Congratulations to all who participated in one of the various run/walks held this past weekend- the Weekend Walk to End Cancer, Terry Fox, etc. I participated in the latter. I walked in the first Terry Fox Run, 29 years ago, at the UBC Woodlot. We were living in Vancouver at the time of Terry's historic journey and so felt quite connected to it. Because of other Sunday morning commitments, I hadn't participated in another until yesterday.
The 10 km. walk through the Sunnybrook valley park system wasn't too hard, quite pleasant really. I did enjoy the free massage at the end though- only a five minute massage but by two people and so effectively 10 minutes! The majority of the participants walked rather than ran.
I learned that funds raised by such walks has had quite an effect on improvement in cancer treatment. At the time of Terry's death, the survivorship rate from his form of cancer was only about 15%. Today it is 75%.
It was a morning well-spent. Thank you to all of the organizers and many volunteers who made it possible.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
First Week Back- A Busy Real Estate Market
You really notice a difference the first week back after Labour Day. With the kids back to school and everyone back from the cottage, the city is much busier. Traffic volumes, and so commuting times, return to their pre-summer levels. the benefits of living in the central city, with a short commute to work, become more obvious.
We are finding things busier at the office too with the client rooms being used more. We are receiving a lot of calls on our new listings. As will be reported in our article on the back page of the October North Toronto Post magazine, the real estate market was hot this past summer even though the weather wasn’t. In August, sales through the Toronto Real Estate Board were up 27% over last year. In July, they were up 28% over 2008. We expect this busy market to continue this autumn.
Why has the market been so hot? Primarily because of today’s low mortgage rates. As the economy moves into a recovery period, it is likely that interest rates will increase. Buyers want to acquire their home now while they can still tie into a low mortgage rate.
As a result of all this buying, there has been a significant decline in the number of active listings. Prices have moved up somewhat. If you are a potential seller, this autumn would be a great time to take advantage of the opportunity to put your house or condo on the market. Our neighbourhoods look glorious at this time of year too with the turning of the leaves.
If you are a potential buyer, now is the time to contact a realtor® to help you find your home before mortgage rates go up. It is also nice to be into your new homes before winter sets in. A realtor® can help by bringing good properties to your attention early. Many listings have multiple offers. A realtor® can guide you through this process.
Considering buying or selling? Please contact one of the sales team here at the Royal LePage Bayview Branch.
We are finding things busier at the office too with the client rooms being used more. We are receiving a lot of calls on our new listings. As will be reported in our article on the back page of the October North Toronto Post magazine, the real estate market was hot this past summer even though the weather wasn’t. In August, sales through the Toronto Real Estate Board were up 27% over last year. In July, they were up 28% over 2008. We expect this busy market to continue this autumn.
Why has the market been so hot? Primarily because of today’s low mortgage rates. As the economy moves into a recovery period, it is likely that interest rates will increase. Buyers want to acquire their home now while they can still tie into a low mortgage rate.
As a result of all this buying, there has been a significant decline in the number of active listings. Prices have moved up somewhat. If you are a potential seller, this autumn would be a great time to take advantage of the opportunity to put your house or condo on the market. Our neighbourhoods look glorious at this time of year too with the turning of the leaves.
If you are a potential buyer, now is the time to contact a realtor® to help you find your home before mortgage rates go up. It is also nice to be into your new homes before winter sets in. A realtor® can help by bringing good properties to your attention early. Many listings have multiple offers. A realtor® can guide you through this process.
Considering buying or selling? Please contact one of the sales team here at the Royal LePage Bayview Branch.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
15 Reasons to Go Back to Work
Labour day weekend is still to come but with September 1, the fall market is upon us.
The September issue of the Globe's Report on Business (ROB) magazine had a great article entitled 15 reasons to be back to work (and be happy about it). While the article is directed at Bay Street types, it had a few reasons that apply to realtors as well.
1. There is money to be made. The real estate market generally picks up in the fall with buyers, sellers, and realtors returning from summer vacations. There is also some "nesting" that goes on as we prepare for the long winter.
2. Because ski season is only 13 weeks away. The fall real estate season can be short and so now is the time to get busy.
3. You're getting a new suit. Nothing makes you feel more like getting out and doing some deals than wearing a new set of clothes. Apparently you can get Brooks Brother's suits in Toronto now but you don't have to go that high end (they cost about $1300). I heard a story recently about two guys showing up at an event wearing the same suit (or same-looking suit anyway). One fellow said to the other, "who is you tailor?", to which the other gentleman replied "Tip Top". One fellow had paid considerably more for his suit than the other.
4. Finally, you don't have to "tweet" after all. While social networking is becoming an important part of marketing in real estate, the ROB article reports that more than 1/3 of the people who sign up for Twitter bail after their first message. You can follow our CEO Phil Soper at http://twitter.com/PhilSoper.
The September issue of the Globe's Report on Business (ROB) magazine had a great article entitled 15 reasons to be back to work (and be happy about it). While the article is directed at Bay Street types, it had a few reasons that apply to realtors as well.
1. There is money to be made. The real estate market generally picks up in the fall with buyers, sellers, and realtors returning from summer vacations. There is also some "nesting" that goes on as we prepare for the long winter.
2. Because ski season is only 13 weeks away. The fall real estate season can be short and so now is the time to get busy.
3. You're getting a new suit. Nothing makes you feel more like getting out and doing some deals than wearing a new set of clothes. Apparently you can get Brooks Brother's suits in Toronto now but you don't have to go that high end (they cost about $1300). I heard a story recently about two guys showing up at an event wearing the same suit (or same-looking suit anyway). One fellow said to the other, "who is you tailor?", to which the other gentleman replied "Tip Top". One fellow had paid considerably more for his suit than the other.
4. Finally, you don't have to "tweet" after all. While social networking is becoming an important part of marketing in real estate, the ROB article reports that more than 1/3 of the people who sign up for Twitter bail after their first message. You can follow our CEO Phil Soper at http://twitter.com/PhilSoper.
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