Richard Silver

Archive for December, 2010

Why You Should Sign a Buyer Representation Agreement!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g15BaodM6M8[/youtube] Here is a great new video released by the Toronto Real Estate Board  on why you should sign a Buyer Representation Agreement . Make sure that you are being properly represented in the transaction. Feel free to contact me and I will give you a full run down of what a REALTOR can and cannot do with or without a Buyer Representation Agreement.Continue Reading...

The Canadian Real Estate Association releases REALTOR.ca mobile application for Apple iPhone

 Just in time for Xmas! This is great news from the Canadian Real Estate Association. It is a free download from the iTunes store and also works (though is not as good) on your iPad. The best part is the GPS so it can be used on the move when you are sitting in from of a property to get the REALTOR.ca information.   Ottawa, ON – December 21, 2010 – The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) today released its REALTOR.ca app for...Continue Reading...

What Could Be Lurking In Your Home?

Here is yet another great information piece that all homeowners should keep close at hand to logically answer and demystify some of the "bugaboos" we hear about when buying a home. Remember knowledge is power and here is some great information from Carson Dunlop & Associates , the leaders in Home Inspection. Great stuff and again, thank you for letteing me pass this information along... What Could Be Lurking in Your House???View more documents from Richard Silver.Continue Reading...

My Favourite Holidays! Another Day in Paradise!

Let me begin by saying that I totally understand the lure of "all inclusive" vacations and have taken them numerous times when my mental ability was at an all time low and deciding where to go for dinner was a major decision... That said, if I have the time and even passable energy, I am always happier and more fulfilled when I can experience a total change in culture and weather. I have travelled in the Far East, India, Africa, South America,...Continue Reading...

Greater Toronto REALTORS® Housing Market Charts

Here are the November 2010 Housing Market Charts from the Toronto Real Estate Board. I love these because they tell the real story of what is happening in the Toronto Real Estate Market. It looks at this year in comparison with the last three and does not get caught up in month to month fluctuations that can be used to distort what is really happening. Serious consumers concerned about market movement should be following these charts rather than the monthly figures.  Have...Continue Reading...

Greater Toronto REALTORS® Report Mid-Month Sales Figures

TORONTO, December 16, 2010 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 2,509 sales through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) during the first two weeks of December2010. This represented a 19 per cent decrease compared to the 3,079 sales recorded during the same period in December 2009. Year-to-date sales amounted to 84,316 – down one per cent from the 2009 total of 84,888. “While off the 2009 record, the level of December transactions remains strong from a historic perspective. The number of transactions in 2010...Continue Reading...

Toronto Neighbourhood in focus: Rosedale

Rosedale… what’s in a name? A few years ago we bought a house on a great Toronto street south of Bloor that I refer to as Cabbagetown  North. But some call it Rosedale . There, I said it! It took me a long time to say Rosedale because it comes with a lot of preconceived baggage, when in reality it is just a place where some people have bigger mortgages and a lot of house to maintain. I do miss my Carlton/Church condo...Continue Reading...

Toronto Real Estate: The Difference Between Retrofit and Legal Status

Toronto apartments and especially Toronto basement apartments are always a big discussion when working with Buyers or Sellers. About 90% of the apartments that I have shown in either single-family homes with basement apartments or multiple family homes, the question is asked: "Is this a legal basement apartment? Does legal mean that it is retrofit?" In both cases the answer, for the most part is "no". The number of Toronto apartments that are both Legal and have Retrofit Status  would at a...Continue Reading...

Toronto Real Estate Board’s Jason Mercer on the November 2010 Market Watch.

Jason Mercer, the Senior Market Analyst at the Toronto Real Estate Board gives us the scoop from the Market Watch in November 2010. Have a look and let me know your thoughts. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIf-vSnUG-A[/youtube]Continue Reading...

Our Bathroom Renovations and the HST….

Over the past three months we have gutted and renovated two bathrooms, replaced doors and windows, dealt with a leaking basement and spent a lot more time, energy and money on our home. Like a lot of people who live in their houses while they are being renovated, we are happy to see the back end of our contractor and happy to have our house back. We are also kicking ourselves for not having all of this done years ago...mostly...Continue Reading...