Real Estate Toronto Canada

If you are a condo news junkie like me, you probably have been enjoying the past few months because the level of interest in the Toronto condo market appears to be at an all time high. The big boys of Canadian media: The Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and National Post all run stories about the Toronto Condo market just about every single day.

Yesterday Scotiabank released an alarming statement claiming that up to 25% of Toronto condos are empty and that we were in danger of becoming a “Ghost City”. Several of the major media outlets picked up on this juicy quote and ran articles on the subject.

Let’s look a closer look at some of the buzz words and phrases you may have seen used in these articles that are designed to cause a reaction in readers, to generate fear, and ultimately to get more eyeballs looking at their newspapers and websites:

“25% of condo units are sold but sitting vacant…other analysts say the figure may be too low”. Hmmm…One in four condos in Toronto is empty eh? Well, that would certainly explain why it’s so hard to find a rental apartment in this town (vacancy rates consistently around 1%), too many landlords who hate making money! This statement was so ridiculous it was laughable by anyone who has any exposure to the real estate market in Toronto, but this was the crux of these articles and the quote came from a report out of Scotiabank, who were quoting a figure they thought was from CMHC. CMHC denied they ever said that 25% of condos were empty and Scotiabank retracted their statement but the damage was already done and the newspapers were happy because they got their ten thousand clicks they wanted and they had already moved on to the next story.

“This is the ghost city phenomenon.” I like how the writers use quotes like this as if to imply that this is a well-known, widely understood concept and it is something that we’ve all feared would happen and now it finally has. You know, the ghost city phenomenon. Toronto=Chernobyl.

“Shades of Miami at the height of it’s collapsed condo bubble in 2007″. When in doubt, make reference to the mothership of fear-inducing condo bubble prophecy: Miami. Miami is the poster child for the worst case scenario in condo markets. By simply putting the word “Miami” in the article the writer guarantees they will get a reaction from their readers, and newspapers are in the reaction-generating business.

In conclusion, newspaper editors and writers are very smart people and they know what sells and what doesn’t. As a reader and particularly as a real estate investor, you need to learn how to cut through the rhetoric and get the truth on what is really happening in the market.

And now for something completely different: “Canada Housing Bubble Talk Dismissed”.

Questions or comments? Contact me.

If you’ve been living in a high rise condo made of concrete, glass and steel you probably have never had to even think about termites, however when you are buying a house in toronto, there are a few things to know about Termites.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

Termites are actually quite common in the many of Toronto’s best neighbourhoods, but particularly on the east side of the city in areas like Cabbagetown and Riverdale.

Termites can be very destructive as they can damage the structural integrity of your house and this is not covered by home insurance. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a deal breaker if you find out your dream house has had problems with termites in the past.

Treatment for termites from a professional pest control company is often very effective and most come with warranty.

If you are wondering if the home you are thinking about buying is in an active termite area, try calling Aetna Pest Control to ask them if they have done treatments on your street or in your specific house. Aetna is basically the pre-eminent termite control company in the city and they have been in business for almost 40 years. Chances are if your house has ever had a termite problem Aetna will know.

I hope you learned something about house termites today. Check out my website or contact me for more information.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

Hi, it’s Thomas Cook from Toronto’s Real Estate Team at RE/MAX Hallmark and here is our April 2012 Toronto real estate market report.

April’s average sale price again hit an all-time record high and the listing inventory is lower than historic levels.

April MLS sales totalled 10,350 houses and condominiums in all the districts. This sales number was up almost 18% from one year ago and just over 19% above the average for April since the year 2000.

28% of the market sales were condo townhouses and high-rise suites with 2,943 units changing hands during the month.

The April average sale price came in at $517,556 – up 8.4% from one year ago.

East of Yonge and south of Bloor in the C08 downtown TREB district, the condo sales price average stayed flat at $398,672 while west of Yonge in C01 the average increased to $425,604. I’ll give you more condo market details in just a few minutes.

Watch our complete April Toronto Real Estate Market by clicking on the video icon below…

Market Hits New High For Average Sale Price – Year-Over-Year Increase Drops is a post from: Toronto Real Estate | Toronto MLS Listings | Toronto Homes For Sale

This lovely bright, sunny home is located centrally in Mississauga. The Deer Run family neighbourhood features lots of shopping and entertainment facilities, as well as parks, a community recreation centre, and more all nearby. Public transit is almost at your doorstep and you are also minutes away from the 403/410 and the GO station, with easy access to the 401 and the QEW south on Mavis. For shopping, Square One is Ontario’s largest mall, with over 360 stores and services! You can experience a unique blend of leading Canadian and American retailers, 4 major department stores, specialty shops and a variety of dining and entertainment venues.

This is a beautiful family home, very clean and well-kept—a detached brick two-storey with three bedrooms and lots of light. The living room and dining room are open concept, spacious and bright, with gorgeous parquet floors. The living room has a fabulous large west-facing bay window. With its large opening to the hallway, this area also benefits from the sun streaming in through the skylight at the top of the stairs. The foyer has ceramic tile floor and a 2-pc powder room. This home is a great place to entertain but equally nice for comfortable family living.

The eat-in size kitchen is bright with north-east facing windows overlooking the garden. In the eat-in area, large sliding glass doors let in even more light and give a great view of the back yard. Cabinets are plentiful and there is ceramic tile floor and crisp white appliances. The breakfast area off the kitchen is perfect for casual family meals and a great place for the kids to do homework while you cook dinner.

There’s a mullioned sliding glass door walk out to the deck and back garden from the kitchen – great for summertime meals out here. The fully fenced yard has gardens around the perimeter, and throughout the yard and has lovely shrubs and trees for added privacy. This is a large sunny backyard to enjoy and a great place to lounge around in warm weather. The kids and family dog have more than enough room to play on the grass.

Upstairs, you’ll find three nice-size bedrooms, all with gorgeous dark hardwood floors and big bright windows, and the spacious four-piece family bathroom. The master bedroom has a huge closet along one wall with new mirrored doors and two windows overlooking the back yard.

Moving downstairs to the finished basement, you find a terrific space to enjoy with your family. There is a large bright rec room or play area with pot lights and wood fireplace as well as a fourth bedroom (or home office) – all with gorgeous laminate floors.

The laundry room is located down here as well. It’s spacious with added storage space and there is a bonus cold cellar off the rec room. Attached to the home is the single car garage. With the attractive patterned concrete driveway, you get ample parking spaces for the family.

Features include: LOTS of upgrades… new kitchen countertop, sink and faucet 2012, cherry hardwood floors through upstairs and basement laminate floors (2011), high-efficiency FAG furnace + tankless HW heater 2008, central VAC 2012, evestroughs in 2011 and underground sprinkler system. Roof is approx. 10 years old!

Extras include: Fridge, stove, dishwasher, washer, dryer, tankless water heater, sprinkler control system, garage door opener, all electric light fixtures, all window blinds.

You could be in your gorgeous new family home before the start of summer.

Click here to see more photos, information and a video tour of this Toronto real estate listing.

HOT Toronto Real Estate Listing: 4227 White Spruce Crt, Mississauga, Ontario is a post from: Toronto Real Estate | Toronto MLS Listings | Toronto Homes For Sale

Renting your Toronto home out can be a financially rewarding experience.

The Toronto Star recently published a story on a “tenant from hell”, who seemed like an ideal tenant at first – before leaving a string of bounced cheques and very upset landlords in her wake. Because laws in Ontario are more designed to protect the tenant, it’s difficult to get someone evicted when they stop paying rent, and even more difficult to effectively screen a potential tenant for privacy reasons.

Renting out your home for additional income is a very appealing option, but prospective landlords need to be extra cautious when screening potential tenants in order to protect themselves, and their money from costly legal battles.

DON’T let all of the horror stories scare you off, though. It can be a very financially rewarding experience, you just have to get it right the first time!

Click here to read a personal experience of our own when it came to screening tenants, as well as information on how to get a copy of our excellent rental application to avoid making mistakes.

Thinking Of Renting Out Your Home For Extra Income In Toronto? is a post from: Toronto Real Estate | Toronto MLS Listings | Toronto Homes For Sale

Living in a condo by definition means you are used to sharing walls with your neighbours, however when you are buying a house most people still have the image in their head of the stand alone detached house with a big yard and white picket fence. This type of property is completely out of reach for most people shopping for a house in Toronto’s best neighbourhoods, and so the great debate rages on: do you go with a semi and get more house, or do you go with a detached house and get less?

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

Detached housing is sort of like the Holy Grail of Toronto Real Estate. Everyone seeks after it, very few find it in their price range, and any new housing that has been built in the city in the last decade is almost exclusively attached housing.

Given the choice, no one would choose to share a wall with another person or family, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying and living in an attached property, even if your budget is $1M or more.

If you are looking at buying a semi or a row house, try asking the neighbours on the street how the houses are when it comes to noise transfer. Before you buy the house, try visiting at different times of the day and listen carefully to see if you can hear anything from the other side of the wall.

Being attached on one or both sides certainly has some advantages, like a major savings in energy consumption, however, there are certainly some potential issues too.

One of my clients who owns a row house downtown recently had a very expensive repair because squirrels were entering into one of his adjoining neighbours houses and running back and forth in between the floor joists in the ceilings. A problem caused by a hole in the roof of one of his neighbours cost him thousands of dollars.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

The price of parking spots in downtown condos has shot up dramatically over the past few years, and many new buildings have far fewer parking spots than actual units in the building. Parking downtown has become a premium commodity. When you’re selling your condo and buying a house in Toronto, finding a house with parking can be an equally challenging and expensive task.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

Parking spots in Toronto condos are now selling for around $25-50K. When it comes to houses, having a parking spot can add at least that much or more to the cost of your house depending on what neighbourhood you are buying in.

There are several different types of parking you will come across in Toronto houses:

None. Many houses in the core of the city don’t have parking at all.

Mutual Drive. Mutual drive is a very common type of parking in certain areas of the city like East York and The Beaches. Mutual drive is when 2 neighbouring houses share 1 common driveway and a parking pad or garage is located on each property in the rear of the house.

Private Drive. Private drives are exclusive use of a single property. Private drives are highly sought after, however, they are quite rare on homes in the core of the city under about $1M

Laneway. Laneway parking is common in areas like Cabbagetown, Leslieville and Little Italy. Laneway is a great way to get a good size yard as well as on-site parking.

Front Pad. Front pad parking is when you park on the front lawn of your property. This type of parking is becoming more rare due to recent city by-laws.

Some Expert Tips:

1) Even if you don’t have a car and don’t plan on getting a car, consider buying a house with parking if you can afford it. Having parking will make your house easier to re-sell to someone else when you move in the future.

2) If buying a house with front pad parking, check to see if it is a legal parking pad by looking for one of these plaques. Also call the city to see if the parking permit is transferable to you as the new owner.

Here’s an example of a mutual drive that is not really a mutual drive. As you can see, the distance between these two houses is only about 80 inches. A Honda Accord is about 73 inches wide. Yes, it could technically be used but it is so tight that the average person would likely not be comfortable driving their car up and down this driveway every day.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

It looks like mortgage rates are inching down again, as the monthly jobs report came in lower than expected. The monthly jobs report is without fail the most watched economic report in the financial markets. If employment is rising, this is an indication that the economy as a whole is strengthening, and an increase in jobs means increasing optimism, and spending and becomes a virtuous circle. Over the last six months, there have been signs that not only has the worst of the downturn passed, but that we were starting to build a slow, but steady recovery. So far this year the economy has gained over 800,000 new jobs, much better than where we were at this time last year. But last month’s report was less than expected, and the numbers this month also disappointed. Expectations were for an increase of about 178,000 new jobs, but the real number (for now, there are always adjustments later) came in at 115,000. The big question now is whether the economy has lost steam and we are in danger of slipping back into recession, or if the numbers over the last few months which were so much better than expected were really weather related, and the gains came early because of the unseasonable warmth. In the same release, the unemployment rate dropped from 8.2% to 8.1%. This rate is figured through a different method, and though it sounds like good news, the rate dropped because of less participation in the survey, not more jobs. Mortgage bonds rallied on Friday, and are now back near their lowest levels.

Attention is again focused on Europe as Francois Hollande, a Socialist, won the election for President of France over the weekend. The two dominant economies in Europe have been Germany and France, and up until now they have held together on the policy of austerity as the means to solve Europe’s debt crisis. Many of the smaller and more troubled countries, including Greece and Spain, have been forced to cut spending drastically, which has increased civil unrest. The Socialist position is that the only way to get out of the hole is to spend more and grow their way out, a direct contradiction to the German plan. This plan will have lots of support from those countries in the worst shape, but without a consensus plan, it means more conflict, and a great chance that each country will pull back and work toward their best interests rather than a unified plan for the European Union as a whole. Expect more volatility in the financial markets as a result.

Here are the current Chicago Illinois Home mortgage rates for an A+ (740 Fico or above), full doc single family home purchase or rate/term refinance on a 45 day rate lock, with 0 points, and no origination fee, best FHA rates assume a 640 Fico score, but loans are available with credit scores as low as 580. Mortgage rates in other states may be slightly different, give me a call and I will give you an accurate quote for your particular situation. The conventional and FHA rates are based on the highest conforming loan amounts, which give the best pricing. Again, there are many factors which affect mortgage rates and your ability to be approved for a loan, including credit scores, property type, amount of down payment and a number of other factors. These rates may not fit your situation and this is just a sample of the programs that are out there. If you would like a quote for your personal situation, or to get pre-approved for a mortgage, give me a call or contact me (Illinois mortgage company) and I will take the time to find the rate and program that is best for you:

Conventional loans up to $417,000

For Jumbo loans over $417,000

*(Another option is to break your Jumbo loan into 2 parts a conventional to the limit of $417,000 and a HELOC or fixed second mortgage for the rest. The blended rate is usually much better than a single loan would be.)

** 5-5 ARM is fixed for first 5 years, with 2/6 caps it can’t go more than 2% above the start rate for the next 5 years. 2% cap for next 5 years – so a blended rate over 10 years is no more than 1% over the start rate. Super Jumbos available.

FHA LOANS 3.5% down payment FHA Maximum varies by County

FHA APR reflects 3.5% down payment and the effect of mortgage insurance on the loan. Call for information on no-cost FHA streamlined Refinances

FHA 203K Rehab Loans – Call for Current Quote – FHA 203k Rehab and Renovation loans are now available as 30 year fixed or 5-1 ARMs.

VA Veterans Administration 0 Down Loans

These are just a few of the mortgage programs and mortgage rates available. Which option is best for you depends on your own specific goals and needs. If you have any questions or want to go over your situation in depth, let me know how I can help.

Free Home Buyers Guide

You can trust in us to get the job done.

Peter Thompson 630-479-6424

Illinois Mortgage Rates                   First time home buyer loans

Chicago Mortgage Company            Chicago FHA Mortgages

Just by looking at this cup in my hand you probably know exactly where I’m sitting right now. If you live in a downtown condo, you are probably surrounded by Starbucks coffee shops, however, when you are looking for your first house you may want to pay special attention to where the closest Starbucks is located.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

The Starbucks Factor is a qualitative factor that is remarkably accurate in predicting which neighbourhoods will be the next hot area. Where Starbucks goes, that’s where real estate values are on their way up. The story goes that Starbucks invests massive amounts of money into researching an area before ever opening a store there. Perhaps more than any other retailer, having a Starbucks in your neighbourhood is usually a very good sign.

The key to getting the most out of the Starbucks Factor is to look for neighbourhoods where there is not a Starbucks yet, but where there will likely be one soon. Not an easy task but understanding neighbourhood trends and having a Realtor who can pinpoint the areas where prices are rising more rapidly than the average will help you find these up and coming pockets.

Probably the most famous example of the Starbucks factor was in the West Queen West neighbourhood in 2005 when a Starbucks opened there near the Drake Hotel. For better or worse, the opening of the Starbucks started a gentrification process that has completely transformed the once derelict area. Now if you go to this stretch of Queen West between Ossington and Dufferin you’ll notice several new condo developments under construction representing an influx of thousands of high income home owners into the area.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

The weather in the Greater Toronto Area is finally warming up, making spending a weekend at the cottage an extremely attractive option for many.

If you’re planning on buying or selling a cottage this year, there are several things to take into consideration, as cottage real estate can be different than regular homes in Toronto.

If you plan on buying a cottage soon, make sure you know what additional information you need.

Toronto Real Estate Lawyer Bob Aaron’s latest column offers a great overview of all that potential cottage buyers need to take into consideration, such as:

“The critical need for a land survey is often overlooked. A survey will disclose whether the cottage is built entirely on the owner’s land underneath it, whether there is a shore road allowance, and whether the water frontage has decreased due to erosion or increased as a result of land fill.”

“Making sure the deed describes the entire property the purchaser intends to buy is another big issue. Septic beds, wells and even all or part of the cottage itself may be located on a neighbour’s land due to historical sloppiness in marking property boundaries.”

The entire column can be found here.

It is definitely worth a read if you’re looking into buying or selling cottage real estate!

Cottage Season Is Fast Approaching – Thinking Of Buying A Cottage Near The GTA? is a post from: Toronto Real Estate | Toronto MLS Listings | Toronto Homes For Sale

Are corner lots a good thing or a bad thing? Check out this video for my take on this hotly debated topic.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

Most of my condo clients don’t even know what school district their condo belongs to. However, when it comes time to sell the condo and buy a house, it’s often because a baby is coming and suddenly what school district your home belongs to is VERY important.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

Whether you have kids or not, school district definitely affects the value of a house. The best neighbourhoods of Toronto have the best schools.

How good a school is usually determined by how well the students perform on average. Test scores can be easily viewed online on various websites.

When buying a home in Toronto, always find out what school district the home belongs to and what the school’s test scores are like – even if you don’t have any children or don’t plan on having any children, the school district your potential home belongs to will affect your home’s value now and in the future.

Besides doing research online, talk to the parents on the street of the house you are thinking about buying. Ask them what they think of the school and its reputation.

I’m here at Jackman Avenue Public School near Broadview and Danforth. This school is one of the most coveted public schools in Toronto. Homes in the catchment area routinely fetch a premium of $100K or more. Parents have been known to forge addresses or even buy fakes ones to ensure their children get a spot in this school. Students at the school boast very high test scores, the school has a green roof, a french immersion program, day care, arts programs, community tutoring, and more.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

Yesterday the CBC National did a feature urban living trends in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. For the Toronto segment they were talking about how condos are getting smaller and they featured the notorious Smallest Condo in Toronto which is one of my investment properties. I was also interviewed for the piece and you can watch the whole thing here.

The key questions that came up from the piece were:

1) Is this trend of smaller and smaller condos here to stay or just a trend that will pass? I do believe that this is the way of the future in Toronto, especially downtown but it will eventually be seen in other parts of the city as well. Don’t be surprised if someone eventually builds an entire tower of 250-400 sq ft studios. There is plenty of market demand for this type of product.

2) Have we gotten as small as we can go, or can we get much smaller? I think we still have a ways to go. 200-250 sq feet is actually very attainable given that it is designed for a single person, the layout is good, there is plenty of light from large windows, and the kitchen and bathroom are kept small and efficient.

Questions or comments? Please contact me.

When you bought your condo, you probably did not get a home inspection, however, when buying a house, especially your first house, a home inspection should be a top priority.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

A home inspection typically takes about 3-4 hours, and costs between $300-$500.

There are two main reasons why you should get a home inspection:

First, it can protect you from buying the wrong house. A home inspection most importantly points out the flaws in any house and tells you approximately how much you need to spend to fix them. This can help you avoid a costly mistake.

The second and often overlooked reason for getting a home inspection is that a home inspection is like a crash course in home ownership. Going through the property that will soon be your home with a qualified and professional home inspector is a must-have educational experience about how to care for and maintain a house.

Over the years of helping my clients buy houses, I’ve worked with some great home inspectors and some not so great home inspectors. How do you know who is a good home inspector?

1) the more experienced the better
2) ask around and get someone who is highly recommended
3) while not necessary to be a good inspector, I’ve found that those inspectors who are also professional engineers tend to be the most knowledgeable and thorough.

What often separates the good inspectors from the not so good is a willingness to go the extra mile. Many inspectors will find excuses to not inspect certain aspects of a house, but the best ones will do whatever it takes to get the job done. For example, one client recently purchased a house that was a particularly tall house. The inspector wanted to inspect the roof but his ladder did not reach. This inspector voluntarily offered to go to home depot and rent a longer ladder on his own time to go up and inspect to roof! My clients were very impressed!

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

Unlike a condo, the curb appeal of a house can dramatically affect its value.

This is one of several videos in my series about “How to Sell Your Condo and Buy a House“. Check out my Youtube Channel for the entire series.

A house with a good curb appeal will attract a lot of interest from buyers. Afterall, a buyer’s first impression of a house is usually made before they ever enter the property. Everyone likes a pretty house, but when buying a house it’s important to always look past the appearance to the details.

For a great buy, look for a renovated house with bad curb appeal. This type of house is often overlooked by buyers and can sometimes be a good way to find a bargain in a competitive market. A significant increase in curb appeal can often be achieved with minimal cost. A fresh coat of paint, some new plants, new lighting, and some basic landscaping call all be done for a few hundred dollars but the added value can be worth thousands.

I wanted to show you this house which is right across the street from Monarch Park here on the Danforth. This house has great curb appeal. Notice the attention to detail on the porch, the fresh colours and tones, the cedar shake siding, sleek black roof, and the beautiful landscaping and stone work. This is a house that anyone would love to come home to and one that if it were on the market, would generate top dollars.

If you are thinking about selling your condo and buying a house this year, I’d love to help. For more information contact me.

88 Scott is the latest new condo from Concert Properties, located right in between the St Lawrence Market neighbourhood and the financial district. Fill out the form below to receive floor plans and pricing and your chance to buy a suite before the public launch.

Concert Properties is no stranger to this area, having brought The Berczy to market just south east of here about 2 years ago. At the time, Concert was brand new to the Toronto market, although they are well-known in Vancouver. Today the Berczy is totally sold out and there is a waiting list of buyers looking to buy units from the original purchasers in that building, and Concert is also working away at a large rental building (brand new) at Dundas and Bay.

88 Scott looks to be a classic, Big City, New York, ‘Grown-up’ sort of skyscraper. A welcome change from the Toronto trend of doing everything as modern and trendy as possible, 88 Scott I feel will bring a more classic elegance sort of feel to the downtown. When you look at a building like this, it’s hard not to like it. A mix of pre-cast with floor-to-ceiling glass, and plenty of unique features like terraced suites at various levels and various sides of the building, and of course the limestone and granite base of the building. All this creates an architecturally interesting structure.

The location straddles perfectly the hustle and bustle of the financial district and Yonge street with the immensely popular St Lawrence Market neighbourhood which is enjoying a sort of renaissance of late, especially with more established and down-sizing type buyers.

The building is clearly aimed much more at the end-user buyer than the investor buyer, which is one reason why a lot of savvy investors are buying into the building right now! There are many unique and one-of-a-kind floor plans, as well as many larger suites which are really meant to be homes for those who love the city life.

For all the details on 88 Scott and your opportunity to purchase a suite, fill out the form below.

The daughter of a friend of mine is in her first year at college. She’s living in a dorm room, but she and her parents are already talking about her living arrangements for next year, when she will most likely move into an apartment.

Checking out potential tenants online can get you into trouble.

As with probably most college-aged kids, the young lady has a Facebook account. Recently, her mother told me, she began deleting some posts and pictures from her account and sharing less information. She had done the same thing a year ago, when she was applying to colleges – worried that schools are paying close attention to applicants’ social media presence – and now she’s concerned that content on her page might hurt her chances with respect to securing an apartment lease next year.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time I heard of this concern recently. There was an article I saw online about a woman with good income and credit and stellar record as a tenant who was turned down for an apartment. She was pretty sure the landlord had looked at her Facebook page, where people can see that she is a political activist and practices Buddhism.
Those things aren’t the same as my friend’s daughter’s concerns over pictures of college parties or foul language on her page, but the idea is the same. In a society in which it’s estimated that nearly 20 percent of companies research job applicants on social media sites, you can bet that landlords and property managers are checking out prospective tenants online, too.
If you’re a tenant, that might be bad. For example, you might not want to reveal via your social media pages that you have seven cats. You probably don’t want pictures up that show loud, wild parties going on. You shouldn’t list “How to Make Pipe Bombs in Your Kitchen,” among your favorite books.
The flip side of the situation, however, is that landlords cannot discriminate against prospective tenants. And social media sites that might reveal religious or political views, as well as things such as race are being looked at by landlords, but if they are basing decisions not to rent to tenants based on any of those criteria, they are breaking the law.
The problem is, you’d have a tough time proving it. You’d have to have proof that the landlord saw your social media page, as well as proof that what he or she found on the page was the reason you were discriminated against.
Of course, the best way to avoid the situation entirely is to be aware that landlords look online as part of their research, so don’t post things you wouldn’t want any potential landlords – or employers, loan officers, schools, etc. – to see.
And what about the landlords and social media? Well, although it seems really tempting to use social media sites as ways to investigate an applicant, it’s probably better that you don’t.
As you know, there are things you can and can’t ask on housing application. You can determine not to rent to someone based on their credit history, income, criminal past, etc., but, as it says above, you can’t turn someone down because of their race, religious beliefs, gender, disabilities, etc. Questions about those things are, of course, left off rental applications.
But the answers to those questions might very obviously show up on Facebook. And what might happen if you go to an applicant’s social media page and see their race, religion, political views or even sexual orientation? Those are not things you ask in an application, but in viewing the page, you just made that information available to yourself. As it says above, a turned-down tenant would have a difficult case to prove, but if you get the right lawyer you will at least have a major inconvenience on your hands for a while.
So as tempting as it is to use social media sites to research prospective tenants, it’s probably best if landlords steer clear of them. Whatever you want to know, ask on the application. The rest is better left not knowing.

Landlords and Tenants, Be Careful with Social Media is a post from: Toronto Real Estate | Toronto MLS Listings | Toronto Homes For Sale

109OZ is the latest new project by Reserve Properties. Contact me now for floor plans and pricing by filling out the form below. Reserve is suddenly making some big noise in the Toronto condo scene with several projects launched over the last year or so including the very successful RISE at Bathurst and St Clair and Motif which is just a stone’s throw from where 109oz will be on Ossington as well.

Obviously the title of this blog post is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but Ossington is hands down the hippest ‘hood in the city at the moment in case you haven’t heard. Restaurants and clubs have been popping up like crazy here since around 2008, and now the condos are following. Anyone who lives in the area has seen the area’s massive transformation over a very short period of time from derelict buildings and a plethora of auto-repair garages to bleeding edge galleries and lineups out the door for the city’s best pizza.

I just got back from the 109oz sales centre and it certainly looks like this project will be another success. Motif sold very quickly, and will likely again at 109oz. Standout features include gas cooking,  integrated appliances including microwaves right in the kitchen island, 9′ and 10′ ceilings (10′ on floors 5&6), gas connections on the balconies are standard. Parking is a pretty good price at $35K and available for suites over 660 square feet. Prices are averaging around $572 per square foot for the building at the moment. For all the details on 109OZ and your chance to buy a suite before the public launch, simply complete the form below.

There are starting to be signs that the condo market might be slowing down. I am seeing and hearing accounts of several newly released condo projects not getting near the sales numbers they were anticipating. But how can this be the case when just last month we saw near-record breaking sales happening at MEGA projects like INDX Condos and Massey Tower? Hundreds of units were sold in both projects within days. Now we are seeing top-tier developers launching high profile projects downtown and for some, sales are

I have 3 current theories as to why the pre-construction market might be slowing down right now:

1) There is Too Much Product on the Market. There is no question that several developers are rushing projects to market that they normally would not. Projects are going to market without residential zoning approvals in place, let alone approved planning applications to build hundreds of condo units. They are trying to take advantage of a hot market, but in doing so, they are shooting themselves in the foot because they are causing an over supply of product.

2) The Weather Sucks. It’s almost May and I’m still wearing my wool coat and the seat heater is in the ‘on’ position. It seems simplistic but I can tell you from years of experience ‘on the ground’ in real estate, the weather DOES make a noticeable difference in people’s buying behaviours. When the weather is good, the sun is out and the winter coats are left in the closet, people feel better and they suddenly want to buy! When the weather is cold and wet and damp (like it has been for the past couple weeks) people feel worse and they are not in the ‘buying mood’.

3) The Market Has Peaked.  The red-hot market of 2011 may have had some carry over into 2012, but now we are coming back down to earth as it were. This is certainly a possibility. Time will tell if this is just a blip or if we are in fact entering a different market atmosphere.

A perfect litmus test has just arrived that will give us a very good indication of the market and that is 88 Scott. The project is launching now to Platinum brokers. It bears many similarities with INDX and Massey Tower. All three are 50+ storey MEGA towers within spitting distance of Yonge street and the financial district and all are averaging around $700 per square foot. This tower should be a smashing success and should be 60%+ sold out within a few weeks. If 88 Scott does not sell well I believe that will be the indicator that the market has shifted.

Questions or comments? Contact me or leave your thoughts/opinions below.

I recently read two different articles that focused on time management and maximizing the time we have in our busy lives, and I had to share something that was a major point in both articles.

Schedule in your down time to make the most of it.

One article, on Mashable.com, was about how one very busy entrepreneur manages to be so productive despite a hectic schedule. The entrepreneur is Elon Musk, who owns Tesla Motors and also runs a privatized space program. He splits his workdays between the companies, and he credited strictly keeping to a schedule as a means to get things done more efficiently.
One of the things he does is schedule weekend time for family activities. His schedule includes no work on weekends.
The other article focused on scheduling as a necessity for productivity, too. This article went even a step further than the interview with Musk. It said that not only is scheduling down time – as Musk does – important, but it’s also important to sometimes schedule out what that down time will be.
Think about it. We all schedule things like vacations and weekend get-aways, sometimes following an itinerary down to the last letter. Most of the time, it’s because we want to get the most out of our vacation time.
But how many hours out of the year do we spend on vacation? Most of our down time is NOT spent on vacation. The overwhelming majority of the time we spend away from work is just regular old time off – evenings, weekends, holidays, etc. But aside from a list of to-do’s, perhaps, a day off is usually not planned out, is it?
I think this is probably a mistake. Sure, it’s nice every now and then to have a lazy day, when nothing is planned and we just let the time take us where it takes us. But just like you have things you want to accomplish with your work, you probably have things you want to accomplish outside of work, too. If you use a schedule to get done the work-related things, why wouldn’t you use a schedule to help yourself get done the non-work things?
You hear things from time to time about nobody being on their death bed and regretting not working more. You instead might guess that things such as not traveling enough or not spending enough time reading or doing family activities are the things that come as regrets.
If you want to avoid that, then those things have to go on your schedule. You want to spend more time with your spouse and kids? Well, then pencil in it in. Don’t just assume because you have some down time and they have some down time that you will end up spending quality time together. If that is a goal you want to accomplish, then put it on a schedule.
If you want to read more but find yourself never to getting around to whatever book it is you keep meaning to get to, then schedule it. If you keep meaning to pick that hobby of yours back up but never seem to get around to it, then schedule it. It’s sometimes amazing to think that we all seem to schedule the things we HAVE to do, but most of us don’t schedule the things we WANT to do. We’re slaves to our calendars for so many hours of every day, but when we have time to do what we want, we don’t manage that time as well as we do the time that’s not ours.
Don’t misunderstand; there are plenty of people who try to be better at this. It’s great, for example, if you make it a policy to not check your work email on weekends or ignore your cell phone after 6 p.m. But what are you doing with that time? You’ve made it so that work doesn’t encroach on that time, which means it’s at least somewhat valuable to you, but do you plan it out?
Most people don’t. And what ends up happening is you waste valuable time. Actually, the MOST valuable time if you buy that death-bed notion of not regretting that you didn’t work more. You wouldn’t thing of going through a work week without a calendar and list of tasks to be accomplished, but you trust yourself enough to manage this valuable personal time without those tools.
Maybe the easiest way to do this is to treat regular time off like you would a vacation. Just like you might follow an itinerary on vacation, make and follow an itinerary for, say, your Saturday afternoon. Play a game with your kids from 1 to 1:30. Take a walk from 2 to 3. Get that nap at 3. Planning these sort of things will make it far more likely you will do them, rather than allowing the day to just get away from you.
Also, don’t plan the “have-tos” into the down time schedule. Going to the grocery store or doing yard work might be things you do on a day off, but they are not part of your down time. They are things that must be done, so you’re likely to schedule them anyway. Just schedule them separately from the things you WANT to do, and you will get more out of your down time.
When it comes to schedules, that should be everybody’s goal!

Schedule Everything, Even Your Down Time is a post from: Toronto Real Estate | Toronto MLS Listings | Toronto Homes For Sale