DEC 11th to 13th – Procter and Gamble Warehouse Sale / Proceeds going to United Way

My Blog’s One Year Anniversary!

Sorry P & G Warehouse sale, but I just noticed that it’s my blog’s one year anniversary, so I will post your information at the end of the post. Feel free to scroll down and read my ramblings another time.

So has it been one year already? I remember one of my earliest posts was about the P & G Warehouse sale. I remember it because I got 100 hits in one day and that erased all my doubts about blogging.

This blog I started as an experiment has turned into something I really enjoy doing. In the beginning, all my colleagues had template websites and urged me to get one for $50 a month. I visited various types of these template websites and they were all so generic. “Cold” was the word that first popped into my mind. These websites hide the agents behind a curtain and if someone wanted information they had to submit a form so that the agent will contact them. I did not like that concept so I started this blog where I would post all information I found interesting, free of charge and free of taking your contact information.

Since this blog is on WordPress, it’s free for me and my only costs is my time. For this past year, this blog has more than paid off for itself. The best part is that I met a lot of nice people, some of them became clients and others became friends.

Thank-you to everyone for a successful first year. For 2010 I’m going to make a few changes. Hope you all will enjoy it!

P & G Warehouse Sale

When:

Friday December 11^th:

• 3pm – 8pm – P&G Employees, Retirees, Friends and Family

Saturday December 12^th:

• 9am – 11am – P&G Employees, Retirees, Friends and Family
• 11am – 6pm – Public

Sunday December 13^th:

• 10am – 3pm – Public

Where:

International Center – Hall 6
6900 Airport Road
Mississauga, Ontario
L4V 1E8

Early pass?

Donations through www.pgunites.ca now receive a pass to come early to the December warehouse sale! Spread the word, there’s only 2 weeks left to give!!

You will receive a ‘thank you’ note from Tim that you can use for early entry, when you donate through www.pgunites.ca

Please note: Warehouse sale information is from P & G and Kirby Chan has not verified nor guarantee this warehouse sale.

Happy Christmas Shopping!!!

Kirby Chan
Sales Representative
Forest Hill Real Estate
info@kirbychan.com
www.KirbyChan.com
416.305.8008

By the way… I’m never too busy for your referrals.

 

Power of Sale listings for Toronto and GTA – May 21

The number of power of sale listings has decreased by about half since the last Power of Sale post. Taking the Mid-May report into account, it appears that we are in an equilibrium with a balanced supply of buyers and sellers. This is a great time to buy and/or sell.

Let’s take a look at the current power of sale listings.

Power of Sale Listings for Central/North Toronto

Freehold/Condominium properties please - click here -

Power of Sale Listings for East Toronto

Freehold/Condominium properties please - click here -

Power of Sale Listings for West Toronto

Freehold/Condominium properties please - click here -

York Region (Richmond Hill / Markham / Vaughan / Aurora) – There are very few Power of Sale listings for the towns in York Region, so I have grouped them together.

Freehold/Condominium properties please - click here -

Mississauga & Oakville

Freehold/Condominium properties please - click here -

For other areas in the GTA, please request it by emailing me and I will email the listings to you.

Please contact me to discuss any of the power of sale listings.
Please contact me to list your property for sale.

Kirby Chan
Sales Representative
Forest Hill Real Estate
info@kirbychan.com
www.KirbyChan.com
416.305.8008

By the way… I’m never too busy for your referrals.

Toronto Real EstateKirby ChanToronto Power of Sale

Icovia Room Planner

Ever wondered if your furniture fits in your new home. With the easy to use Icovia Room Planner, you don’t have to guess anymore.

- Click here to start Icovia Room Planner -

Select one of their existing room plan or custom make a new plan.

Select the furniture most similar to your own. Click and drag at the lower right hand corner to adjust the size of the furniture. Click on the lower left hand corner to rotate the furniture. Now play around with it like you are a professional interior design.

Enjoy!

Kirby Chan
Sales Representative
Forest Hill Real Estate
info@kirbychan.com
www.KirbyChan.com
416.305.8008

By the way… I’m never too busy for your referrals.

Six Tips When Buying a Home

Tip #1 – Get Pre-Qualified

Before looking for your next home take the time to get pre-qualified by the bank or mortgage broker you choose.  This can save you hours of searching for homes in the wrong price range or worse, purchasing a home and then finding out you don’t qualify for financing.  Pre-qualifying gives you peace of mind, helps narrow your search criteria and most importantly, gives me a negotiating edge by being able to alleviate the sellers concern over financing. The latter is especially important should a competing offer surface.

Tip #2.  Shop For Mortgage Terms

Rates are negotiable! Banks will sharpen their pencils to get your business especially if you have a good credit rating and bring other business to them e.g. RRSP’s, general account, savings etc. Posted rates should be viewed as a starting point. You need to know what the best rates are and this is usually done by getting competitive quotes. Also, ask whether the bank will cover appraisal fees, and about buy-out fees, penalties, payment options, portability etc.  The time spent can save you thousands of dollars over the life of the mortgage.

Tip #3.  Get Professional Inspections

Nobody wants to purchase a home only to find out later there are defects, latent or otherwise.  Ensure you obtain inspections where needed e.g. home inspection, structural engineer, insect, radon etc.  If the inspection identifies deficiencies you may be able to negotiate the purchase price to cover required repairs or make your satisfaction of the inspection subject to the homeowner remedying the problem. I can advise you on inspections you should consider.

Tip #4.  Contact Kirby Chan, Your Professional Sales Representative

Kirby Chan can help you make a purchase with the least amount of problems.  I can ensure the price you pay is never above market value.  I can offer expert advice on what to look for, conditions to include, negotiation strategy etc. After all, I work for you.

Tip #5.  Sell Before You Buy

If price is important you should always sell your present home before buying another.  It has the advantage in letting you know exactly how much money you will have available for your next purchase.  Selling your home first allows you to place fewer conditions on your purchase which makes your offer more attractive to a seller.  They often will demand more money to take a “subject to” offer which takes their home off the market.  The other advantage is if you find a terrific house, chances are others will also find it attractive and you stand to lose it if you can’t make an unconditional offer.

Tip #6.  Know The Full Cost Of Buying

Know all the costs associated with your purchase.  Consider the following costs:   legal fees, transfer tax, property taxes, new home landscaping, fencing, appliances and window coverings.

Kirby Chan
Sales Representative
Forest Hill Real Estate
info@kirbychan.com
www.KirbyChan.com
416.305.8008

By the way… I’m never too busy for your referrals.

Forest Hill Real Estate

Effective today, I will be working at Forest Hill Real Estate. I consider this a natural move forward, because of all the services Forest Hill Real Estate provides me and to my clients. I am at the point in my career where I either hire an assistant to help me or join a Full Service brokerage. It was an easy choice choosing whether to train and pay an assistant or joining an established service-first brokerage.

Other than having a prestigious name, let me tell you a little more about Forest Hill Real Estate.

Forest Hill Real Estate is Toronto’s premier independent full service real estate brokerage. With three strategically located offices, over 250 salespeople and over one billion dollars in annual sales, Forest Hill Real Estate Inc. prides itself on providing the finest level of service.

Over the past 20 years, Forest Hill Real Estate has enjoyed remarkable growth in market share and sales of residential, commercial and recreational properties in the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding communities.

Forest Hill Real Estate is a perfect fit for my clients who demand the ultimate in the total service experience.

I welcome the opportunity to demonstrate, Kirby Chan’s commitment to excellence combined with Forest Hill Real Estate’s level of experience, for a truly satisfying experience, whether you are buying or selling!

There are 3 convenient offices where I can serve you.

Forest Hill Real Estate has 3 location to serve you.

My main office:
BAYVIEW OFFICE (Bayview / Sheppard)
500 Sheppard Ave. East, Suite 201
Toronto, ONT
M2N 6H7

VILLAGE OFFICE (Spadina / St. Clair)
441 Spadina Rd.
Toronto ONT.
M5P 2W3

CENTRAL OFFICE (Avenue / Lawrence)
1688 Avenue Road
Toronto, ONT
M5M 3Y4

Kirby Chan
Sales Representative
Forest Hill Real Estate
info@kirbychan.com
www.KirbyChan.com
416.305.8008

By the way… I’m never too busy for your referrals.

2,565 Resale Housing Transactions Shows Rate Of Decline Shrinking

TORONTO, March 19, 2009 – Greater Toronto REALTORS® announced 2,565 transactions in the first half of March compared to 3,183 during the same period last year. The annual rate of MLS® sales decline was the smallest in five months.

Mid-month March MLS® sales increased compared to the 2,044 sales experienced in the first half of February.

MLS® sales follow a recurring seasonal trend, with transactions generally increasing between January and May and then decreasing between June and December.

“As we move into the spring market, it appears that we are seeing stronger demand for ownership housing in the Greater Toronto Area,” said TREB President Maureen O’Neill. “Buyers are reacting to the market’s strong foundation of affordability.”

The average price for MLS® sales was $365,499 compared to $385,405 last year.

“Affordability has improved over the past few months due to a combination of lower home prices, near record lows for mortgage rates and rising earnings,”1 according to Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

1Average weekly earnings for the Toronto CMA, as reported by Statistics Canada, have been rising on a year-over-year basis over the past year. For example, in February 2009, average weekly earnings rose by approximately 2.5 per cent compared to February 2008.

Kirby Chan
Sales Representative
Forest Hill Real Estate
info@kirbychan.com
www.KirbyChan.com
416.305.8008

By the way… I’m never too busy for your referrals.

Power of Sale listings for Toronto, Richmond Hill and Markham – Feb 23

The cold weather is back! It looks like more snow for the coming days. Bad weather affects real estate prices because less people are shopping for homes. It’s more trouble to view the properties, driving to the properties, getting a proper home inspection done and moving your home. So who can this benefit? Of course, the buyer who is willing to go through this hassle.

Let us take a look at this week’s list of power of sales.

Power of Sale Listings for Central/North Toronto

Freehold/Condominium properties please - click here -

Power of Sale Listings for East Toronto

Freehold/Condominium properties please - click here -

Power of Sale Listings for West Toronto

Freehold/Condominium properties please - click here -

Richmond Hill / Markham / Vaughan – There are very few Power of Sale listings for the three towns in York Region, so I have lumped them together.

Freehold/Condominium properties please - click here -

For other areas in the GTA, please request it by emailing me and I will email the listings to you.

Please contact me to discuss any of the power of sale listings.

Kirby Chan
Real Estate Sales Representative @ Re/Max
info@kirbychan.com
www.KirbyChan.com
416.305.8008

The Victoria Tower – 88 Times Avenue, Thornhill Markham Richmond Hill

The Victoria Tower

The Victoria Tower is a boutique condominium which is located at Highway 7 East in between Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street. View Map

Viva/York Region Transit is convieniently located just across the street.

There are 1 bedroom units, 1+1 bedroom units, 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom penthouses.

Amenities – Fitness/exercise room, swimming pool, sauna, steam room, whirlpool and party room.

Lobby has 24-hour concierge services and hotel style waiting area.

1-Bedroom units start at $199,000.
2-Bedroom units start at $325,000.
3-Bedroom units start at $475,000.

-click here for the MLS listings-

Contact me to discuss and to view the properties.

Kirby Chan
Real Estate Sales Representative @ Re/Max
info@kirbychan.com
www.KirbyChan.com
416.305.8008

Dec 13-14 Umbra Factory Warehouse Sale 2008

Click for event details

It’s happening this Sat. Dec 13-14 at the CNE Direct Enegy Centre – 9am-6pm. Be Warned that people go as early as 6am to line up. But luckily the line-up is indoors unlike in the past.

Here’s an opportunity to improve the decor of your homes. A clean and well-decorated home is really important when listing a home for sale. It also reduces the time the home stays on the market. A number of colleagues have felt the need to use the services of a home stager to sell homes recently. An alternative to a home stager and to save money, you can pick up a few key pieces at the warehouse sale to update your decor. Check out http://decor8blog.com/ or Sarah’s House for some design cues. In this market it pays off to have a presentable home when showing to potential buyers. Just a reminder for my clients,  as part of my listing services I provide a complimentary home staging consultation.

Kirby Chan
Real Estate Sales Representative @ Re/Max
info@kirbychan.com
www.KirbyChan.com
416.305.8008

Limited Edition Gold Foil Kirby Chan Business Cards Arrived

Gold Edition

My Gold Foil Business Cards have finally arrived. Please send an email to info@kirbychan.com with your Name and Address and I’ll send you one.

On the back of the card, I’ve included a free market evaluation. This is not just any free market evaluation, it’s personally performed by me. I’m a real estate appraiser, trained by the Real Estate Division of the University of British Columbia. For the past 6 years I’ve been a professional appraiser for the major banks, credit unions, insurance companies, lawyers, builders and private individuals. For the free market evaluation please send an email to info@kirbychan.com with your Name and Address.

Next on my agenda is to finish my website. The one on http://www.kirbychan.com is provided by my brokerage. I’m designing a website that comprises of more information and resources for buyers and sellers. I think I need to convey the major benefits I provide, what makes me stand out among the sea of Realtors. The following is what I offer so far in terms of listing promotions.

Online Promotions for my listings

• List your property on my website and 4 of my affiliate websites which receives thousands of visitors a month.
• List your property on www.mls.ca with virtual tour and up to 9 photos
  
• List your property on www.remax.ca
  
• List your property on www.remaxcondosplus.com – over 3 million visitors a month
• List your property on www.luxuryrealestate.com – for listings over $750,000)
• List your property on www.ren.ca – Real Estate News, a division of the Toronto Star
• List your property on www.househunting.ca - The Financial Post
• Property will be marketed to my database of Clients, Real Estate Sales Rep., Mortgage Brokers, Bankers and Appraisers.

Offline Promotions for my listings

• Advertise your property with “Just Listed” cards, mailed out in your neighbourhood.
• Advertise your property in my Re/Max office “Market Report” newsletter. Distributed to 5 relocation companies and 4 newspapers.
• Advertise your property in the Real Estate News Magazine every fourth Friday. REN has a distribution of 200,000+ copies inserted in the Toronto Star!
• Advertise your property in Resale Homes and Condos Magazine.
  
• Photo feature sheets for potential buyers.

Every real estate agent needs to spend money on marketing. I am different because of where I spend the money. I don’t send flyers and junk mail nor advertise on garbage cans and park benches. I save my advertising money on advertising the properties that I list for my clients. Please leave me a comment with suggestions of anything else that I can do. I want to provide service that is above and beyond any other.

Kirby Chan
Real Estate Sales Representative @ Re/Max
info@kirbychan.com
www.KirbyChan.com
416.305.8008