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Getting Top Dollar For Your Toronto Home

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Selling your home in Toronto used to be very easy with bidding ways taking place constantly. The market is no longer as hot and so you need to do all in your power to make sure that your residence draws the biggest number of bids at the highest price. There are certain things you can do to ensure that your home sells for what you want.
 
Be online!
According to MoneySense magazine 90% of home buyers first look online for properties – even before contacting a real estate agent. Naturally, this means that you need to have a significant online presence to attract as much interest as possible. While the MLS is still one of the best places to list, you also have to think about other real estate sources including Kijiji, Craigslist and the classified sections of online publications.  
 
1) Have good photos!
The internet is very visual and buyers want to see a home that is well maintained and attractive. If your house doesn’t look like it was taken care of, buyers will usually discount it right away. The best way to showcase your home is through professional photography. Make sure that your photos tell a story – start with the front of the house, move inside and go through each room starting with the main level. Make sure that the rooms are brightly lit, clean and devoid of clutter and personal items such as family photos and knick knacks. When taking pictures outside, be sure to move your car out of the driveway, to rake any stray leaves, weed the garden, mow the lawn and tidy up patio furniture. In short, make sure your house looks good on film!
 
Sell at the right time!
The spring and early fall are the best times to list your home for a quick sell. People either want to get their home just before summer so that they can move it easily and have the summer to set up or they target the fall when everyone is back to the regular routine. Summer and winter are usually the slowest time of year.
 
Staging!
Staging is no longer a luxury when selling a home but a necessity. Many real estate agents recognize this fact and include the service in their fees. The right staging will present your home in a way that is attractive to potential buyers.
 
Here are a few other tips to make sure you get top dollar for your Toronto home:
Clean and declutter your closets
Paint faded and worn-out looking rooms
Get rid of odors – especially pet odors
Keep it clean
Change light fixtures and/or hardware to make it look modern
Groom the exterior
Add little touches like flowers, fresh bars of soap, clean towels, etc… to complete each space.
 
Happy selling!

Toronto Real Estate Spring Madness

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Spring is one of the hottest times of year for selling and buying property in Toronto – and anywhere else in Canada, for that matter. The real estate market wakes up as buyers and sellers come out of hibernation and are raring to go with their projects. It would seem that most people are anxious to find or sell a home before the summer months. Across the country the pattern is the same with a spike in certain cities like Montreal as July 1st is the date when all leases are renewed and renters who don’t want to sign for another year need to find a house before that date.
 
In Ontario spring leading up to early summer is a terrific time for finding a new place or for selling your old one. However, because there are so many properties listed at this time of year, it is imperative that you find a way to make your home stand out from the crowd. There are several factors that go into making your home the one everyone wants. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you put yours up on the market.
 
1) The Right Realtor
Find the right realtor! A realtor specialized in your neighbourhood will know where to look for clients, how to market to people in your area and will have the contacts needed to find potential buyers.
 
2) Get it Ready
Make sure your home is ready to show – that means cleaning up thoroughly. Hire a cleaning service if you need to but get it done! Make any minor repairs, repaint if it’s looking tired and stage your home if necessary. Don’t forget about the outside – curb appeal is a huge factor in getting your home sold. A property that is attractive from the outside is more likely to stick in a buyer’s mind long after the visit is over.
 
3) Price it Competitively
Pricing your home at the right price point will go a long way towards attracting the right kind of buyers. Price it too high and you are likely to scare away potential buyers. A good realtor will help you to make this kind of decision – but don’t let yourself get bullied into pricing too low either. You need to find a range in which you feel comfortable.
 
As long as you follow the simple above guidelines, you can successfully take part in the annual rite of spring-time realty madness and come out a winner.

National Home Show

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The National Home Show is currently underway at the Enercare Centre Exhibition Place in Toronto. The yearly gathering of home-related vendors, suppliers, experts and professionals really is your one-stop-shop for anything realty related. The conference has grown tremendously over the years and is now widely recognized as the reference for home buyers, sellers and improvers in Toronto.
 
Every year the show brings together a who’s who of the home and garden world with ideas for home make-overs, renovations, design, style, trends and innovations. At this year’s show you can tour the hottest craze in real estate – a tiny house. You can also check out the latest in kids space design and find out what what’s new in smart home technology. Don’t forget that with spring around the corner, it’s certainly not too early to get some floral inspiration at the garden marketplace – the ideal spot for getting everything you need for your garden.
 
The National Home Show is the place to be if you have any plans to renovate, extend, redesign, buy or sell your property as it gathers every professional you could need under one roof. Not only does it have all the suppliers and vendors you could want in one place, it also offers conferences and talks from well-known industry professionals and home-and-garden television personalities.
 
The show has been open since March 11 and runs until this Sunday, March 20, so you still have time to visit. What’s more, if you register for tickets online, you can get $3 off your entrance.
 
Remember – this is the big one and it only happens once a year, so don’t miss out!

Personal Calendars

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Personal calendars are among the best tools a Toronto realtor can have in their bag of marketing materials. A calendar designed with your name and logo on each page is a daily (and monthly) reminder of your brand and what you have to offer.
 
The best personal calendars can incorporate a bit of everything your company does – from selling houses, representing buyers, giving back to charity or being involved in community organizations. The ways in which you can fill up a monthly calendar are endless and can be a true reflection of what you offer your clients. Some realtors use the space to promote products or offer discounts to local businesses for cross promotion.
 
Whether you choose to go with a large monthly calendar, a small desk-top version or a one pager – what you put around the calendar, the images and the branding can all contribute to your marketing strategy.
 
Formats
The large monthly calendar is the best vehicle for displaying large, luxury properties. You can put together a year-long list of gorgeous homes that you have sold to inspire all those to whom you hand out your calendar. It is also a great way of showcasing your charity work or other community involvement.
 
The small desk calendar is probably the most practical form of calendar to produce as it is something that most people require either in their home or office for quick, easy reference. While not as versatile as the large format, with the right placement of your brand and contact information, it can deliver all of the impact that you need.
 
The one-page calendar is another very convenient model to produce as many realtors or businesses use both sides completely. Since most of these one-pages are used to stick on refrigerators in the kitchen for quick reference, one side usually includes the calendar and the other side can either be a full page reference to your brand or it can contain handy kitchen measurements – which means that people would hang on to it for longer than just the one year.
 
Producing a calendar doesn’t have to just be for your business – it can also be for your friends and family and producing a family calendar is a great way to stay in touch and to offer a more personal and touching present to your loved ones.
 
Regardless of the format or reason that you choose to produce a calendar, Imaginahome Inc can help you get exactly what you want at the price that suits your wallet best. Give them a call today to see how they can assist.

Greeting Cards

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When done right greeting cards can brighten up a day, bring a smile to a face and keep your business at the forefront of a customer’s mind. Custom greeting cards are one of the best ways a Toronto realtor can keep in touch with their clients. However, getting the cards done right is important. Sending a generic greeting card can have the opposite effect on a customer as it sends a signal that your business isn’t established enough to have a solid brand look.
 
The power of brand
Growing your brand is very important and establishing your brand is one of the most important aspects of a successful business. Once you have a brand, it is important that all of your marketing efforts and materials reflect your brand promise, vision and mission. Therefore, custom greeting cards must take into consideration your brand identity and communicate this to your customers.
 
Versatility
Greeting cards are one of those very versatile marketing tools that can be used in for nearly any communication application. Whether you want to just say “hi” to remind your customers of your business, to send birthday or any other milestone wishes, to mark an anniversary or special event – sending a greeting card is one of the best ways to communicate your message. The added beauty of the greeting card design means that you can tailor your message and images to suit your needs.
 
Getting it right
The only way to get the kind of greeting cards for your business that will enhance your services and appeal to your personal clients, is to work with a marketing firm specialized in the custom greeting card creations. Imaginahome Inc. has been creating customer greeting cards for many years have have perfected the art of customizing marketing materials to reflect a business’ brand perfectly.
 
Creating a bank of customized greeting cards that you can draw on through the year for your marketing needs is a great way of ensuring you have the tools you need at your disposal throughout the year. Imaginahome Inc would be happy to help you create your custom designed greeting cards. Contact us today to see what we can offer you.

Custom Designed Real Estate Marketing Materials

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Custom designed homes deserve to be showcased properly – and giving them custom designed marketing materials is only fitting. In a hot real estate market like Toronto’s, a property needs all of the support it can get to stand out from the rest of the field. While traditional real estate marketing methods such as the sign in front of the house and newspaper listings are still widely used, it is now necessary to tailor your marketing goals to suit the home you are selling.
 
Online
Online listings are derigeur and one of the new “must-have” tools in any realtor’s arsenal, however, not just any listing will do. Custom online listings can include video tours of the property, voice-over narration describing the home and community, maps of the surrounding neighbourhood and professional photo galleries. A simple online listing stating the name of the community in which a property is found, the details of the property and a short description might suffice for an ordinary home – but if you have a luxury listing then it is important to showcase it properly. The proper marketing environment can actually boost the sales price and shorten the time that a listing is on the market.Our new look reflects our future direction and growth. Alongside our existing array of services, we are pleased to announce the addition of several forward-looking tools specially designed for realtors who understand how the use of leading technology can boost their listings. The new services include:
 
Print Materials
Again when it comes to brochures, foldouts and other forms of print marketing for real estate listings, custom creations are the way to go. Generic hand-outs might work for regular listings, but high-end homes require a finesse that can only be found in a custom creation. Professional photography, original copy writing and distinctive layouts can all go a long way toward positioning a property in a new or more captivating light. Whether you choose a regular postcard, a brochure or an executive folder to promote your listing, the quality will determine whether it is marketing money well spent or not. 
In order to stay competitive and to meet the ever-changing and demanding needs of luxury home-buyers everywhere, we have enhanced the tools that we offer realtors. You need to properly showcase your high-end homes and we have the means to help you create the exclusive and unique experience required to set your property listings apart from the rest.
 
Marketing your real estate listing has become a very specialized field and is one that requires the expertise of marketers who know how best to promote property listings. Imaginahome Inc. is proud to be one of the first such firms in the GTA. Through the years we have honed our craft, expanded our offerings and grown in size to accommodate even the most ambitious of projects.
 
Give us a call today to see how we can customize your real estate marketing materials to get you that fast, efficient sale.

Wood, Ceramics, Porcelain and More – Finding your Floor

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Finding the perfect flooring for your home can be a fun project. There are just so many choices and styles from which to choose that it is possible to find the perfect flooring for your needs and tastes. Depending on your budget and the rooms that need new flooring, there is an option that will suit you perfectly. Here we will look at some the options available.

Wood
Hardwood floors were the basic flooring commonly found in most homes. Today it is considered a luxury finish that must be requested. Wood floors give rooms a warm, rich look and feel. However, despite their recent cachet and increased cost, if you want wood flooring, there are a number of options from engineered varieties to the solid kind. Engineered hardwood is less expensive than pure hardwood and is easier to install but cannot be refinished as many times. True hardwoods last long as they can be refinished several times before needing to be replaced. Given their potential for getting scratched, wood flooring is best in low-traffic areas. Currently, the trend is to install wood in kitchens, although if you opt for this, then you have to be sure to coat it in a very strong barrier to prevent it from getting damaged from any water/moisture. You can read more about wood flooring over here //bit.ly/1IY5CTG.

Bamboo
Bamboo is a low-cost and highly sustainable form of hardwood that is a very good option if you want the warmth of wood but also want a smaller footprint. It is excellent in any room and highly versatile. You can read about bamboo flooring over here //bit.ly/1cgj9Yq.

Cork
Cork flooring is soft underfoot and a natural product with a low environmental impact. It can be used in virtually any room of your home. Cork is highly resilient and “springs back” into shape, which makes it ideal in high traffic areas of your home – although it also means that heavy furniture can leave small indentations if left in one spot for a long time.

Vinyl and Linoleum
Many people tend to blur the lines between vinyl and linoleum flooring. While they might be considered the same thing, they are definitely not. From the Armstrong Flooring website:

“Linoleum is made from natural components like linseed oil, tree resin, wood and cork flours, limestone, and pigments. It even comes with a jute backing. Its ingredients provide it with that unique scent…

Vinyl is manufactured using vinyl, felt, fiberglass and dyes.”

The one thing they both have in common is that they are both very resistant, long-lasting and inexpensive.

If you want to read more about their difference and similarities, you can do so over here //bit.ly/1AvR2Qr.

Tiles
Tiles are extremely versatile and come in so many varieties that choosing can be difficult. From ceramics to porcelaines to granite and marble, all options are terrific choices and provide tough, attractive surfaces for your high traffic and high moisture areas. Some homes even have tiles in principal rooms – although in colder climates heating tiles can be difficult. There’s a good look at tiles over here //bit.ly/1F8oR5I.

Laminate
Laminate flooring has the look and beauty of hardwoods without the cost and maintenance. The easy-to-install, rugged cousin of hardwood flooring is perfect for high traffic areas and for households with young children and pets.

Carpet
Carpeting is still a popular choice for many people given its comfort level and the softness and beauty it gives to a room. However, it does require a high degree of maintenance to keep it clean and dust-free. HGTV takes a good look at the pros and cons of carpeting over here //bit.ly/1KkHLuS.

Your home’s flooring will have to last a long time and withstand a fair amount of abuse, so making the right decision for your family’s needs is crucial to ensuring enjoyment and satisfaction for years to come.

Real Estate Resolutions

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Entering the Ontario property market can be a daunting thought. However, with the New Year just hours away, there’s never been a better time to buckle down your short list of Toronto real estate goals to start the next twelve months off on solid footing. You can now sweep away the old to make way for the new and if you plan on purchasing a home within the next year, then planning for it and budgeting for it are the best ways to ensure that you will be bringing in 2016 in a new home.

While the Toronto property market does not show any signs of slowing as yet, there is hope for those hoping to either enter the real estate game for the first time or to move up to a more luxurious home and neighborhood. In one of our previous articles, found here //bit.ly/1wWtlPf we cover up-and-coming neighborhoods in the city that still offer very good value for money while in this article over here //bit.ly/1xq0sui we talk about the city’s most prestigious neighborhoods. In a third article found here //bit.ly/1wDaJS5 we discuss how urbanization is going to be keeping housing prices up in Canada’s most popular cities including Toronto.

To join Toronto’s real estate game you need to first put together a realistic budget of just how much home you can afford. Next, you need to research those neighborhoods with the kind of homes and services you want in order to lead the kind of lifestyle you envision for yourself. Once you have a budget and a short list of the neighborhoods in which you are interested, next you need to decide what features you want in a house. After listing all of the features important to you, whittle that list down to “must-haves” and “would be nice to have” columns. The “must haves” will be those elements that you definitely want in a home. Although it might sound silly to do this, it is important because, depending on your budget and the neighborhoods you want, you might have to comprise to get the most that you can afford.

Lastly, when looking for a new place, you need to get a hold of a good realtor who can show you the ropes of property buying and who can steer you toward the best deal and those properties offering the most value for your money. A good realtor will not only help you find a home, but they will only show you the kind of home that would interest you, in the communities of your choice.

Once all of these elements are in place, you are sure to find the perfect pad for your family.

Toronto’s Ritziest Neighbourhoods

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Luxury living in Toronto is not hard to find. In fact, when it comes to posh places to reside in Canada’s bustling metropolis there are a number of hot spots from which to choose. With the cost of Ontario’s real estate market reaching ever new heights every year, the criteria for luxury living must take into consideration more than just the cost of housing – which could otherwise skew statics. The ritzier communities have an overall higher average household saving and overall higher average wage than in other neighbourhoods. The communities also tend to be closer to the city core and are mature spots that feature country-like environs. Here we will discuss the three most luxurious areas in Toronto according to the average household net worth, the average annual income and the average house price as compiled by Canadian Business Magazine and surveyed by Environics Analytics.

 

  1. York Mills – Windfields

 

Despite its industrial past, the York Mills area is the most affluent neighbourhood in the city. Today, the community boasts businesses and residential properties nesting together in a charming and serene natural setting. The area’s beauty is dissected by the main arteries of both Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue, which lead direct to the city center. Offering easy access to the downtown core, proximity to businesses and lifestyle services, it is clear why York Mills is a magnet for those wanting a suburban lifestyle, but with an easy commute to all that the city has to offer. Here is how the statistics breakdown for this community.

 

Average Household Net Worth: $21.55 million
Average Annual Household Income: $1,212,275
Average House Price: $3.40 million [i]

 

  1. Forest Hill

 

Forest Hill is another very popular area with those who want luxury living. Forest Hill has a long history and plenty of character to go with it. Divided loosely into the upper and lower sections, with the very picturesque Forest Hill Village being located in the upper part of the community, the neighbourhood’s homes are grand manors designed to impress with their custom architectural elements and impeccable landscaping. High-end shopping, fine dining and good schools are all part of the prestigious package found in this elite area.

 

Average Household Net Worth: $10.63 million

Average Annual Household Income: $629,972

Average House Price: $3.18 million[ii]

 

  1. Lawrence Park North

Lawrence Park North does not just earn its rank as the third most prestigious area to live in the GTA because of the wealth it holds, it is also considered one of the best because of the friendliness of the community and supportive atmosphere created by its residents. According to an article published in The Star, the neighbourhood scored a 92.05% on criteria including health, education and walkability[iii]. In the same article, Councillor Jaye Robinson is quoted as saying that the neighbourhood’s sense of community is inspiring to witness.

Average Household Net Worth: $10.44 million

Average Annual Household Income: $906,266

Average House Price: $2.81 million

[i] //bit.ly/1rWMqPe

[ii] //bit.ly/1yU40CT

[iii] //on.thestar.com/1yUe0fC

Canadian Housing Market Outlook 2015

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Real estate in Canada has seen steady growth for many years now. The Canadian real estate market has defied global trends by outperforming markets in other countries year after year. Even after subprime mortgages led to the near collapse of the US housing market in 2008[1] and the dire predictions that Canada’s real estate sector was sure to follow, we continued to post gains in our residential property market. The strength of our real estate sector is due in large part to continued low interest rates, a mortgage market largely insured by the government-funded (taxpayer funded) CMHC and stricter lending practices than in the US. However, according to many experts, the gain train might be slowing. In 2014 the global residential property market was uneven with countries either showing growth or softness depending on the nation’s economy. Canada is one of the countries that came out ahead in this respect, posting housing price increases of 6% year-over-year. While this is a reflection of the country’s average increase, it really is an expression of the strong gains seen in the prime markets of Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto[2]. Short-to-Medium Term Outlook The short-term outlook for the Canadian housing market including the Toronto residential property sector remains rosy but cautious as talk of rising interest rates might dissuade first time buyers from entering the market. However, as interest rates have not yet started to rise, it is likely that those who want to get into the real estate market before the rates increase will do so in the short term. As Toronto is one of the country’s most expensive housing markets, it can expect to see a growth of less than 3%[3], which is less than half of what is projected for the rest of the country. However, given the cyclical nature of the property market, experts are expecting that the upward trend will start to slow and the sector will enter a downward phase in the medium-term. According to Scotiabank’s Global Real Estate Trends Report published on Oct. 9, 2014: “We expect home sales will slow in 2015 and beyond alongside a gradual upward drift in borrowing costs, tempering new and resale prices over the next several years.” While Toronto’s property prices are considered to be stretched in the metropolitan areas, the suburbs and the larger Ontario real estate market have a more moderated outlook as valuations have not yet been saturated by accelerated growth. However, given the attractiveness of living in the urban centre and the desire by many new home owners for a shorter commute to their workplace and a distinct trend in leading a “green lifestyle” by living and working within walking distance of all services, don’t expect housing prices in Toronto’s core to drop by very much either in the short term or the long term. [1] //bit.ly/1y55APD [2] //bit.ly/1z9uEad [3] //bit.ly/1z9uEad