One of my colleagues, Virginia Munden posted this video on her facebook page today.  an animated video on inspiration.  It inspired me to share it with my AR friends...  Its about the power... the power of believing we can do anything.  We had that power as children... put a cape on and you're superman! or superwoman!  You made ideas happen because you believed.   But somehow it got lost as we grew older... and doubt and lack of confidence took over.  We have to think back to our childhood days and know we can do anything we put our minds to.... You still can.. if you believe...   An Inspiration Animation by Adcom 08/21/2010

TORONTO, August 17, 2010 ‐ Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 2,732 sales through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) during the first two weeks of August 2010. This represented a 29 per cent decrease compared to the 3,832 sales recorded during the same period in 2009. New listings, at 4,770 were down eight per cent compared to the first two weeks of August 2009. 08/18/2010

  Hurontario st is one of the popular street in Mississauga and it runs North to South and terminates at Lakeshore near Ontario Lake. There are two building 25 Trailwod Dr and 35 Trailwood Dr, Mississauga and are located near Eglinton Ave. This locaton is very close to all he major highways viz: 401, 403, 407, 410 and 427 or even QEW ! Sq 1 Mall and Hearland Shopping Centres are at just 5 minutes drive ! The best part of the building is the location and is affordability. The Confo fee ( or the so called Maint. Fee) is reasonable. Property Taxes are Low. Overall its good for the firdst time buyers or a small family. I just listed a condo Unit in this building and is just priced as per the current market.     Main Entrance                                        Indoor Swiming Pool    Rece... 08/18/2010

Last week one of my clients emailed me about a property he saw several months ago... It was a Power of Sale and had been on the market since last July. I looked up the property & when I was checking out the information, I noticed that the property taxes appeared to be assessed at an unusually high amount. (first little red flag) The property was listed for $ 1,300,000, but still, were out of line.  When I informed my client, he said the high taxes were a deal breaker, and he did not wish to proceed. BUMMER. My instincts told me to delve into this a bit further .... I called the town who verified the assessment (second bigger red flag). Something still didn't sound right... so I checked the sales history on this property... and it was very interesting.  There were a number of transaction... 08/16/2010

  Your credit rating is a measure of your credit-worthiness or in other words, your record of borrowing and repayment. Without a credit rating, few institutions will lend you money. Governed by provincial laws, the credit bureau - the clearing-house of information on consumers' use of credit - provides a credit history, which is a list of facts about how you handle debt. This information is gathered from financial institutions, retailers and other lenders. Most of your credit information remains on your file for seven years. In addition to negative information, positive information is also reported on your file. Here is a simple way to build a good credit rating: 1. Pay your bills promptly, especially credit cards. 2. Borrow only what you need and what you can afford. 3. Try to pay off ... 08/11/2010

  Missing a bill payment may not seem like a big setback, but there are possible consequences to missing bill payments.   A new poll, the TD Canada Trust Everyday Banking Poll, surveyed 1,002 Canadians do understand their repayment habits.  43% of those surveyed believe that there are no repercussions for missing a bill payment.  The top three reasons for missing a payment include missing a due date, misplacing a bill, or just simply forgetting.  However, missing a payment can put you in hot water that could potentially affect your credit rating.  Your beacon score is a three digit number that can range from 300-850 that indicates how responsible you are with your credit.  A higher score represents a more responsible individual.   Lenders look at your credit history as a means to assess... 08/11/2010

Ok - this is just way too funny not to share!  One of my colleagues sent this to me last week... and it made my laugh out loud...  Hope it will bring a smile to your fact too!  Enjoy! Kitchen Wisdom... Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of an ice cream cone to prevent ice cream drips   Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake! You are probably lying on the couch with your feet up eating it anyway!  To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes. Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix. Keeps in the pantry for up to a year.  When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake. Go to the bakery! Hell, they'll even decorate it for... 08/10/2010

Several years ago, my clients and I viewed a home in an upper middle class neighbourhood that they fell in love with. The house needed some work, in particular the kitchen, but my client was in the kitchen renovation business!!  When we went into the basement, I immediately noticed that the floor had just been painted... then when I looked up into the joists, I saw the holes that were drilled all along the length of the house to allow for the electrical wires to feed through.  There was also some black mould visible on the joists.  Then the light bulb went on!!!  This was used as a grow house... I informed my clients of my suspicions, but told them not to be too alarmed... we can have the house inspected by a certified registered house inspector, and also have environmental testing done... 08/07/2010

Market Statistics as reported by the Toronto REal Estate Board. Market Watch Sales and New Listings Down, Average Price up in JulyAugust 5, 2010 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 6,564 sales in July - a 34 per cent dip from the record 9,967 sales reported in July 2009. New listings, at 10,825, dropped to the lowest level for the month of July since 2002."The level of July sales remained below the expected long-term trend. The market has become more balanced following record monthly sales through most of the winter and early spring," said Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Bill Johnston.Total sales through the first seven months of 2010 were up 12 per cent compared to the same period in 2009.Notwithstanding the fact that price trends vary at the neighbourhood level in GTA, th... 08/06/2010

There has been a lot of discussion in my office recently, and on Facebook about which is the better smart phone.... i-Phone or Blackberry for real estate agents. Although the i-Phone had a lot of cool features, I had always been a fan of the Blackberry. Frankly I was a little concerned that Blackberry was getting left behind in the i-phone dust, but the people of Rim has stepped up to the plate and have just come out with a brand new device, called the Blackberry 6 Torch 9800. I watched a video demonstration of all it great features.... and thought I would share with you.. So, which is your favourite??? Watch this video... and see what you think.. Blackberry Torch 9800 Video First Look !!     08/05/2010

Welcome to Mississauga, Ontario. Mississauga offers a range of experiences that keeps visitors coming back again and again. When you come to visit Mississauga, explore its quaint historic villages and stunning architecture, visit the bustling waterfront and lakefront parks, or inspire yourself with Mississauga's world-class art and theatre at the Living Arts Centre. There are a lot of things to see and do in Mississauga, and here are some places you should look into:  STREETSVILLE - THE VILLAGE IN THE CITY Within the Streetsville neighborhood, you will find the highest concentration of historic buildings in Mississauga. This village has an interesting history to it. In 1818, a man named Timothy Street was given the task of surveying the final acquired tract along the banks of the Credit... 08/04/2010

Here’s a quick midsummer update on what’s happening with mortgage rates, courtesy of Dan Balfour, Mortgage Alliance Variable rate discounts returned to normal recently (Prime minus 0.60% or better) which is a good sign that the Canadian economy is recovering nicely. The Bank of Canada thinks so as well and has started increasing the Bank Rate which means that variable rates have just gone above the 2.00% level. Fixed rates, on the other hand have edged back down to the 4.00% level which is a reflection that the US and European economies are still struggling and will be for some time. So which choice is better at this time – variable or fixed? Variable rate mortgages are still a good choice for clients with strong incomes because it could be another two years or more before they reach th... 07/31/2010

Sometimes I get investors or clients asking me about Power of Sale properties because they think they can "get a good deal" and potentially purchase the property at less than market value. That isn't always the case, as the Bank or Financial Institution must sell the property at fair market value, or risk being sued by the previous owner for selling at a lower amount.  The Bank must get at least the outstanding amount owing on the property, plus sufficient funds to pay the commission, and any surplus is paid back to the owner. Once the Bank has taken possession of the property, after default by the owner, the Bank takes full control of the property and usually lists with a Realtor on MLS to get the proeprty sold.  They typically require all offers to be faxed, and ask for 48-72 hours fo... 07/28/2010

I am dating myself by revealing that I used to watch the Partridge Family when I was a kid.  When I saw Danny Bonaduce on the Joy Behar show last week, I realized just how "grown up" we both are now. When I was out moose hunting the other day I spotted the moost interesting bus parked beside Mirror Interiors in Mississauga.  It brought to mind the old Partridge Family bus that the group used to travel in from gig to gig. This moose bus is used for a different kind of gig but it certainly does stand out in a crowd.  Earlier this year I spotted the moose on top of this building and submitted it in a prior Moose Monday post.  Here is another shot of the moose on the roof. I have to give credit to Mirror Interiors for a great moose marketing campaign.  Someone at this company has a great se... 07/26/2010

TORONTO, JULY 19, 2010 Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 2,790 sales through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) during the first two weeks of July 2010. This represented a 37 per cent decrease compared to the 4,437 sales recorded during the same period in 2009. New listings decreased by eight per cent annually to 5,184. "Last summer existing home sales spiked well above the expected long-term trend. Sales were also unseasonably high during the first four months of this year," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Bill Johnston. "Transactions will be down yearover- year in the second half of 2010 as the level of sales balances out." "With year-to-date sales up by more than 18 per cent compared to last year, we continue to look forward to one of the best years on record under the c... 07/24/2010

Providing great service to each and every one of my clients is first and foremost to me... and should be to all agents.  When my clients are happy, I am happy and it provides me with a great sense of satisfaction of a job well done.  I am lucky I work in an office that keeps ALL the agents accountable for providing a superior level of service.  I'm not sure if we are unique in this aspect, but GMAC sends out a questionnaire to each client after the transaction closes.  Its not lengthy and only takes 1-2 minutes to complete.  It is conducted by a third party, independant company and the survey is completely confidential... the agent does not see the answers to the questions asked, just an overall score. When an agent consistently falls short of achieving a reasaonable score on their surv... 07/22/2010

Once in awhile I have something to contribute to my blogging buddy  Gerry Khatchikian's  Moose Monday group.  Gerry is always sending me out in search of moose on the loose.  Not an easy task in this part of the country.  Still, I seem to spot the elusive moose in the oddest of places.  I like to spend time at Riverwood Park in Mississauga, Ontario.  It is a great spot to walk the dog and bird watch along the Credit River and enjoy the beautiful flowers on the manicured property.  As I was walking by one of the old buildings on the site I noticed the distinct shape of moose antlers in the window.  Unfortunately the building was closed and I wasn't able to see the antlers from the front.  So Gerry this is the best you get today. At least I think it's a moose??   07/19/2010

Thanks to my colleague Susy Kostynuk for her post...on Realty Kitchen... Thought I would share it with my AR friends. Thank you Susy for this great post! A lot of the old-school methods of selling real estate in Mississauga are starting to go by the proverbial wayside. Bench advertising, although good for branding, does nothing to sell a home. Newspaper advertising still gets you a lot of dead leads, but the good ones are getting fewer and farther between. Even the more-recent method of keeping a database of agent email addresses and then sending each and every one of them a "Just Listed" EXCLUSIVE email... even this ploy has seen much better days. (Heck, it was legendary Mississauga Realtor Gordon Daly who ADVISED me to do this, and then HE was the first one to UNSUSCRIBE me!) "The MLS... 07/18/2010

Homes for sale in Mississauga and Brampton Congratulations, you have found one of the most high tech real estate website which not only ranks very high in most of the search engines like Google but also is a great resource for all your real estate needs, whether you want to sell your home or search for your dream home in Mississauga and Brampton area. Home Search: If you are looking for your next home, be it a Condo apartment, detached, semi-detached or a town house, you can take advantage of our FREE Home search service at FindMyGTAHome.com, designed to help area Home Buyers find their dream home. A Cutting Edge new high tech Automated On-Line System searches MLS records daily and Email the Home information directly to you, including addresses, prices and photos. Home Selling: wonderin... 07/15/2010

Explaining Commission ...and What It Covers.  (Members Only) (edit/delete) Most Sellers I encounter have no idea of how the Selling Commission is allocated, and what it actually covers.  Here is an excerpt from my booklet... A Real Estate Guide for Sellers .... where I try and educate them for a better understanding How Commission Is Allocated ... and What It Covers Real Estate professionals are independent business people who must pay fees to their broker, to their boards, and must cover ALL of their business expenses before they acquire net earnings. Most professionals receive an hourly fee for services as the work is done, but real estate agents are paid ONLY when have successfully completed a transaction.  All work leading up to that point, which might include consulting, fee appra... 07/11/2010