Ever get that dreaded long distance ring on your home phone during dinner time?  I get it daily.  Usually around 5:00pm and then again around 8:00pm.  Of course it's not anyone important, just a telemarketer trying to sell you duct cleaning or a new furnace.  At our house we really don't answer the phone anymore when we here those three rings.  However, today I received the long distance call at 8:00am...very strange I thought to get the call so early. ... [read more]

Man o' man, how frustrating is it to hear over and over again..."real estate agents make too much money".     Last week during a Doug Ford campaign stop, reporters suggested that along with getting rid of the Toronto Land Transfer Tax, agents should also cut their commission to 1% right across the board to help with housing affordability.     I know one percent may seem like a lot when you're selling a 2.5 million dollar home, but on the average home... [read more]

The bidding war phenomena in real estate has become the norm in Toronto, it has even made its way outside the city. Not only have I seen it in Richmond Hill I have experienced it both as a seller and buyer. In this market climate, bidding wars can be an amazing situation for the seller and a horrific experience for the buyer. Amazing because the seller gets to hand pick the best offer from buyers who are willing to come with a firm offer (and usually overpay in order to be the lucky ones... [read more]

A townhome can be the perfect starter home for many in Richmond Hill. Usually priced less than a detached or semi and bigger than a condo, the townhome actually seems and feels like a real home complete with your own backyard and garage. Whether you like Rouge Woods, Mill Pond, Langstaff, Jefferson, Tower Hill, Macleod Landing or Oak Ridges there are many townhomes to choose from in Richmond Hill. However, like a condo townhomes can also be limiting. Generally speaking most townhome owners... [read more]

This week I got another listing in the city, Leslieville to be exact. So, for the past  few days this great home in the Queen and Leslie area has been my workspace  and boy do I miss the city sometimes. So alive, vibrant and...did I mention alive  and vibrant! "It's a debate people have been having for years. Go big and go north or  go small and enjoy the bright lights Toronto has to offer." Toronto Life Truth is I have always been a suburban kid... [read more]

When people ask me how I sell my flips so quickly regardless of what type of market we are in my  answer is very simple... I stage my homes! That's it. No big Oprah moment here folks. Sounds easy right? Wrong. You would be surprised how many people are looking to sell their home for  top dollar but are unwilling to get their home looking like a top dollar home. The reality is if owners could separate themselves emotionally from their homes there would be  a lot more... [read more]

Is it me or does September feel like a 'starting over' kind of month? September has always been my favourite month of the year, there is so much change and new beginnings; end of summer, start of the school year, change in the season, football on TV and of course what professionals in the real estate market would label the second busiest time of the year for home sales (spring being the first). Sure, historically everyone would lay low for the summer months in the real estate world.... [read more]

I've often heard the term "pay it forward" and although I try to do my share when it comes to giving, whether donating monthly to a great charity or sparing some change for the homeless, I have never actually took part or been the recipient of a pay it forward scenario...until now.  And I must say what a great experience it was for me and an even better learning moment for my daughter.  It was last Wednesday night.  I had just finished coaching our all girls... [read more]

I love to flip. I've flipped four homes in the last two years and I loved it. But people always ask me, "can you make money flipping in Richmond Hill?" Yes but it isn't like what you see on HGTV. People buying homes for $150,000, renovating them in a nicely packaged 60 minute show and selling it in 24 hours for $379,000. The Canadian market is very different than the U.S. Trying to find a home for under $400,000 in Richmond Hill is nearly impossible... [read more]

It is no secret I love music.  It is as much a part of me as the air I breathe.  I've worked in the music business for years prior to real estate so it's no wonder I often try to incorporate the two whenever possible!  When it comes to home renovations I always make sure to have music playing throughout the process!  Music can help create the right mood at the right times while also providing you with the soundtrack to your personal "reno" film!  So... [read more]

Everyone knows a real estate agent...EVERYONE! We are everywhere. We are in your families, your sub-divisions, your grocery stores and even in your mail! Used to be you had to ask a friend of a friend of a friend for an agent's name and number, but those days are gone. It is no longer six degrees of separation (more like 1 degree). However with more agents than ever comes more competition in the real estate world, thus the rise of the "discount agent". Now... [read more]