May God Bless Happiness and Prosperity in 2009.  May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.   May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy May the problems you had, forget your home address! In simple words ............ May 2009 be the best year of your life!!! 12/30/2008

Take a quick trip around the world to learn how different cultures celebrate the season. People around the globe celebrate Christmas in their own unique ways. Here is a glimpse into how some cultures mark the birth of Jesus. Christmas Down UnderChristmas in Australia takes place during the summertime. Of course, the hot weather doesn't prevent Australians from celebrating Christmas. They're just more likely to celebrate outside. Many families eat their midday Christmas meal in their backyards and sometimes even at the beach. And when Santa makes an appearance, he's usually wearing his swimming suit. Australia's most breathtaking Christmas tradition, Carols by Candlelight, also takes place outside. At outdoor concerts held in cities and towns throughout Australia, people sit on blankets,... 12/25/2008

  When it comes time to make an offer you will require current market information and assistance in drafting your offer. You will need a Real Estate Professional. A Real Estate Professional will communicate your Offer to Purchase to the seller, or the seller's representative, on your behalf.  Sometimes there may be more than one offer on a property at the same time. A Real Estate Professional can guide you through this process. Firm to Offer Purchase Usually preferable to the seller because it means buyers are prepared to purchase the home without any conditions.  Conditional Offer to Purchase Usually means there are one or more conditions on the purchase, such as "subject to home inspection", "subject to financing" or "subject to sale of buyer's existing home".  The home is not sold un... 12/13/2008

What to Expect From a Real Estate Professional An Explanation of the Process A REALTOR® will not take it for granted that you know all the ins and outs of the buying/ selling process. Instead, he or she will provide you with a full explanation of what to expect and that's important so you're not faced with any surprises along the way. An Assessment of Your Needs One of the first questions a REALTOR® will ask is, Why are you moving? A REALTOR® will also explore any time constraints you might have (perhaps imposed by the need to relocate for employment), your financial situation and any future plans. A Plan to Find Your Dream Home A REALTOR® will help you identify what you want in your new residence. A pool? A garage? An extra room? A particular building design? What about the neighbourho... 12/12/2008

`Half-hearted' response may stymie effort to aid economy, critics charge The Bank of Canada slashed its key interest rate yesterday by three-quarters of a percentage point to the lowest level in half a century and confirmed Canada's economy is "entering a recession" because of the deepening global economic slump. But chartered banks refused to match the deeper-than-expected cut, dropping their prime rates by only half a percentage point, the second time in the past few months some have balked at passing on the full savings to consumers and businesses. Canada's benchmark overnight rate now stands at 1.5 per cent, the lowest since 1958, as the Bank of Canada tries to revive the flagging economy and restore confidence by making it cheaper to borrow money. The rate reduction was the single-... 12/10/2008

The Bank of Canada surprised some today by sharply cutting its key benchmark rate by 75 basis points (3/4 of a percent), at the high end of analyst predictions.  This matches a 50 year low, last seen in 1958! Ok, the central bank says Canada is entering a recession.  On the other hand, this is positive news to homeowners with variable rate mortgages tied to prime before discounts disappeared and banks started quoted prime-plus.  Some clients are enjoying prime minus 1% and prime minus 0.6% on their mortgages.   12/09/2008

I need some help!  I have a client who will be selling thier home.  Nice house, nice area, market sensitive pricing...problem is thier partner has comitted suicide! This is very difficult to deal with, not only are we dealing with a poor market but how do I handle the sale.  I'm looking for your opinons or advice/personal experience.  The death although sad and tragic was not violent.  It was not a hanging, shooting or anything like that.  In fact probably as quiet as an older person passing in thier sleep!  Would YOU buy this house?   Yes/No and why?  I have called the lawyers and my Broker, I need to disclose but I may be discrete and disclose just prior to an offer. Would you pay less for this house?  Would it bother you?  Any great ideas on how to turn this into a positve.  Obviouls... 12/05/2008

TORONTO, December 04, 2008 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® recorded 3,640 transactions last month, from 7,313 sales in November 2007, Toronto Real Estate Board President Maureen O'Neill announced today. Year-to-date sales figures for the Greater Toronto Area show 72,086 transactions in 2008, from 88,695 sales recorded in the same January to November period a year ago. By contrast, the 2008 year-to-date average price in the GTA is $379,489, from $375,445 in 2007. "Its important for the public to understand that while sales activity has moderated in 2008, due to current economic conditions, the average price of homes has increased from 2006 still making real estate a solid long term investment," said O'Neill. In the 416 area, 1,523 transactions took place last month, from 3,426 sales recorde... 12/04/2008

Recovery linked to economic stability next year Global economic uncertainty weighed heavily on residential real estate activity in most major Canadian centres during the latter half of 2008.  Although the forecast for 2009 promises more of the same, most markets are expected to weather the storm, says RE/MAX.  Housing market performance will clearly be contingent on economic performance at a local, provincial, and national level in 2009.  Issues affecting the overall economy are impacting housing markets across the country and the situation is not expected to be remedied until consumer confidence is restored.   If inventory levels remain stable, pent-up demand kicks into gear, and lower interest rates stimulate home-buying activity, we could see a bounce back as early as spring. The RE/... 12/03/2008

Did you hear?  IT'S A BUYERS MARKET!          Attention Buyers, you have complained about the high price of housing for years.  "Oh... we can't get the house we want because every time we put in an offer we lose in competition"  or " The price of housing is SO EXPENSIVE we just can't make a move right now" or 'There's a house for sale that I've always wanted but the price is just too high".      As a Full time realtor we hear all sorts of excuses, complaints and usually accurate comments on what, why and how the market is doing.  For years buyers have wanted lower prices...well the time has arrived.  The switch from the Seller asking whatever they want (and getting it) is over.  Sellers are having a difficult time selling properties.  We have a large number of inventory on the market no... 11/27/2008

Many have read the Toronto Star this morning and the big headline in the Business Section: "Home Buyers Play Waiting Game". There is a lot of truth to this statement. I hear it all the time from buyers and from sellers.I have done many open houses in the last few months and have seen lots of traffic, also, but these visitors seem to want to wait and see what happens. Buyers are waiting for prices to come down even further, and sellers are panicking because the listings are not selling as quickly as they were at the beginning of the year. They are taking at least 3 weeks longer to sell. So, they drop their price. Buyers seem to think that this is due to the market falling apart. We are not seeing the same situation here in Canada as what is going on in the US. Take a look at the Market W... 11/22/2008

I say that often.  Each and every time we complete a redesign, in fact.  The client's reaction reinforces the feeling:  Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't tell you enough how absolutely thrilled I am with my new space. I love the basement with my two leather pieces down there. I can actually see myself spending time down there, now that it's so inviting and comfortable. It looks amazing! I can't believe what you and your team did with my living room and dining room. Throughout the past few years my best friend and I have rearranged my furniture on numerous occasions and we both take pride in our decorating savvy. I have to tell you, we would never have come up with the ideas you did for placement of my furniture, lights, pictures etc. It feels so much lighter and I actually feel l... 11/20/2008

Toronto real estate board just released a report stating 10% drop in sales in GTA area. We are facing a slow market. what is your opinion? What do you think? 11/15/2008

October 17, 2008 -- Activity in the Greater Toronto Area resale housing market moderated considerably during the first half of October with 2,700 homes changing hands, Toronto Real Estate Board President Maureen O'Neill announced today. Sales volumes in the GTA decreased 18 per cent compared to the first half of October 2007, when 3,297 transactions were recorded and are down 10 per cent compared to the same period in 2006 when 3,007 sales took place. In the City of Toronto 1,140 sales took place in the first half of this month. This represents a 21per cent decline from the 1,446 sales that took place in the same period a year ago and a 13 per cent decrease from the 1,312 transactions recorded in the first half of October 2006. In the 905 Region there were 1,560 sales in the first two w... 10/25/2008

The Canadian Gov't announced today that they will, via their CMHC crown corporation, purchase up to $7billion of insured mortgage-based securities maturing in 2013. The gov't purchased their first round of mortgages worth $5billion last Thursday. This is forming part of the Cdn gov't $25billion plan to help banks weather the credit crisis and free up cash for lending.     Gina Burgio, Mortgage Agent VERICO Designer Mortgages Inc. Toll Free: 1-877-345-6265 Fax: 1-877-345-6256 Email: gina@ginaburgio.comwww.ginaburgio.com Each VERICO Broker is an independent owner operator. 10/21/2008

Starting this month, Canadians will be able to register their phone numbers on a national do-not-call list, but they may find telemarketing calls replaced by junk mail and spam. There are also telemarketing exemptions, which includes: Registered charities seeking donations. Newspapers looking for subscriptions. Political parties and their candidates. Companies that have an existing business relationship with a consumer within the previous 18 months. Organizations directing calls and faxes to businesses. Canadians who don't want to receive marketing calls from a company with whom they have a relationship can ask to be put on the firm's internal do-not-call list. This would mean the company cannot call you for up to three years, even though it has a technical exemption from the do-not-cal... 09/30/2008

CMHC Financial assistance takes the form of loans, forgivable loans or non-repayable contributions, and can be used to fund repairs, renovations, accessibility modifications, the creation of low-income rental units, and home adaptations. Programs are available for low-income households, seniors, and persons with disabilities. For more details, check CMHC website at http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/prfinas/index.cfm 09/22/2008

CMHC Financial assistance takes the form of loans, forgivable loans or non-repayable contributions, and can be used to fund repairs, renovations, accessibility modifications, the creation of low-income rental units, and home adaptations. Programs are available for low-income households, seniors, and persons with disabilities. For more details, check CMHC website at http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/prfinas/index.cfm 09/22/2008

It is now easier for Ontario families to buy a home and enter the housing market through new rules under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Homeownership Program. The Government of Ontario has increased from $62,600 to $75,800 the maximum amount a household can earn to be eligible to receive interest-free down- payment assistance loans under the program. In addition, the maximum price of homes eligible for purchase through the program has risen to reflect average market selling prices.  The maximum amount a household can earn to qualify for the program may vary among municipalities. The maximum price of eligible homes is updated quarterly based on average resale prices in your area. Municipalities may establish their own maximum house price and household income limits provided it is ... 09/18/2008

September 17, 2008 -- The Greater Toronto Area's autumn resale housing market began with moderate activity, Toronto Real Estate Board President Maureen O'Neill announced today. With 2,726 sales during the first half of this month, activity has declined 16 per cent from the 3,236 recorded during same time period a year ago. Compared to the 2,913 transactions recorded during the first half of September 2006, activity has declined six per cent. In the City of Toronto, 998 sales were recorded, which represents a 23 per cent decline from the 1,297 transactions recorded in the first half of September 2007 and an 11 per cent decline from the 1,118 homes that changed hands in 2006. However, activity increased 16 per cent in the first half of September 2007 from the same period in 2006. In the 9... 09/18/2008