DO YOU LIKE YOUR HOME?
That’s a question that seems pretty easy on the surface. But once you start peeling back the layers like an onion it might not be so straight forward. Most people start out in a simple way, renting an apartment or room in the early stages of career advancement. There will be all sorts of exceptions to the rule, especially for those that are privileged to start out with more. I’m just talking in general terms here. I think many people never take the time to really dig down a l
Oct 73 min read
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
Could also be titled: Buyer quirks and quarks. Remember the old adage if it’s too good to be true it probably is? That pretty much sums up some of the potential clients you meet in the wonderful wacky world of real estate. If they run in the door waving a check-book saying we’re buying a house today chances are you’ll never see them again. Any realtors reading this will be smiling and thinking ya pretty much. That’s the nature of this business and really, pretty much any busi
Oct 72 min read
GOOD AGENT BAD AGENT
With apologies to the Cop film genre Good Cop, Bad Cop, how about Good Agent, Bad Agent? Lord knows there are plenty of both and if you’re lucky throughout your buying and selling career you will only encounter the Good ones. Reality says otherwise. I have dealt with both, on varying degrees of competence and incompetence. On the good side a few years back I was helping clients find a home and we saw one that fit the bill in Port Perry. They were first time buyers and wanted
Oct 73 min read
THE TIMES ARE CHANGING
There was a recent announcement that will have lasting impact on the Real Estate trade for many years to come. Real and Re/Max merged in an $888 million dollar deal. This has deep ramifications on a number of fronts. Real has only been around for 12 years while Re/Max has been a major player in the trade for 50 years. Expect some other mergers to follow and maybe even some to eventually fold. Why you might ask? A number of answers could be put forth but the most important one
Oct 72 min read
Exactly What Is A Market Correction?
If you looked up the term Market Correction in a reference book or on-line, you would see: “A market correction is a short-to-medium-term decline of 10% to 20% in a major stock index or individual stock from its most recent peak. These are considered normal, healthy market events that reduce overinflated prices and bring valuations back in line with economic fundamentals, usually lasting weeks or months.” Here are some key factors influencing market corrections: Magnitude: A
Oct 72 min read
OPEN HOUSE MYTHS
It’s a good time to dispel a few Real Estate myths. One of the largest and most oft quoted is that Open Houses only account for 2% of all houses sold. Many agents pooh pooh the idea of even holding them, claiming they “Never do anything to sell the property”. Wow. There’s a real open minded ideology. I have lived by a handful of credos over the years, one of which is to never pre-judge a situation. Expect the unexpected. That most definitely includes hosting open houses. My w
Oct 72 min read
MORTGAGE DEFAULTS
Like life itself there are usually two sides to every story. When we read about the latest news in buying and selling it usually pertains to prices, interest rates and popular areas. The other side has reared its ugly head lately discussing dropping prices, higher interest rates and the stagnant market. Then there is the really nasty stuff – mortgage defaults. Seems there are more and more these days. Which shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Think about it. When we were tryin
May 253 min read
