4+3 Bedroom Home in Stouffville!

This one is quite unique - a beautiful newer 4 bedroom home on Drum Street, in the heart of Stouffville, featuring a completely finished basement with 3 additional bedrooms!  Fantastic for larger families!  Contact us for more information on this new listing.

Help Save Morgan Park Baseball Diamond!

Please help save Morgan Park Baseball Diamond.  The City of Markham is planning to remove this diamond even though there is a shortage of diamonds for everyone. 

We're a proud supporter of several recreational baseball teams in town, and want to keep Morgan Park in play!

Please click on the link below to sign the petition and feel free to forward to your neighbours and friends.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/morgan-park-baseball-diamond.html

More informationon the Markham District Baseball Association website.

6 Common Home Pricing Mistakes

If you’re getting ready to sell your home, you want to get the most money for your investment, right? One of the key factors that will sell your home is price, and having a sound pricing strategy is a must if you want to find the right buyer.

Here are six common pricing mistakes all sellers should avoid.

1. Overpricing from the start – You might think your home is the best on the block and should command a price relative to the value you see. Wrong. You have to appeal to the value homebuyers see. Overpricing your home at the onset could leave out strong potential buyers, especially if recent sales and other factors in your neighborhood don’t justify your listing price. You also run the risk of needing multiple price reductions, which keep your home on the market that much longer.

2. Leaving out potential buyers in online searches – Entering a price range is the first search parameter most homebuyers use to narrow down their options. If a buyer’s price range is, say, $250,000 to $300,000, they won’t see your home if it’s listed at $305,000. It might make sense to list it right at $300,000 so that you capture potential buyers in the ranges above and below. Ultimately, this is up to you and your agent, but the range your home's price falls into is certainly worth thinking about – especially if you're teetering between price ranges anyway.

3. Not considering recently sold properties – To arrive at a listing price that will generate buyer interest, you can’t base your price solely on the prices of other homes in your area that are listed for sale. You also need to consider recent sales in your neighborhood and the final sale prices. An experienced agent can provide you with information on recent sales to help you see the bigger picture.

4. Getting too creative with your asking price – Make it easy for buyers and pick round numbers. Listing a home for $512,477, for example, will give potential buyers pause about your intentions and divert attention from your property to you, as the seller. Maybe it's best to save the creative juices for the property description.

5. Not being open to negotiation – The quickest way to kill a sale is to dig in your heels on asking price before the for-sale sign even goes in the yard. Negotiation is a two-way street, and if you refuse to budge on pricing or other conditions, you might be in for very bumpy (and long) ride. Ask yourself: Is it more important to get full asking price, or can you make a few concessions to find common ground that will ensure a closed sale?

6. Ignoring your agent’s insights – The best route to the right price starts with picking a great agent and then listening to his or her advice. Your agent will look at your situation from all angles – your home's features, the local market, recent sales and more – to help you make an informed decision about pricing.  

Housing Market Cools in August

Toronto’s housing market went into full summer slowdown in August after an unusually hot July for sales, although prices continued their skyward climb. Transactions were up just 2.8 per cent in August over a year earlier with 7,391 sales of homes and condos across the GTA, according to figures released Thursday by the Toronto Real Estate…

Summertime Selling

Summer is finally in full swing, and while everyone notices the lack of traffic, and the loads of sunshine, those marketing their homes may also notice a change.  Historically, the summertime has been a season of decreased traffic for showings and Open Houses.  This is absolutely normal, as this truly is the time when the majority of people are taking vacations, and are keeping busy entertaining the family.  

While the decreased traffic can be disheartening, do keep in mind that those that are out shopping are real opportunties!  If they are out on the weekends at this time of year, they are more likely to be a truly prospective buyer.  Many of our most exciting sales have occured in the midst of the August heat!

Time to enjoy the summer!

It's time for the Cornell Community Garden Party!

On behalf of the Cornell Community Garden we would like to invite you to the Cornell Community Garden Party - A celebration of growth!

Sunday, June 22nd  2 - 5 p.m.

Join us at the Cornell Community Garden, a community-run food and flower garden supported by the City of Markham.

• Welcome speech by Ward Councillor Colin Campbell
• Activities for children and families
• Silent auction with great prizes from local businesses
• 50-50 draw
• Free cake

Located at: Corner of Almira Ave and Murray Wilson Drive Please walk if possible

Headlines that take the guess-work out of Real Estate

“House prices forecast to fall 20% over 5 years” May 22, 2014 – Mortgage Broker News 

“Home prices showing early signs of accelerating” - May 15, 2014 – Globe & Mail

“House-buying season off to tepid start” - April 29, 2014 – Globe and Mail

“Spring Real Estate market blooms” - April 29, 2014 – Toronto Star

“Real Estate outlook lifts consumer confidence” - April 22, 2014 – Toronto Star

All your questions answered?  Contact us to help you take the guess-work out of the headlines! 

Greater Toronto Area Trends

From RE/MAX Spring Market Trends report:

Overall average residential prices crept up to $557,684 in march. in certain high-end neighbourhoods, it was not unusual for 40-foot lot with a tear-down house to sell for more than $800,000. inventory levels across the city are at an all-time low; despite the growth of the greater toronto area over the past decade, there were only 14,000 active listings this February compared with 17,000 in 1999. detached freehold homes remain the hottest commodity in the region, although half of all sales in the City of toronto are condos. 

Read the complete report here:

Great commercial / retail location on Main Street Unionville

Just listed! 136 Main Street Unionville.  

Asking $999,000 - Prime Main Street location, with over 1991 square feet of finished space.  If you have been looking for a fantastic retail location, with top street exposure, this could be the location for you!

See more here

Call us for details on this opportunity!