realtyreport Compliments of Danny Brown ® Market Connections Inc.® Mid-Year Housing Checkup We’re halfway through 2013 – a great time to have a look at the year so far, as well as what’s still to come! Danny Brown Real Estate Agent Market Connections Inc.® 94 Scarsdale Road Toronto, ON M3B 2R7 Tel: (800) 387-6058 Fax: (800) 800-7093 dbrown@marketconnections.com Greetings! You’re receiving this newsletter with hopes that you find it informative and entertaining. If you’re thinking of making a move, or are just curious as to real estate trends in your area, please feel free to call at any time. It’s always good to hear from you! All the best, Danny Brown Gregory Klump, Chief Economist for the Canadian Real Estate Association, notes, “Mortgage rules are expected to remain as they are, so sales should be less volatile than they have been in recent years.” Klump adds, “Interest rates are also expected to remain low as the economy grows and adds jobs, which is supportive for the resale housing market.” As far as new building activity, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) expects that a moderation in economic fundamentals will lead to an overall decrease in multi-family starts this year. Next year, however, the CMHC forecasts a slight increase in multifamily starts. Multi-family starts are expected to range between 103,800 and 116,200 units in 2013, and between 99,500 and 125,100 units in 2014. – next year’s optimistic forecast reflects the expectation of increased housing demand as a result of improving economic conditions, relatively low vacancy rates for rental condominiums and a strong net migration in 2014. Thinking about moving this year or next? Interested in the forecast for condominium movement in your own area, or in the area you’d like to live? Please call today for a noobligation update! While some of this year’s decline in building requirements is blamed on lower population growth among the 25 to 34-year-old market – first-time homebuyers who would find condos a less expensive form of homeownership than a house CNC Volume 9, Issue 6 Off the Wall Ideas Your home’s walls are its biggest canvas. While paint and wallpaper are the most common ways to decorate them, they’re not the most creative options. Below are five ways to liven up your walls that go beyond merely painting or wallpapering them. Stick To It Wall decals aren’t what they used to be: made of resilient materials like vinyl, today’s decals are just as easy to remove as they are to apply, so you can effortlessly change them when you get bored and take them with you when you move. Available in a range of sizes and prices, and a huge variety of colors, designs, and themes, from animals and cartoons to words and abstract designs, decals are just as suitable for your stylish, sophisticated living room as they are for children’s rooms. Material Issue With its variety of colors, patterns, and textures, fabric is a versatile tool for dressing up walls, especially damaged ones. It’s like commitment-free wallpaper: use liquid starch to apply fabric to your walls just as you would wallpaper; to remove it, just dampen and peel. Or hang fabric panels on your wall as you would over your windows, whether in pleats, shirred, or flat across the wall; this technique is best used for one accent wall and makes it easy to change the look when you tire of it. Shelve It Available in a huge selection of colors, materials, shapes, and sizes, floating shelves lend movement and dimension to walls. What’s more, they’re functional, providing added storage and display space, which no one ever seems to have enough of. Plus, you can always easily change what’s 2 on your shelves to create a fresh look. But when you get really creative in your choice and placement of shelves (by grouping together cube shelves of varying sizes or color, for example) it’s the shelving itself that becomes the decorative element. High Profile Molding isn’t just for the space where floors and ceilings meet walls; like shelving, it’s a great way to add dimension to walls themselves, and is versatile given its variety of sizes and profiles. Use it to create raised panels for a formal look evocative of Colonial homes; to create a latticework pattern of flat trim; to frame artwork, collections, mirrors, or architectural features like windows or built-in shelves; combine it with beadboard for a Cape Cod look; or even to make floor-to-ceiling or wall-width stripes. On a Roll Wallpaper has competition from a new trend: tape. You can get just as creative with wall tape, given the variety of colors, widths, and patterns available. It’s cheaper and easier to remove too. Your best bet is probably Japanese masking (or “washi”) tape, which is made of rice paper, but you can also use regular masking tape, electrical tape, and gaffer’s tape. Make stripes, a diamond pattern, or wall art (abstract or otherwise) on your walls. Craft and art-supply stores carry decorative tape, but you’ll find the greatest selection online. Still Searching? Time Management Time wasters are a common complaint amongst Are you looking to move but your search for a new homeowners who sell their own properties. Here’s home is taking longer than you’d like? Below are why real estate sales representatives are a seller’s a few factors that might be holding you back from best line of defense against tire kickers and finding and purchasing your next home unqualified buyers.   FSBO (For Sale By Owner) seller has to field every A phone call personally and even deal with would-be buyers showing up at their door unannounced. When you have representation, you have a buffer between you and prospective buyers, someone to filter all those initial inquiries that lead nowhere and bring you only those that have potential to become a sale.     our real estate representative pre-screens buyers to Y ensure that in addition to being interested in your home, they can actually afford to buy it. By finding out whether buyers have their own homes to sell and have obtained pre-approval for mortgage financing, your rep weeds out unqualified buyers, allowing you to focus on those buyers who are able, not merely willing. y marketing your home through the Multiple Listing B Service® (MLS®), your rep exposes it to a network of other real estate professionals who are looking for properties to present to their clients – clients they’ve ensured are serious, qualified buyers. This is one more way in which having a representative means sellers are exposed to fewer time wasters and more promising prospects. F SBO sellers have to host their own open houses and showings – which tend to bring out nosy neighbors and lookie-loos. As a seller with representation, you don’t have to deal with time wasters at open houses or handle buyers’ questions at showings – that’s your rep’s job. You don’t even have to be there. In fact, it’s better if you’re not. Volume 9, Issue 6   n inability to see past cosmetic flaws. Gaudy A wallpaper, stained carpets, outdated fixtures, and sloppy paintjobs are off-putting, but if you can’t look past such superficial, easily remedied problems, you may well end up passing over properties that meet your needs as far as the important things such as “bone structure,” size, layout, location, and price are concerned. nrealistic expectations. Are you waiting for “the U perfect home” to come along? Are you wasting time looking at homes that are beyond reach of your budget? If so, it’s time to reevaluate your list of needs, wants, and deal breakers, and, if you haven’t already, talk to a mortgage consultant about what you can afford and get pre-qualified for financing. Indecisiveness. There are a few reasons you may be suffering from analysis paralysis: fear of experiencing buyer’s remorse, always thinking there’s a better home just around the corner, or holding out for a better deal. Of course you don’t want to rush into buying a home before you’re ready, but there comes a point when you have to pull the trigger. ou’re trying to do it all yourself. You can spend Y endless hours combing through classifieds and clicking your way across the Web, but a professional real estate representative is the best way to narrow your search and find the right home for you more quickly, by presenting you with only those properties (even ones not actively being advertised) that meet your criteria. 3 Summer Shish Kebabs Meat/Seafood: eef b pork  chicken  lamb s ausages shrimp  scallops  any firm fish     Vegetables/Fruit: r ed or white onions bell peppers  mushrooms  zucchini  cherry tomatoes asparagus butternut squash  pineapple chunks  2" wedges corn-onthe-cob     Easy All-Purpose Marinade: 1. In a large Ziploc bag, mix: ¼ c. olive oil, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. dried oregano. Terminology Tip Assumable Mortgage — An assumable mortgage is one that can be assumed (taken over) by the buyer of a property when that property is sold. Usually, the borrower must 2. A dd your choice of coarsely-chopped foods from the list above, mix well with marinade and refrigerate for at least an hour. apply and qualify for the mortgage in order 3. R emove from fridge, assemble skewers, barbeque and enjoy! seller’s loan obligation and is responsible for to assume the loan. If the lender approves the borrower, the buyer then takes over the making mortgage payments on the property at the seller’s existing mortgage rate and terms. The information and opinions contained in this newsletter are obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but their accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The publishers assume no responsibility for errors and omissions or for any damages resulting from the use of the published information. This newsletter is provided with the understanding that it does not render legal, accounting, or other professional advice. Not intended to solicit properties or businesses listed for sale and agency agreements in place with other real estate brokers. Whole or partial reproduction of this newsletter is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. © Market Connections Inc.® 2013, Phone: (800) 387-6058. Compliments of Danny Brown 4 Market Connections Inc.® Sold Sold listed listed Listed & Sold for Record Price! Sold for 100% of Asking Price! $895,000 Yonge & Sheppard $1,250,000 Exclusive Forest Hill