Last week’s market activity reads like a good news/bad news story. It’s kind of like Toronto traffic. Thanks to the Pan Am Games there is very little road construction, but the bad news is there’s one less lane to drive in. For those of us who have a short commute there’s always the bike but if a quick get-a-way to the cottage is needed we suggest you make your escape extra early....

Noted business professor Aaron Levenstein once quipped that ‘statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital’. As big fans of statistics (and bikinis) we couldn’t agree more that’s why, every now and then, we like to look back a year and do a little market comparison to see if anything has changed. This week we “reveal” our findings.....

Two interesting news items piqued our interest last week. The first was that the Canadian Real Estate Association reported that  housing markets in Calgary and Edmonton had rebounded nicely, suggesting that uncertainty about the future of Alberta’s Oil industry may be easing. The second was that CMHC are taking steps to slow the market by hiking mortgage default insurance premiums for those buying with less than 10% down payment. These two events, while not related, speak to the continued health of Canada’s real estate market.....

Just when you think you have a handle on the market, something changes and you are forced to re-evaluate. Eventually there comes a point when you just have to strap yourself in and recognize that it’s next to impossible to predict what’s going on in Toronto’s real estate market. As the old saying goes….nothing is as constant as change......

Home buyers are apparently agreeing with Finance Minister Joe Oliver’s assessment of the Canadian real estate market....there is no bubble. Home prices across the country are rising and so is the number of multifamily units under construction. Clearly the Spring market is here and with the first long weekend of the summer behind us, sales and listing activity is on the rise......

One of the best presents we got last week was the end of construction on the Gardiner Expressway. After more than a year of lane closures and avoidance at all costs, we are falling in love with our elevated highway all over again. No more playing “guess the alternative route across town”. This is great news for Realtors who can travel with ease across the bottom of the city... at least until the Pan Am games.....

The other day we saw someone wearing shorts. No, seriously. It wasn't just some random kid trying to make a point either. It was actually warm outside which leads us to believe that road construction is just around the corner. If you are hoping to avoid traffic gridlock this summer, get that home purchase out of the way fast. At least that’s what many are doing right now....

Are you feeling confused and a bit out of sorts? It is most likely due to the “Holiday Vortex”…. Too many long weekends packed together. Fresh off March Break we rolled straight into the Easter long weekend. Common symptoms include weight gain and anxiety due to increased chocolate levels. Nevertheless there is one group that worked through the stress….Buyers, who despite fewer listings, racked up some impressive sales figures last week....

Now that March Break is over and we seem to be easing into some warmer weather, it appears that Toronto’s real estate market has a bit more “spring” in its step. While there are just some puns you never tire of it is clear that Buyers and Sellers are back and are more determined than ever to get settled before the summer....