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How the covid 19 pandemic is affecting the Toronto real estate market

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Toronto is currently under orders to distance socially and to self-isolate. Naturally, such measures will impact the hottest home buying season of the year. In fact, although real estate agents and brokers have been deemed essential services and can continue working, authorities have asked them to cancel any planned open houses and to prioritize virtual showings and meetings. But, will buyers and sellers actually want to venture into the market at this time?

According to a recent Global News report February home sales were up nearly 27% from a year ago and the average home price had risen by 15%. However, recently agents and brokers are witnessing a lack of enthusiasm from buyers and sellers who are not keen on either listing their homes or visiting homes at this time. Even with measures in place requiring agencies to disinfect doorknobs, railings and other often touched surfaces, and, despite measures asking agents to stand at least 6 feet away from sellers or buyers, there is a lack of motivation right now.

The only people who are likely on the market are those who had already bought a house and desperately need to sell theirs in order for the financing to fall into place or those who have sold their house and need to find another one before being forced to vacate. Those who don’t need to buy or sell right away are putting their plans on hold – especially now with the uncertainty of where the economy is headed and whether all those who have been temporarily laid off will be rehired or will have to look for new work.

There are too many uncertainties currently to truly understand the long-term impact of this situation on the housing market. We can only hope that it will be minimal and that once the self-isolation requirements have been lifted that we will be able to get back to a normal sales season.

Keeping your home mold-free

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Mold is that insidious substance that is found in every home and which thrives on moisture and dark spaces. Molds can be detrimental to a person’s health and can be serious for people with underlying pulmonary conditions such as asthma or COPD. Mold can also trigger allergies that resemble other, more common allergies. It can manifest in:

A stuffy nose
Eye irritation
Coughing
Sore throats

Some forms of mold can also cause a bacterial form of pneumonia.

Understanding this, it is crucial to ensure that mold is stopped in its tracks anywhere it might start forming in your home. It is important to check those areas that mold tends to favor including under sinks, behind toilets, in bathrooms and around dishwashers and washing machines – in short anywhere there is a regular source of running water. Mold can also form around outside windows and door frames where leaks might go undetected until the water source is stopped.

The best way to prevent mold from forming is to keep all of these areas as dry as possible. Don’t let water stand and wipe down wet surfaces whenever you see them. When showering, turn on the fan before you shower and let it run for at least twenty minutes after your shower to properly clear the air of moisture.

If you do spot mold, you should deal with it immediately. Both bleach and vinegar are very effective at killing mold, but vinegar is better at doing so on porous surfaces where it can seep into the surface and kill the mold deep down. To clean mold be sure to wear rubber gloves and a face mask as when mold is disturbed it will rise into the air and can very easily be breathed in.

Use a solution of 1liter water to ½ a cup of either bleach or vinegar and scrub at the mold spots until they are gone. Once the spots are gone, let the solution dry on the surface to fully penetrate it and kill whatever is beneath the surface. Repeat as often as necessary to kill all of the spores.

As long as you prevent the conditions for mold forming, are proactively about cleaning any that you see right away and are vigilant about keeping moisture away from hot spots, you can live mold-free.

Spring cleaning: kitchen cabinets

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Toronto is still in the icy grip of winter, but February is drawing to a close and spring is just around the corner – no better time than now to get a head start on your spring cleaning. Over the winter our homes are generally closed up and tend to gather in all of the dust, pet dander, cobwebs and clutter than we don’t have the wherewithal to tackle when the sun sets at 4pm. However, with the days getting longer and the promise of warmer weather tantalisingly close, it makes sense to start getting your home in order for the summer.

The best place to start your Toronto home spring cleaning is in your kitchen. One of the most heavily used areas of any home is the kitchen and with high traffic, cooking and baking, it is no wonder that after a season of use it can stand a good cleaning.

Start by emptying your cupboards – one at a time, and triaging the contents. Keep only those items that you use on a daily/weekly or monthly basis. The one-off items that you use occasionally when making special dishes should be put away in a store room or garage. Before putting away the contents of the cupboard make sure to clean them first using a grease cutting soap and hot water and dry with a clean cloth. Repeat with each cupboard and then move on to the drawers.

Once the interior of the kitchen is washed, it is time to tackle the exterior of your cabinets. Again, use a good greasing cutting detergent (even citrus essential oils are excellent at grease-cutting) with hot water. Clean each cabinet and wipe dry. For the hardware and fixtures it is best to mix 1 part vinegar to 1 part hot water as it will leave them sparkling and shiny without a film. If you have any glass, you can use the vinegar/water solution and dry with a newspaper for a streak-free finish – but be careful around the edges of the cabinets as the ink from the newsprint can transfer onto the cabinets themselves. Be sure to only use the newsprint to dry glass.

After your cabinets are sparkling, it is time to tackle your appliances. Unless they are built-in to your decor it is best to pull your appliances out of their resting places and clean behind them before next washing their exterior surfaces and then moving to the inside. If your stove doesn’t have a self-cleaning function, you can use commercially available over cleaners. The same holds true with refrigerators and microwaves – although these appliances can also simply be washed using soap and water.

When you have spruced up your kitchen, it will give you the boost you need to tackle every other room in your home – and make cooking that much more enjoyable.

Safeguarding your house before and after a storm

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Winter weather can wreak havoc on your Toronto home. It is very important to prepare for any storms before and after. Before the weather event you need to seal any cracks and make sure water pathways are clear. Afterwards, check your structure to make sure there are no dangers lurking from accumulated snow and/or water. So, after any big storm, it is very important to check for the following:

Snow accumulation
Any accumulated snow should be removed immediately from roofs and eaves. Snow is very heavy and if too much sits on your roof it can put stress on joints. Telltale signs that your roof is under too much strain:
Sudden cracks above door frames that weren’t there before
Doors that won’t close properly

If you see either of these two signs, definitely go out and remove the snow from your roof – and if you aren’t able to do so yourself, then you should hire a professional to get it done.

Water accumulation
If there is snow on your roof or in your eaves and the weather warms and it starts to melt it can also damage your roof. A give-away that water is accumulating on your roof is water damage on your ceilings. Again it would be crucial to get the snow off your roof and then to call in a roofer to have it assessed and to check for weak points at which the water was able to get in.

Other things that you need to watch for when there is a storm is water seepage caused by burst pipes or infiltrating your home through cracks. Should you spot any water infiltration, you need to act immediately because mold can set in within 24-48 hours. Another big risk with water is electrical damage. Water can cause your wiring to spark – which would result in a fire inside your walls.

For all of these reasons, it is important to safeguard your home before and after a storm. For more interesting blogs on Toronto real estate, try https://blog.feedspot.com/toronto_real_estate_blogs/.

Vacation time and your house is safe!

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Toronto is having a rather mild weather for this time of year, but still, the call of a hot sun down south will have many Torontonians leaving for warmer climes this winter. If you are one of those fortunate souls, be sure to follow the following guidelines to guarantee peace-of-mind while you are away – because nothing can ruin a great vacation like returning to a house that has been burgled.

Did you know that it takes just minutes for someone to break into a home? The best deterrent is the impression that someone is home. And, the way to create this impression is quite simple, so long as you take the necessary steps below:

– Stop your newspaper and get a neighbour to pick up your flyers
– If you don’t have a communal mailbox, ask Canada Post to hold your mail
– Ask a friend or neighbour to shovel your driveway and/or walkway
– Be discreet while loading luggage into your trunk
– Buy timers for your lights that go on at different times in different rooms
– Keep the curtains drawn in rooms where you have valuables
– Don’t talk about your vacation plans on social media

Securing the grounds around your home is also important to keep it safe. So, be sure to remove anything that could be used as a ladder and install motion sensor exterior lights at key points such as entrances and along pathways. If possible eliminate any areas that could be used for hiding.

Next, be sure to lock all doors and windows including doors to the garage and basement windows. Put window stops on the frames of any basement and ground level windows to make it harder for anyone trying to get in. Today you can also invest in smart security cameras that will let you monitor your home via an app while away. Although costly, they are great if you want to be extra secure when on vacation.

As time is of the essence in any burglary, any impediment or obstacle that requires just a little more time, will discourage a burglar from trying. So, even though it might mean a little effort to put these small things into place before your leave, they are well-worth it a happy return from your well-deserved holiday.

Paying down your mortgage quickly

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Toronto real estate prices have been on a pretty steady climb for over a decade now. Even with the slight correction experienced at the end of 2019, prices are very high and it is only normal for couples to wonder how they will ever be able to pay off their mortgage quickly. Believe-it-or-not, there are strategies you can use to get pay down your home far quicker than what your amortization tells you.

1. Buy a home you can easily afford – and, this is definitely much easier said than done in Toronto’s hot property market, but if you smart about what you can afford, you will be able to comfortably meet and exceed your financial obligations on your home. Instead of just trusting that your financial institution will only give you a loan for what you can afford, do the math yourself. Instead of calculating your mortgage affordability based on your gross income, calculate it on what you get after taxes, savings, utilities, communications, food, insurances and your car costs have been deducted. What’s left over is what you can really afford. And, even from that sum you will have to factor in property taxes and maintenance costs. As long as you stick within that figure, you will be fine.

2. Make extra payments. Yes, it seems so straight forward, but making extra payments from the very beginning of your home loan will attack the capital from the start. Reducing your capital will immediately reduce the amount of interest you have to pay back and will also reduce your loan amortization. If you can, make an extra mortgage payment every quarter or round-up the amount you pay.

3. Switch to a bi-weekly payment schedule. When you pay down your debt weekly or bi-weekly, you are effectively making one full extra month’s payment towards your loan. That will eat into your capital and reduce your amortization dramatically.

4. Rent out a room for extra income. If you don’t have the extra cash to put towards your mortgage every month, it might be worth converting an extra room into a space you can rent. The extra income could go entirely towards paying down your mortgage. However, this only works if you have the extra room to spare and if you are willing to share your space with a stranger.

5. Use your tax-refunds and bonuses wisely. Another source of income that could be put to good use is any tax refund you receive or bonuses you get. Instead of taking a big vacation or buying things that depreciate, use that extra money to make a lump sum payment towards your mortgage.

As long as you don’t incur additional consumer debt and if you are focused on paying down your mortgage and follow these simple steps, you can be debt-free quicker than you ever imagined.

To list early or wait

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Welcome to 2020! We hope you enjoyed your holiday season and are refreshed and ready for another year.

As you know the buying season is gearing up and in just a few weeks this year’s market will start to hum. If you are thinking of listing your house this year, then the ideal time to do so is coming up. The spring rush is that perfect time when buyers emerge from their wintery cocoons and hit the realty market in search of their dream home. However, listing your place just ahead of the rush could actually be more advantageous depending on your goals.

There is a distinct lack of inventory in February and March meaning that buyers will appreciate any new listings that hit the market. It also means that if a good property comes up there is more likely to be a bidding war on it than if there is a large supply of homes for buyers to choose from. In fact, March tends to be the best month for home sales for the year.

Buyers who start their search for a home in Toronto in February and March also tend to be more motivated, understand the market and are keen to close a deal. They typically tend to be those who missed the fall rush of the previous year and are motivated. Naturally you will also have those who believe in starting early to scope out what’s available and then decide, however, savvy buyers will understand that to get what they want they need to move fast and come with their best offer.

Listing early is good for buyers as well since they are able to buy and move in by the summer making the move easier than doing so later in the year.

When you are ready to list – whether it is early in the year or at the height of the spring rush, just be sure to choose your Toronto realtor with care. It’s best to hire someone who specializes in your neighbourhood so that they know how to promote your listing and where to find motivated buyers.

Enjoy the holidays with peace of mind!

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The holidays are nearly upon us and Torontonians are busily preparing to celebrate the season with family and friends. Those of you who are hosting at your Toronto home know the work and stress that go into getting ready to receive, but you also know that it is all worth it in the end. Although it might be a little late in the game to get organized for this year, we thought it would be fun to put together a list of ways for you to get prepared well in advance for the holidays next year!

Here are some quick tips to help you avoid the holiday stresses put on time and money.

Create a budget and plan well ahead of time!
As trite as those two elements seem, they are key to enjoying the holiday season instead of dreading it. If you create a realistic budget for your celebrations and start planning well ahead of time, you definitely won’t run into the issue of not enough time or money to get through one of the busiest and most expensive parts of the year.

Shop throughout the year
Instead of shopping for everyone’s gift at the very last minute, if you see something during the year that you think would be perfect for someone, pick-it-up! Creating a list of people you need to shop for and having it handy each time you are in a store will help you stay organized and remember what you purchased for whom. If you want to be even more organized, the moment you get home wrap it and label it. By the time the holidays arrive you will be fully stocked with more than enough presents to fill everyone’s spirits with cheer.

Bake in advance
If you know that you will be hosting, start baking and freezing two-to-three weeks ahead of time so that you are not caught trying to make all of your cakes and cookies at the same time. Most items can easily be frozen and thawed when you are ready to eat.

Lastly, about a month before the holidays you can start cleaning and decluttering your home. Trying to clean the guest bedroom, the basement and the rest of the house in the same day and then cook and bake can be daunting. However, when the tasks are broken up into manageable chunks it is easy to get ready in no time at all.

And on that note, all of us here at Imaginahome would like to wish you and yours a wonderfully festive and joyous holiday season and may your New Year be spectacular! We thank you for your continued support and look forward to answering your realty needs again in 2020.

Please note that our offices will be closed from Monday, December 23, 2019 until Thursday, January 2, 2020.

Condos with purpose

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With Toronto real estate prices for single family homes out of reach for many people looking to buy, condos have become the go-to entry-level property. While condos are still less expensive than a traditional house, the gap in pricing has been getting closer in recent years. Among the reasons for this closing of the gap is the lack of real estate in key areas, the continued upward rise in the price of single-family homes and the rethinking of condos overall. Instead of building condos as mere residential complexes, many new developments are seeing them as self-contained, mini-cities.

Condo complexes offering residents fitness centres, swimming pools and party rooms is not new – these have been around for many years now. What is new is the incorporation of services into the complex – everything from grocery stores to boutiques, restaurants and yoga studios and full-service luxury spas are being included in many of the newer, high-end condo concepts. While these services are convenient and definitely appealing to many buyers, the inclusion of these mixed use spaces do drive the cost of the condos themselves up.

If you are in the market for a condo and like the idea of a complex offering a slew of services, then the best time to buy into such a project is off-plan. Many of the newer building developments are allowing buyers who purchase off-plan to unbundle services – to essentially choose what finishes they want to include, if any. Then they can upgrade later on as the building moves into the construction phase. It is the more affordable way of getting into the housing market if you aren’t already. It is a great way to build equity in a solid investment that will certainly appreciate over time.

If you like the idea of a condo with purpose – a complex where you can meet all of your basic needs, along with some of your wants, then keep an eye out for new developments that will give you the flexibility of enjoying that lifestyle at a price point that fits within your budget. When such a project presents itself, be sure to be among the first to buy while it is still off-plan.

Doorless showers

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If you are looking to renovate the ensuite in your Toronto home and would like to increase its size, open up the flow and give it a stylish look, then consider installing a doorless shower stall. These new-again showers are becoming increasingly popular and with good reason. Not only are doorless shower stalls attractive in any setting, they are also very practical. However, when it comes to installing a doorless shower stall there a certain things to keep in mind.

Unless you want a flooded bathroom, you need to be sure that the floor of your shower is properly sloped towards the drain in the floor. For this reason, installing a doorless shower is not entirely DIY-friendly. It will also require more intricate tile work. However, if you really don’t want the potential of water leaking all over your bathroom, installing a small lip around the shower is a good idea. A half wall or a glass wall are also two very good ways of mitigating water seepage from a doorless shower. Providing ample room as a splash zone is always a good thing, and lastly, choosing the right shower head can mean all the difference between a wet and dry bathroom. A rain head tends to cause less splash and will also give your shower a very spa-inspired look and feel.

Another thing to consider carefully with a doorless shower is the flooring or tile that you choose for the base. It is best to choose something that will provide grip when wet and not be entirely slippery. Also, it is best not to replace all of the bathtubs in your Toronto home with walk-in showers as it will decrease your home’s resale value given that many buyers require at least one tub in a property.

Walk-in showers can give your ensuite a sophisticated look and feel. They are also far more accessible that showers with tubs. Interestingly enough, doorless showers were normal in many parts of the world and are now coming over to North America – and are being embraced for their ease of use, lower maintenance and contemporary look.

With so many pros, a doorless shower might be the perfect solution for your next bathroom reno.