Hot real estate markets will always result in the emergence of alternative methods to buy and sell property. However, even in the hottest markets, more than 90% of Canadians still choose to enlist the services of a professional real estate agent to sell their homes.

‘For Sale By Owner’ companies promote a unique system for selling real estate. A system that makes potential clients believe it is easy, stress-free and will save clients thousands of dollars as commissions will not have to be paid.

If it was that easy, wouldn’t more people be doing it? What if I told you that even the owner and founder of ‘ForSaleByOwner.com’ couldn’t sell his property on his own and had to list with an agent? Not only could this guy not sell it on his own, when he enlisted the services of a real estate professional, he sold for $150,000 over what he originally listed it for. The ‘unique selling system’ they are selling you is unique in the fact that you will most likely end up hiring a real estate professional to do the selling for you.

Also, a large portion of the 10% who attempt it on their own, end up hiring a real estate professional as it is not as easy as they had originally thought, considerably more stress then they had expected, and finally found the value in hiring a real estate professional to get the job done.

It should also be noted that these companies that help people sell properties on their own are not regulated and not licensed to sell real estate. Ask yourself if you would hire someone with no experience and hire a company that is not regulated to manage the sale of your largest financial investment? Would you take your car to a mechanic that wasn’t licensed to fix your car? Would you hold your life savings in an unregulated bank? Would you seek legal advice from your cousin Billy Jim Bob who has not passed his bar exam but has ‘a pretty good idea of how this law stuff works’? It is often attractive to look at the cheaper option, but as in most cases, people always know that you get what you pay for.

Real estate professionals are far from perfect, but if you do your research and interview carefully, you will find one that will help guide you through the difficult process of drafting a contract and negotiating a contract. You will have someone on your side who will answer your phone calls when everyone else is gone for the day. You will have a trusted partner who is obligated by law to serve your best interests. You will have an expert who is qualified, educated and regulated to help protect the largest investment your family will ever make. And if you are still not sure about the benefits of hiring a realtor, just ask the owner of ‘ForSaleByOwner.com’.

Completely renovated open concept 3 bed/2 full bath home on quiet street in south Burlington. New kitchen (10)w/maple cabinets, island, ceramic floors and s/s appliances. Lower level w/large family room w/stone fireplace and full bathroom w/glass shower. Professionally landscaped, Freshly painted, Hardwood throughout, roof (11), main floor windows (11), and custom window coverings (11). Seller is RREA. RSA.

Open house: Sunday January 8th – 2:00pm – 4:00pm
For more photos – CLICK HERE
For a YouTube video of the property – CLICK HERE

Street Eats have arrived in Burlington! The Gorilla Cheese food truck will be here TODAY May 17, 2012! Come on Downtown for gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches(behind Centro Garden). For more on this great take on a timeless classic, check them out here.

Here is the Curbside Menu of their Veritable Culinary Delights!
All sandwiches are made with Jensen Cheese. They add new sandwiches all the time, so be sure you check them out at the various locations throughout the summer and beyond.

Oh, yeah, these are all GRILLED CHEESE sandwiches, made with a healthy helping of AWESOME.
The O.G. (Original Gorilla) – The classic! Cheddar on White or Multigrain $5.50
The Hammer – Cheddar, Blackforest Ham, sliced Granny Smith Apples, Honey Mustard on White $7.50
The Lumberjack – Cheddar, Bacon, sliced Granny Smith Apples, real Maple Syrup on White $7.50
The Gorilla Sarducci – Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Fresh Basil, Balsamic Glaze on Multigrain $7.50
The Binder – DOUBLE CHEESE!! Cheddar, Mozzarella, Hot Pepper Brick on White $8.50
The Bubba – Cheddar, Pulled Pork, Homemade Cole Slaw on White $7.50
The Zesty Mordant – Hot Pepper Brick, Jalapenos, Zesty Doritos on White (limited edition) $7.50
The Big Katuna – Mozzarella, Tuna Salad, Avocado Spread, Red Onion on White or Multigrain (limited edition) $7.50
The Quirky Turkey – Mozzarella, Smoked Provincial Cheese, Turkey, Sliced Pear, Cranberry Sauce, Marble Rye (limited edition) $7.50
*Add Hot Peppers (Jalapeno) $.50*

Dessert Sandwiches
The Neapolitan – Nutella, Fresh Strawberries, “Marshcarpone” cheese (Mascarpone whipped with Marshmallow Spread) on Cinnamon Raisin Bread $5.00 (Seasonal)
The Cheeky Monkey – Nutella, Peanut Butter, Sliced Bananas on Cinnamon Raisin Bread $5.00

Extras
Homemade Tomato Soup $2.00 per cup
Jensen Cheese curds $5.00

Here is the schedule so you can be sure to catch the truck at a location near you.

TODAY! – Centro Garden, 437 Brant St, BURLINGTON, 11:30-2:30pm
Thursday May 17 – Dundurn Beer Store/LCBO 5-8:30pm
Friday May 18 – CarStar, 77 Ferguson Ave @Main St. 11:30-2:30pm
Friday May 18 – HAMMER CITY MELTDOWN at Gallagher’s Pub 6-11pm
Saturday May 19 – Guise St near Pier 8 @Discovery Dr 11:30-2:30pm
COMING UP!!
May20-21 – Food Truck Eats @ Peller Estates
May 26 – HSC Spring Fair
May 27 – City of Hamilton IT Event at Canadian Football Hall of Fame
June 2 – Concession St. Festival
June 8 – Art Crawl at the Library & beyond
June 13 – Gore Park for lunch, Hamilton TiCats for dinner!
June 23 – Ottawa St Farmers Market
June 26 – Wild Waterworks
June 29 – Hamilton TiCats
July 10 – Wild Waterworks
July 13 – Art Crawl & beyond
July 14 – Hamilton TiCats (vs. Argos, grrrr!)
July 17 – Wild Waterworks
July 27/28 – Gorilla Cheese Anniversary
August 9 – Hamilton TiCats
September 14-15 – SUPERCRAWL!!
September 28 – Hamilton TiCats
October 12 – Hamilton TiCats
October 27 – Hamilton TiCats

If you have any ideas of events, restaurants, festivals, etc., that you would like to share with my readers, please let me know and I would be happy to include it on my 365 Thingsa to do in Burlington blog.

I was looking to replace my lettering on the back window and I thought I would try 1 hour signs. Angela was very helpful and informative offering up suggestions that would best meet my needs. The thing I liked most about Angela was that she listened to what I wanted and worked with that. NO upselling! I have been to a few other places where I had asked for pricing on lettering and I ended up getting quotes for full body wrap printing.

If you are looking for any kind of printing, I would recommend you giving them a call. As Angela told me, they are a one stop shop for all of your printing needs. Coroplast signs, Bag signs, business cards, posters, engraving, convention banners, car magnets, etc. Being in Real Estate, they have everything I would need!

Conveniently located in Burlington between Walker’s Line and Appleby Line on the north side of Harvester. Friendly, informative, and very competitive pricing.

Spacious South Burlington Freehold Townhouse within walking distance to the lake! Located on a quiet family friendly crescent. Large renovated master bedroom. Finished basement with walk-out to backyard and 2 tiered deck. Eat-in kitchen. Air Con and Furnace 3 years old. Conveniently located. Close to QEW, public transportation, schools and shopping.

ALL FOR UNDER 300K!!!

For more photos and property details, CLICK HERE

If you have any questions about Real Estate in Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton or Toronto, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email.

You may also want to take advantage of my latest service I am providing clients! A no obligation, over the net OR phone, property and neighbourhood evaluation. If you are interested to know the current market value of your home and what property is selling for in your neighbourhood, I would be happy to send you a report to an email address or chat to you about it over the phone. NO in-person meeting is required!

Hope to hear from you soon.

Buying a home today…at today’s prices, would have a home owner paying less per month than if that home owner bought a home 25 years ago…at 1987 prices!

I was recently at a real estate symposium and we were discussing the affordability of homeownership in today’s market. We were talking about current purchase prices vs. historic low interest rates and it took us back to a time when interest rates were not so favourable for the average home owner.

I told a client the other day that if he bought a home today at today’s housing prices, he would still be paying a lower monthly amount than if he bought a home 25 years ago at 1987 prices. Reluctant to trust my math skills, I had to prove it to him on a scrap piece of paper.

Bought a home in 1987
$250,000 – Purchase price
20% down payment ($50,000)
$200,000 – Mortgage amount
10% – 1987 interest rate
25 year amortization

Monthly payments = $1788.98

Bought a home in 2012
$500,000 – Purchase price
20% down payment ($100,000)
$400,000 – Mortgage amount
3% – 2012 interest rate
30 year amortization

Monthly payments = $1682.42

As I finished writing $1682.42 on the paper and he glanced back at the 1987 figure, he asked me to check my math.

If you are contemplating whether to stay in your rental or jumping on the housing ladder, you should look at these numbers again. We have never seen interest rates like this in history and may never see them again. Your opportunity is now!

If you live in the Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton or Toronto areas and would like to talk about housing affordability, I would be happy to meet with you to discuss your options. We can see how affordable homeownership can be. Be sure to ask about my First Time Home Buyer AIR MILE Promotion.

When we were looking for our new home Sean Kavanagh was able to find us the perfect house in our desired location. He is extremely professional, helpful, reliable, and considerate. He made the whole process of purchasing a house a pleasure. He was also able to provide us with many other services to help us with home maintenance and renovations. I would recommend him highly to all my friends and family.

Thank you again Sean.

- Ghada Fashho

Considering Buying or Selling Your Home?
For more information on buying or selling real estate in Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville, or Toronto, or if you have questions about current market trends, staging properties or mortgage interest rate information, I’d be happy to answer all of your questions to accommodate all of your real estate needs.

Sean Kavanagh
Sales Representative

For more information on my Home Buying or Home Selling System, contact me at
Email: sean.kavanagh@century21.ca
Cell: 905-220-9198

Building Lasting Relationships and Exceeding Expectations
Masters Diamond Award Winner – 2010 & 2011, Masters Ruby Award Winner – 2009

Oakville Real Estate – CENTURY 21 Miller –TOP TEN Office*

The Hamilton‐Burlington real estate board has just reported 819 property sales through the MLS for the month of January. This represents almost an 11 per cent increase in sales over the same month last year. They have also reported that 7.7 per cent fewer listings were taken in January 2012 compared to January of last year. The average sale price of a property has also risen 4.2% over last year’s average, yet the inventory of available properties has dropped by almost 12%

“The story for the month of January,” said RAHB President Cameron Nolan, “is that while sales have edged up compared to last year, we are seeing significantly fewer listings than normal. Our listing inventory is the lowest it has been in some time.”

What does this mean for you?

I hate to sound cliché, but now is a great time to sell. We are seeing a flood of buyers hitting the market right now. The most obvious reason would be the record low mortgage rates lenders are able to offer, but I think the weather also has something to do with it. Historically, people didn’t buy in January/February because who wants to go running from home to home in 3 feet of snow with temps in the minuses. The grass is green and the temps are up causing an early start to the spring market.

Buyers are out and ready to purchase, but there isn’t anything to buy right now. Everything that is in relatively good condition and priced well is selling after only a few days on the market. This has resulted in an upward pressure on prices. If you are considering selling your home this year, you may want to do it sooner than later. Once the spring hits and everybody starts putting their homes up for sale, the market will become more balanced causing a downward pressure on pricing.

Get into the market while inventory is low and you will get more money for your home.

Considering Buying or Selling Your Home?
For more information on buying or selling real estate in Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville, or Toronto, or if you have questions about current market trends, staging properties or mortgage interest rate information, I’d be happy to answer all of your questions to accommodate all of your real estate needs.

Sean Kavanagh
Sales Representative

For more information on my Home Buying or Home Selling System, contact me at
Email: sean.kavanagh@century21.ca
Web: www.seansells.ca
Facebook page: SeanKavanaghC21

Building Lasting Relationships and Exceeding Expectations
Masters Diamond Award Winner – 2010 & 2011, Masters Ruby Award Winner – 2009

Oakville Real Estate – CENTURY 21 Miller –TOP TEN Office*
______________________________________________________________________________
Office: 905.845.9180 | Fax: 905.845.7674 | millerrealestate@century21.ca
Oakville Real Estate, Burlington Real Estate, Milton Real Estate, Mississauga
*For CENTURY 21 Canada in 2010 and 2011, Based on Gross Closed Commission

The worst thing about selling your house is you have to eat out a lot more than you normally would to accommodate showing requests. But the best part of selling your house is that you get to eat out a lot more than you normally would! Last night we had to accommodate a showing and decided to try Shoeless Joe’s at Appleby and Upper Middle. For the full menu, CLICK HERE

It is a great place for the kids as each booth had its own TV. Without having to ask, the Manager came over and switched our set to Looney Tunes to keep our little 2 1/2 year old occupied so the parents could enjoy a great meal.

If you are a fight fan, this would be an awesome place to watch the fights as you could watch everything from the comfort of your booth. Food was good and the service was friendly.

If there is a place or an event in Burlington that has left an impression on you and you would like to share it with my audience, please do not hesitate to drop me a line with your story and I will be sure to add it as on of the 365 Things To Do In Burlington.