Sun Shines on Toronto Market

Information courtesy of the Toronto Real Estate Board.

SaleS & average Price By Major HoMe TyPe

APR. 2013 SAlES AvERAgE PRIcE416 905 Total 416 905 Total

Detached 1,264 3,675 4,939 $852,090 $588,784 $656,170

Yr./Yr. % change -11.8% 2.5% -1.6% 2.5% 2.2% 1.1%

Semi-Detached 415 681 1,096 $595,398 $410,739 $480,660

Yr./Yr. % change -5.5% 1.3% -1.4% 2.4% 4.3% 2.7%

Townhouse 398 1,123 1,521 $433,710 $375,269 $390,562

Yr./Yr. % change -3.6% -1.2% -1.9% 2.3% 3.5% 3.1%

condo Apartment 1,479 582 2,061 $379,266 $273,832 $349,493

Yr./Yr. % change -1.3% -7.3% -3.1% 5.6% -5.9% 3.1%

While April 2013 sales numbers dipped two percent in comparison to April 2012 sales, the average selling price rose by two percent during the same period.

“Despite the headwinds we have experienced in the housing market this year, April sales came in quite strong in comparison to last year. As we move through the spring and into the second half of 2013, the demand for homeownership should continue to firm-up relative to last year,” said Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Ann Hannah.

“It has been almost a year since the federal government enacted stricter mortgage lending guidelines. It is realistic to surmise that some households, who originally put their decision to purchase on hold, are once again looking to buy,” continued Ms. Hannah.

Jason Mercer, TREB Senior Manager of Market Analysis, added, “The condominium apartment segment in the city of Toronto was a key driver of price growth in April, with both the average selling price and the MlS® HPI apartment index up on a year-over-year basis. The improved condo sales picture, with Toronto sales down by only one percent compared to last year, suggests that interest in condo ownership may be improving."

Interested in a more in-depth look at the Toronto real estate market? Please call today!

Despite the rainy weather, april results were bright in the Toronto real estate market with 9,811 sales, an increase in both new and active listings, and an average selling price of $526,335.

TREB

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Recine Team ReportCompliments of Melanie & Fabio RE/MAX Premier Inc., Brokerage

Each office is independently owned and operated.

Melanie Maranda Recine &Fabio Recine

Sales Representatives

"It's your callCall Melanie and Fabio"

RE/MAX Premier Inc., Brokerage9100 Jane Street, Bldg. L, Suite #77Vaughan, ON L4K 0A4

Office: 416-987-8000Fax: 416-987-8001Direct Melanie: 647-836-4062Direct Fabio: 416-828-5441mmaranda96@hotmail.comfrecine@trebnet.comwww.RecineTeam.ca

Greetings! You’re receiving thisnewsletter with hopes that you find itinformative and entertaining.

If you’re thinking of making a move, orare just curious as to real estate trendsin your area, please feel free to call atany time. It’s always good to hearfrom you!

Best wishes,

Melanie and Fabio

Volume 9, Issue 6

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Stick To It Wall decals aren’t what they used to be: made of resilient materials like vinyl, today’s decals are just as easy to remove as they are to apply, so you can effortlessly change them when you get bored and take them with you when you move. Available in a range of sizes and prices, and a huge variety of colors, designs, and themes, from animals and cartoons to words and abstract designs, decals are just as suitable for your stylish, sophisticated living room as they are for children’s rooms.

Material Issue With its variety of colors, patterns, and textures, fabric is a versatile tool for dressing up walls, especially damaged ones. It’s like commitment-free wallpaper: use liquid starch to apply fabric to your walls just as you would wallpaper; to remove it, just dampen and peel. Or hang fabric panels on your wall as you would over your windows, whether in pleats, shirred, or flat across the wall; this technique is best used for one accent wall and makes it easy to change the look when you tire of it.

Shelve It Available in a huge selection of colors, materials, shapes, and sizes, floating shelves lend movement and dimension to walls. What’s more, they’re functional, providing added storage and display space, which no one ever seems to have enough of. Plus, you can always easily change what’s

on your shelves to create a fresh look. But when you get really creative in your choice and placement of shelves (by grouping together cube shelves of varying sizes or color, for example) it’s the shelving itself that becomes the decorative element.

High Profile Molding isn’t just for the space where floors and ceilings meet walls; like shelving, it’s a great way to add dimension to walls themselves, and is versatile given its variety of sizes and profiles. Use it to create raised panels for a formal look evocative of Colonial homes; to create a latticework pattern of flat trim; to frame artwork, collections, mirrors, or architectural features like windows or built-in shelves; combine it with beadboard for a Cape Cod look; or even to make floor-to-ceiling or wall-width stripes.

On a Roll Wallpaper has competition from a new trend: tape. You can get just as creative with wall tape, given the variety of colors, widths, and patterns available. It’s cheaper and easier to remove too. Your best bet is probably Japanese masking (or “washi”) tape, which is made of rice paper, but you can also use regular masking tape, electrical tape, and gaffer’s tape. Make stripes, a diamond pattern, or wall art (abstract or otherwise) on your walls. Craft and art-supply stores carry decorative tape, but you’ll find the greatest selection online.

Your home’s walls are its biggest canvas. While paint and wallpaper are the most common ways to decorate them, they’re not the most creative options. Below are five ways to liven up your walls that go beyond merely painting or wallpapering them.

Off the Wall Ideas

Still Searching?time management

Volume 9, issue 6 3

time wasters are a common complaint amongst

homeowners who sell their own properties. here’s

why real estate sales representatives are a seller’s

best line of defense against tire kickers and

unqualified buyers.

A FSBO (For Sale By Owner) seller has to field every phone call personally and even deal with would-be buyers showing up at their door unannounced. When you have representation, you have a buffer between you and prospective buyers, someone to filter all those initial inquiries that lead nowhere and bring you only those that have potential to become a sale.

Your real estate representative pre-screens buyers to ensure that in addition to being interested in your home, they can actually afford to buy it. By finding out whether buyers have their own homes to sell and have obtained pre-approval for mortgage financing, your rep weeds out unqualified buyers, allowing you to focus on those buyers who are able, not merely willing.

By marketing your home through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), your rep exposes it to a network of other real estate professionals who are looking for properties to present to their clients – clients they’ve ensured are serious, qualified buyers. This is one more way in which having a representative means sellers are exposed to fewer time wasters and more promising prospects.

FSBO sellers have to host their own open houses and showings – which tend to bring out nosy neighbors and lookie-loos. As a seller with representation, you don’t have to deal with time wasters at open houses or handle buyers’ questions at showings – that’s your rep’s job. You don’t even have to be there. In fact, it’s better if you’re not.

An inability to see past cosmetic flaws. Gaudy wallpaper, stained carpets, outdated fixtures, and sloppy paintjobs are off-putting, but if you can’t look past such superficial, easily remedied problems, you may well end up passing over properties that meet your needs as far as the important things such as “bone structure,” size, layout, location, and price are concerned.

Unrealistic expectations. Are you waiting for “the perfect home” to come along? Are you wasting time looking at homes that are beyond reach of your budget? If so, it’s time to reevaluate your list of needs, wants, and deal breakers, and, if you haven’t already, talk to a mortgage consultant about what you can afford and get pre-qualified for financing.

Indecisiveness. There are a few reasons you may be suffering from analysis paralysis: fear of experiencing buyer’s remorse, always thinking there’s a better home just around the corner, or holding out for a better deal. Of course you don’t want to rush into buying a home before you’re ready, but there comes a point when you have to pull the trigger.

You’re trying to do it all yourself. You can spend endless hours combing through classifieds and clicking your way across the Web, but a professional real estate representative is the best way to narrow your search and find the right home for you more quickly, by presenting you with only those properties (even ones not actively being advertised) that meet your criteria.

are you looking to move but your search for a new

home is taking longer than you’d like? Below are

a few factors that might be holding you back from

finding and purchasing your next home

With summers seeing more record-breaking temperatures, what better time than now to discuss how smart landscaping can help keep your home cool and your energy costs low when the mercury rises.

The strategic planting of trees can provide shade, help direct breezes inside, and improve air circulation outside, lowering temperatures around and in your house. You’ll need to consider height, root spread, growth rate, and canopy density when choosing what and where to plant. Deciduous trees help cool things down in the summer while allowing sunlight through during the winter.

While waiting for those trees to mature, you can plant tall shrubs along the sides of your house to prevent heat gain and keep walls cool. Low-lying shrubs can help cool the ground around your house. Just be sure to leave some space between your plantings and walls – at least two or three feet, for example – to allow for better air circulation.

Fast growing, flowering, food producing, and fragrant vines are a quick way to shade windows, patios, and walls. They can be grown directly on your walls, on pergolas, or on trellises, even as a kind of awning over windows. Vine trellises are particularly convenient in areas where there’s not enough room for trees or shrubs.

Whether you use trees, shrubs, vined trellises, or a pergola, shade your air conditioner. When it’s roasting in the sun, it has to work harder to cool your house. Shade it and it can do its job more efficiently, saving you money each month. Just be sure your plantings or structures aren’t so close as to restrict airflow or obstruct filters or air intakes.

Made in the Shade

Terminology TipAssumAble mortgAge — An assumable

mortgage is one that can be assumed (taken

over) by the buyer of a property when that

property is sold. Usually, the borrower must

apply and qualify for the mortgage in order

to assume the loan. If the lender approves

the borrower, the buyer then takes over the

seller’s loan obligation and is responsible for

making mortgage payments on the property at

the seller’s existing mortgage rate and terms.

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The information and opinions contained in this newsletter are obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but their accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The publishers assume no responsibility for errors and omissions or for any damages resulting from the use of the published information. This newsletter is provided with the understanding that it does not render legal, accounting, or other professional advice. Not intended to solicit properties or businesses listed for sale and agency agreements in place with other real estate brokers. Whole or partial reproduction of this newsletter is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. © Market Connections Inc.® 2013, Phone: (800) 387-6058.

www.RecineTeam.caMelanie Direct647-836-4062

Fabio Direct416-828-5441

Fabio and Melanie RecineSales Representatives

Compliments of Fabio & Melanie Recine RE/MAX Premier Inc., Brokerage