Real Estate

Wonderfully updated 3 bed-2 bath home on quiet street in south Burlington. Renovated kitchen with maple cabinets, granite countertops and island, bamboo floors and stainless steel appliances. Lower level with large family room with fireplace. Hardwood throughout. Most windows replaced, new furnace, air conditioner and water heater. Thousands spent on landscaping. Entertain all your guests on the 25’x16’ stone patio! Yard is perfect for those who love spending time outside.

FOR MORE DETAILS, MAPS, PHOTOS AND VIDEO TOUR, CLICK THE LINK!

The kitchen is a great place to entertain and this kitchen is perfect for that. If you have children, you can keep an eye on them through the greenhouse window in front of the sink and let them run around in the fenced in backyard. Loads of storage in the maple cabinets and in the pot drawers in the island. the bamboo flooring really completes the kitchen.

VIDEO TOUR

OPEN HOUSE

We are holding an open house this Sunday May 19 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. If you can’t make the open house, please feel free to call or write to book your own private tour of the home.

Burlington housing stats are in for April and it seems that the activity is similar to last year, but the housing prices have risen.

Freehold Units in Burlington

2012
New Listings 313
Sales 240
Average Price $514,481
Days on Market 27

2013
New Listings 310
Sales 236
Average Price $558,310
Days on Market 30

All Properties Sold In Burlington in April

2012
New Listings 447
Sales 352
Average Price $449,986
Days on Market 29

2013
New Listings 444
Sales 337
Average Price $482,301
Days on Market 31

It is clear to see that we still have a healthy market in Burlington and housing prices continue to rise. Freehold units have increased in value 8.5% from April 2012 to 2013 while the number of new listings and sales have stayed about the same.

If you would like to learn more about what is happening in the real estate market, please feel free to call or send me an email and I would be happy to discuss the market activity in your neighbourhood.

I found this great little video on YouTube that showcases the beauty of our Burlington waterfront. Enjoy!

Luxury living in this stunning custom 5 bedroom/5 bathroom home with over 5000ft2 of total living space on desirable family friendly court. 10 foot ceilings on main floor, chef’s kitchen, new hardwood, and freshly painted. Spacious master suite with 5 piece ensuite and walk-in closet. Upper level includes 3 additional bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and an office nook. Basement is an entertainer’s paradise with media area with built-in sound system wiring, custom bar with fridge, wine rack and shelving units and exercise room.

Fantastic opportunity to live in one of the area’s best neighbourhoods. Great Investment potential. Prestigious quiet and family friendly crescent surrounded by luxury new builds! Across from Glen Park, close to great schools, subway and major highways. 10 Minutes to the Airport. Register offers by 5:00pm on May 1, 2013.

OPEN HOUSE

If you are interested in visiting this great investment opportunity, drop by the open house.

Sunday April 28, 2013

2:00pm – 4:00pm

Stunning South facing panoramic city views from the 600 square foot private terrace . 1280 Square foot 2 bedroom 3 bathroom unit one floor below the penthouse! 3 Parking spots and one locker included. Ensuite laundry facility. Excellent Building Facilities: Gym, Party Room, 24Hr security/concierge. Close to Subway, 401, and many other local amenities. Move in and enjoy Luxury Living overlooking the city!

Tastefully renovated 3 bed/2 full bath home on a quiet street in south east Burlington. New kitchen (2013) with new stainless steel appliances. Updated lower level w/large family room, full bathroom with oversized shower stall and laundry with high end appliances. Enjoy the heated inground pool with new child safety fence, gate and cover, Finnish sauna and area to entertain all of your guests! Pool liner 2010, Heater 2012.

Thinking about buying or selling this spring? Have you always wanted to own an iPad? I can help you with both!

If you list your current home or buy a new home with me before June 1, 2013, a new iPad will be yours!

Terms and conditions apply. Call or write today for more details!

Working with Sean has been an absolute pleasure. We wanted to be in a specific area based on our kids school boundaries and Sean took care of us by always presenting properties that were a great fit for all we asked for. He listened to all our requests and worked very hard until we found the perfect house. Not only did he get the price we wanted for our house, but also he was able to connect us with other professionals to help us without worries.

A few weeks after, we moved into our new home without any fuss…and we still had Sean by our side to make sure we were pleased with everything in the house, including a great welcome gift and a wine tasting holiday gathering invitation.

Simply the best service! It was not our first move and we were so happy to work with Sean because he truly listens and he is devoted to offer the best service out there!

Chantal and Iain Black
Jan. 2013
Burlington, On

Jim Flaherty may have just got what he wanted….to cool off the housing market. Most economists and real estate professionals believe the landing will be soft, but stats show that all of the moves made by the federal government have been successful in slowing the white hot housing market. Despite the fact home sales were down 17.4 per cent in December over the same month last year, the average sale price rose 1.6 per cent across Canada.

This creates a very interesting dynamic in the Canadian housing market. Sales in the market place are down, but prices continue to rise. It defies the logic of most economic thinking. The reason for this is two-fold: The market is sustaining itself due to the motivated buyers that continue to purchase and take advantage of the low interest rate options available to home buyers today.

Also, sellers don’t seem desperate enough to dramatically reduce their prices. Sellers are telling the market that they know what their house is worth and will gladly hold out until they get it….and if they don’t get it, they won’t sell it!

I have titled this article ‘Spring Market Holds the Real Estate Crystal Ball’ because the hottest market of the year will determine which way things will swing. Will a flood of buyers jump into the market and continue to pay what sellers are asking OR will buyers hold off and wait for prices to fall?

Buyers are also faced with the dilemma of purchasing now with interest rates being low versus waiting for the potential drop in market value when the rates begin to rise. Some first time buyers and buyers looking to move up the property ladder have been pushed out of the market due to the mortgage changes. Moving mortgage amortization from 30 years to 25 years has made monthly payments unaffordable for some causing buyers to hold off.

It should be noted and understood that the reported statistics showing significant drops in sales are coming from the country’s two hottest markets (Toronto and Vancouver). These markets needed to cool as the drastic price escalation was unsustainable. Toronto at 7 times the national average and Vancouver at 10 times the national average could not continue the way it was heading and the correction we are experiencing is mostly felt in those two markets. Regina, for example, actually posted an increase in sales of 15.9% from December 2011. For this reason, I recommend that you look locally for market information and not to be swayed by national averages.

There are a lot of questions and the spring market will help provide us with some of the answers.

MY THOUGHTS

• The market will continue to be healthy and you will see a rise in home sales in the spring.
• A correction or ‘Softening’ of the market should not be viewed as a negative. A stable market is a sustainable and predictable market. People should want this when it comes to the largest financial investment in their portfolio.
• Buyers will continue to purchase homes and take advantage of the record low interest rates.
• The drop in reported sales is due to buyers unwilling to make the move upward on the property ladder and assume more debt that they were willing to assume before the mortgage rule changes and threat of interest rate increases.
• The drop in sales is also a result of first time buyers not being able to afford houses RIGHT NOW due to the mortgage changes, but they will be buying once they are able to qualify.
• Toronto and Vancouver will be OK…..just ask them!
• We have the strongest banking system in the world and a government that is looking out for the people.
• The Canadian real estate market will continue to be a good investment, don’t be scared off by inflammatory articles aimed more at selling newspapers and magazines than providing sound advice to their readers, and if you have questions, seek out professional advice so you are able to make the most informed decision possible.

Own a little piece of paradise! Minutes from Costa Roca’s Eco-Adventure hub in La Fortuna. This 2.5 acre tropical paradise boasts 3 buildings with a total of 6 bedrooms. Take a short walk down to the Rio (River) La Palma or enjoy Volcano views from the wrap-around balcony. The property is gated and very private. It includes a 3000 ft2 airy and spacious home and 2 guesthouses and is surrounded by fruit and nut trees attracting a wide variety of exotic wildlife.

Located near the charming town of La Fortuna. The area is famous for its diversity of interests including rain forest walking, bird watching, river rafting, jungle cruises, jungle canopy tours, Zip lining, butterfly farms, horseback riding, world famous spas and hot springs or relaxing and enjoying the best views of Costa Rica’s biggest lake or the spectacular Arenal Volcano.

Location: Volcano Arenal, Lake Arenal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Central America (Near La Fortuna with great volcano views!)

Wonderful Investment Opportunity!

A piece of paradise can be yours for only $825,000! This is a perfect opportunity to own a vacation investment that you can enjoy as you are making money! You can vacation in one of the guesthouses while renting out the other two homes on the property. The main home which is currently rented out for most of the year commands $1400/week in rental income while the other guesthouse could be rented for $1000/week. Even if you only had the property rented out for half of the year, you could earn over $60,000 in rental income….and still keep one of the guesthouses for you to vacation for as long as you want, as often as you want!

For more details or information on other Costa Rica investment opportunities, please email me at sean.kavanagh@century21.ca or call 905-220-9198.