Real Estate Curve

These Stats Are Compared to February 2009:

Active Listings –> 32% LESS

Monthly Sold –> 77% MORE

Year To Date Sold –> 81% MORE

Year To Date Average Selling Price –> 19% MORE

Sold Price To List Price –> 4% MORE

Average Days On Market –> 51% LESS

$200,001-$300,000
Sold to List Price: 98.37%
Average Days On Market: 42

$300,001-$400,000
Sold to List Price: 100.33%
Average Days On Market: 13

$400,001-$700,000
Sold to List Price: 99%
Average Days On Market: 15

$200,001-$300,000
Sold to List Price: 98.61%
Average Days On Market: 23

$300,001-$400,000
Sold to List Price: 99.17%
Average Days On Market: 22

$400,001-$700,000
Sold to List Price: 98%
Average Days On Market: 41

Last month(December 2009) there has been roughly -47% Active listings compared to 2008.

The amount of real estate sales in (December 2009) was at a high of +115%, highest in the last 4 years.

What does this mean, is that there aren’t that many active listings and people are still buying real estate in Toronto, Mississauga and the greater Toronto area more then ever.

What will happen in the future for Ontario real estate when the HST will start in July?
I personally think that sellers will want to sell their properties before hand to avoid additional costs. What I mean is that on a average home worth $400,000 a seller will have to pay $1600 more in taxes on commission when the HST will be in effect. Therefore a lot of people will want to save that money and sell/close before hand to avoid the additional cost.

Since when did we go into bidding wars in Mississauga, once in a while before but now it seems each good listing has a bidding war. Buyers are becoming angry and feel the pressure to buy. First time buyers are shocked and feel extreme pressure from their agents as well.
Banks are appraising the properties and wonder where are the sale prices coming from. Well its easy, in a bidding war the final price comes from the person who is willing to pay the most for the house.
People now is Mississauga are even buying real estate without inspections, what’s next?
Houses selling in 1-4 days, others over listed are staying on the market or getting low ball offers.
The majority of the activity is coming from the 300-500K homes.

Stay tuned for the next update…

In the greater Toronto area, the demand for housing is high. The inventory is low, well at least with good houses, let me explain. If there are 10 houses for sale in a specific area 3 house are good houses, meaning they are priced at market value and are valued what the vendors are asking for. The other 7 are either over priced or just in too of a bad shape to sell it for the asking price and the vendors don’t realize it. It is a shock to first time buyers but good homes sell for close to asking price with in 1-5 days on the market, so do youself a favour and get yourself an agent and don’t miss out, before the good ones are gone. If a house goes on the market go out and see it the same day, if you like it put an reasonable offer the same day and don’t insult the vendor with a low ball offer.

Cheers

Energy costs are rising now and will in the future, this great video will go through a bunch of pointer where to check and how to check your home (to get best results contact a professional) Here are some key point which they use to measure in the audit. They measure the whole house inside and outside, starting measurements form outside, they check where the windows are pointed, look into the attic, info red camera to check insulation inside walls, kitchen appliances, old fridges over 10 years old change them with energy star rated, compact florescent bulbs, water efficiencies (energy shower head save 20 gallons a day) . Check out this great informational video.

The statistics show that an average family will change their home every 3-5 years. Now in most cases this is true, but there are exceptions. For example, you get married buy your first condo, live there 2 years have 1 or 2 kids, the condo gets smaller you have to get a bigger living space(most likely a house) After the next 3-5 years the kids get bigger, you need more room, one for each child or even a older parent to help them out, so what now, you sell and buy bigger. Once you get older (kids move out)you don’t need that big house and you down size. Now this case doesn’t apply to all people there is tons families that live in a house for over 10, 20 or even 30 years, but the statistics show 3-5 years an average a family changes their home.
People change for many reasons they slowly move up to that Dream Home, over many moves/years. Buying your dream homes won’t happen on your first home purchase, well unless you got the cash or win the lottery. Just though this could be useful to know.

What is everyone’s though on open houses?
Do the people that come to the open houses are they the nosy neighbors?
Are the people going to open houses serious about buying?
If you ask me, if I want to buy a house I go to an agent, what are the chances going to an open house and it beign the one you will buy? Come on realistically slim.
From what I noticed either people are sent by their lazy agents to open houses, because they don’t feel like showing homes which have open houses schedules, or its people that are in the “maybe” stage of thinking to buy a house. Now don’t get me wrong there is cases that people walked into a home fell in love with it, put an offer and purchased that home, but it doesn’t happen that often.
What are your though?

As a real estate agent in the gta I find that more and more first time buyers are calling. Not too many people calling me to seel their house if they have too much equity in their home, why you ask? A lot of people that have that equity sitting in their home believe we are going to come back to 2007 and have the prices boom straigh up. I personally think they are smart for waiting and not selling at the moment but they don’t realize one thing. If you want to buy a bigger home, then sell your home now. If you lose 10% on your current home then you will get 10% off on a more expensive home, people don’t realize this that they can actually save some money now. Unlike people who want to down size waiting is the key.
Now a lot of people ask me what will happen in 6 to 12 months, no one has the answer, to me the rest of the year will go as started so far, the real estate has taken a curve downward. It good for first time buyers but for people who want to down size it is not time to sell. Use common sense when planning you can take this recession to your advantage. Use the real estate curve to you advantage.

US February 2009 video includes topics on: 6.5% rise on home sales includeing California, Arizona, Nevada and Florida.

Newest report on the Canadian Real estate curve affecting buyers and sellers, RRSP new restrictions for first time buyers, consumer confidence and more.

Another great short video talking about lower interest rates, who should buy and why to sell in the US.

Great short video on the Canadian Real Estate Curve Impact, talks about some provinces decreasing and some even increasing in sale and value. This report is for the month of January 2009, great short informational video.

The following video dementrated the real estate curve prices (+/- ) in several decades. It shows exactly when the prices and economy was up and when it was down. This is a great short video make sure you  check it out for all buyers, sellers and specially first time buyers.