This one won’t last! Rare soaring 9ft ceilings is the highlight in this 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom suite at The Malibu on Fleet Street.

Enjoy all the elements of a downtown lifestyle and entertaining in 688 sqft of sundrenched living space. This unit features chic dark laminate floors, an open concept living room, dining room and kitchen as well as floor to ceiling windows.  Another great feature is that this unit is tucked away at the end of the hall, ensuring peace and quiet without the disturbance of elevators or garbage rooms.

Fabulous views of the Toronto city line, CN Tower and Lake Ontario with gorgeous sunrises from the East.

Unit includes one premium parking space close to the elevator on parking level 2.

No locker, No problem…as there is plenty of storage in the hallway double closet and both bedrooms.

The Malibu features: Steps to waterfront and parks, TTC at your door, easy Lake Shore and Gardiner Expressway access, 24hr concierge, upgraded gym (2011), indoor pool, party room and roof garden with barbecues.

Included in the unit: Fridge, stove, microwave with hood vent, full size washer/dryer and dishwasher.

Contact me to book a private viewing.

Cheers,

Amy

When was the last time you walked to the airport? Or watched the air show or a fireworks display from your sprawling balcony?  Well now you can do all that and much more!

The Atrium, a 12 year old building situated on the North/West corner of Bathurst and Queens Quay is one of the most unique condos in the area.  The 24 concierge welcomes you into the Atrium foyer with glass elevators and natural light cascading throughout…such a WOW factor!

Amazing unobstructed views of the Toronto Islands, Little Norway Park, and Lake Ontario.

The large 100 sqft glass balcony (25ft x 4ft) gives you ample space for entertaining, urban gardening, or just relaxing and enjoying summer afternoons or pleasant evenings.

Floor –to-ceiling windows surround both the south and west side of the suite.  The bedroom also has its own floor-to-ceiling windows.

Inside the 745 sqft sun filled unit is all brand new dark laminate flooring with ceramic tile in the kitchen, brand new stainless steel fridge and stove and a fresh coat of neutral paint.  There is ample storage in both the hall closet and the open linen closet in the oversized bathroom.

The bedroom features the same dark laminate floors with an open concept closet to create your own stylish and organized closet solution…or keep it open and showcase your beautiful armoire and dresser.

Entertaining is a must in the open concept kitchen/dining/living room and your guests will be blown away with the evening sunsets.

And with the solarium located off the living room, you can craft a tranquil office or den while watching the sunrise or the fog roll in off Lake Ontario.

The Best of Both Worlds! Enjoy the relaxing pastoral views onto the urban forest of Little Norway Park and to Lake Ontario, while being just minutes away from the shopping and dining of King, Queen, and College – or the ACC – or the heart of the financial district.  You’re also just a quick walk to exciting events at Exhibition Place, the Molson Amphitheatre, and the Harbourfront Centre.

Surrounded by three parks – Little Norway Park, Coronation Park, and the spectacular Music Gardens –two yacht clubs (National and Alexandra), and the Marina Quay West.  Perfect for nature lovers, bird watchers, and boating enthusiasts.

A quiet, and well-maintained and managed building.  Boasts professional full-time maintenance staff, 24-hr concierge/security, and full-time cleaning staff.  Completed in 2000, the average unit space is larger than condos being built today.  The building is in excellent financial position with an ample reserve fund.

The building boasts unique roof-top access with a BBQ exclusively for residents.  Enjoy the incredible 360 degree panoramic views of downtown Toronto, Lake Ontario, and the Toronto Islands.  Take in amazing sunrises and sunsets, sunbathe, wow your guests with incredible night-scapes of downtown Toronto, or entertain with a roof-top BBQ party.

Steps away from the Community Centre – offering yoga, Tai Chi, and a host of other recreational activities – and Toronto’s newest library (at Fort York, to be completed 2014).  A number of “outdoor exercise classes” are held in the Park every day during the spring and summer.

As a Real Estate Sales Person working late nights and weekends, it is sometimes hard to wake up earlier than usual to partake in a Wednesday morning meeting…but we do at Queen West Bosley Real Estate!

And it was my turn to host last weeks Mastermind session…my apologies to enthusiasts that my weekly blog took a week to get into your ‘inbox’.  The past two months in the Toronto Real Estate Market have been busy to say the least and the Spring market looks just as strong.

Which leads me into our first topic of last weeks MM meeting.

As an agent working with buyer clients, some days it can feel like you are spinning your wheels.  Showings and inspections, offers, sign backs, home inspections and countless parking tickets!  So when you do finally reach the offer table and find out that your client doesn’t qualify for mortgage financing it can be a tad frustrating…so says one of our star newer agents.  The old term of ”Buyers are Liars” is quite an ugly phrase…what is should state is “Agents Need to be Organized”.  I know it doesn’t have the same ring, so let me explain.

As sales reps and brokers we deal in real estate transactions every day and sometimes forget that this is a NEW experience or less common purchase for the majority of our buyer clients.  Therefore it is OUR responsibility to work, educate and discuss ALL aspects of the real estate process with our clients.  From financing, closing costs, offer process, and all the various scenarios that they might face, it is our duty to explain everything to our clients.

We all agreed that taking more time when you first meet with a buyer client is imperative.  We need to review their Needs/Wants/Wishes as well as where their financing is coming from, are they a first time home buyer and what are land transfer costs associated to both?

In conclusion, we have the knowledge to guide our clients through the process so we need to exercise this.  This element is crucial in being a good agent who is not ‘spinning their wheels’ trying to handle objectives at the tale end of a deal.

Another topic that was brought up by our guest participant, Ann Bosley was “How do we all describe ourselves as a branch?”  Can you believe in a room full of chatty sales people that it became a sea of blank faces…stunned really.  We finally get an opportunity to chat about ourselves and we are at a loss for words, well only for moment when we chime in about how cohesive our group works together.  “Experienced agents helping out newer agents, sharing stories, what works and what doesn’t, various strategies and overall support to all.”

The culture at our office is that of a seedling.  Various agents were planted at 1108 Queen St. 17 months ago and have flourished into a diverse sales force.  We continue to grow and blossom as the team comes together to conquer the downtown real estate market while maintaining a unified brand.

Thank you to all our sales reps, brokers, administration and manager for a successful first year…and to many more!

Cheers,

Amy

Are you thinking about renovating or simply just sprucing up a few things in and around   your house?

Well please invite me to your house before you start blasting down walls and wripping up floors!

Often when I sell a house to a client, I always ask that they invite me back to see the house once they have moved in to brief them on what renovations will give them the best bang for their buck for a possible future sale.

In one of my posts, I mentioned how certain factors can effect that value of your house…is there a garage vs. a carport, has the basement been finished, do you have brand new energy efficient appliances?

When it comes to renovations and improvements to your house, I feel that it is a worthwhile step to invite your real estate agent back to your house to help give ‘suggestions’ on these types of improvements to ensure a good return on your investment.

For example, I sold a client a super cute townhouse in Leslieville 2 years ago who decided she wanted to renovate her kitchen and eventually a couple more areas.  After seeing the house right after she took posession, we chatted about her kitchen plans…2 years later (no the reno did not take that long) she has a gorgeous kitchen that fits the space perfectly and offers a neutral and efficient design.  She then took me upstairs to show me what she was planning on doing with the bathroom.  With some collaboration on design and even more so on resale value, my client was thrilled with some of the simple suggestions I gave her.  She pointed out that I’m the one who visits 20 houses a week; working with all sorts of buyers and sellers and if anyone is going to be able to give sound advise on what renovations have a better return on investment than others, it would be me.  Thank you client for such a lovely suggestion

To summarize, I may not be an interior designer or know the difference between art deco and century contempory , but I can tell you that a semi ensuite bathroom on a small second floor is a great compromise to a master ensuite bathroom.

So please, I ask you to invite me to your home if you are considering doing some renovations.

Cheers,

Amy

Imagine yourself sitting in a room when two models walk in.  One of them tall as can be, in a fabulous outfit, with a bouncing mane of  locks and a smile that could launch a thousand ships…the other, a bumbling, unkept, sad faced model trying to pull off the same outfit as the former.

Who would you look at?

I don’t know about you, but my eye would gravitate to the eye catching bombshell over the other.  I am merely pointing out the obvious for most of us, that we tend to focus on beautiful things at first glance.

So what does this have to do with staging?  Well,  imagine you are the one walking into a room, or a house for the purpose of this blog, and you are greeted by an empty hallways, naked walls and vacant room after vacant room.  Sounds kinda boring doesn’t it?  Now imagine walking into that same house with simple but timeless furnishings, colourful pops of art on the walls, warm area rugs and a splash of ‘life’ throughout?   Isn’t that more appealing?

The importance of staging has never been so integral in a successful sale then it is today, especially with more competition and the justification of higher home sale prices.  First impressions not only last, but turn that hemming and hawing buyer client into a “I need to live here” client.  I watch how my clients expressions change when they walk into a staged house over ones that are vacant…they are smiling because they are attracted to what they see.

A vacant house will always be harder to sell to buyers than one that is staged.  Buyers, like most people are very ‘touchy, feely’ and when you’re able to see how a space can be used with furniture and furnishings you are more so inclined to see the value in it…hence drawing more attraction to the house.

Staging should start from the outside and work its way in.  Curb appeal will draw people in so don’t leave plants unattended, garbage bins overflowing or junky flyers bursting out of mailboxes.  Then create a welcoming atmosphere for the Buyer with an attractive foyer display of organiziation.  A handsome coatrack (not filled with 50 coats), a table with a beautiful flower arrangement, luring potential purchasers to want more and more from each room.  Hence why it is also important to not leave out a room or forget to fluff up the backyard or basement.

Staging has become a lot more than just a bowl of green apples.

Cheers,

Amy

A good read about Home Inspections by Cam Allen, Kingston Whig Standard                  Jan. 27, 2012

Every year about this time I get a growing number of e-mails from readers who are starting to think about buying another home this spring. The common theme of their e-mails is ” why is there no provincial government certification for home inspectors?” The answer is very simple……. it’s like the train tracks that do not have crossing arms; no one has been seriously harmed as yet. In the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and from what I understand soon to be in Quebec, there is a licensing standard however the most populous province in Canada has nothing in place nor on the horizon to protect the home buying public.

The CMHC has some excellent information on buying a home and their most recent booklet says it all. “In most area of Canada there are no licensing or certification requirements for home inspectors. Anyone can say they are a home inspector without having taken any courses, passed tests or even inspected houses. So look for a home inspector who belongs to a provincial association that demonstrates training and experience, provides inspection reports, carries insurance, provides references and has strong experience with the type of home to be inspected” They go on to say that CMHC does not recommend any individual home inspector or association. CMHC does support national standards of competency for home inspectors” The truth behind that comment is that CMHC funded millions of dollars a few years ago to develop and initiate a National Certification Program that was promptly squashed by a number of individuals in provincial associations who saw their influence disappearing. They recognize that far too high a number of provincial home inspector associations are ”clubs” in which the standards they set are their own. Ontario has seven such associations operating in Ontario to my knowledge. The Canadian Association of Home Inspectors and the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors are one of the same, The Professional Home and Property Inspectors of Canada are basically an Ontario group with a few members out of province, Canadian National Association of Home Inspectors is another splinter group as is the Alliance of Canadian Home Inspectors who tout alliance to the Teamsters Union, the Canadian Federation of Home Inspectors and the most advertised is the web based International Association of Home Inspectors where anyone with a basic knowledge of a home and a credit card can become a certified home inspector overnight. Even Mike Holmes got in on the act a couple of years ago and started his own franchising of local home inspectors; they have their own set of standards and reporting system too. It is not that indifferent from most of the associations listed here. His home inspection charges are by far the most expensive in the industry and you are not getting Mike himself, rather a home inspector certified with one of the previously listed associations and some extra training they are providing….nothing more.

Where does this leave the home buyer? The CMHC booklet says it very plainly, “a home inspection is a visual inspection” ……period. You are buying the inspectors experience and his visual ability to assess the conditions found and offer his opinion, that is all. His report should tell you what he saw and remember he is not allowed to move furniture of any kind both inside and out, personal effects or storage of any kind. He/she should advise on safety issues, something not working or needs to be

changed and possible repairs. CMHC has a home inspection checklist on their web site. It is very basic; there are better check lists available. Go to www.homeinspectiondirect.com.They have a respectable home inspection check list on their site.

The home buyer is also subject to a vast array of marketing by home inspectors and ”favourites” of the real estate industry. Every association seems to have some short form of certification that is tacked to the end of the inspector’s name. One card I saw recently advertised that the inspector had eleven initials after his name; one of them was for a 3 day seminar course. This is where licensing would really help.

He is a few questions every home buyer should ask before hiring a home inspector:

Are you a licensed tradesman in a construction related trade? This means the inspector has upwards of 4000 hours of on the job training in construction. If you are not skilled in a home building trade, how can you inspect one?

Have you ever built a home yourself? The internet is filled with home inspectors who advertise they are/were home builders or contractors, yet if pinned down most have difficulty proving such a claim.

How long have you been in business? Ask if they are full time, this industry is filled with part time inspectors who are supplementing their income with a few home inspections a month.

Do you belong to an association? While the majority of these associations are suspect for training and certification at least this does give some credibility other than the internet based organizations.

Lastly ask your friends, neighbours, co-workers and family for references, good home inspectors survive on their reputation.

What an honour to be asked to run Mark McLean’s infamous Master Mind this week.

Mark took the day to transform the Queen West office into a Christmas wonderland for our annual Bosley Holiday party and asked if I would run Master Mind.

And here is what we talked about today:

1/ When negotiating shifts from Selling Agent - Buyer Agent, to Buyer Agent - Buyer.  One of our agents stumbled into a rather precarious position when a condo/loft he showed his buyer was not actually on the market (back storey here).  The Seller wanted ‘X’ for the unit and the Buyer was only willing to pay ‘Y’ and was quick to ask the buying agent to reduce his co-operating commission to make the deal happen.  Buyer then tried to do further negotiations with the Seller…eeeek!  Our Bosley agent acted quick on his feet and shared his validation for the work he had done on getting the client to this situation.  If it wasn’t for the buyer agent, perhaps this property would never have been found - he knew of this property coming on the market and made a point to sit with the Seller Agent and Seller to see if they could put something together.  Agents do a lot of work, not just driving clients around, but finding the right properties for clients and negoitating contracts…our agent was correct in taking a moment to validate his work cost.  Buyer ended up buying the property and was thrilled that he did not have to ‘compete’ against any other offers.  To summarize…make sure that negotiations stay between the correct parties, that’s what the agents are for!

2/ How do you advertise an Exclusive Listing?  One of our agents has an ‘Assignment Listing’, which in this case is a condominium unit that has not yet been registered to the unit owner but can be sold as an ‘Assignment’.  These sales can be quite challenging to say the least, and advertising can be even more difficult.  As you lack the means of the Multiple Listing System (MLS) and are faced with finding new and creative methods to get the word out.  Some suggestions were to print up postcards of the listing and see if you can promote them at other broker offices.  Try going back to the builder, specifically to one of their sales offices to leave a stack of postcards or ask agents in the office who have good web traffic to see if you can advertise on their personal websites.

3/ Right to Rent Out.  In the event that you have a buyer looking into a new condo purchase, see if you can put something into the builder forms that allows the buyer the right to rent out their unit during an interim occupancy phase.  Some condos take longer than others to register, so if your client doesn’t want to move in during the interim phase, then perhaps renting it out and gaining rental income will help keep the buyer’s overal costs down.  It never hurts to ask the question, especially at the point of sale vs. the occupancy phase.

4/ Testing the Market and Incurring Expenses.  How do you handle a Seller who wants to ‘test the market’ and take the property off the market if it doesn’t sell within a week?  Some hot properties will sell quickly, especially if they are priced well, staged and in a great location.  However, some houses take a little longer to sell and agents still incur the same expenses.  Consider pre-list home inspections, photography, printed material, advertising and in some cases staging/decluttering/junk removal.  I personally put in approx. $800-$1000 into each listing and certainly don’t expect my clients to pay that…however if right off the bat they tell me that they will take it off the market if it doesn’t sell on a scheduled offer date, then I  have them sign off on a ’Bosley form’ stating the Seller will re-imburse my marketing costs – after a tactful explanation, clients will understand this and either absorb the costs or better yet, NOT terminate the listing after 7 days.  To summarize, keep an open dialogue with your clients from the beginning of your working relationship to the end, start by setting realistic expectations from both parties and agree to your work schedule and associated costs.

Cheers!

Amy

No matter what type of abode you have chosen; 3 storey detached, 1 bedroom condo, row house or treehouse there is  an approximate value for these homes in various neighbourhoods.  Example, you can buy a 3 bedroom detached house that is totally renovated in Trinity Bellwoods for $1million or you can buy a similar house in Brockton Village for $600,000.

In this post I have taken 4 Toronto Neighbourhoods that I focus on, broke them down into three types of houses (detached, semi detached and row house) to give you an idea of value.  Please note that the values are based on houses that are either “WOW” or those that “Need Work”…and I used 3 bed, 2 bath with 1 parking as my guidelines.

As you review these value ranges, please take consideration into factors that effect value of your house: parking (number of spots), garage vs. no garage, lot size, level of upgrades, location within a neighbhourhood (busy street vs. quiet street and boardering area), income potential (with a basement apartment)…all of these factors would effect which part of the range your house falls under.  That is why it is important to use a knowledgable real estate agent when deciding to sell your house and to help establish the value of your house.

Roncesvalles or Roncey Village

WOW Detached House -  $850k-$990k

NW (needs work) Detached House – $680k-$800k

WOW Semi Detached House – $700k-$800k

NW Semi Detached House – $540k-$650k

WOW Row/Townhouse – $650k-$720k

NW Row/Townhouse – $490k-$570k

Little Portugal

WOW Detached House – $600-$900k

NW Detached House – $560k-$680k

WOW Semi Detached House – $650k-$850k

NW Semi Detached House – $400k-$520k

WOW Row/Townhouse – $570k-$820k

NW Row/Townhouse – $420k-$520k

Dufferin Grove

WOW Detached House – $700k-$900k

NW Detached House – $500k-$680k

WOW Semi Detached House - $550k-$700k

NW Semi Detached House – $470k-$550k

WOW Row/Townhouse – $550k-$620k

NW Row/Townhouse – $350k-$510k

Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-Junction

WOW Detached House – $580k-$710k

NW Detached House – $460k-$550k

WOW Semi Detached House – $500-$730k

NW Semi Detached House – $420k-$550k

WOW Row/Townhouse – $500k-$540k

NW Row/Townhouse – $350k-$400k

Thinking about buying or selling?  Do these numbers peak your interest?  Call me today to set up a time to discuss your real estate needs.

Cheers,

Amy

A recent report by the Toronto Real Estate Board stated that prices were escalating to close to $500,000 in the GTA.  Check out this report for the full story http://torontorealestateboard.com/market_news/release_market_updates/news2011/nr_mid_month_1011.htm

However, I have seen more houses in the $349,000-$499,000 price point in one of the hottest growing neighbourhoods of East York.

A commute from Woodbine/Danforth area to the city centre will take you approximately the same time as it would if you were living in The Beach, High Park or North Toronto.  Buyers should take note of growing areas of the city and get in before the neighbourhoods BOOM and prices start to escalate.

My listing at 192 Barker Avenue is at the lowest side of the scale at $349,000 and offers parking, backyard, finished basement and room to grow.

http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=11228203&PidKey=1356992908

With condo fees affecting your mortgage approval, it is important to see what is out there on the market and to make smart decisions.  Your first house will likely not be your last house…so buy now with interest rates low and hold onto your investment and watch it grow.  Over time you will be able to take the return from your first purchase and re-invest it into your second house and so on.

You don’t just buy one stock and hope it increases, you generally re-invest when the timing is right.  Real Estate is the same thing.  Get in when you can, and I tell buyers to ”buy yesterday” when they ask “When do I buy?”

Don’t be discouraged by escalating prices, as these figures are based on wide based statistics of varying neighbourhoods.  Buy into a gentrying neighbourhood at a lower price, make the necessary improvements to continuously add value to your investment and sell when you are ready to make the next investment.

IF you have more questions about buying real estate in Toronto or specifically seeing my house on Barker Avenue, give me a call today!

Cheers,

Amy

On Monday October 31 we celebrated Halloween…and at my house in Brockton Village we had a total of 6 kids come to the door, 6!?  I was shocked and surprised as previous years we would see quite a few more ghosts and goblins so I prepared myself with over 200 pieces of sugary treats.  We even decked ourselves out in homemade Yip Yip Martian costumes from Sesame Street to entertain our annual trick o’ treaters!

So what am I left with?  You guessed it, a bowl full of Smarties, Coffee Crisp, Aero and Kit Kats and I mean a BIG BOWL!  I would love to tape up the box and store it away until Halloween 2012 but I really don’t think I should pass out year old candy to next years rug rats.  So what do I do with all this left over Halloween candy?

Initially I thought about taking it to a neighbouring school or community centre, but then I thought to myself are schools really going to take candy from a stranger?  Do teachers really need more sugar filled kids running around in circles when they should be doing long division?

So I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to what I can do with this candy…because I know that no amount of duct tape will keep me from ripping into this sugary box of goodness when I need a quick fix.

Freeze it, bury it, what to do?!

Cheers,

Amy