| Recent Blog Posts by Robert Atkinson | ||
Why Dragons Aren’t Monkeys2012, The Year of the Dragon in Chinese astrology, has been compared to 1992, The Year of the Monkey, and the year when the Toronto condominium market, having famously and disastrously crashed under the combined weight of unrealistic and unreasonable speculative expectation and increasing interest rates, was declared dead by many pundits. The two, like Dragons and Monkeys, could not be more unlike. ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on May 7, 2012
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How many energy upgrades = smaller energy bill?
A new study says home owners won’t see their utility bills drop until they’ve conducted four or more energy upgrades. Here are projects that will give you the greatest bang for your energy buck.
Energy is like saving calories: Small measures add up, until a Thanksgiving pecan pie — or a dazzling holiday light display — wrecks a year’s worth of small though consistent ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on January 4, 2012
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Invest in real estate AND get a tax break, how is this possible?There is a 'secret' out there that many people are not aware of that allows them to invest in income producing real estate and also get tax deductions for up to 6 years!
Instead of putting a monthly amount into RRSP's and then praying that they are wisely invested (mine slid over 34%!) you can put this same money into an investment plan that has you owing a share of a commercial property with solid ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on March 28, 2009
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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
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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
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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
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Why should I pay a Realtor? I can save money and do it myself....With the increase in today's prices the thought of 'giving' a Realtor a percentage of the sale money doesn't seem to make sense. Before a home for $150,000 with a 6% commission rate means real estate fee's are costing the home owner $9,000. Now with home prices more than double that the fee's are $18,000 and there are no increase in work for the realtor so I'm going to go it alone and save ...
Posted by Robert Atkinson
on April 23, 2008
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