Here's a story, written by my team member Jennifer Scaife, about a couple who recently entered the Toronto real estate market. Recently, Kassia and Cory were referred to me by a past client. Lively and energetic, they were eager to get going on their quest. We saw properties that challenged their tolerance for ‘fixer-upper’ and others whose state of ill-repair were jaw-dropping! We soldiered on, intent on finding the perfect home in the perfect neighbourhood that was within their first-timers’ budget...
Two weeks ago Bank of Canada raised its prime lending rate 0.25% points. As a result, we're now seeing posted bank rates for five-year mortgages at 4.64%. Experts are predicting the Bank of Canada will raise the prime rate a few more times over the next twelve months. With the average price of a home in Toronto at $730,000, the media reported that this was the beginning of the end for home ownership in this city and that people are now in danger of losing their homes. Not true...
I recently received a call from an agent on one of my listings. On the listing I stated that the seller would consider holding a mortgage for the new buyer. The agent said to me, "You mentioned on the listing that your seller will hold a mortgage. Can you tell me what that means?" I immediately knew that the agent I was speaking to was fairly new...
I listed a detached backsplit home in the Yonge and Sheppard Avenue area not so long ago. It was built in the 1950s and had been in the same family for more than 60 years. We received 16 offers for the home and went through presentation process at my office in the Beaches. Midway through the presentations, one of the agents who had already shown us his offer asked to speak to me. "Mr. Brown, can you please let me know if you are going to accept my client's offer? He is here with me now but has to get on a plane back to China within the next two hours." I told him his offer was lower than several we had already received and sent him away...