Articles For Sellers

Condos

When Is It Time To Replace Condominium Windows?

Should window units in condos be replaced after 15 years? Well, that depends on the condition of the window units. Windows units are replaced for a number of reason normally associated with cost effectiveness.

Condo Living is Hot!

During the first quarter of this year, the residential condo market accounted for 50% of all new housing development in the Greater Toronto Area. “That has never happened in our history,” said Andrew Brethour, PMA Brethour. “This is the strongest high rise market that we have ever seen.”

Who’s the Biggest On Toronto’s Skyline?

While many people say size doesn’t matter, Toronto’s condominium developers say the opposite. They’re building to new heights and some have made claims that made one journalist look twice.

Toronto’s Condo Evolution

Predicting the future of the high-rise residential market can be risky.

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General

What By Referral Only Means

The Thomas & Sally Cook Team does business on a "By Referral Only" basis. What does this mean to you, a 'Client For Life?'

Whats The Difference ... Real Estate Consultant vs The Traditional Agent

Thomas & Sally Cook at RE/MAX have adopted a particular philosophy of doing business!

Taking Care Of Our Happy Clients

So you're interested in buying or selling ... what would you expect to happen after the offer's been accepted? Thomas & Sally have designed several programs that keep their clients 'in the loop' from start to finish. They feel that it's important that you not feel left out in the cold and on your own once the offer has been accepted. Since they've been in business since 1980, their knowledge and experience are a tremendous benefit to you during this critical and stressful part of the transaction.

Getting The Best Price IS Important

We recently sold an Upper Beaches home for 10 per cent above what two other agents had told the homeowners that they would get for it! If you're wondering if we could work the same magic for you, the answer is: maybe.

Real Estate Speak

Every industry and profession has its own short forms and acronyms, but those terms make it difficult for an 'outsider' to follow what's going on.

Generation X Wants Informality In Their 'Wired' Home With A Great Garden

For years, the leading edge of Baby Boomers has influenced home design, but now Generation X, which is at the tail end of the Baby Boom, is starting to become a force to be reckoned with, according to surveys from south of the Border.

Toronto Home Moving Checklist

Let's face it: Moving is NEVER fun! But you can make it as stress and hassle-free as possible! For starters, use this handy checklist.

How To Simplify Your Move

The average American moves every seven years. How do frequent movers succeed?

Protect Your Family From Carbon Monoxide

According to the United States EPA, carbon monoxide poisoning represents a silent, but very real, killer. The colorless, odorless gas is found as a result of "incomplete" combustion.

Seniors Home Safety Checklists

This checklist can be used by you, a family member or a volunteer. Please call your local Health Unit if you need assistance in completing the checklist or for information about making your home safer.

Basement Water Woes

Sometimes older homes weren’t built with the understanding that the basement would be used as a family living space or rental unit.

The Art Of Home Repair

Once you’ve found your perfect new home, moved in and are enjoying it, beware! Even in a brand new house, things can go wrong that might need repair.

Seven Tips To protect Your Home While You're Away

When homeowners head off for a relaxing vacation, often they're in so much of a hurry to pack up and catch the next flight that they leave their homes vulnerable to thieves.

Tune Up Your Home Before Winter Comes

Well, as fresh as the memory of Indian Summer may be, the cold weather is here and, dare we say it, winter isn't far behind! Here's a list of some of the things you should do to get your house in top-notch shape before the arrival of winter:

Homeowner Basics

New homeowners often find there's more to keeping up a house than cutting the grass and clearing snow from the driveway. Here's a handy guide to the basics to get you started:

Making A Move Easier For Kids

Moving from one house to another is seldom easy and is never fun for anyone, and, if parents fail to plan carefully, a move can be needlessly traumatic for children. On the other hand, if parents deal with their children's concerns and needs thoughtfully, much of that distress and discomfort can be avoided.

Why Buyers Love Model Homes And How To Make Sure Your House Shows Like One!

How To Avoid The 10 Most Expensive Mistakes People Make When They Buy Or Sell A Home

Here are 5 Expensive Mistakes Home Sellers And Home Buyers Make...

How To Sell Your House In As Little As 24hrs -- Without Ever Putting it On The Market!

There is a principle in psychology called scarcity -- it's the desire that's in all of us to want something that we can't have.

Free Reports

If you're going to buy or sell a home, these QuickTips for home buyers and home sellers will help you avoid costly mistakes and could save you thousands of dollars.

Selecting The Right Realtor For You

If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, you've probably asked yourself, Do I need a Realtor?

Six Signs In A House That Could Mean Hidden (Expensive) Trouble

Renovate With Materials From ReStore And Help Habitat For Humanity

Save Time And Money With Self-Cleaning Glass In Your Windows!

Now here is a technological revolution that we really like: self-cleaning glass. Use it in your windows and skylights and save lots of time that would have been spent cleaning, save money that you would have spent on cleansers, plus stop using harmful chemicals!

How To Make A Major Move Less Traumatic For Children

Moving from one house to another is seldom easy and is never fun for anyone, and, if parents fail to plan carefully, a move can be needlessly traumatic for children.

How To Take Advantage Of A Tight Seller

Toronto's house and condo sales are still at record levels. That's great news for sellers, but is enough to make a potential buyer's stomach churn watching prices mount on a monthly basis. So, if you are a buyer, it's more important than ever to be prepared and be ready to make an offer at a moment's notice.

How Is 'Fair Market Value' Calculated?

Estimating the value of a Toronto house or condominium suite can often be a challenge. The seller wants more, the buyer wants less and, sometimes, even the seller wants less. How do you determine fair market value?

Decorating Blunders: Revamp Your Home with Easy Fixes

You’ve spent a fortune on the perfect sofa, drop-dead wing chairs, and truly artistic wallpaper. You’ve even sprung for an entertainment center that’s not made out of plywood and cinder blocks. So why doesn’t your room feel pulled together? What’s keeping it from looking great?

Use Melamine Paint To Face-lift Tile Floors And Countertops

Sometimes decorating dreams exceed budget realities, so one has to be a creative corner-cutter. One solution is melamine paint (such as from Benjamin Moore), a Varathene-reinforced enamel, which the label touts as durable, scrubbable and stain-resistant.

An Easy Exit Listing Guarantee That Puts You In Control!

MONEY SAVING ADVICE: Never sign a listing based on vague verbal promises. Some agents will tell you whatever you want to hear in an effort to get you to sign a listing. Traditionally, real estate agents have required home sellers to sign long term listing agreements.

FREE PDF Brochures from OREA

Get FREE Electronic brochures!

Why Fixing A Wet Basement May Be Tricky

A basement has been getting damp or even noticably wet - it now smells, the paint is peeling, the carpet squishes along the edges of one of the walls etc.

Getting Your Home Ready For Winter

The fall leaves are on the ground and the weather's turning. It's the time, once again, to think about winterizing your house. Most of the tasks aren't huge, so with a bit of planning you can prepare for winter one step at a time.

Turn Off And Drain Your Outdoor Faucets

SCENARIO: What if you returned from a week of skiing to discover that your basement was badly water damaged. You had forgotten to turn off the water to an outdoor faucet.

It’s Not Clutter! Those Are My Collectibles!

You have decided to sell your home and now have it ready to show off. You’ve fixed all those minor repairs, tidied up your front and back yards, scrubbed down walls and floors, and dusted every nook, cranny and collectible in preparation for your first visitor. You are ready to show your home!

Sod Roofs Sprouting Up In Toronto

We recently wrote about green driveways on our blog, BLOGTorontoRealEstate.ca, an environmentally friendly alternative to paved driveways for homeowners. In keeping with our city’s sustainability initiatives, Toronto’s commercial and condo buildings are creating living roofs all over the city.

Have You Been Wondering What’s Best To Eat Before And After Your Workouts?

Sally and I have just switched to a fabulous new trainer and we’re loving it! He’s an ex-German Special Forces member with some parachuting experience (I can relate ;-)) and really knows his stuff. Below is an excellent article that Rouven was gracious enough to provide for our clientelle.

City Of Toronto Land Transfer Tax Passes Council

Sally just spoke to an official at the City Finance department and they are scrambling to pull this together. She had a few questions just confirming what we'd heard and some that might be a little more fine tuned than they are ready for just yet.

A Fall Furnace Primer

We are pleased to share with you valuable homeowner tips and information from one of the most respected companies in Toronto, Carson Dunlop, Consulting Engineers.

In Search of the Perfect House

The engineers of Carson Dunlop & Associates Ltd. have conducted over 50, 000 home inspections and we haven’t found a perfect house yet. Since perfection is not an option, what should you expect?

The Success Principles

The holidays keep us all hopping, both to stay warm and hunting for that perfect gift for that special someone. While you are out and about, remember to take time for you, to remember that you are a special someone, too. And when you are out at the stores, take a look at the newest book from Jack Canfield entitled “The Success Principles.”

What’s In And What’s Out for 2008?

This time of year it seems like there’s a list for everything, but we found this one interesting. Maybe we’re a bit biased, but we thought you might find it interesting as well. Mark Nash, author of four real estate books has completed his annual survey of real estate agents in the U.S. and Canada. What’s in, What’s out with Homebuyers illuminates what’s popular with home buyers, and what can sour them.

Home Buyers And Home Owners Are Willing To Spend On Green Upgrades, Says Poll

Green is like gold for home owners who are considering doing improvements, according to two new polls. Three out of four Canadian home buyers are willing to pay a premium for a home with environmentally friendly features, according to the TD Canada Trust Green Building Poll released November 21.

What Home Improvements Are On Your Goals List For 2008?

If improving your home is on your goals list for 2008, keep these costs in mind when choosing which improvements you might want to consider.

What To Expect From Your Home Inspector

We are pleased to share with you valuable home-buying tips and information from one of the most respected inspection companies in Toronto, Carson Dunlop, Consulting Engineers.

Do you have a 2008 Homeowners Resolution?

One of the best Beginning-Of-The-Year Resolutions homeowners can make is to eliminate expenses that are unnecessary and have no benefit. This is a tall order for many of us, with implications ranging from how you finance your mortgage to the energy efficiency of your home.

Be Choosy About Pre-Sale Home Makeovers

We've all seen those fashion faux pas: muscle shirts that only accentuate middle-age spread, or tight, low-cut jeans that turn soccer moms into muffin-top casualties.

Cardio Timing: The Secret to Burning Fat Up To 300% Faster

When is the best time of day to do your aerobic exercise? The answer is any time! The most important thing is that you just do it.

Fit Squad AB SECRETS

The first thing you need to understand is this: we ALL have a 6-pack! 6-packs aren't created by doing ab exercises...they already exist. Don't believe me? It is s fact that these muscles already exist. If they didn’t you wouldn’t be able to stand up straight.

What Do You Do If You’re Appointed As Trustee Of An Estate?

What Do You Do If You’re Appointed As Trustee Of An Estate? Be Sure Your Lawyer Acts In A Timely Manner

Government Grants Are Available For Existing Homeowners To Improve Their Energy Efficiency

It May Be Time To Replace That Older, Less Efficient Furnace Or Other Energy Waster Around Your Home

Big Impact For Little Bucks

Often when our clients find the home of their dreams, it isn't quite perfect. We often hear our buyers saying "We'll redo the hardwood floors" or "Maybe later we'll change out the kitchen cabinets". That's normal and to be expected - rarely is a home absolutely perfect.

What To Look For As You Go Eco-Friendly In Your Toronto Home

Mamy consumers hope to do their cleaning with “green” or nontoxic products. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the environmentally friendly goods from the eco-pretenders.

Put Your Tax Refund to Work for You

Jonathan Chevreau recently wrote an article for The Financial Post that caught my eye. It’s that time of the year again, and the information in this article is most relevant.

Fireplaces – The Magic and the Mystery

We are pleased to share with you valuable Toronto homeowner tips and information from one of the most respected home inspection companies in Toronto, Carson Dunlop, Consulting Engineers. For this month’s newsletter we focus on the ins and outs of fireplaces.

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Listings

House Videos

Take A Look At Some Property Videos We’ve Taken

Condo Videos

Take a look at some property videos we've taken

I want to sell my home, but what is a good list price?

Solving the Home Sale Pricing Puzzle

Prepare Your Toronto Home For A Virtual Tour

If you are selling your home, don’t forget to have it “smile” for the camera.

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Rental

Fire Retrofit Manual

What You Need To Know To Make Your Toronto Home's Rental Unit Comply With Fire Safety Standards

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Market

October Toronto Home Sales Down 4.3% BUT...

October Toronto real estate sales are down 4.3% but 2006 is still on track to be the third best month in Toronto MLS history!

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Additional Resources
Free Beaches Home Price Report	Free Condo Prices Report
Our Marketing Upgrade Program	Sellers's Library
Make Your House Show Like A Model	Free Property Evaluation
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