Toronto Real Estate Podcast

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationI read an article recently that says living near Starbucks could raise your home's value. That got me thinking: What fuels gentrification? The answer seems to be coffee.First, let's look at Leslieville. A client mentioned to me that there used to not even be a place to eat lunch there. In 2004, the average price for a semi-detached home was $310,000. In 2006, Starbucks opened its doors. Semi-detached home prices went up in 2007 to $467,000, and by 2013, the median price was at $748,000.The same can be said for Dorset Park. Home prices were rising in 2014, and then in January of 2015, Starbucks opened. The average price of a bungalow in 2013 was $481,000. By early 2015, homes were selling for as much as $660,000, with an average price of $586,000. That's a whopping 79% increase in two years, and Starbucks moved in at the height of the increase. Now, this area sees a lot of bidding wars.When Starbucks moves in, an increase in home value occurs. In order to see the most dramatic appreciation, make sure you get into a neighborhood before Starbucks shows up. The key is knowing what areas are gentrifying before they do.We are experts on that. Buying a home in an area about to gentrify is the best way to build equity. If you have any questions on today's video, or on real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to hear from you.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationWe've been hearing a lot of questions about multiple offer situations because the market has been heating up lately, so today we're going to walk you through what you can do to come out on top.We're currently still in a strong seller's market in Toronto with an absorption rate of 58.5%, and this tells how many homes are up for sale compared to how many homes have sold. A neutral market would have a 25% absorption rate, which means 1 out of every 4 homes will sell in a month. If you're a buyer, you will need a skilled Realtor to help you write a strong offer. Sellers will be focusing on price, deposit, closing date, extras, conditions, and terms. For most sellers, price is the most important factor, but the other five factors can be equally important depending on the needs of the sellers.Sometimes you can make a stronger offer by removing conditions from the offer, or sometimes writing a personal letter to the seller can help. This can help the seller relate to who you are as a person, and it may help to put a face to your name. Let them know why you want the home and how great a homeowner you would be for the property. Now, as a seller it's important to make sure that your home is clean, staged, marketed well, and you should also have a pre-listing property inspection performed. Staging your home can actually increase the value by 5%, and a pre-listing inspection will give buyers the peace of mind they desire when buying a home. If you get multiple offers in the first few days, don't jump on it too quickly. If the offer is above the market value, I would suggest hopping on it. Overall, the offer that is most convenient for you is the one that you should choose. If you have any questions about these things or if you would like assistance with real estate in Toronto, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationWhy are homes incorrectly priced? Often I find sellers making the crucial mistake of incorrectly pricing their home. Usually, this is the result of poor advice from an agent, or the seller has misguided notions about starting with a high price. Drawing from my extensive experience in real estate, I can tell you first-hand that starting with too high of an asking price will derail your aspirations of getting top dollar for your home.  How do you decide the appropriate price range?A fundamental rule of home selling revolves around the fact that most buyers in today’s market will search for homes online, and are inherently attracted to homes that are appropriately priced. So how does one determine the proper price range that is conducive to the preferences of potential buyers? With the vast majority of buyers looking for homes through online databases, homes are usually grouped within certain price range brackets. Therefore, the best strategy for sellers is to perform either a competitive or comparative market analysis, which will then help to establish the optimal price range for a seller's home. 5 Reasons to Price Your Home AttractivelyAttract more buyers – With your home listed in the optimal price range, it allows you to garner the most attention and speculation from prospective buyers. As more buyers consider your home, the more offers you will receive, which ultimately gives you the greatest chance for getting top dollar on your home.If priced incorrectly, buyer activity will become stale – With a starting price that is unappealing to buyers, your home will become stagnate with little interest. Buyers will perceive your home’s prolonged time on the market as a red flag indicating potential problems or issues with the home that make it undesirable.Over-priced homes benefit competition – Naturally buyers will shop for homes in a comparative manner. If your home is priced wrong, buyers will gravitate towards other homes that are more ideally priced. By allowing this to happen, you have effectively helped sell someone else's home.Lacks velocity – Listing your home with a starting price that is above the optimal range will diminish the presence of your home on the market. Starting high and then reducing your asking price does not enhance the appeal of your home. Consequently, your home will not have any “velocity”, or noticeable impact on the attention of buyers in the market. Appraisals will affect the transaction - Inevitably, your home will be subject to an appraisal so that its overall value can be determined. This is important to remember because if you manage to sell your home for a higher amount than it is actually worth, the appraisal will reveal this and you will lose out on the transaction. Avoiding this situation simply demands that your home is priced at an amount that corresponds to its actual value.In closing...When your home is priced attractively, staged correctly, and marketed aggressively, you maximize your home’s chances of selling at top dollar. Always remember the importance of price as a determining factor for your home’s overall closing value. Once again, thank you for joining me on my video blog and stay tuned every two weeks for further updates and tips about real estate and the current market conditions in the Toronto area. Always feel free to contact me with any questions you have about your home’s value or the market.

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationWelcome to my new video blog!With this new blog, I will be sending you updates twice a month in regards to the real estate market in Toronto, and answering any of your real estate questions. My goal is to provide you the best education in regards to our market so that when we work together, our transactions will be successful. Let's Run the Numbers.With our February numbers coming in, it is safe to say that numbers are up all across the board! From February 2013 to February 2014, we saw a 2.1% increase in sales and an 8.6% increase in average home prices. It is clear that sellers have been benefiting from a stronger market, but buyers shouldn't lose heart – our spring market is gearing up to work in your favor! How Does this Affect You?Toronto’s real estate market is soaring – our active inventory is up almost 30% from last month and we don’t expect it to slow down. With spring arriving and the snow leaving, the market will soon be saturated with sellers, and with so many options, buyers can bargain for better prices. However in such a competitive market, you must prepare yourself by watching my videos every two weeks. I will not only keep you up to date, but I will also provide relevant tips in regards to home buying and selling! Let's Work Together!If you’re looking to buy a home, please feel free to give me a call at (416) 438-2536 or send an email to aldo@getaldo.com. Thanks! I hope to hear from you soon, and have a great day!

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationToronto Real Estate Update Summer 2014Before I get to all the exciting news about the Toronto real estate market, I would first like to share with you some exciting news from my own office. We have recently completed construction of our brand-new website. This is the most innovative real estate tool I have ever seen and will be very helpful to you. I'm very impressed not only with its utility and design, but its moxy as well.Now on to the market update. We are in the midst of our busiest season of the year and the market is as hot as it has ever been. What does that mean to you? It means that now is the perfect time to act if you have been debating on purchasing a new home. Interest rates are projected to go up soon, which could prevent you from purchasing your ideal home.Waiting even another year to enter the home buying market could result in you paying a 1.3% higher interest rate and another $40,000 on your home. That's an extra $500 a month on your home payment! In other words, you could buy a brand new car with the money you would be saving by purchasing now.If you would like to get in touch with me for a FREE consultation about what your best option is in terms of purchasing a home, please give me a call or email and I can assist you today!

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationToronto Real Estate Will Always Have Ups and DownsBut there are 3 key strategies that will ensure you never lose money in Toronto real estate. Regardless of market trends, profitable homeowners and investors have several strategies that you can learn and use. Your home is an investment- and should be treated accordingly. Ultimately your home is a product you buy, use, and hopefully resell for a profit. Only make improvements that add value to your home. Don't waste time and money on curiosities that either add no value or decrease the value of your home. For more advice on the best improvements you can make to your home, click here.Sell during the best local conditions. We know it can be difficult to wait sometimes - you've found the perfect home and want to get out of your current one. It's important you don't start your search until the market conditions are ideal. You want to make money on your home and the only way to do that is when the market is strong for sellers.So if you know you want to sell your home, especially if you need to get into your next property by the start of the school year, it's critical to make your move now.We'd love to meet with you, review the current market value of your home, and see if now is a profitable time to sell your home. You can also request your Free Home Value Report right here on our site. Thanks for watching!

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationIf you have been watching the Toronto real estate market lately, you know that demand for homes is off the charts. We're currently at a 52% market absorption rate, which means we have low inventory. So today we want to give you 3 reasons why the next 60 days is critical if you plan to sell your Toronto home:Demand:We have a very low inventory and the demand for new homes is enormous. House prices are going up at an average of 10% a year, but that rate can't be maintained forever. It's better to take advantage of the record prices at the rate they are going for currently.Less Competition:For now, that is. As we move deeper into the summer months, more and more homeowners will be putting their houses on the market. It's important to act soon if you are thinking about putting your home on the market. Right now we have a very low inventory so buyers are going to continue to fight over homes that show well. This will mean better offers for you, possibly even multiple offers.Great time to Move Up:There has never been a better time to move up from your current home into a better one. Homes are appreciating at a 4% rate this year and I predict them to be near 8% by the end of 2015. As interest rates and prices go up, your buying power goes down. If you want to move up to a larger, more expensive home, now is the time. The truth is nobody can really predict what the housing market will do in the future. All we can do is tell you that we are sure now is a great time to make a move.If you have any questions about the Toronto real estate market or want to learn more about your options, please give us a call or email us today. We'd love to help you.

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationToday we address a widespread misconception many homeowners are fooled by: that it's better to wait to sell your home when the market is "hot." In other words, many homeowners think it's better to wait until there is a frenzy of buyers in the market making multiple bids for homes that really aren't worth the asking price. The problem is, in most cases, those same sellers become buyers themselves. This means they have to compete with other buyers to get the home of their dreams. Because of this, the best time to sell is not necessarily when the market is hot. Indeed, the best time to sell is when you are best prepared and the numbers make sense for your situation.In the Toronto area, some neighborhoods are currently shifting toward a balanced market and many homeowners are sitting on the sidelines waiting for the next frenzy of buyers. You don't have to wait to get the most value out of your home - you can sell your home for a great price in today's market if you act now. If you do your homework and get some good advice on how to price your home and what improvements need to be made, you can put your home on the market with confidence. As always, we are here to help you make sound financial decisions when it comes to buying and selling real estate. Give us a call or shoot us an email - we'll help make your Toronto real estate experience a success.

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationAccording to national reports, about 20% of homes are being bought by investors, often in cash. Typically, big funds buy up large numbers of homes with a plan to rent them out, but there are also local investors who buy homes to try to flip them.If you've seen the many shows on HGTV and other home improvement channels, you know what kind of condition many of these homes are in before they're flipped. Because some of these homes are in such rough shape before they're renovated, it's best to approach them with caution.Often, everything looks great on the surface of a flipped home. They have brand new kitchens and bathrooms, fresh coats of paint, and a manicured lawn. However, a simple glance at the house or a quick home inspection isn't going to tell you whether the electrical wiring is outdated, the plumbing is faulty, if there is asbestos in the attic, or the basement floods.Because there are so many things that may cost you down the road, it's crucial to get a detailed home inspection by a reputable company that will be thorough and honest. We will sometimes even recommend an x-ray inspection of the home if we feel it's needed, as you can never be too safe when inspecting a flipped home.No home is perfect, but you can ensure you find one that's close by getting a great home inspection and working with an agent who can help you negotiate key repairs before you move in. Doing so can be the difference between your dream home and a nightmare.If you have any questions about buying or selling Toronto real estate, we're the team to call. We want to ensure your transaction goes as smooth as possible. Thanks, and we look forward to talking with you soon!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation Today we want to talk to you about mortgages. More specifically, we are going to talk about mortgage payments, and how you can pay more of your mortgage off in less time. Over the years, we have found that there is a way to pay your mortgage off much sooner, without putting extra financial burdens upon yourself. The way to do this is by making bi-weekly payments. While you are paying your mortgage twice as often, you are paying half as much. If you make these 26 payments a year, you will be making an extra payment without even noticing it, in your head or in your wallet.If you make biweekly mortgage payments on a 25-year mortgage, you can actually have the sum payed off in 7 1/2 years, without doing much extra work to get there.  This is a great strategy that we encourage our clients to adopt. It makes financial sense, and doesn't put any more of a burden on you. In fact, it takes a lot of the burden off of your plate, about 7 1/2 years to be exact.If you're waiting for the market to stabilize, you have been waiting too long. We don't know how long interest rates will stay where they are, but we do know they are historically low right now. Locking in a low rate around 4% today will not only give you more purchasing power in the present, but will save you thousands of dollars in interest over the years.We are always looking to give you a helping hand in the Toronto real estate market. If you have any questions for us at all, don't hesitate to reach out and give us a call. We would be delighted to help.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationToday I am speaking to anybody who has thought about selling their home. We want to talk to you about getting your home ready for sale this spring, during the busiest selling season of the year in Toronto. We have some great tips for you today to help get you into the right mindset as a seller, and to help you make your choice of who you want to sell your home.First, here are some tips for sellers:Get into the right mindset: When you decide to sell your home, it's no longer your home. It is an asset that you are trying to sell for the highest possible dollar amount. Think of your home sale as a business transaction: Your memories will always be with you, but the physical space of the home often needs to be altered or completely changed so it can appeal to the highest possible number of buyersOnce you've gotten into the correct mindset, it's time to make the decision of who you want to hire to sell your home, if you want to hire anybody at all. Why should you consider our team? Well, aside from our vast experience and knowledge of the Toronto real estate market, we have a checklist of 209 items that are involved in selling your home. It sounds daunting, but it really isn't.We would love to sit down with you and go through the list, showing you how we work harder to get your home sold. You can put your home in the MLS or in the newspaper yourself, we have hundreds of different marketing avenues to get your home sold for a good price. Finally, one of the biggest decisions you will make when selling your home is its price. Each home is different, and we want to leave the decision up to you. While we will provide you with plenty of data and examples of what comparable homes sold for, we leave the decision of where to price all up to you. We would love to share all of this cutting-edge information with you. If you have any questions at all, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. Now is the time to make your move if you are looking to get settled in by this summer. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationToday I'll be speaking about what has been happening with the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC), and what will be happening with our mortgage rates. I can remember in 1989 when interest rates were somewhere around 12-13%, and now in 2015 they're sitting at 2.75% for 5-year mortgages. This means that you have the opportunity to save $300-$500 a month, and thousands of dollars every year. These savings are phenomenal, and it's part of what has been driving the market. If you're selling your home and moving into another, you have the opportunity for a very financially successful transaction. The money you make selling your current home can be put towards your next one, lessening the financial blow of moving up into a bigger property. If you're looking to purchase a home, I recommend that you go out and get Pre-approved for a mortgage loan. This will narrow down your home search and allow you to find a good home quickly. Now is a very good time to buy, and you can lock yourself into a very low interest rate. If you need any assistance buying, selling, or investing in Toronto real estate, please don't hesitate to contact me. Please consider me your #1 resource for real estate in Toronto!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }  Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLS Selling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationMany home buyers and sellers think that real estate agents only want to sell a home as soon as they possibly can, so that they can get paid sooner. While we can't speak for every agent out there, we can say that at the Aldo Udovicic sales team, we want to get you the best possible deal, but on your timeline.We have a system that allows you to take up to a year to find the perfect property at the best price for your family. We are now selling homes to the 2nd generation of our clients, and our goal is to become your family's Realtor of choice. Your best interest is the only thought that comes into our head as we work with you to get your ideal home or investment property. If you are thinking about buying or selling, let us know. We have some helpful tools we'd like to share with you, and can't wait to tell you about them!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLS Selling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationHello everyone, welcome back. Today we're talking about the latest headlines in Toronto that claim the average home in Toronto costs $1 million. Where are these statistics coming from? We're not quite sure, but we do want to provide you with the real average prices in different areas of Toronto, and it should help to explain how people are coming up with that figure.In West Toronto, from Steeles down to the lake, the average price of a home is $534,157. The highest priced neighborhood in this area is Stonegate Queensway, with an average price of $778,000.In East Toronto, from Victoria Park to Rouge River, the average price is $512,721. The highest priced neighborhood is South Riverdale, where the average home costs $709,754. Finally, in Central Toronto, with Differin to the west, and Victoria Park to the east, the average price is $757,272.The highest priced neighborhood here is Lawrence Park North, where an average home costs $2,115,887.We hope this puts a clear perspective on the recent news. While most areas in Toronto are priced well below the $1 million mark, there are neighborhoods, like Lawrence Park North, where the average price is so high, it brings up the averages of the other neighborhoods.If you have any questions for us, we would be glad to help out. Give us a call or send us an email, and we will be in touch soon.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationHey everybody and welcome back to our video blog! The spring market in Toronto is in full swing, and lately a lot of homes have been seeing multiple offers. If you are thinking of listing your home this spring or summer, it's likely you will get multiple offers too, and if you're buying, you are likely competing against multiple offers. We want you to be prepared for each situation, so today we are going to be discussing what do with multiple offers from a buyer's perspective. We see many people get serious about buying, then subsequently get intimidated by multiple offers. In the Toronto area, we are still feeling a very strong seller's market, with an absorption rate of 58%. To put that into perspective, a neutral market has about a 25% absorption rate. Interest rates are still at record lows, and there are many buyers out there competing in the market, partly due to a 7.5% decrease in inventory from this time last year. So, is the only way to win in a multiple offer situation by offering more money? Not necessarily. When you hire a skilled and knowledgeable Realtor, you will find that sellers really look at 6 different factors to determine which offer to accept. They are: price, deposit, closing date, extras, conditions, terms. For most sellers, the price is the most important, but when offers are deadlocked in price, the other 5 factors will determine who wins. When making an offer, one extra touch we recommend is writing a personal letter to the seller. Real estate transactions are unique because they are both a business and a personal transaction. When you let a seller know how you and your family will take care of their home, it can help.If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to talking with you soon!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to search all homes on the MLSSelling a home?  Click here for a free home value estimate. Call us at (416) 438-2536 for a FREE home buying or selling consultationWelcome back everyone, today we are answering some of the most common questions we get from sellers regarding multiple offers. With a shortage of inventory and very low interest rates, multiple offers are becoming a lot more common in Toronto. We want you to be prepared, and you will be after you hear the answers to the following questions:"As a seller, what should I do before I list my property in order to get multiple offers?"Preparation is very important when offering your home to the market. It's our most valuable asset and we want to show everything in your home in its best possible light.There are a few critical things that must be done to maximize your list-to-sale price. Staging the home is important because it can increase your home's value by 5% or more. Online marketing is critical for getting your home in front of the highest amount of buyers possible. Finally, pre-listing home inspections are a good way to get out in front of any problems with your home, and demonstrate your authenticity with your buyer."If you receive multiple offers in the first few days after your home is listed, should you accept the first one, or wait for more?"This is an excellent question. If we received one or more offers before our presentation date, this is what's commonly called a "bully offer." When a bully offer comes in, you have to know the market value of your home. When sellers are holding out for multiple offers, they usually list a home for 10% less than its market value. Just because a home is sold over asking price doesn't mean it's sold for market value. Thanks for taking the time to watch today. If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

If you're a prospective buyer in the Toronto area, Click here to search all homes on the MLS, or if you want to place your home on the market, don't hesitate to obtain a free home value estimate. If you have any questions, or need any preliminary information about the Toronto real estate market, feel free to contact us at (416) 438-2536While skimming real estate news the other day, we found an article on CNN Money that might interest you. It reported that the average home built in North America was about 2,600 square feet - that's 500 square feet larger than the average home built 20 years ago. That's right, the average house being built today is bigger than at the peak years of the housing boom.This means that now is an opportune time to put your home on the market and begin looking for the larger home you've always wanted. There are homes on the Toronto real estate market today with that extra bedroom, home office, or family room your family needs. If you want to move into that upgraded home this summer, you need to call an agent now so we can begin making preparations to market your current home. The first thing you need to do is check how much your Toronto home value, so you know how much you have available for a down payment. We would love to help you through the process. Give us a call or shoot us an email so we can start planning to get you into a bigger house as soon as possible!