| Recent Blog Posts by Robert Atkinson | ||
Why it’s a good time to buy a homeBy Mark Weisleder, Toronto Real Estate Lawyer and columist | Fri Jan 27 2012
I believe there has never been a better time to buy a home. I’ve been in the industry for 28 years as a lawyer and I haven’t seen so many positive signs for housing, whether you are thinking or buying or locking in a mortgage.
Here’s why:
Mortgage rates at historic lows: They can’t ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on February 16, 2012
|
More | |
Strong Sales/Price Growth Continue in 2012Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,567 sales through the TorontoMLS® system in January 2012. This number was 8.8 per cent higher than the 4,199 sales reported in January 2011. Sales growth was strongest for low-rise home types in the regions surrounding the City of Toronto. “A favourable affordability picture bolstered by very low posted fixed mortgage rates has kept home buyers confident ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on February 14, 2012
|
More | |
Canada continues to shine as a place to call home.....
I was following up on a report from Scotia Capital about the world economy and was pleased to see something that matched what we in the industry have been seeing first hand....Canada continues to have a good economy and is a great place to be invested in real estate. Below is a direct quote from the report which I have included a link to further down in my blog.
"Canada’s housing ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on September 28, 2011
|
More | |
Home prices set to plummet!Lately I"ve been asked by friends, family and even people I meet on the street who find out I"m in real estate, "I hear prices are going to drop by 25%. Prices are so high, it's about time."
My general response is the same. Yes, prices might drop by 25%, or they might go up even more! When we look at the information that is causing the prices to go up it really doesn't seem possible ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on August 10, 2011
|
More | |
Sellers market?Toronto Real Estate Board states “The number of listings has been below expectations so far this year. Increased competition between home buyers has led to an accelerating annual rate of price growth,” which has pushed home prices up to a 9% increase over last April, setting the average home price to $477,407. There is an expectation that this new spike in prices will encourage ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on May 7, 2011
|
More | |
Toronto & GTA Continue to be a Desirable Place to LiveThis spring continues the pattern of being a popular time to buy and sell homes. The Toronto Real Estate Board reports9,262 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in March 2011, representing the second best March result on record. The number of transactions was 11 per cent lower than the record result reported in March 2010.
“The strong home sales reported in March and ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on April 5, 2011
|
More | |
Spring MarketIt never stops to amaze me how active the spring market can be. There seems to be a shortage of good homes for sale and as a result home buyers are actively seeking out these homes and are prepared to pay to get them. What seems to be different this year from prior years is that buyers are actually passing over lesser homes and holding out for the ones that are well staged, clean and show ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on March 21, 2011
|
More | |
How was November for Real Estate?Sales were strong in November with 6,510 existing home sales, down 13% from 7,446 sales in November last year. New listings were also down 13%. In a nutshell, people are still buying and selling homes, prices are steady with prices generally increasing however slightly. The GTA continues to be a popular place to live!
On a month-over-month basis, the seasonally adjusted annual rate ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on December 16, 2010
|
More | |
Pricing Your Home - Being overpriced is a bad startIf you're selling your house, one of the first steps you'll take is setting an asking price, a task that requires the ability to find the perfect balance between attracting solid offers and ultimately receiving top dollar.
If you're working with a Realtor, you'll probably hear talk of fair market value, which typically means the highest value an educated buyer will pay. Fair market value is usually ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on October 24, 2010
|
More | |
Is the market hot, cold or what!Last year no one wanted to talk about the market as the focus was on jobs and economy. For those who were looking for a bargain 2009 was the year to sell and buy or just buy. This year, many of the folks who bought last year in the dip sold this year and made a very nice profit, very nice indeed!
This year started off with a bang as many buyers flocked to the market looking for home, ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on June 10, 2010
|
More | |
Boom? Bust? Where's the market going?Economists are predicting the current activity in housing to slow down. This means home prices will stabilize as the demand begings to balance with the availability.
See this attached story from the Toronto Sun.
Last year’s comeback for Canada’s housing market will carry through early 2010 but subdued activity is on the horizon as higher prices and interest rates make property ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on March 26, 2010
|
More | |
Economists predict higher interest rates in fall According to many of Canada’s top economists, higher interest rates – and debt servicing costs – may be just around the corner. Exactly when rates will rise is unclear and depends on who you talk to.
In its latest Financial System Review, The Bank of Canada judges that vulnerability of Canadian households to adverse wealth and income shocks has grown in recent years. “At ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on February 2, 2010
|
More | |
Are prices expected to climb or decline?Everyone is interested in real estate, even if they're not buying or selling. Lately one of the most common questions I get is "Is the market still slow?" I find this really interesting as the market is really quite strong right now!
Most homes are selling within a week and often with multiple offers. There are a number of factors at play as to why this is happening and it's best ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on January 2, 2010
|
More | |
GTA Housing Market Rebound Continues in SeptemberOctober 5, 2009 -- In September 2009, Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 8,196 sales, up 28 per cent from September 2008. The average price for September transactions was $406,877 – up by 10 per cent compared to the same month last year. “We have experienced an increasing rate of existing home price growth in the GTA as sales have continued outpace 2008 results,” said TREB President ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on October 8, 2009
|
More | |
Save money on your taxes while earning incomeMany people get into real estate as a form of wealth protection or generation but find themselves frustrated when faced with issues of being a landlord.
What if I told you of a way to get all the benefits of being a landlord (ownership of real estate, rental income, tax deductions) without the downside (dealing with tenants, finding tenants, getting them to pay, fixing the property).
There is a ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on July 25, 2009
|
More | |
GOVERNMENT REBATE$!!!Anyone thinking of doing upgrades to thier home be sure to check out the link below. Here you can find out what upgrades will get you a rebate and which ones won't.
Not only will you feel good about helping the environment you will also be helping your pocket book by reducing your monthly bills and increasing your homes value in the market place.
Call me to find out what your home is worth ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on June 20, 2009
|
More | |
Budget 2009 - What's in it for me?2009 Budget Highlights
The government has given us a few items to help in our quest to improve our homes. The first one is nice in that you can save up to $1,350 on a wide variety of home improvements15% Home Renovation Tax Credit - Savings of up to $1,350 can be had on the first $10,000 of eligible expenses
The ecoENERGY Retrofit program provides home and property owners with grants of ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on January 29, 2009
|
More | |
Declining market - How to come out aheadEveryone was really excited these past 5 to 7 years as prices were appreciating and getting your home sold was often an experience of multiple offers and short listing periods. It was a sellers market and as a result everyone was selling to realize their gains, great news if you are selling to downsize or to get out of the market. If your home was over priced the market would eventually ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on January 16, 2009
|
More | |
How's the market?The market is being reported as a 'balanced' market where there is a good ratio between the number of buyers and sellers. Prices are coming down and homes are taking longer to sell but, they are selling and a well priced home will sell quickly. On average, homes in N11 are selling in about 45 days and while prices are declining there are definitely NOT sliding (tanking, plummeting, nose-diving ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on January 15, 2009
|
More | |
A Buyers Market is a trading up opportunity??Consider this; you have a home that is currently worth $400,000 and you want to move up to a home that is worth $600,000. You would need $200,000 of extra funds to make this move.
Now, the market begins to move to a buyers market and prices slide 5%, let's re-evaluate our scenario above.
Our $400,000 home now sells for only $380,000 (5% less) and the $600,000 home now sells for $570,000. ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on October 3, 2008
|
More | |
I want to wait until the spring to sell my home....Seems every where we turn there is news from the US of failed banks and economic uncertainty. Many people are 'wanting' to move to a home that is better suited to them but that if they wait until the spring they will be able to get a better price for their home. Now, I'm not a psychic or able to see the future but I do have good common sense and the market indicators are pretty clear.... ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on October 3, 2008
|
More | |
The 40 year mortgage is dead.As of October 15th, 2008 the government of Canada will no longer be guaranteeing 40 year mortgages in an effort to strengthen and protect the Canadian housing market. Some of the rule changes are:
Fixing the maximum amortization period for new government-backed mortgages to 35 years;
Requiring a minimum down payment of five per cent for new government-backed mortgages;
Establishing ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on September 19, 2008
|
More | |
Help for the First Time Home BuyerBeing a first time home buyer is an exciting and somewhat intimidating process. If you scan the Internet you can find a wealth of information and you can spend hours upon hours reading it all. While this will make you a more informed person it may also make you feel more intimidated as there is a lot of risk that needs to be pointed out however, without risk there is no reward. Below ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on April 19, 2008
|
More | |