Monday, March 1, 2021 / by Evelyn Lopes
While many areas of the economy have contracted, the housing market has stayed remarkably strong. But can the good news last?
When COVID-related shutdowns began in March, real estate brokers and clients scrambled to respond to the shift. Record-low interest rates caused some lenders to call a halt to new underwriting, and homeowners debated whether or not to put their houses on the market. However, those first days of uncertainty ushered in a period of unprecedented growth in the Canadian residential real estate market, which currently accounts for a record-setting 9% of the country’s overall economic output.1
Now, as the spring market approaches, you may be wondering whether the good times can continue to roll on. If you’re a homeowner, should you take advantage of this opportunity by putting your home on the market? If you’re a buyer, should you jump in and risk paying too much? Below we answer some of your most pressing questions.
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Friday, February 19, 2021 / by Evelyn Lopes
We’ve all spent a lot more time at home over the past year. And for many of us, our homes have become our office, our classroom, our gym—and most importantly, our safe haven during times of uncertainty. So it’s no surprise to see that design trends for 2021 revolve around soothing colour palettes, cozy character, and quiet retreats.
Even if you don’t have immediate plans to buy or sell your home, we advise our clients to be mindful of modern design preferences when planning a remodel or even redecorating. Over-personalized or unpopular renovations could lower your property’s value. And selecting out-of-style fixtures and finishes could cause your home to feel dated quickly.
To help inspire your design projects this year, we’ve rounded up five of the hottest trends. Keep in mind, not all of these will work well in every house. If you plan to buy, list, or renovate your property, give us a call. We can help you realize your ...
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Friday, February 12, 2021 / by Evelyn Lopes
The Speed of Love
Do you ever wonder what happened to the lost art of writing love letters? Or what about ‘mix tapes’ that were the equivalents of musical love letters, that were painstaking compiled and delivered with adoration? As Valentine’s Day approaches, I started thinking about these things.
Technology has changed the way we communicate and express love. For hundreds of years, the speed of communication stayed fairly constant. From smoke signals to the pony express, our ability to improve communication was based on speeding up the delivery of our message. But then in 1988, the internet was born and in the early 90’s, it changed the way we communicate distinctly and significantly… forever!
Why write a love letter when we can tell someone “I Love You,” and share that message anywhere in the world, in milliseconds? What used to take a sailor at sea, weeks or months to send or receive a love letter, can now be blasted through Faceb ...
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Monday, November 9, 2020 / by Evelyn Lopes
The New Normal: A Strong Housing Market Expected to Continue into 2021
Circumstances like a once-in-a-hundred-years pandemic and historic inventory shortages might have made you assume that the housing market would lose steam, but there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. As Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) senior economist, Shaun Cathcart noted, “records [are continually] being broken” in the residential property market.1
Indeed, rather than a slowdown, we are continuing to experience a surprisingly robust real estate market across the country. And experts estimate that these conditions are likely to last into the new year. TD Bank Group Economist Rishi Sondhi predicts that high home prices will persist for the rest of 2020.2
Market conditions like fewer available listings, changing criteria for desired homes, and record-low mortgage rates are changing the way people buy and sell homes, most likely in a lasting way. But this sustaine ...
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Wednesday, October 21, 2020 / by Evelyn Lopes
5 Secrets Buyers and Sellers Must Know About Virtual Home Tours
For years now, virtual home tours have helped real estate buyers far and wide find the perfect home. From long-distance military personnel being relocated, to investors expanding their portfolio, to homeowners looking for a vacation getaway, this technology makes finding a house that’s a bit out of driving distance much easier. And for real estate agents, virtual tours have been a useful way to help buyers with their home search and to assist sellers in creatively marketing their listings.
Because of the pandemic, virtual home showing options recently experienced a huge spike in popularity. One survey found that nearly 33% of recent home tour requests were for virtual tours, as compared to just 2% pre-pandemic.1 And it’s easy to see why.
Buyers want to quickly find their next safe haven, one that may need to serve as their office, gym, and even classroom for months to come. And seller ...
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