We’ve recently noticed a trend of Realtors walking around and playing with yo-yo’s. Yes, that well known toy that goes up and down the string, up and down, up and down. Forgive us if our emotions are playing out with our toys because the market is starting to feel a little like a yo-yo. One week the market is taking off and then we take a break for the long weekend. The next week we see the listings come out and think up it will go. Then we listen to the government introduce new mortgage rules and we start to wonder if this is the week it will slow down. But wait, maybe changes to mortgage rules will mean a rush of buyers trying to purchase before the new rules come into effect. Up and down, up and down.....
Read moreMARKET UPDATE FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 23RD, 2017
Pride week in Toronto was a colourful success and Bosley's participation in Family Pride was a whole lot-of-fun! As we are coming up to the much anticipated "Canada 150" long weekend, this will be a weekend to participate in the festivities around town. With so many events happening in Toronto to celebrate Canada's big birthday it will be hard to narrow down which events to attend. (Check them out here)
It's not unusual for listings to start tapering off before a long weekend. Last week new listings were down slightly by 9% for the freehold sector compared to the week before, but in the condo market, new listings were up a whopping 43%. Interestingly half of the freehold homes in the $700 to $1.5m range, sold over the asking!
Read moreMARKET UPDATE FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 16TH, 2017
Back in the old days of real estate the Realtors® would work hard up until the end of June and then they would take the summer off, as did most of their clients. Over the past many years the Spring market has lasted well into the summer with usually just a short break in the dog days of August. We are definitely feeling old school with the slow pace of listings and even slower pace of sales heading into summer this year. It reminds us though, as the families stop thinking about real estate and start thinking about camp, that there is a new summer real estate season driven by the tens of thousands of students who flock to the city to study at one of the many universities.
Read moreMARKET UPDATE FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 9TH, 2017
If the real estate market were like a game of golf we would probably be on the back nine right now wondering if we were going to pull our game together or bogey our way to the clubhouse. If you are a Seller you are definitely wondering how your game fell apart so quickly after hitting the fairway with every drive and sinking every putt through the beginning of the season. The confusing part might be why the Buyers haven’t picked up their game as we finish out the season. The market has definitely started to slow down early for the summer and the jury is still out on whether the Sellers who sold in March hit the hole in one or if the Buyers grabbing properties during this quieter time will be the ultimate winner.
Read moreMARKET UPDATE FOR THE WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 28TH, 2016
Inquiring minds want to know if the new mortgage rules are having an impact on housing activity in Toronto. Frankly we are as curious as the next guy but as it stands now we have not seen much change. Overall activity in the 416 continues to be strong as demonstrated by rising prices across every category of shelter. For the first time, affordability in the rental sector is raising concerns as the average price of a one bedroom condo increased by over 7% in the 3rd quarter of 2016.....
Read moreMARKET UPDATE FOR THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 22ND, 2016
We hate to add fuel to the flame of an already sizzling real estate market in Toronto, but if you aren`t keeping score on what`s been happening you are missing out on some very valuable information. For the last few years we`ve been keeping better track of the Toronto market than Sportsnet keeps track of Josh Donaldson`s batting average. But averages don`t tell the whole story...that`s where we come in. Giving you the lowdown based on the experiences of over 260 agents working in the 416!
Read moreMARKET UPDATE FOR THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 1ST, 2016
The date may say April 1st, but let us be clear...there is no joke about the Toronto real estate market. Hold tight, the spring market, the season of multiple offers , is upon us. Buying a property these days requires nerves of steel and a determined constitution. For the next few monthsmedia outlets will be sharing stories of stunning wins and colossal losses. Get ready for Toronto's own version of "Game of Homes".
Read moreMARKET UPDATE FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 25TH, 2016
Last week was a repeat of last year where we had the perfect storm of back-to-back holidays. First there was March Break followed closely by Easter long weekend. Not surprisingly, these events play havoc with an otherwise busy Toronto real estate market. It’s a tospy-turvy world out there but with no holidays for the foreseeable future we should see more predictable increases in listings and strong sales in the downtown core. And there’s even more good news...Summer is just around the corner!
Read moreToronto Real Estate Snapshot! February 2016
MARKET UPDATE FOR THE WEEK ENDING JANUARY 29TH, 2016
It’s hard to believe that we are already one month into 2016. This winter is already the second warmest on record thanks to our friend El Nino. In real estate terms, mild winters are a blessing for those intrepid Realtors. It means no snow drifts to climb over, no hunting for parking spots while out showing and less layers to wear. Of course this would all be great if there were properties to show but our research indicates that listings in both the freehold and condo sector have backed off substantially from one year ago while demand has not wavered.
In the freehold sector, listings continue to be a source of concern. One year ago there were 221 new listings compared to just 120 this year. Sales on the other hand are brisk. Our records indicate 115 sales last week compared to a mere 74 for the same period last year. It is interesting to note that last year only about 53% of homes sold at or above asking while this year that percentage has climbed to 66.7. The hottest area was the east core where nearly 90% of homes sold at or over the asking price.
A similar market exists in the resale condominium sector. Listings are off about 20% while sales are up by 32% from one year ago. Last year sales at or over the list price were a very respectable 18.9% while this year we are reporting 22.4%. While the number of new listings has remained stable in the east and west, there is a noticeable drop in the central core, proving once again that demand still exists for central condos.
