or cognitive factors, please let them know about Sage Homes. This is such an important service. Feel free to give Steph Riley a call to ask more about a specific situation and how she may help. Stephanie Long-Riley Occupational Therapist Reg.(Ont.) Phone 416-465-2137 cell 647-705-6224 Email:
  Website: www.sage-homes.ca

Babies! Sincere Congratulations!!

• Jordan and Scott Hill are the proud parents of their new baby Rowan Thomas Hill born on February 3rd, 2012. Congrats new baby, new house… new life
• Brixton Lagac and Vinder Chand are happy to welcome their New Year's bundle of joy Gryphon born January 2012. Great name congrats to you both!

Tight Market Pushes the Average Price above $500K

MARKET WATCH excerpts from Toronto Real Estate Board

Toronto Row Houses by Wikimedia
Commons

March 5, 2012 - Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 7,032 sales in February 2012 – up 16 per cent compared to February 2011. New listings were also up over the same period, but by a lesser 11 per cent to 12,684. It is important to note that 2012 is a leap year, with one more day in February. Over the first 28 days of February, sales and new listings were up by ten per cent and six per cent respectively.

"With slightly more than two months of inventory in the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) market area, on average, it is not surprising that competition between buyers has exerted very strong upward pressure on the average selling price. Price growth will continue to be very strong until the market becomes better supplied," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver.

"It is important to note that both buyers and sellers are aware of current market conditions. This is evidenced by the fact that homes sold, on average, for 99 per cent of the asking price in February," continued Silver.

The average selling price in the TREB market area was $502,508 in February – up 11 per cent compared to February 2011. The Composite MLS® Home Price Index for TREB, which provides a less volatile measure of price growth compared to the average price, was up by 7.3 per cent compared February 2011.

"If tight market conditions continue to result in higher than expected price growth as we move into the spring, expectations for 2012 as a whole will have to be revised upwards," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of Market Analysis. "While price growth remains strong, the average selling price remains affordable from a mortgage lending perspective for a household earning the average income in the GTA."

Are you feeling like Giving Back?

Charity of the Month – Toronto Public Library Foundation

In honour of our team member Claire, who's Mother passed away on March 8th, 2012 please consider supporting the Toronto Public Library Foundation. Colleen Hartviksen's love of books, classical music, medieval plays & old movies was enriched by the public libraries. Our libraries do tend to get lost in the shuffle of the big city life, and have a profound positive affect on communities, and offer an affordable opportunity for learning at all ages, and the important service of access to computers to the public.

Donations can be made to tplfoundation.ca.

Did you know?

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 now over 77,902 hits!

What they got!

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

252A Bain Avenue

252A Bain Avenue – Riverdale
Asking Price: $669,900.
Selling Price: $669,909

23 Harcourt Avenue

23 Harcourt Avenue – Riverdale
Asking Price: $559,000
Selling Price: $552,000

19 Fairmar Avenue

19 Fairmar Avenue - Sunnylea
Asking Price: $799,900.
Selling Price: $788,000

447 Glenlake Avenue

447 Glenlake Avenue – High Park/Bloor West Village
Asking Price: $969,900
Selling Price: $1,150,000

22 Southport Street #431

22 Southport Street #431 – Swansea Village
Asking Price: $279,000
Selling Price: $270,000

1101 Leslie Street #1608

1101 Leslie Street #1608 – Don Mills
Asking Price: $319,000
Selling Price: $317,500

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 Steph at:

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!
 

Buyer Better Believe It! Editorial by JKT member Jen Palacios

Home Inspections - What do you need to know?

One of the most daunting things about buying a home is wondering if it's a 'good' home! How do you know? One way of feeling more comfortable about your purchase is to have a home inspection done.
The best part is that, with a home inspection, you don't need to know what you're doing … it's your Home Inspector that needs to know what they're doing!

Inspector Checking by Sean Murphy

Home inspections began as a consumer service in the early 1970's due to the growing demand by home buyers. It soon became apparent that selecting a good home inspection was almost as important as finding the right home. So, the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors was formed, followed shortly after by the provincial governing body, The Ontario Association of Home Inspectors. When choosing a home inspector, you want them to be a Registered Home Inspector. Feel free to question them about their insurance policies and if a problem arises after buying.

A good home inspector will perform a thorough professional home inspection of the major systems and components of the house. This includes inspection of the structure, electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling, roof and chimney, interior, exterior, insulation, and ventilation, lot grading, and basement humidity. The home inspector only does a visual inspection. They will remove plate covers to see wiring, remove the cover on the furnace to inspect the furnace, and remove the cover of the electrical panel to see how the circuits are connected. They are not allowed to damage anything in the home during the inspection. Home Inspectors have various tools that they use to check-up on your potential new home such as moisture meters to determine moisture readings in the basement. It is best to have specialist inspectors for specific issues of concerns for individual properties, such as termites.

One of the best things about a home inspection is the ability to ask them questions about your potential new home. It's a lot to take in, so a good home inspector will go through the house with you, provide an information booklet, and be available to contact afterwards in case you think of questions after you leave the house. Each inspection can take between 2.5-4 hours.

Naturally, the Julie Kinnear Team is happy to refer you to a number of home inspectors that we know and trust.

The bottom line: There are no dumb questions - especially when asking a home inspector!

Here is a brief 2 minute run-through of why it is important to get a home inspection: http://youtu.be/-Dt6tVjpZkg

Next topic: What's the deal with Knob and Tube wiring?

Mortgage rates – Courtesy of Carrie Davidson AMP, Dominion Lending
www.carriedavidson.com Phone: 416-693-6946 Fax: 416-693-4103

  CURRENT VARIABLE RATE IS 3.00%
CURRENT PRIME RATE IS 3.00%

Some conditions may apply. Rates subject to change without notice. *O.A.C. E. & O.E.

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

"Holly made house hunting educational and fun. Her enthusiasm for real estate is contagious! She was referred to us by my sister. My wife and I had a good feeling about Holly after our first meeting."
Tim peterson"
 

The JKT – A few of our Favourite things:

Jen

• Habitat for Humanity - we helped build a wall. Julie and I cut out the windows using a circular saw - very exciting. It feels good to do the work for an excellent cause!
• My bird feeder - I have been attracting a ton of birds with my feeder. There is something relaxing and mesmerizing about watching birds flit about.

Holly

• Big Daddy's video in the Junction. Cool vibe. Amazing selection of independent and foreign films.
• Potato leek soup from "Opera" the little restaurant near our office.

Stephanie

• My Birthday month! Happy Birthday to all my fellow Pisceans, which include 3 of my best friends, my aunt, my sister and my brother
• My Toronto Library Card - Since getting a library card, it has opened up my reading to so many new genres. I have read 2 books in the Murder Mystery genre by new author John Verdon that were amazing. Think of a Number and Shut your Eyes Tight. I have also picked up Biographies that I would never have thought to purchase!

Claire

• The Firm! I love that new TV series :)

Julie 

• The resurgence of Roncy - the construction was painful on Roncesvalles, but the pleasure is worth it. Love the recent additions to the growing foodie empire such as the Nova Scotia inspired Hopgood's Foodliner and Ace.
• High park off - leash area, Sunny spring day dogs running families and couples all there. It is great socializing for the furkids!
• Timers on fans - for baths and wherever – saves energy and is so easy to install!

  
  Grenadier Pond by Wikimedia Commons