Painted Brick

To paint exposed brick or not to paint exposed brick? That is the question today! Although I'm a lover of the oh naturale look, sometimes exposed interior brick is ugly that you have no choice, but to paint. Check out my guest post on one of Toronto's top lifestyle blogs Eat.Live.Shop to debate this further, just click here.

Would you ever paint exposed brick after seeing my inspirations?

Mid Month Market Watch

I just realized it's the end of the month and I haven't discussed the real estate numbers during the first 14 days of July 2012. I guess time just got away with me and this month blew by really fast, which means summer is almost over :( On the bright side, the numbers are positive (despite of what the media is saying) so lets take a look at them...

• 3,679 sales reported through the MLS during the first 14 days of July 2012, a 5.6% increase when compared to July 2011
• Average selling price in the GTA is...$473,466, up 2.3% when compared to the same time last year
• Average selling price in the 416 area is...$496,645, up 3.5% when compared to the first 14 days of July 2011

Notable News:

• Price growth was strongest in the City of Toronto
• New listings were up 14.4% over the same time frame
• Housing demand strong in the regions surrounding the City of Toronto

 Although new listings were up when compared to last year, I still believe that the reason why price growth was the strongest in the City of Toronto is due to a lack of listings in the low rise single family home sector, in downtown Toronto. Recently when I've been doing searches for clients in neighbourhoods just north of Bloor heading south, it's slim pickings! There is still a shortage of good quality listings out there, making it a good time to sell while most potential Fall sellers are on vacation. On average homes sold for 98% of list price during the first 14 days of July and took on average of 25 days to sell, these are all positive numbers! What summer slow down you say? Also keep in mind that these numbers are being compared to last year, which was a record year for real estate in general.

Now, let's discuss all the attention that the surrounding regions have been getting. To start off with the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto is not for everyone. For a growing family that's looking for a lot more space and something easier on the pocket book, may look outside of Toronto to get more bang for their buck. Also buyers are more reluctant to purchase in Toronto due to the extra costs associated with the Toronto Land Transfer Tax and sellers are hesitant to list, especially if they want to stay in Toronto. A lot more sellers are choosing to stay and renovate and who can blame them?

All these factors help to paint a true picture of what's going on in the Toronto real estate market and help explain the reasoning behind the numbers that are being reported by TREB. Jason Mercer, Senior Manager of Market Analysis at TREB is predicting a better supplied market causing a slower annual rate of price growth for the second half of 2012. Will this actually come into fruition or are we just gearing up for a really strong Fall market? I guess only time will tell and you bet I'll have my 2 cents on it.

What do you think?

Sneak Peek Fridays

Here it is again, your list of open houses happening this weekend in the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods. Make sure to check back here every Friday for the "list".

For more information on any of these homes, shoot me an email (oleksaka@gmail.com) and I will be more then happy to send you the complete listing and answer any questions you may have.

Also if you would like neighbourhood stats emailed to you on a monthly basis for the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods, please go to http://www.torontoweststats.com/ to get yourself on the list!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Saturday July 28, 2012:

40 Westmoreland Ave  3 $ 849,900
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2401760

562 Indian Rd $799,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls# W2426337

23 Kenneth Ave $779,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls# W2424493

172 Indian Rd $759,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls# W2387020

315 Concord Ave $699,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
 Mls# W2425675

371 Wallace Ave  26 $ 525,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2393761

67 Campbell Ave $524,900
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#W2425515

Sunday July 29, 2012:

40 Westmoreland Ave  3 $ 849,900
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2401760

562 Indian Rd $799,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls# W2426337

23 Kenneth Ave $779,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls# W2424493

315 Concord Ave $699,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
 Mls# W2425675

371 Wallace Ave  26 $ 525,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2393761

67 Campbell Ave $524,900
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#W2425515

Want to know what else is happening in the Junction Triangle neighbourhood this weekend? Then check out my neighbourhood news, just click here.

Happy house hunting!

Neighbourhood News: Junction Triangle

Are you around this weekend and don't know what to do in the Junction Triangle? Well here's what's happening in your neighbourhood...

Junction Farmers Market

• runs every Saturday morning through the summer to early fall
• June 2-October 13, 2012
• 8:30am-12:30pm
• Located in the Green P parking lot at Dundas Ave and Pacific
• fresh local food

Campbell Park Saturday Supper

• located in Campbell Park
• 5pm-7pm
• with camp fire
• suggested donation is $5 for dinner and $2 for dessert, drinks $0.50-$1
• vegan friendly
• on the menu tonight: vegetable vegan stew or rancher's pie with beef, salad, millet
• dessert: fruit pies with blackberries (vegan and gluten free)

Looking for a new brunch spot? Then check out.....the Farmhouse Tavern, a welcomed addition to the neighbourhood. All their ingredients are fresh and local, menu is written chalkboard style and changes depending what's in season. It's located at 1627 Dupont St. They have a great patio and FREE Wifi! If you want more information, then follow the Farmhouse on twitter @Farmhousetavern Make sure to also check them out for dinner, their hours of operation are as follows:

• Thursday-Friday 6pm-12am
• Saturday-Sunday 11am-12am

My brunch from last weekend, it was so yummy!

Make a note in your calendar for these upcoming events...

• Really, Really FREE market in Campbell Park Saturday August 4, 2012
• Junction Flea Sunday August 12, 2012

Want to check out some houses in the neighbourhood? Then visit my Sneak Peek Fridays for your list of open houses happening this weekend, just click here.

Enjoy your weekend!

Monthly Newsletter: July

This month I'm going to do things a bit differently for the newsletter and will continue to do so from now on. We are going to review the overall real estate numbers for the GTA and then look at the numbers specific to Junction Triangle, Wallace-Emerson and Dovercourt Park, so let's start!

GTA:

• 9,422 home sales reported through the MLS in June 2012, the number of transactions were down by 5.4% when compared to the same time last year
• the year-over-year decline was the largest in the City of Toronto by 13% when compared to June 2011
• Average selling price in the GTA is...$508,622, up 7.3% compared to the same time last year
• Average selling price in the 416 area...$554,077, up 8.3% compared to June 2011

Notable News:

• the numbers don't necessarily mean a drop in home values or a down market, there is still a shortage of single family home listings in downtown Toronto, so even if buyers want to buy, there's not much available to buy, which shows in the number of sales
• The Toronto Land Transfer Tax is still a sore spot with a lot of people, including myself, causing buyers to search and buy outside the GTA
• GTA housing market still remains affordable in the GTA according to the new mortgage lending guidelines
• 35% of the average household income is going towards mortgage, principal, interest, property taxes and utilities of an average priced home, which is below Jim Flaherty's affordability ceiling of 39%

Junction Triangle:

• 5 homes sold in the Junction Triangle during June 2012 
• Average price $500,280
• On average these properties took 17 days to sell and sold at 100% of their listing price

Wallace-Emerson:

• 6 homes sold in Wallace-Emerson during June 2012
• Average price $537,417
• On average these properties took 19 days to sell and sold at 110% of their listing price

Dovercourt Park:

• 7 homes sold in Dovercourt Park during June 2012
• Average price $613,286
• On average these properties took 9 days to sell and sold at 107% of their listing price

Do you live in one of these neighbourhoods and are thinking of selling? I think the numbers speak for themselves whether it's a good time or not. There still are lots of hungry buyers out there waiting for listings and yours could be next, I'd be more then happy to discuss this further with you.

Here's a video from Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager Market Analysis discussing the outlook for the remaining year:



What did you think of the statistics by neighbourhood? Want to know what's happening in your neighbourhood, but don't see yours here? Then get on the list to receive your monthly in depth neighbourhood report. All you have to do to get on the list, is visit http://www.torontoweststats.com/, it's that easy! Until next month...

Cool Homes: Attic Spaces

Attics are usually perceived as dark, dirty, dingy places, but if you're looking for space, it might be a place to consider. Need an extra bathroom, bedroom, office or even kitchen? All you have to do is look up! If done right, it can end up looking very cool, so here are some pictures to inspire you. Would you do something like this in your home? If you have, I would love to see it!

Bedrooms

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Kids Bedrooms

Source: home-designing.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Office

Source: blog.2modern.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Source: scandinavianretreat.blogspot.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Bathroom

Source: myhomeideas.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Source: brabournefarm.blogspot.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Source: stylehouserealty.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Source: img.ffffound.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Chill Out Spot/Living Room

Source: vi.sualize.us via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Source: sfgirlbybay.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Source: iwantiwantiwant.com.au via Aleksandra on Pinterest

Kitchens

If you have a cool space or uniquely decorated place that you would like me to feature, make sure to contact me!

***Images via Dress My Home, I Space Design, Increase Room, Casa Sugar, A Refocused Life, Pinterest & Home-Designing***

Rant...

I normally don't rant on my blog, but today's experience is definitely rant worthy. I'm subbing for an agent from my office, while he's away on vacation and his buyers reached out to me last night wanting to see a property this morning. Since it was after 9pm when I received their email last night and they wanted to see the property at 10:30am today, I called the listing agent last night to give him and his sellers a heads up that I would be booking an appointment with his office this morning. I thought I would be courteous to the sellers by giving them more then an hours notice and also get some information from the listing agent about the property since it's been on the market for almost a month.

Buyer Round Up!

I have gone through all my blog posts and rounded up all the posts that I have done to help buyers. So whether you're a first time buyer or veteran buyer, these posts will be of great help to you and provide you with some tips and tricks. Grab a coffee or maybe an alcoholic beverage and enjoy!

Mortgages:
-Want mortgages simplified before you begin your hunt, then check out my Back To Basics post, just click here
-Need some further education on mortgages and rates, the internet and social media is your best bet find out why, Social Media & Mortgages, just click here
-Not sure about the new mortgage rules, or that there are new rules in place, then check out my post on the New Mortgage Rules, explained, just click here
-Ok, now that you read the new mortgage rules and have some questions, check out the FAQ's, just click here

House or Condo:
-Now that you're pre-approved and understanding mortgages, what do you buy, a house or condo? Check out my guest post on RateHub for some food for thought, just click here

Neighbourhoods:
-next decision to make as a buyer is which neighbourhood to live in, check out my post on the Top 10 Neighbourhoods To Buy In Toronto Now, just click here

Bidding Wars:
-do you and everyone else want to purchase the same property? Then check out my tips and tricks on How To Win A Bidding War, just click here

Closing Costs:
-you've found your dream home and are waiting to close on it, know the full costs of closing up front, by getting the facts, just click here

Renovations:
-thinking of renovating the property you just bought, but don't know where to begin, which renovations will increase your property value and never worked with a contractor? Here are some posts to help get you started

• 5 Renovations That Pay
• 3rd Project, what I've learned so far from my renovations
• Update: Recent Project (scroll to the bottom of the post) key points on the process and design

Hope this round up has been helpful. I will be posting more buyer content in the next couple of weeks, so if there's anything you would like me to discuss, make sure to contact me. Seller round up is in the works!

Another Happy Client

At the end of last week my client closed on his condo and he couldn't be happier! Finding a condo to lease downtown this time of year is already difficult on it's own, but we were also on a huge time crunch. Mark was a referral from a past client and as a Realtor, that is the biggest compliment you can receive and my business survives on referrals. So a big thank you goes out to Ramona and congratulations to Mark, hope you enjoy the new place!

Here's the happy client:




Thanks Mark for the kind words and good luck with the move!

Sneak Peek Fridays

Here it is again, your list of open houses happening this weekend in the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods. Make sure to check back here every Friday for the "list".

For more information on any of these homes, shoot me an email (oleksaka@gmail.com) and I will be more then happy to send you the complete listing and answer any questions you may have.

Also if you would like neighbourhood stats emailed to you on a monthly basis for the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods, please go to http://www.torontoweststats.com/ to get yourself on the list!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Saturday July 21, 2012:

40 Westmoreland Ave  3 $ 849,900
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2401760

96 Bartlett Ave $ 789,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2392057

716 St Clarens Ave $ 599,900
Open house times: 2:30PM – 4:30PM
Mls#: W2393428

371 Wallace Ave  26 $ 525,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2393761

Sunday July 22, 2012:

40 Westmoreland Ave  3 $ 849,900
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2401760

96 Bartlett Ave $ 789,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2392057

716 St Clarens Ave $ 599,900
Open house times: 2:30PM – 4:30PM
Mls#: W2393428

371 Wallace Ave  26 $ 525,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2393761

Happy House Hunting!

House vs. Condo

Before buying a property to live in, you have an important decision to make, do you buy a house or condo? There's no right or wrong answer, it depends on your preference, lifestyle, budget and future plans. Pop over to my guest post at Rate Hub to give you some food for thought before making the big decision, just click here!

What is your preference?

Don't Forget The Curb Appeal!

Christina Thurston from The Staging Group is back again for our staging series. Last time she visited, Christina discussed how to keep your home staged, in case you missed this post, just click here. Today she will be reminding us about our home's curb appeal, which is very important, so take it away Christina.....

Last time I discussed a few tips to help you keep your house staged while potential buyers are viewing your property.  Here is a quick recap:

·         Daily tasks: open all blinds, tuck away any dirty laundry and make sure that there are no dirty dishes in the sink.

·         Every couple of days: general tidy (picking up any odds and ends that may be starting to accumulate).

·         Weekly tasks: dust, sweep and vacuum.

·         When staging with me, I will provide you with many more tips and loads of hints as to how to you can keep the model look! 

So now that the inside of your house is looking picture perfect…..what about the outside?  Curb appeal is the very first thing that potential buyers see.  The exterior photo of your house needs to look great to draw buyers in but this is also the first thing that greets them when they arrive to view your property.  If the outside doesn’t look as good as the inside, the buyers are already walking through the door with negative feelings.  Why set yourself up for an uphill battle to win them over?  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

·         If you have dogs there should absolutely NO evidence of them on your front lawn (if you know what I mean).  Keeping with that thought, if you smoke, there should not be any cigarette butts on your lawn, walkway or entryway.  Please ensure all of this is cleaned.

·         Keep your grass cut/garden free of weeds OR sidewalks/driveway cleared of snow….depending on the time of year of course. J

·         Make sure your welcome mat is clean and not tattered looking.

·         Add some colour by adding flowers to the garden or adding planters to the entryway. 

·         Don’t forget the backyard.  A nice sitting area can be very welcoming and create the feeling of a relaxing little getaway spot.

Most of all, remember, you want buyers at the end of their day to say “do you remember the house with the”…amazing gardens, beautiful hardwood floors, fabulous fireplace, etc.  You do NOT want them referring to your house as the one with the messy kitchen or the one with the awful paint in the family room or any other things that distract them from the great features of the home.

As always, thanks for reading!

Christina Thurston

For more information about what The Staging Group can do for you, please visit them at http://www.thestaginggroup.ca/ or email Christina at christina@thestaginggroup.ca. You can also follow The Staging Group on Twitter @thestaging group and like them on Facebook.

Don't forget Christina is offering a FREE consultation to all my clients, provided that you use her service, how amazing?

In the meantime, do you practice the art of curb appeal at your home? How important is it to YOU? Christina and I would love to hear your feedback!

Overnight Rate Remains Unchanged

Today was the big announcement that us Realtors and mortgage specialists were waiting for, well kind of. Bank Of Canada announced that it was maintaining its overnight rate at 1%, which is something they have been doing for the last 2 years. Although the Canadian economy is doing well when compared to the rest of the world, the report said the global financial conditions, amoung other reasons, have deteriorated since April hence why the overnight rate remains unchanged. The report also indicated that the bank expects the Canadian "economy to grow at a pace roughly in line with it's production potential in the near term, before picking up throughout 2013."

Some key factors...the bank projects the Canadian economy to grow by:

• 2.1% in 2012
• 2.3% in 2013
• 2.5% in 2014

What Does This All Mean and Why Is It Important To Me?
When a bank decides on what kind of mortgage rates to offer it's consumers, it is based on the Bank Of Canada's overnight rate. If the overnight rate is increased and the larger banks pay more interest to settle their accounts, they will need to increase their own interest rates via the prime lending rate, also known as "prime" and their business and consumer rates. This also holds true the other way around and allows banks to offer lower interest rates.

It's important to you because variable rate mortgages are based on prime plus or prime minus. If the overnight rate were to increase so would your variable rate mortgage. Usually if the prime rate is low, lenders offer variable rates at prime plus a percentage. If prime is high, lenders will usually offer variable rates at prime minus a percentage. Our current prime rate sits at 3%.

So make sure to be in the know and follow the announcements if you have a mortgage. The next announcement will be made September 5, 2012 and I will definitely be posting the results here so make sure to follow along.

Fun Facts About Prime:

• Average prime rate in Canada from January 1975 to present...8.28%
• Highest Prime Rate Seen...22.75% on August 12th 1981
• Lowest Prime Rate Seen...2.25% on April 22nd 2009

For more information on mortgages and rates, make sure to visit RateHub.

Sneak Peek Fridays

Here it is again, your list of open houses happening this weekend in the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods. Make sure to check back here every Friday for the "list".

For more information on any of these homes, shoot me an email (oleksaka@gmail.com) and I will be more then happy to send you the complete listing and answer any questions you may have.

Also if you would like neighbourhood stats emailed to you on a monthly basis for the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods, please go to http://www.torontoweststats.com/ to get yourself on the list!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Saturday July 14, 2012:

31  Dorval Rd $ 999,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2415995

40 Westmoreland Ave  3 $ 849,900
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2401760

12 Abbott Ave $ 799,900
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2405923

31 Foundry Ave  21 $ 363,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2416171

Sunday July 15, 2012:

40 Westmoreland Ave  3 $ 849,900
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2401760

12 Abbott Ave $ 799,900
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2405923

31 Foundry Ave  21 $ 363,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2416171

Happy House Hunting!