An  Assortment  of Straight Answers to Realty  Questions

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Real Property values are local!!  Market conditions vary from year-to-year, from season-to-season, from price-range to price-range and from one market niche to another.   

There’s always a reason for market conditions and many times there are several factors at play – often times conflicting factors that balance or moderate the effect of any one of the market influences.

Buyer’s Market vs. Seller‘s Market is the industry's terminology to describe a surplus of homes for sale (Listing Inventory) or a short supply of homes relative to the demand from potential buyers. 

Market watchers call it the Sales to Listing Ratio - defined as either the # of listings in inventory at month-end divided by the # of sales in that month (gives # of months of inventory) OR the ratio of sales in a month relative to the # of new listings (less that 37.5% of new listings being sold means Buyer's Market, more than 57.5% being sold means Seller's wishes will prevail -- in-between is called "Balanced")

Prices rise when supply is reduced (i.e. upward pressure applied by bidding buyers chasing the “best” of the available supply). Prices stabilize or fall when a diminished number of buyers “pick and choose” among a wide supply in their target market niche.

It is not quite as simple as supply and demand PLUS the annual weather cycle and the school-year timetable, but mostly those are the big factors.

All the other factors (interest rates, supply of mortgage money, availability of  new construction, consumer confidence, immigration, job security, industrial cycles, PLUS national and world-wide monetary-political-economic conditions) are but moderating influences upon peoples' needs/desires to buy and or sell their homes and investment residential properties for their own personal reasons.

Despite the 'local' and 'current' market conditions, certain principles remain true - the most basic fundamental is an understanding of what residential real estate is:

*SHELTER - everybody must live somewhere. Ownership is superior to tenancy.

*COMMUNITY - most people choose to live near others who share their goals and expectations. When you buy, YOU choose your neighbours.

*A LONG TERM INVESTMENT - Virtually every Canadian urban real property purchase will be a wise and prudent investment ... after a twenty-year holding period. Some purchases will pay-off quicker, and some will have bumps along the way, but after 20 years .... almost every buy is a GREAT BUY.

 

By contrast, Residential Real Estate (3-unit or less dwelling) is NOT (or is rarely):

*A SPECULATIVE INVESTMENT - “buy & flip“ only works (generally & everywhere) in the initial phases of an Upturn and only works specifically, (but anytime) when the "speculator" actually changes the 'use' or 'utility' of the subject property by rezoning or renovation (or sometimes by just good timing),

*A TAX SHELTER - buying for tax-savings is a short-term strategy guaranteed only to deliver no more than the intended short-term tax-savings.

Real Estate in the Greater Metro Toronto Area is always going to be a good investment because this is where the jobs are created and therefore where people tend to gravitate. Greater Toronto is the Financial, Social, Entertainment and Transportation Capital of Canada - people, of every socio-economic niche, want what the GTA has to offer.

I invite you to contact me with any of your real estate needs and questions.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

rce

416-819-7333

TESTIMONIALS

1) Your Home is your Castle – never jeopardize your personal residence (re-finance something else).

2) Never Sell any Real Property unless you have a pre-determined “higher and better” use for the proceeds (Do as the Railroad companies and Banks do, just finance it up and lease it out).

3) When Selling-to-Buy another home, “Do the Tough thing First” (i.e. in a Buyer’s Market; Sell First, in a Seller’s Market; Buy First).

 
4) Buy with the Best terms and price by finding a motivated Seller.

5) Sell for the Best terms and price by being willing (not compelled) to sell.

6) Buy Quality, not Price. Buy property that will always be unique and desirable to a knowledgeable buyer, regardless of overall market strength.

7) Use your own lawyer, take no (non-spouse) partners and consider everyone your competitor.

8) Anticipate shifts in demographics & demand. Neighbourhoods that were traditionally out-of-favour are soon the newest “gentrified enclave”.

9) Buy in the path of change. Where will Up-Zoning changes, new transportation routes and the new municipal permissiveness towards “intensification” increases values?

10) Hire a Realtor with experience IN THAT type/area of property to work FOR you.

11) *NEW * Anticipate the impact of a world-wide Currency Devaluation “Solution”
 to the sovereign debt crisis (aka beggar thy neighbour)
 - prices of "tangible assets", like real property & gold will go through the roof.

Speak with me, we’ll bounce a few ideas around and then decide for yourself.