85 IS THE NEW... 65

85 ... is the new 65?


When you walk through the door at The Court at  Pringle Creek retirement home you are constantly greeted with SMILES.  Smiles from the residents, the staff and visitors alike. To us, it felt like walking into a very large living room in someones actual house. As local Realtors when we are invited into someones house, the living room often is the pride of the home.  When we we entered this establishment  we found somewhere  that was so pretty - not too formal,  gracious not stark. It felt pleasant and comfortable just like one of our senior clients homes be it a condo or a house.

Recently  we had the occasion to visit Denise Myers and some of the staff for 'dinner'  at The Court at Pringle Creek", mid week as they took us on a tour of the facilities. Having been there for a second time things looked very familiar and  we were able to view a large one bedroom suite that backed onto a forest... last hints of spring .. snow on the ground. It felt like a living room I might find in one of our seniors clients homes.. be it a condo or bungalow. The decor was so pleasant and "homey" for lack of a better word.. but up to date and modern.

After a tour and a video presentation Denise and her team introduced us to a couple of vibrant and enthusiastic ambassadors
to chat with us about their own experiences... Gracious is a well earned slogan - and the best description. They really seemed settled and happy to share their stories and routines. Denise and her team sent us out the door with a sample dinner for two - BBQ chicken and all the trimmings. Home made tasting is the best description. the featured meal that night. Excellent down to the smallest detail.

As a Shoppers Drug mart  qualified senior ourselves, ( over 55 you can get seniors discount we now proudly admit)  we start looking at these retirement places with new fresh eyes. My own mother - charming 85 year old ( 86  two weeks from now) might say .. "not sure if I am ready for that kind of a place yet". Funny at 59 it looks pretty amazing to us. 

INFLUENCERS is what we are aptly called. Helping our parents make good decisions.

Boomers who are checking out the options for our parents and trusting when parents - uncles, aunts, or family friends are ready, we know where to lead them to. Hopefully NOT when they have had a fall or other emergency.

Most influencers, fear that their parents are just plain lonely or not getting the proper meals when cooking and eating for just one. As working offspring we are not always able to tend to their changing needs.It was a great comfort to me to learn they are getting Residents to their specialist appointments anywhere in Durham , or Walmart... or even out to a show, is a service provided to  Pringle Creek residents. They "bus " them about town with great care and pride.


As I sat looking out the administration office window to the forest, two residents nicely bundled up for cool spring like day wandered by on their morning walk. It was like being in a park but still on the property. What a great thing to be able to do.

Denise told me if you want a HOTEL like feeling try somewhere else. If you want a RESORT like feeling - try somewhere else but if you want to feel like your parent is HOME.. come to The Court at Pringle Creek. Could not have said it better. It seems like a wonderful next step for seniors who have decided they are ready for it and we encourage you to drop by for a coffee and see the place. It might just be the perfect new home. 

We laugh in the olden days we remember seniors saying " don't you to PUT  me  into "the HOME" - Once you visit .. it might just change a your mind... a few minds!

Dale and Patricia
Seniors Downsizing Durham

is February almost over...??

As I sit here, we all look around at each other and wonder where the month went! MINUS 18  to plus 5 degrees and its hard to believe the spring market is arriving..... and it is!!

Temperatures are freezing but the buyers are surfacing and looking for that perfect property. The major challenge... THERE AREN'T MANY LISTINGS out there to choose from.

ASK ME I KNOW! Yes one more week has come and gone and yes I do not have a new home ..YET!

BUT I have contingencies... and that is often what it is all about when selling your home. This time of year as people begin to think about moving.. sellers ask..."Is this the right time?"

Buyers buy year round but we all talk about the spring market. The market shifts from a buyers to a sellers market when there is lots of properties for sale. Right now? NOT SO MUCH

For those properties that have sat on the market for weeks or months.. right now is a good time to be on the market. ANYONE crossing your threshold at minus 18 degrees.. probably is not "window shopping" They are serious buyers. The amount of "lookers" is less yes but the quality of the buyer can be suburb! New home sites are seeing people coming back in much higher numbers as confidence slowly returns in the buyers soul.

For those of us buyers waiting not so patiently for the specific product we are after.. we KNOW that the market will swing around... it always does. The for sales signs will begin to pop up before the dandelions but for those buyers sitting back waiting.. its a hard wait. Typically, a closing is about 6o days, so having a good storage spot, reliable movers and somewhere to hang your hat in between makes for a contingency. It is a pain to move twice.. BUT to get the right property, to get where you want to go when you want to get there, takes organization, determination.. and oh yes Patience. ... The Patience prayer goes a little like this "Please Lord may I have patience but could I have it right now?!"

This is the market where first time buyers are enticed into the market. Prices edging up even three to five percent a year means that most buyers can't save ahead of the rising prices. Sellers who buy and sell in the same market, well they have lessened the anxiety and for those buying properties yet to be built? They are buying futures.. the belief that in the very near future the price you paid today, pre construction , will be a good price compared to the value when the new property is completed. This year seems to be a somewhat safe bet.

All the ingredients seem to be in the mix! Steady interest rates, increased strength in the job market, slightly elevating prices.... and positive attitudes! NOW if it would just stop snowing .. the SPRING market could actually arrive. Multiple offers are the name of the game right now

YES THIS IS a good time to list and hey dont wait for spring.. everybody else does!!
 

 

WHY do you still need a Realtor ?

Are Realtors as needed as they once were? With access to the Internet and the once over guarded information many buyers have asked .. do we still need a REALTOR?

Similar questions were asked of us all when the Internet first started posting information about houses, cars .and well most everything else. There was the rumour a decade or more ago that " Shopping malls will CLOSE" Who will go to a mall when they can shop on line???"

Did you go to the mall this holiday season?

Yes, the internet is a fantastic resource. Whether you are 5 years old or 82 ,checking out information for free is easily accessible on the net through your phone, on your blackberry's, ipads, tablets, car dashboards and watches. The information is invaluable. The good news is in the real estate world we are getting very educated sellers and buyers coming into the market place.

Do you need a realtor not just the internet.....Absolutley! According to the National Association of Realtors NAR, in their profile of home buyers and sellers, 89 percent of homebuyers use the internet to search for homes and it does not diminish the use of professional realtors. Likely that number is higher every year

The profile stated that home buyers who use the internet to search are MORE likely to buy through a sales person. The typical buyer spends 2 weeks searching for homes before they contact a sales person and on average look at 12 homes during the process.

The internet is a tool that educates and communicates that information. This is were the process begins. It is enhanced with access to things like google earth so that one can check out the "hood", but it is the Realtor that steps in an pulls all the details together. Buying a home is more than looking at a pretty picture or today a "you tube video" with instrumental music playing in the background "Gee I would love to live there"

REALTORS are trained professionals who take your through a very complex process step - by - step. We assist in the search process, the legal forms, the pricing, multiple offers, the negotiation, the staging and photography for sellers , the screening of buyers, mortage information and so much more. REALTORS help with the multitude of pertinent questions and answers with the resources to get you what you want where you want ,where you want and for what you can afford.

That hasn't changed in decades... the Internet is a tool we all use in every aspect of our lives these days... a helpful tool to learn more about buying YOUR home. For most people , this is the single largest investment of their lives.

Finding someone you trust, someone with experience and will get you the results! For the buyer there is no agent fee ... for the seller it's been proven time and time again to net you more money in your pocket. With world real estate markets still suffering, Canada and Toronto GTA in particular, are still active and strong markets ! Ask me how to help you... and we can Blog, text, ping, tweet, email, google, BBM, IM.....till we get you exactly where you want to go!

ISTHIS A BULL MARKET?

Well its happening again in the city more than in the "burbs" BUT today I was to show a listing to a client that had been on the market 3 days-maybe 4. On the listing it clearly states "Offers to be Presented to the seller on November 1st"


My clients quite liked the house they saw on the weekend, had a copy of the Sellers lists of improvements and a copy of the Home inspection pre sale report which was one page. It identified a few things that might need doing, like a new water main into the 80 plus year old home to increase water pressure

After making an appointment to have one more look at the property, I did my due diligence and checked the properties that had sold on the street. Very few semi detached, 14 foot wide properties had sold under 700,000 some in the mid 600,000 and one fixer upper ( that's the nice word for falling downer) sold under 500,000. We could see detached homes over the 1 Million mark and one 200,000 over asking price. This home was listed at 589,900 so we knew it was UNDER established market values and would like the others on the street sell significantly over the asking price... why not everything else had.


Then when I called the agent to ask about the offer presentations for the next day I find that the offers had been moved up till today! at 5:00 pm HALLOWEEN. I might add as someone had "pre-empted" the offer process set out in the listings and put in an over asking offer but good only till today... "BULLY Offers" are the nick name.

So this diligent agent called all 45 agents whom had shown the property previously and gave them the good news. She re -ran "published" the listing on the open MLS service and now told the buyer agents to come to the table today, at five, with a certified cheque or money order in hand. She now had two registered offers and three more pending

My clients said... "Really? thanks but no thanks."Is this the way to sell real estate? YES it is free enterprise and I personally have done a similar thing. I have advised a client to list lower and see where the buying public will push the offer? I did not, however move the day up, which obviously adds fuel to the fire.


NOT so much fun on this side... I am just sayin..

Does this happen everywhere NO.. the downtown core and parts of Durham seem to be specializing in this. Can it hurt the seller.. Jury is still out on that. If reviewing the selling prices and an average sale point of $640,000 was reached they could have gone more traditionally. Had they listed this property at $649,900 and waited several days and received one offer of $640,000 would they have accepted it and felt they got top dollar? Or does the buyer actually think they got over market value because listed very low and got over asking price.

Don't know.. all I do know is with the low supply of affordable housing and the demand high (with very low interest rates predicted to remain) ...this market shows NO signs of slowing down.


SO if you are not trying to buy in this buying frenzy or selling where there are multiple offers whats the best strategy?

List where the 30,000 agents who work the market everyday see your property when its first listed as "good value' Sell it to the agents and they can Sell it to the buyers with confidence, statistical back up and peace of mind.
This as been the motto for success for sellers since I started in this business over 25 years ago.. actually my mom first told me that and she was a realtor back in the 60's... computers and internet aside THIS has not changed.

Summer holds on......

Well even if summer is almost over........... should we consider a house with a pool and a hot tub!?

YES! .. but first let me state my bias. My family and I enjoyed one for almost 17 years and if I can handle a pool most any one can. ( OK me, a helpful neighbour and the "teenage kids!)

I recently listed a property house with the pool and compared the "costs" of running a pool with a house without one. Personal usage will of course dictate the actual cost of operating a pool, but it is not a large some of money. Utility costs compare about 8 percent higher and the ongoing costs of replacing liners ( about every 15 years) pool heaters ( about every 12 years) pool pumps ( about every 10 years) and solar blanket (about every 3 years).....over the 17 years I enjoyed a pool it was less money than renting a decent cottage for a week.. and we had months of enjoyment.

"Stay"cations come in and out of style.. but spending time with your kids, grand kids...family and friends is always in style. Many nights we sat with our feet in the pool just hanging out poolside.. or maybe dinner overlooking the pool. It is an expensive undertaking to put in a pool.. tens of thousands and I am not saying it isn't worth it for those who choose to install one. BUT to buy a property where one already there, very affordable....truly enjoyable and I am grateful for the previous owners who did where we bought!

Not for every one for sure but if you thinks it's too much work for most it is NOT. Automated chlorinators, creepy crawlers and barracudas ( brand name for automatic pool cleaners) and competent pool companies for opening and closings if you aren't handy... make pool ownership a wonderful thing.

I am just sayin...

Spring! FINALLY !!!

Yes it has been a long winter... spring slow to arrive and almost suddenly Mothers Day weekend and its officially spring. The grass that wasn't there 10 days ago needs cutting.. garden centres are flourishing, dandelions are popping up almost welcomed ( almost) and the true sign spring is here.

THE REAL ESTATE SPRING MARKET is thriving.......... No signs of the last two years of recession talk as MULTIPLE OFFERS are the name of the game. As we went around the office meeting last week one agent told of the 14 offers that had been registered on a single detached home. It was listed at the appraised price and sold tens of thousands of dollars over asking. The next agent said he had 4 offers on his listing, a residential 4 bedroom property ...... again sold thousands of dollars over the asking price. The next agent meekly said... we only had two offers!....hummph.



GREAT news for the sellers .... what about the buyers?

What do you do when you really, really want the house you just saw?

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS......

The Internet has changed how we all look and find out information about what is for sale on the open market today, but you had better know your numbers before you attempt to jump into what is common today.. BIDDING WARS. The best way is to have a realtor who has the truth about what a house sold for not just the asking price. It is not uncommon for a house today to be on the market a mere week and have agents and public ask two questions.

1.WHATS wrong with the house?

2. WHEN are the sellers REDUCING THE PRICE?

And truthfully it is even more common to see just that happen. Today's market calls for a savvy realtor who can provide crucial information prior to an offer going forward on your behalf. You may loose out on one.... It seems you see one you might like and its SOLD before you get to see it - because when you are actively looking for a home and you begin the process most everything looks good on paper.. ( OK on the Internet!)

Wide angle shots, "staged" homes... cropped photos (so that UGLY one next door doesn't show) .. all make for great photos but maybe not the greatest find. I repeat you can't SMELL WHAT A HOUSE IS LIKE from the Internet... and in the rare case that is a GOOD thing.
Your realtor will sit down and go over all the details of the most recent sales of COMPARABLE homes that have sold. The homes make look similar but upgrades, improvements, general condition, appliances, even which side of the street a property is located on EFFECTS the selling price. Recently one property I was showing was a long crescent and a train ran behind the homes on the other side of the street. We are all now grateful for the advances in GOOGLE earth so you can see a many things on the Internet before you start.


4.KNOW your numbers and know your limit. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE ANOTHER ONE.

Just like the saying ... you'll know the right one when you see it, If you are qualified by a mortgage lender and not just filled out a form on line, if you have your down payment accessible if you have worked out your budget on what you WANT to afford not just what you can afford... take the advice of your realtor.. make an intelligent bid... know about required conditions and GO FOR IT !

This is ,for most people, the biggest single investment you will ever make in your lives. It is where we raise our kids.. nurture our dreams and arrive safely to.... at the end of some very long days! It is not worth owning.. (strange words from a realtor) if you really can't afford it ... if you really are just settling... if you haven't done your homework! (pun intended)

In Hot markets like this, Realtors can guide you through the process. It is what most of love about real estate. It is a whirlwind right now... but its worth it to arrive a the right house at the right price .... aka......... HOME.

SNOW ...rain... hail... Cold spring but a HOT MARKET OUT THERE!

Well it is true to the predictions from most inside the industry and out,report that the Bank of Canada did not have any dramatic surprises up its’ sleeve on Tuesday, as rates were held again. The experts are saying "In fact, it looks as though we may be well into the summer before the rate hike that has long been speculated about, actually materializes." THE EXPERTS AT THE TORONTO REAL ESTATE BOARD "GTA REALTORS® RELEASE MID‐MONTH RESALE HOUSING FIGURES TORONTO, APRIL 18, 2011 ‐‐ Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,444 sales during the first two weeks of April 2011 – a three per cent decrease compared to the first two weeks of April 2010. said TREB President Bill Johnston. The average selling price for firm deals reported through the first two weeks of April was $483,165, representing a 12 per cent increase over the average price of $430,271 reported during the same period last year. “The number of homes listed for sale so far in 2011 has been below expectations. Market conditions have tightened, resulting in increased competition between home buyers and accelerating rates of average price growth,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis. “The strong rate of price growth reported for the first two weeks of April should entice more households to list their homes for sale. This would result in more balanced market conditions and more moderate rates of price growth,” continued Mercer. LONG story short... SUPPLY still down..... DEMAND STILL HIGH. Typically this is a big listing time of the year and ironically or factually, warmer spring weather - MORE houses to choose from. IF you are thinking about selling....long bets have you favoured to list with a longer closing... get the cash in your hand and to shopping for your new house! First timers...rates stable.. supply increasing... KNOW your numbers and then GO GET YOUR NEW HOUSE.....stop paying someone elses mortgage.