Frank Steinhausen, Broker
FSteinhausen@REMAX.net
RE/MAX Rouge River Realty Ltd., Brokerage
Phone 905-428-6533
Fax 905-668-1850
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Archive for August, 2008
GTA Resale Housing Remains Stable in August
August 21st, 2008 Categories: Ajax, Buying real estate, Pickering, Pickering Village, Real Estate News, Selling real estate
August 19, 2008 — The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) resale housing market remained stable throughout the first half of this month, Toronto Real Estate Board President (TREB) Maureen O’Neill announced today.
“We’re continuing to see consistent levels with respect to sales volumes and prices,” said Ms. O’Neill. “While the numbers are more conservative than those in recent years, the stability we’re experiencing should help sustain consumer confidence as we move into the fall market.”
With 3,019 transactions in the GTA during the first half of the month, sales were down 13 per cent compared to the 3,480 sales recorded at mid-August last year, and off eight per cent compared to the 3,290 sales recorded during the same period in 2006.
In the City of Toronto, 1,192 transactions were recorded, down 15 per cent from the 1,411 sales that took place in the first half of August 2007, and off six per cent compared to the 1,269 sales that occurred in the same timeframe two years ago.
“While 2007 was a record year, it is still worthwhile to note that sales in the City of Toronto increased 11 per cent between mid-August 2006 and mid-August 2007, before the Toronto Land Transfer Tax went into effect,” said Ms. O’Neill.
In the 905 Region there were 1,827 sales to mid-month, down 12 per cent from the 2,069 transactions that took place in the same period a year ago, and off 10 per cent from the 2,021 sales recorded in the first two weeks of August 2006.
Prices meanwhile, increased compared to the same timeframe last year. The current average price in the GTA is $373,844, up five per cent from the mid-August 2007 figure of $354,088.
In the City of Toronto the average price is currently $394,563, up seven per cent from the $370,037 figure recorded a year ago.
In the 905 Region the average price is $360,325, up five per cent from the $343,210 recorded at mid-August 2007.
There are currently 26,128 active listings, up 28 per cent from the 20,365 properties available for sale a year ago. This has resulted in homes remaining on the market for a slightly longer period of 35 days compared to 32 days last August.
Several GTA neighbourhoods however, experienced brisk sales throughout the first half of this month.
In Whitby (E15) transactions increased 12 per cent compared to the same period a year ago as a result of strong detached home sales.
Detached home sales also led Aurora (N06) to a 21 per cent increase in transactions.
Streetsville (W19) saw eight per cent more transactions driven by a significant increase in the sale of attached row houses.
In Downtown Toronto (C01) transactions increased six per cent compared to mid-August 2007 as a result of strong sales in all housing types.
“It’s encouraging to see strong activity levels in pockets throughout all four corners of the GTA.” Said Ms. O’Neill.
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Homeownership Numbers from Canadian Census
August 12th, 2008 Categories: Ajax, Pickering, Pickering Village, Real Estate News
Ever since Freakonomics, numbers and how they go together has fascinated me. Here are some numbers from the government, you can draw your own conclusions:
- Over 2/3s of Canadians own a home—the highest rate since they have kept track.
- Homeownership rose in all income groups, including the bottom 20%.
- Immigrants who have been in Canada for more than 40 years are more likely to own their home than Canadian-born people of the same age.
- More that 1/2 of lone-parent households headed by women own their home.
- There was a 36.5% jump in condo ownership since 2001.
- 10.9% of homeowners lived in condos, which is up from 9% in 2001.
- 3/4s of independent 24 year olds (or younger) were renters.
- 47% of households of 25 – 34 year olds owned a home with a
mortgage. - 58% of the 35 – 44 year old households had a mortgage.
- That number dropped to 50% for 45 – 54 year olds as the mortgage was paid off.
- 60% of homeowners had a mortgage with Albertans topping the list. Owners in Newfoundland and Labrador were least likely to have a mortgage.
- Mortgaged property is at its highest rate since 1981.
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Love The House, Hate The Traffic Noise–There is Hope!
August 11th, 2008 Categories: Ajax, Area interest, Pickering, Pickering Village
So, you have fallen in love with a home that’s perfect for you but it is right beside the 401 or just north of Kingston Road. There are a few options for you to make the traffic noise less noticeable.
Tony Sola, founder of Acoustics.com does want you not to set your expectations too high. The noise likely is not going away.
If the noise is bothering you inside the house, listen near the windows. They tend to let in the most noise.
“The sound almost always goes through the window and doing anything at all to the walls will be pointless until you have fixed the noise that comes through the window,” says Sola.
Windows have a Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating—who knew!?! The higher the rating, the less the outside noise you should hear inside. Standard dual-pane windows might have a rating of 27 – 32. Specialty windows can get higher.
Switching from single pane with a STC rating of 22 – 25 to a higher rated dual pane can make a noticeable difference in the noise level.
It can be more challenging to enjoy a traffic-noise-free backyard.
“One of the first things you would look at is the barrier. If you’ve got a view wall or wrought iron fence that’s not going to block anything, or if you have large oleander bushes, that might block the view, but it doesn’t block the sound at all,” says Sola.
Instead he recommends a solid wall that doesn’t have any gaps.
“Auto noise comes from the tires. So to control auto noise the wall will work pretty well because the source is really low—it’s at ground level, but truck noise—the medium trucks or the semi truck—comes from about eight 
fee off the ground, so even if you build a six, seven, or eight foot wall, that won’t help much.”
If you couple a barrier wall with a noise-masking system such as a water feature. Then, you can virtually wash away the traffic sounds.
“A water feature, if done right, can work very well. You wouldn’t want a water feature that’s just trickling water. You would want something more substantial that does have a noise level to it and more of a broad band noise.”
The problem with water features is that they tend to be localized. The fountain might drown out traffic noise in one area of the yard, but the street noise could be heard in other parts. The Tripoli fountain might be needed.
There are acoustic and landscaping experts that can help you design a beautiful interior or exterior that can hush the rush-hour world.
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Why Do It Yourself In Real Estate?
August 8th, 2008 Categories: Ajax, Buying real estate, Pickering, Pickering Village
I came across an interesting opionion in my blog-scanning. I think it is interesting, because I think he is right. When I can leave all the leg work to an expert, I do. Here’s what Marc Davidson of 1000 Watt Blog thinks:
Why agents will one day rule the real estate world
Karen is my travel agent.
Her services cost me $40.00 per flight.
Those services save my life.I email Karen my travel particulars.
Within the hour, she sends me an itinerary.
I approve, she books. Runs my card. Done.I have no interest in using the web for travel anymore.
It’s anything but empowering.
It’s not even fun.Empowerment is delegating arduous tasks to a professional.
Someone who possess a core expertise in that which you are novice.
And produces results faster and better than you can.Spending time booking a hectic travel schedule is not empowering.
Zaps time better spent on other things.
Playing Wii with the kids. Jogging. And after drink with my wife and wishing the moment could last forever.Real estate.
I’m done searching for homes online.
It’s cumbersome, confusing and no longer fun.Search sites have now narrowed it down beyond simplicity.
With advanced search filters galore.
And maps with little blue markersI struggle to get passionate about that.
Or believe that it is the best experience the web can provide.
Or that it gets users any closer to what they really want.Survey’s say consumers research for months prior to calling an agent.
Then, during a ten minute phone call, they tell that agent what they are really looking for.
A home with an artistic vibe to it. Close to a Montessori school. In a neighborhood where there are other kids.And I wonder, why don’t we just do that from the onset.
How can a web search possibly find vibe?
I’m sure it could.
I guess all those Stanford grads who now decide how we simple folk search haven’t thought of it.
But an agent can do it for us. Especially a good one.One that knows the neighborhood.
And understands what “vibe” means.
And send us an itinerary of vibey homes by email within the hour.These days, my sands of time are dissolving into the bottom half of the hourglass.
At 51, having been at the Internet thing since the 80’s, I appreciate the immense value it offers.
I also appreciate its limitations.For the last decade, through the web, real estate handed the agent’s work over to the consumer.
It was cool for a while. Some say empowering
But now, I think for me anyway, I’d like to hand it back to the agent.Gladly.
I don’t want to do your job anymore.
I think, I am not alone.You are the future of real estate.
I still believe in the web.
And there are some search sites I love.
And broker sites that help me source good agents.They are the ones posting nice, quality pictures of their homes.
Posting them on the big national search sites.
Branding their efforts with their brokersThey are the ones who are making it easy for me to contact them.
Not through a form. Or some office number.
With a real email account. A cell number. A facebook link.And live chat.
As for the 6% commission, I am at peace with that.
Especially in the wake of Exxon’s recent net profit report.
And the billions of bonus dollars all their execs will reap.If my agent handles search, finds the right home or sells my home during a bad market, god bless them.
Here’s my check.
Thank you so very much for your service.- Davison
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GTA Resale Housing Stable in July
August 7th, 2008 Categories: Ajax, Buying real estate, Durham Region, Pickering, Pickering Village, Real Estate News, Selling real estate
TORONTO, August 6, 2008 — With 7,806 transactions recorded last month, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) resale housing market continued at a moderate pace in July, Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Maureen O’Neill announced today.
Prices remained stable throughout the GTA in July. At $371,427 the average price increased slightly more than one per cent from $366,012 recorded in July 2007 and nine per cent from the $342,034 figure of two years ago.
In the City of Toronto the average price of $395,342 increased less than one per cent from the July 2007 price of $395,044 and 10 per cent from the July 2006 figure of $360,409.
In the 905 Region the average price increased three per cent to $355,401 compared to the July 2007 figure of $345,967. This also represents an eight per cent increase from the July 2006 average of $329,644.
“Sales declined 12 per cent last month from the best-ever July 2007 record of 8,912 but increased 10 per cent from the 7,082 sales transacted in July 2006,” said Ms. O’Neill. “Comparing July 2007 with July 2006, sales increased by 26 per cent.”
In the City of Toronto 3,132 sales were recorded, down 14 per cent from July 2007’s 3,640 transactions but up 10 per cent from the 2,852 sales recorded two years ago in 2006. Comparing July 2007 with July 2006, a period before the Land Transfer tax went into effect in Toronto, sales increased 28 per cent.
In the 905 Region there were 4,674 transactions, down 11 per cent from July 2007’s 5,272 sales but up 10 per cent from the 4,230 sales recorded in July 2006. Comparing July 2007 with July 2006, sales increased 25 per cent.
From a year-to-date perspective, the GTA’s 51,249 sales in 2008 have declined 14 per cent from the 59,339 reached at this time a year ago.
Certain neighbourhoods throughout the GTA experienced increased sales activity in July.
In Whitby (E15) sales increased 22 per cent from July 2007, based on strong sales in most housing types.
Brampton East (W24) saw a 12 per cent increase, based primarily on semi-detached home sales.
Strong detached home sales drove Uxbridge (N16) to a 23 per cent increase compared to a year ago.
The Annex (C02) experienced a 29 per cent sales increase due to strong detached home and condominium apartment sales.
In addition to stable prices, the list to sale price ratio, at 98 per cent, remains unchanged from a year ago.
“While homeowners continue to see healthy returns, it is taking slightly longer to achieve a sale; the average time on market has increased to 33 days compared to 31 days a year ago,” said Ms. O’Neill. “This may be due to that fact that there is now more choice available to homebuyers; there are currently 26,543 active listings, a 28 per cent increase from a year ago.”
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