Many prime neighbourhoods in Toronto are designated Heritage in one form or another and other neighbourhoods are thinking about it. This is a complex issue. On one hand neighbourhoods want to retain their character and want to stay away from a mishmash of homes which would ruin the look of a traditional neighbourhood. On the other hand, Heritage designations do limit what you can do with a house. Many old houses are not conducive to today’s living standards and... [read more]

China’s conflict with Canada will make purchases by Chinese buyers much more difficult. China is not allowing large conversions of Chinese Yuan to Canadian dollars. This will make large real estate purchases very difficult for Chinese buyers. Tough mortgage laws are requiring foreign buyers to show proof of income even for purchases with 35% down. This may again dampen buying power. Despite this, demand remains high so we believe good properties will continue to sell... [read more]

Pricing is tricky as we still don’t know what the market will be like. A lower price could generate multiple offers and a very good result particularly if the property is a special offering in a high demand area. However, if the market isn’t strong enough pricing a bit higher to allow for negotiations may be the way to go. How to price depends on the property, location and timing. Market should be interesting this year.    [read more]

The number of listings coming to market has slowed down. We are heading into the holiday season and we are starting to see a slowdown in listings. Demand is still there. Many buyers have not bought but still, want to buy. Selection is now even lower than before. We anticipate that the market should remain good although volumes may be down. A bit of uncertainty remains.  [read more]

  Standstill between buyers and sellers in many neighbourhoods. Who is going to give in first? We have had a number of situations where buyers are offering a certain price which is lower than sellers want to take and sellers are holding firm. However, buyers have more options now and they know if they wait, at some point someone will take a lower price. Some sellers are feeling the downward pressure and are worried that the next offer may be lower and they are settling. Hence, the... [read more]