All Blog Entries by Nutan Brown

As Canada’s Real Estate Company, Royal LePage is proudly Canadian. Since 1913, Royal LePage has been helping Canadians buy and sell their homes and supporting communities.

Our mission is to deliver innovative services and market information with superior client satisfaction, while making a meaningful contribution to the communities in which we live and work. We are proud of the integrity and professionalism of our Realtors.

Network

With a network of over 18,000 in 600 locations from coast-to-coast, Royal LePage continues to be the largest national real estate company in Canada. No matter if you live in a big city or in the country, you’ll find a Royal LePage agent ready and equipped to help you.

 RELATED: 5 Essential Tips For First-Time…

How you prepare your home for showings can make a major impact on potential buyers. You really want your home to be looking its best in order to fetch the highest price.

Here are 4 tips for creating an inviting environment during home showings. 

Make Your Home Spotless

The kitchen and bathrooms are paramount and should be "deep-tissue cleaned". Professional interior and exterior window cleaning should be done and is money well spent. Eavestroughs should be clean and free from leaves/debris. Every area of the home tells a buyer about the level of care the homeowner has taken over the years.  Any negatives are carried with the buyer throughout the viewing and will definitely affect their decision to proceed or not with an offer.

…

After a record-setting streak to start the year, Toronto real estate sales and prices have cooled down for the third consecutive month.

In a recent market report, TRREB data shows that home sales have declined from highs seen this past spring, but are still above numbers seen last year.

According to the report, there were 11,106 home sales in the Toronto region last month, up 29% year-over-year but down 7% from the 11,951 sales in May.

"We have seen market activity transition from a record pace to a robust pace over the last three months. While this could provide some relief for home buyers in the near term, a resumption of population growth based on immigration is only months away," says TRREB president Kevin Crigger.

REALTED: Tips For…

The hot days of summer have arrived, and along with it new opportunities to enjoy your home. With the longer days and warmer weather, there’s no doubt that you’ll be spending more time outdoors.

To help you make the most of it, here are 4 outdoor ideas to enhance your backyard:

Fire Pit

One of the best additions to any backyard is a fire pit, provided you’re allowed to have one. A fire pit creates a focal point to any space with the added benefit of providing heat after the sun goes down. It also adds a warm and cozy ambiance. Your friends and family will enjoy sitting around a fire and talking long into the night.

Pergola

If you’re looking for a space to congregate that’s a bit cooler, think about adding a pergola. A…

A new mortgage stress test was put into effect earlier this month in an attempt to cool down the red hot Canadian housing market.

After record low interest rates during the pandemic, the new stress test aims to protect buyers who may struggle to make their mortgage payments if interest rates increase in the future.

The new minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages has been raised to 5.25%, an increase of about half a percentage point from where it was before.

REALTED: 3 Tips To Get The Maximum Price For Your Home

This will reduce the buying power for some Canadian home buyers.

For example, if you qualified for $500,000 under the previous minimum qualifying rate of 4.79%, that amount is reduced to $479,000 under the new…

Warm weather and long daylight hours make summer an ideal time to list your home. But just like every other season, summer presents unique challenges and opportunities for home sellers looking to get maximum value.

Here are 4 expert tips if you are thinking of selling your home this summer: 

Prepare The Exterior Of The Home

When selling a home during the summer, it’s extremely important to prepare the exterior of the home. Trimming the bushes, cutting the lawn, planting flowers and adding special touches around the front entrance will go a long way for potential buyers. First impressions count, and making sure your exterior is crisp, clean, and attractive will help your home stand out from the rest.

RELATED: Top 4 Tips To Increase…

The May market stats were released by TRREB last week, and as anticipated the Toronto housing market is starting to see a cool down after a red hot start to 2021.

During May, 11,951 homes were sold in the area, down from 13,663 in April. This represents a 13% decrease compared to the previous month.

Despite the month-over-month decrease, home sales in Toronto increased by 4,594 compared to the same time period last year.

As expressed in previous market updates, the year-over-year increases are not surprising since it was around this time last year that the market was on pause during the COVID-19 health crisis.

RELATED: 5 Step Guide For Selling Your Home

May is typically the strongest month for Toronto real estate, but considering…

A housing bubble occurs when there is a rapid increase in home prices at an unstable rate.

Under healthy conditions, homeowners continue to earn equity over time, sellers can make a profit on resale, and buyers can still afford to get into the market. But in a housing bubble, a sudden price decrease can result in many owners holding negative equity (a mortgage debt higher than the value of the property).

Homebuyers who purchased a home during a housing bubble likely paid more than the property is worth. Over time, the property will rebound back to its true value and return to positive growth. But those who purchased a home and are now forced to sell will come up short on resale.

For example, someone who purchased at peak market prices,…

The home selling process can seem daunting. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start! To help guide you through the process, here’s a simple 5 step guide for selling your home.

Find An Agent

The first step to selling your home is finding the right real estate agent. Start by searching online or asking friends and family for referrals. There is no commitment required on your part for the initial meeting with an agent. It will be educational and will help you identify the right agent for you.

Price Your Home

Establishing an asking price will be the next step to selling your home. To determine a price, look for comparable homes that have sold in your neighbourhood recently. Also look at what’s currently on the market and how…

The Toronto real estate market continued to show exceptional year-over-year growth in April. According to TRREB, 13,663 homes were sold resulting in a whopping 362% increase from the 2,957 properties sold last year during the same time.

The average selling price in April showed a similar trend, with a 33% increase year-over-year to $1,090,992, while new listings grew 237%.

RELATED: How To Buy In A Sellers Market

Detached homes lead the way with 6,516 sales and an average price of $1,503,970, up 41.3% year-over-year.

Condo apartments accounted for 3,290 of the overall monthly total with an average price of $669,739, up 19.6% year-over-year.

These year-over-year increases are not surprising, since it was during this time last year…