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Search results matching tag 'Toronto Real Estate Market Updates'


Market Conditions Promote Price Growth in April - Sutton Group Releases May's Monthly Newsletter
Published Date: Wed, 15 May 2013 05:44:00 GMT

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Ontario First-Time Home Buyer Programs - Which Ones can you Benefit From?
Published Date: Mon, 06 May 2013 16:38:00 GMT

FTHB – what does it mean?

Are you a First-Time Home Buyer in Ontario? There are many programs in place for you – you will find them here!

FTHB is short for First-Time Home Buyer.

FTHB’s make up a large portion of the market today; with as little as 5% down you can buy a home albeit home prices have risen over the years making the 5% a challenge.

When you partner with a mortgage professional, you have access to lenders who offer zero-down mortgages and for some, this makes sense. You need to understand all of your options and that is the key, you need options!

As a FTHB there are many programs available today that will save you money, it is so important to take advantage of these because you are only a FTHB once! We are surprised at the lack of knowledge about all of the programs and incentives available and unfortunately, many FTHB’s miss out.
Here are some of the programs available if you qualify*:

RRSP Home Buyer’s Plan – able to withdraw up to $25,000 per person from your RRSP tax-free to put towards a down payment
Land Transfer Tax Rebate – up to $2000 in Ontario plus up to a maximum refund of $3,725 if buying in Toronto
First-time Homebuyers’ Tax Credit – this works out to a rebate of $750, the credit must be claimed within the year of purchase.

*There are many qualifying factors such as minimum age, if you or your spouse have ever owned a home together or separately so it is important to know the facts. These programs are in place to help with the cost of purchasing a home at the time of closing and at tax time.
There is a lot of information when buying a home if you are a First-Time Home Buyer , in addition to these government incentives, it makes sense that home buyers seek the advice and guidance of a mortgage professional who will explain all of the options, terms and work out a budget so that home ownership is an enjoyable experience.

 To speak to an Agent call 416-896-3333

For our list of Affordable homes and Condos under $350,000 Click here

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Toronto’s condo boosters see a market revival - Is There Potential in a 500 Sqft condo Investment?
Published Date: Thu, 02 May 2013 17:41:00 GMT

Despite falling resale condo figures in this city in recent months, Ms. Shim believes that the outlook for condos in Toronto remains strong. And to those who think the units coming on stream in Toronto are too numerous and too tiny, she points out that urbanites in their 20s and 30s are just happy to occupy a rung on the property ladder.

“Get in the head of the people actually buying,” she tells those who wonder how anyone can live in 500 square feet. The market analyst and marketing maven is feeling enough brio to launch a new research firm called Housing Lab. Ms. Shim recently talked about the motivation of buyers during a talk billed “The Condo-fication of Toronto: The good, the bad and the ugly”, at University of Toronto.

Some are young professionals who find the competition in the rental market – where the vacancy rate is hovering just above one per cent – intense.

“The rental market’s on fire,” she says of a market that inspires bidding wars for some units. So, rather than compete, these children of the boomers are buying their own place.

Other buyers are investors who plan to rent the units out.

“These are not people who are flipping. These investors today have long-term thinking,” she says. “It has provided de facto new rental stock.”

The “bad” infiltrating the condo market comes from so-called value engineering. Some developers are finding their costs so expensive that they have to be very hard-minded in order to turn a profit.

“You’re sitting down with a budget and have to make hard decisions.”

Other knocks against the market include some ill-conceived schemes for retail stores at ground level. In some cases, there are not enough people living nearby to support the businesses and the space sits empty.

As for the ugly, Ms. Shim points to the NIMBYism of people who don’t want to see more high-rise towers. She says the “not in my backyard attitude” reflects a fear of condo-fication, but she thinks the density is necessary and the new construction revitalizes older neighbourhoods.

At the residential builder Daniels Corp., vice-president Martin Blake says the company is going ahead with planned launches of new condo projects. Daniels typically targets the first-time buyer more than investors. The company also offers rent-to-own schemes.

Unlike many developers, Daniels sometimes builds first and then sells the units.

“It takes away the uncertainty of the new condo marketplace.”

In the resale market, condo sales have been sluggish since last summer when the federal government tightened the rules surrounding mortgage lending.

In March, condo sales on the Toronto Real Estate Board’s multiple listing service in the 416 area code dropped 19 per cent compared with the same month last year to continue the trend of falling year-over-year numbers.

Nicholas Bohr, an agent, agrees with Ms. Shim that the condo lifestyle is so desirable to some that certain types of buildings will always be sought after. While many buyers in the past considered a condo just a pathway to their goal of owning a detached house, that’s no longer true in many cases, he adds.

“I like to label it as a stepping stone but for a lot of people it’s a lifestyle,” he says. “Some people don’t like to live in a house. They want to live in something new and something sexy and even to change it every couple of years.”

Mr. Bohr says marquee condo buildings by prime builders still remain in high demand. But owners who are trying to sell a unit in a building where there are many other similar units for sale will need to be more patient.

“Prices are based on future expectations,” says Mr. Bohr. “Some are coming down and some builders make condo purchases a good investment,” he says.

In the buildings where there are more competing units for sale, real estate agents also need to be more inventive, he adds.

Mr. Bohr recently printed up 300 cards and had them delivered to tenants in a rental apartment building across the street from a condo tower. “Why rent when you can own across the street?” the flyer asks, suggesting that prospective purchasers get in touch with a mortgage broker.

Mr. Bohr also invites residents of the entire building to a wine-and-cheese open house before he puts a condo unit on the market.

He hopes that owners will tell their friends and family about the new unit for sale in their building. He can also garner first impressions about the staging and price.

“It’s a great way to get some buzz. They can give great feedback,” he says.

Christopher Bibby, an agent with Sutton Group-Associates Realty Inc., says that buyers of resale condo units are being choosy about neighbourhoods and buildings.

Units in buildings that are not in high demand might take a month to sell – even with a realistic asking price and savvy staging.

But for a sought-after building such as a “hard” loft conversion, buyers are often waiting and watching for units to come on the market. Mr. Bibby recently sold a loft in the popular Candy Factory building for an amount above the asking price. Two buyers stepped up with offers.

“If agents are doing their job, they’ll come the first day and that’s what happened here.

For Condo Deals in your Area  check out our Hot Under 300k Deals here!

Take a look at the Five Star Amenieties in 15 Legion! http://www.searchtorontohomes.com/15legioncondos

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11 Most Popular Home Improvements - and What Home Buyers are Willing to pay More For
Published Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:23:00 GMT

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11. One or more fireplaces

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 40%

Amount willing to pay extra: $1,400

Some 40% of home buyers without a fireplace said they would spend additional money for at least one and cough up an extra $1,400. The fireplace, while always popular, was less necessary when several TVs were going in the house all at once, said Errol Samuelson, president of Realtor.com. But he speculated that having a home with fireplaces may become more popular in the future as people spend less time watching TV and more time on tablets and e-readers. These people may find the fireplace a good place to cozy up and use their devices, he said.

10. Eat-In kitchen

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 40%

Amount willing to pay extra: $1,770

The people who are most interested in an eat-in kitchen tend to be in the 35-to-54 age range, with 30% of those prospective home buyers indicating this is “very important” in a house. Meanwhile, just 21% of those under 35 years of age and 20% over 55 feel the same way. More people, especially those who are raising families, want kitchens that look into family entertainment rooms. Some have even made it a family hangout by placing big-screen TVs and other electronics in the kitchen.

9. Home less than 5 years old

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 40%

Amount willing to pay extra: $5,020

Some people simply want a newer home. For those willing to pay more for a newer home, the median that people would dole out was more than $5,000. Although this is a lot of money compared with most features, that money could be a wise investment in the long run. Maintenance costs are considerably less in newer homes compared with older homes, Samuelson pointed out. He also noted that newer homes tend to be much more efficient, attracting people who are environmentally conscious.

8. Stainless steel appliances

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 41%

Amount willing to pay extra: $1,850

Like most features, stainless steel appliances are most important to people between the ages of 35 to 54, with 23% considering them to be a “very important” investment, compared with just 16% of those under the age of 35 and a mere 11% of those over the age of 55. From a cost perspective, stainless steel appliances are not necessarily the best investment. Samuelson noted that stainless steel wears out far easier than most other common materials. Also, the children in the house can also get their fingerprints on the appliances, requiring more cleaning. However, Samuelson said people are primarily driven to buy stainless steel appliances because they are more attractive.

7. Kitchen island

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 48%

Amount willing to pay extra: $1,370

Kitchen islands are most important to people ages 35 to 54, with 24% of them indicating that it is a “very important” characteristic. Just 19% of people under 35 and 13% over 55 considered this feature important. Brendon DeSimone, a Realtor and real estate expert with Zillow, noted that kitchen islands often come in handy for those who are raising a family. It provides additional room to put out food for the family and allows the kitchen to become more organized. Although the desire for a kitchen island is high, those who do not have one but want one are only willing to shell out $1,370, less than most other features.

 


 

 

6. En suite master bath

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 49%

Amount willing to pay extra: $2,030

The en suite master bathroom tends to be more important to people ages 35 and older. “It kind of goes to the ‘home is my sanctuary’ mentality,” Samuelson said. This, along with a walk-in closet in the master bedroom, has become more important in the past 10 years or so. Many people are eager to make their bathroom more “homey” by doing things such as installing televisions on the wall. The fact that many master bathrooms have two sinks is also an appealing option for married couples, Samuelson added.

5. Hardwood floors

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 54%

Amount willing to pay extra: $2,080

Some 25% of buyers under the age of 35, and 28% of those between 35 and 54, considered hardwood floors “very important” when looking for a home. Only 17% of people ages 55 and up felt the same way. In previous generations, homes with carpets were considered better in order to conserve energy, DeSimone said. Even today, older people are more likely to feel more comfortable with carpeting because the insulation makes the home a little bit warmer. But for younger people looking to have many guests at the house and for people with children, hardwood floors are desirable because they are easier to clean than carpets.

 

 

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4. Granite countertops

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 55%

Amount willing to pay extra: $1,620

Among homeowners between the ages of 35 and 54, 24% viewed granite countertops as “very important,” compared with 18% of people under 35 and 18% of people over 55. Although just one in every five prospective home buyers said granite countertops were very important, 55% of those who bought a home without such a countertop said they would pay extra for it. Both DeSimone and Samuelson agreed that the granite countertop is more of a style issue than anything else. “There has been more emphasis on the beautiful kitchen these days, and granite countertops are a part of that,” Samuelson said.

3. Walk-in closet in master bedroom

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 60%

Amount willing to pay extra: $1,350

A whopping 60% of homeowners were willing to pay extra for a walk-in closet in the master bedroom, with 44% of people between the ages of 35-54 viewing this feature as “very important,” compared with just 35% under the age of 35 and 36% of people 55 and older. DeSimone said the walk-in closet is desired for two main reasons: space and status. The space is very desirable for people as they get older and acquire more clothes, allowing people to be more organized. Having a walk-in closet in the master bedroom is also a status symbol. When giving a house tour, DeSimone said, people want to say, “hey, check out my closet,” in the same way they say, “hey, have you seen my new kitchen?”

2. New kitchen appliances

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 69%

Amount willing to pay extra: $1,840

About 69% of homeowners said they were willing to spend more money for new kitchen appliances. Unsurprisingly, people who are looking to buy a new home find this far more important than people who are eyeing previously owned homes. People who are the first to live in a specific house tend to want everything to be new in the house because they consider the house truly “their own,” DeSimone said. People also do not want to have to deal with the stress of broken appliances. “They don’t want to come home after a horrible stressful day at work and find the dishwasher isn’t working or the fridge is making noises.”

1. Central air conditioning

Percentage of home buyers willing to pay more: 69%

Amount willing to pay extra: $2,520

Nearly seven in 10 homeowners said they would be willing to pay more for central air conditioning—the same as new kitchen appliances and more than any other feature. Central air conditioning was considered “very important” by more than 60% of people in all age groups. Samuelson noted that although people were willing to shell out approximately $2,500 for the feature, that is far less than what it would actually cost to install central air conditioning. “There is a difference in people’s preference and what they are willing to pay for,” Samuelson said. “They may want the steak but are on a macaroni budget."

 

For More Tips or to Book a Free Staging Consultation Call our Sutton Dream Team 905-896-3333 / 416-896-3333

Find out how much your home is worth with a Free Home Evaluation 

 

 

 

 

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This Weekend Only - $10,000 Cash Back - Waterlilies Townhomes in Oakville!
Published Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:36:00 GMT

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For More Oakville Homes Browse our Inventory Here.  http://www.searchtorontohomes.com/index.php?p=2&town=Oakville&io_hometype=detached

Wondering what Your Home is Worth? Schedule a No Obligation Market Evaluation Today with one of our Top Experienced Realtors. Book yours Here. or call 905-896-3333

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Good News For Realtors: Toronto Real Estate Board Listing-Service Case Dismissed
Published Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:10:00 GMT

In Toronto’s hot housing market, buying and selling homes with a real-estate agent doesn’t come cheap — and it’s not easy to buy or sell without one. It doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon.

This week, Canada’s Competition Tribunal dismissed a years-long case in which the country’s Competition Bureau accused Toronto’s giant real-estate board of unfairly keeping a stranglehold on certain real-estate data, including previous selling prices for homes.

The Competition Bureau said the Toronto Real Estate Board, which represents 36,000 real-estate brokers and salespeople throughout Canada’s largest city, was tilting the lucrative market in its favor, putting consumers at a disadvantage and preventing upstart firms from successfully entering the market.


The real-estate group, which operates the Multiple Listing Service system, argued it was protecting the privacy of home sellers and buyers. Its website, mls.ca, includes real-estate listings and prices, but doesn’t include previous selling prices for homes. In the greater Toronto area, only real-estate agents have access to those numbers.

A Competition Bureau spokesman told Real Time Canada that officials are still reviewing the tribunal’s decision and haven’t decided whether to file an appeal.

 

To schedule your free home market evaluation click here

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CRA Scrutiny Over Some Condo Flipping and Assignments
Published Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:45:00 GMT

The Canada Revenue Agency is taking hard look at people selling condos for big profit after long boom.

Some sellers of new Toronto condos are seeing years of price gains in a booming market taxed away. Canada Revenue Agency auditors have added penalties to taxes for those who claimed their condo as a home, but soon changed their minds and sold.

The CRA has yet to disclose how many sellers have been affected. But Toronto tax lawyer and text author David Sherman and other tax experts, accuse auditors of unfairly ignoring some legitimate explanations for sales. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty wants the CRA to collect more than $500 million extra from suspected tax cheats this year.

The Canada Revenue Agency taking hard look at people selling condos for a big profit after long boom.

“The auditors have applied a rare 50 per cent penalty for ‘gross negligence,’ even on those who had never owned a condo previously,” says Sherman.

Sam Papadopoulos, a CRA spokesman, said the agency chooses areas to audit based on “current and emerging risks to the tax base.” The CRA is looking at real estate because of the recent condo boom “for which we have discovered non-reporting of taxable income – builder GST/HST housing rebates and capital gains/income in sales of real property.”

He added that auditors look at such things as the seller’s intention, the type of property they sold, the frequency of purchase and sales, why they sold and how the purchase and sales fit with the person’s ordinary business. He said auditors do not receive bonuses to encourage them to perform more audits.

Canada has three tiers of tax treatment for real estate sales — no tax on a principal residence, tax on half a gain from selling a recreational, rental or other investment property, and full taxation for making a business of buying and selling — known colloquially as flipping.

 

Lawyer James Rhodes of TaxationLawyers in Kitchener says some auditors are alleging sellers are making quick flips if the time between the registration of a condo and its sale is short. This is even though they may have bought the condo years previously, before construction started.

“If someone signed a purchase agreement 10 years ago to buy a condo, but then sold it the day after the condo was finally registered, the CRA would say that person sold the condo as a quick flip because they only owned it one day,” he says.

“The CRA doesn’t seem to care that a person’s circumstances might have changed over the ten years, such that they don’t want to live in the condo anymore.”

One of Rhodes’ clients was single when he bought a condo in downtown Toronto in 2005. By 2009 he was engaged, and his fiancée wanted to be closer to her work in Guelph. So, he sold it, soon after it was registered.

An auditor decided that the sale so soon after registration was suspicious, and so was the original choice of a two-bedroom apartment: “There is no reason to purchase a two bedroom condominium for one person,” he claimed.

Rhodes says his client was assessed with over $100,000 of business income, resulting in a tax bill of roughly $50,000. He also faced a $25,000 penalty.

“I estimate the cost to take this to the Tax Court (of Canada) will be around $10,000 to $15,000.”

A married chartered accountant waited five years for a new 935-square-foot condo unit to be built at Bloor and Jarvis Streets. But she decided after living there 15 days in 2011 it was simply too cramped.

“We would have had to turn the entire second bedroom into a closet,” she explained. “My husband would have had to watch television in the living room.”

They changed their plans, kept their old family home, but claimed the condo as a principal residence for the time they owned it. (It is permissible to claim different homes as one’s principal residence, just not two at the same time.)

A CRA auditor has ordered her to pay $72,000 of tax, and a $36,000 penalty, on a $150,000 price gain. She had already looked into CRA practices and wrote March 18 to ask Minister of National Revenue, Gail Shea, to order an investigation.

 

 

Other Related CRA Article on Condo Market: Taxpayers also victims of Hot Condo Market - CRA going after Foreign Investors
 
 
ASSIGNMENT SALES: Some investors thought there would be no paper trail when selling their condos on Assignment - Selling their contracts before they closed with the builder ... but ... "Revenue Canada to send auditors to lawyers and intermediaries and developers who have lists of those who signed agreements of purchase and sale. If they did not close those deals, and the deals sold for more money than the agreements, then auditors must work backward to assess income taxes.
 
 
If you are an investor and need to bounce some idea's on your next investment purchase or sale - call our Sutton Toronto Office for information 416-896-3333.   We're here to help and guide you in the right direction. 

 

 

To read about more Toronto Market Updates click here

See what all the fuss is about! Have a look at New Toronto Condo Developments or call us direct 416-896-3333

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Time for a Career Change? Real Estate Agents Ranked Happiest Job of 2013
Published Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:40:00 GMT

Real Estate Agent Ranked 'Happiest' Job

Having a job as a real estate agent “will bring a smile to your face,” according to CareerBliss.com. The site recently ranked the happiest jobs of 2013.

"Real estate agents have definitely weathered quite a financial storm over the past few years," says Heidi Golledge, CEO and co-founder of CareerBliss. "But right now, rates are between 2 percent to 3 percent and inventory is low, making it a real estate agent's dream as new homes hit the market and are getting multiple offers in the first week. Real estate professionals say that the way they work and the rewards they are seeing with a growing market have helped boost overall happiness for those in this career."

 

The firm evaluated 65,000 independent job reviews and made its rankings by taking into account the occupations’ work-life balance, compensation, growth opportunities, company reputation, job control, and work environment. Each occupation was given a “bliss rating.” The following are the top eight jobs ranked as happiest by CareerBliss.com. 

  • Real estate agent 4.26 
  • Software quality assurance engineer 4.23 
  • Senior sales representative 4.19 
  • Construction superintendent 4.10 
  • Senior Application Developer 4.08 
  • Logistics Manager 4.07 
  • Construction Manager 4.06 
  • Administrative Assistant 4.04 

Meanwhile, CareerBliss says the most unhappy in the jobs are teachers, nurses, and attorneys, mostly attributed to the higher pressures in these jobs. 

Source: “Real Estate Agent Tops List of 'Happy' Careers,” The Street (April 10, 2013)

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April Newsletter
Published Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:21:00 GMT

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Toronto's Real Estate Market is Hotter than Ever for First Time Home Buyers
Published Date: Sat, 06 Apr 2013 00:25:00 GMT

Jody and Michael Fegelman and their children Jack, 5, and Lilly, 2 1/2, are moving into this home in the St. Clair Ave. W. and Vaughan Rd. area after tough search involving losing out in three bidding wars.

First-time homebuyers Jody and Michael Fegelman have heard a lot of talk over the last year about Canada’s cooling housing market. All the couple have felt is the sting of its heat.

During their 1½-year search for a home for their two young children, the Fegelmans have been on the losing end of three grueling bidding wars. They have paid for a home inspection on a place someone else got by paying $80,000 over the asking price.

They’ve felt heartache, disappointment and fear that their children Jack, 5, and Lilly, 2½, would be renters for life.

“My parents just kept saying, ‘Wait. Prices are going to come down,’ says Fegelman. “But the truth is, there is a boom going on in Toronto. I don’t think things will change or bidding wars will stop.”

Over the last four years, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has tightened mortgage lending rules in a desperate bid to bring reason to the red-hot housing market, especially in Toronto and Vancouver where prices have hit the stratosphere during the last decade, propelled largely by low interest rates.

That, combined with surging supply of new condo projects, has definitely sent a chill through Toronto’s highrise housing sector since last summer, but demand for lowrise houses shows no signs of letting up.

Although home sales were down 11.5 per cent and listings up slightly as of mid March over a year earlier, unrelenting competition among buyers for too few properties for sale — especially in the City of Toronto — saw prices jump six per cent across the GTA, according to the Toronto Real Estate Board.

Semi-detached homes sold for an average $622,044 in the City of Toronto in mid-March, up a whopping 12.2 per cent from a year earlier (they were up just 2.9 per cent in the 905 regions to $398,328.)

Detached homes climbed by 7.2 per cent to an average $909,910 in Toronto, outpaced slightly in the 905 regions were a 7.7 per cent climb saw average prices hit $603,797.

Townhouses in the 416 region climbed by 8.2 per cent in mid March year over year to $447,460, compared to an almost seven per cent increase in the 905 regions to an average $375,420.

Even the cooling condo sector, where resale condo sales were down almost 10 per cent in mid-March year-over-year and listings have been climbing, saw price growth of 1.9 per cent in the City of Toronto, compared to just 0.2 per cent in the 905 regions.

“We’re seeing a major culture shift and a complete redefinition of what’s desirable and the (housing) market is reflecting that now,” says veteran urban planner Ken Greenberg.

“There is a new North American dream, and it’s no longer to have the suburban house and the fleet of cars. It’s living where you can buy your groceries on foot and you have access to transit.”

With the peak buying and selling period, spring market, just around the corner, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is seeing some interesting indicators as well.

“We’re not seeing as many first-time buyers getting into the market right now because of affordability, but there is a considerable pool of people who have bought over the past 10 years and have outgrown their condominiums,” says Shaun Hildebrand, CMHC’s Toronto market analyst.

“There is strong demand for move-up properties fairly close to the core.”

The biggest supply-demand imbalance right now in the GTA is for semi-detached homes priced between $500,000 and $700,000 in areas like Roncesvalles and Leslieville, says Hildebrand.

Even some areas of Durham Region, close to Toronto’s border, have seen a tightening of supply because of first-time buyers looking for more affordable housing options, he added.

At the same time, demand for downtown rentals unlike anything seen in the last 20 years has driven rents to mortgage-like levels and is starting to tip the balance in favour of owning, given slipping condo prices and low interest rates, says Hildebrand.

Despite what sounds like all good news for the housing market, selling real estate has never been harder, says veteran broker Sally Cook. And it’s bringing out the worst in the industry: Underpricing to drive up competition for what little is out there and holding off accepting offers for days to create a frenzy of longing.

“It’s become emotionally, physically and financially draining,” for would-be home buyers, as well as agents, says Cook. “I decided last year to concentrate my efforts with first-time buyers looking for condos. There’s lots of inventory and I don’t have to fight over it.”

The frustration of what turned out to be a 1½-year search for a place to call home convinced the Fegelmans they needed to try something different. On the suggestion of their agent, Ira Jelinek, they started mining MLS data earlier this month for houses that had been languishing on the market for weeks.

They were the only bidders for a derelict semi-detached house in the Vaughan Rd. and St. Clair Ave. W. area that had listed since October. Originally priced at $599,000, they were the only bidders and got it for $460,000.

That’s because it needs over $100,000 in renovations.

“It’s very hard to cool or control a market when you have so many buyers chasing the same type of houses,” says Jelinek. “Agents who sell in my demographic, to people in their late 20s and early 30s, are feeling the effects of this market, too.

“The good thing is, this will weed out a lot of the realtors who’ll just say, ‘It’s too hard right now to be an agent.’ This is when the good ones will stick out.”

 

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