August 2008

Housing Market Goes on Roller Coaster Ride in Toronto

by Rosalin Smith Carr August 27, 2008 Tips for Buyers

Some of Toronto’s prime neighbourhoods do indeed march to the beat of a different drummer. Between May 2008 and August 2008, home sales in Lawrence Park and Leaside went down by 13% and 29% respectively, compared to the same time period in 2007.
However, once …

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Toronto Housing Market is Falling, or Is It?

by Rosalin Smith Carr August 19, 2008 Tips for Buyers

The Toronto housing market has shifted to a lower gear. The last ten years have been nothing short of frenetic, and in the opinion of many, just plain insane. And there is really no other way of characterizing the buying and selling frenzy we are …

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National Post Newspaper Finds Housing Grows Cheaper

by Rosalin Smith Carr August 18, 2008 Tips for Buyers

I love headlines … sometimes.

A few days ago I saw this headline in the National Post, “Housing Grows Cheaper.” Cheaper than what … a Boeing 747?

As far I know, Toronto housing has not been cheap, from a buyer’s point of view for a very long …

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Lawrence Park Home Takes 10 Years to Sell

by Rosalin Smith Carr August 17, 2008 Lawrence Park

No, this is not a typo – a house in the Lawrence Park area in Toronto (*) just sold after being on the market since 1998!

I want to share with you the main lesson learned from this unfortunate experience, so that you …

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Are Home Sellers Obligated to Disclose If There Has Been a Death or Violence in Their Home?

by Rosalin Smith Carr August 16, 2008 Tips for Sellers

Last year in Florida, the new owners of a home were shocked to learn from some of their neighbours that the home they had purchased had been the scene of multiple murders and suicide.

Florida law allows real estate companies not to disclose information about a …

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Are Real Estate Agents About to Become Obsolete?

by Rosalin Smith Carr August 12, 2008 Tips for Buyers

A few years after the internet started becoming one of the most powerful tools for home buyers and sellers across North America, many in my industry feared that this new tool would put an end to their real estate careers.

I did not share …

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Davisville Village Senior Killed on Mount Pleasant Road

by Rosalin Smith Carr August 11, 2008 Davisville Village

An 82 year old woman was struck and killed on Saturday morning as she crossed Mount Pleasant Road at Balliol. The victim lived in a nearby senior’s residence. A large moving truck had stopped at Balliol Street and was turning north onto Mount Pleasant …

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Wychwood Park Tragedy and What We Can Learn From It – Toronto Neighbourhoods

by Rosalin Smith Carr August 9, 2008 Toronto Real Estate

A recent and tragic incident in a respectable Toronto neighbourhood has come to illustrate the importance of selecting the right area, before selecting your new home. I am in no way suggesting that as a home buyer who chooses not to follow these guidelines, you …

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New Low-Rise Condominium Going Up in Lawrence Park

by Rosalin Smith Carr August 8, 2008 Lawrence Park

Cresford Developments has announced the construction of Stratford Residences, a new low-rise building on Bayview Avenue, at the site of former Salvation Army College, just south of Lawrence Avenue. The project will accommodate units ranging from 1,550 to 4,275 square feet. A mid-rise building …

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Real Estate Humour

by Rosalin Smith Carr August 2, 2008 Toronto Real Estate

These are quotes from actual letters sent by tenants to their landlord.

“I am writing on behalf of my sink, which is falling away from the wall.”
“In accordance with your instructions, I have given birth to twins in the enclosed envelope.”
“This is to let you know that there is …

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