Is an Investment Property the Right Investment For You?

Purchasing an investment property could be the right investment for you if you have maxed out your retirement fund & your children's RESP, your mortgage payments are manageable and you have some extra money that you are looking to invest wisely in order to maximize the return on your investment. Real estate is hot and interest rates are low so purchasing an investment property may seem like a no-brainer, but is it the right no-brainer for you?

I purchased an investment property in Roncesvalles with a friend of mine in 2009, and I have to say it has been a great investment and a good decision, but not without its drawbacks, so best to educate yourself and be prepared before you take the big leap….

Get Your Finances In Order

The banks have different financing requirements for a personal residence than for an investment property. A larger down payment (minimum 20%) is required and the qualifications are more stringent, so make sure to pay a visit to your bank or mortgage broker first to ensure that you qualify.

Pick The Right real estate Agent

Do some homework in this regard and make sure you choose an agent who knows the area where you want to buy, understands the principles of investment properties (cap rates, tax implications, income/expense reports…..more on this later) and has a good grasp on the the local rental market and the rules and regulations set out by the Residential Tenancies Act.

Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing

Warren Buffet

Do You Want To purchase an investment property Alone or with a partner?

I invested with a very good friend of mine and it has worked out well because we are both on the same page. We split the responsibilities and when issues arise with the house we pick up the slack for each other, depending on what is going on in our lives. If you can find someone to invest with, I think it’s great, you only have to come up with half the capital and you can split the workload. However, it doesn’t come without its pitfalls, you have to make sure that they are someone you trust implicitly and that you both have the same long term goals & vision. If you do decide to invest with a friend or family member, have frank conversations about expectations and make sure you see a lawyer to legally document your agreement.  Also, be sure to have this agreement documented in your will as well.

Location, Location, Location

How do you decide where to invest? With the rental market being what it is, it won’t be hard to find tenants pretty much anywhere in Toronto, so the best advice I can give would be to stick to what you know. In other words, buy in an area that you are familiar with or an area close to where you live. My investment property is around the corner from my house. I would like to take credit for that savvy decision, however it was really just a bit of a fluke, but I can’t tell you how convenient it is to be 2 minutes away when your tenants are calling with a problem or emergency!

What Kind of Investment Property?

Multi-unit? Single family? Condo? The type of property you decide to purchase really depends on how much you are willing to take on. The more units, the better the investment; the more tenants, the more maintenance and problems to contend with.

The Tenants

Yes, you have to deal with tenants.  This is where it can get a little tricky. Personally, I have had good luck with tenants and all our current tenants are a dream, but everyone has heard the horror stories, and the Residential Tenancies Act definitely protects the rights of the tenant over the landlord, so do your homework, follow up on your reference and credit checks and keep your fingers crossed!

....and The Maintenance

You know the old adage whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, this could not be more true than with an income property.  Nobody likes a slumlord so staying on top of maintenance and repairs is imperative.  If you are handy all the better, but if not, you will need to have a roster of reliable trades people at your disposal.

All that said, if you are up for it, an investment property can be a lucrative addition to your portfolio and when done properly can provide an additional nest egg for your retirement or future housing for yourself or your family members.

This is the first in a series of blogs on real estate investing.  The next one will tackle how to read the financials so you are able to pick out the good investments from the bad ones....so stay tuned!

If you have any specific questions about real estate investing, don't hesitate to get in touch, we would be happy to answer any questions!

West End Toronto Real Estate Market Update - March 2021

For the third straight month of 2021, record home sales continued in March across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with buyers taking advantage of favourable borrowing costs and continued improvement in many sectors of the economy.

GTA REALTORS® reported 15,652 sales in March 2021 – close to double that of March 2020. While sales were strong, it is important to remember that for the second half of March we are comparing against the initial impact of COVID-19 in the second half of March 2020 when sales activity dropped off dramatically. With this in mind, it is important to consider annual sales growth for the pre-COVID period (March 1 to 14, 2020) and COVID period (March 15 to 31, 2020):

- There were 6,504 sales reported during the first 14 days of March 2021 - up 41 per cent compared to the pre- COVID period in March 2020.

- There were 9,148 sales reported between March 15th and March 31st 2021, an increase of 174 per cent compared to the COVID period of March 2020. This is a stark reminder of the initial impact COVID-19 had on the housing market and overall economy a year ago.

For March 2021 as a whole, new listings were up 57 per cent year-over-year to 22,709. While representing a strong year-over-year increase, the annual growth rate for new listings was well-below that of sales.

The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark for March 2021 was up by 16.5 per cent compared to March 2020. The average selling price, at $1,097,565 was up by 21.6 per cent over the same period. Following the recent trend, low-rise home sales in regions surrounding the City of Toronto drove price growth.

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Click here if you would like to compare these numbers to last month’s numbers.

If you would like further information about current market conditions, or if you are considering a move and would like to know how much your house is worth, feel free to get in touch, we are always available for your questions!

Home design trends for 2021

grandmillenial style by hadley court

Without a doubt, the pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives; from working from home, navigating online school, eating at home more due to restaurant closures and lockdowns restricting our movements; the pandemic has certainly changed how we live and interact within our homes. Combine that with the fact that we have been staring at the same four walls for over a year, and a lot of us are feeling the desire to either redecorate, reconfigure our current space or move to a different space altogether. If you are considering a renovation or a move, here are a few design trends that we are seeing, many as a result of living life during a pandemic.

the home office

Working from home full-time means it is no longer feasible to just set up your laptop at the kitchen island or dining room table. Online meetings require privacy, tech capabilities and a way to separate work from home. A comfortable desk chair, ample storage, a proper tech set-up, good lighting and a pleasing zoom background are all factors to consider when designing a dedicated home office. In smaller spaces such as condos, where square footage is a premium and a separate room is out of the question, designating and designing a space within a space strictly for work is equally as important.

A screen is a great way to create a decorative partition in a smaller space. Designed by Charu Ghandi of Elicyon. Credit: Courtesy of Elicyon

multi-functionality

Spending so much time at home has also made us realize that we need to maximize all the space in our house and some spaces, such as formal living and dining rooms, get very little use and are taking up prime real estate in our homes. As a result, we are seeing a trend towards multi-functional space and furniture, so that we can get the most out of the space that we have. It has also forced us to re-examine our need for walls and privacy as we trend away from the open concept floor plan that has been so popular, and towards separated multi-use space.

outdoor living

Since our movements have been so restricted, we are all craving the ability to get outdoors, so there is a big trend towards blending the outdoors with the indoors and creating luxurious spaces to enjoy all-season. Creating outdoor living & dining areas allows for pandemic socializing or even just a change of scenery. Fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, swimming pools and hot tubs are popular ways to add luxury to these outdoor spaces.

Credit: Neue Focus Photography

go natural

We all also want to be cozy and comfortable these days so there is a trend away from the sleek, sterile modern look towards a more warm and welcoming esthetic. This can be achieved through the use of natural fabrics, wood accents, earth tones & (real) greenery. Natural materials such as rattan and cane are also seeing a resurgence, and we are seeing a move away from the design equivalent of fast fashion, with homeowners choosing to invest in more sustainable furnishings.

colour

We are seeing a real trend towards pops of dark colour, whether it be in a statement couch, accent wall or kitchen cabinetry. Dark green is particularly in vogue at the moment.

italianbank.com

grandmillenial style

Goodbye midcentury modern and hello grandmillenial grandeur! This style, also referred to as ‘granny chic’, incorporates pattern and texture in order to infuse individuality and personality into a space. It is old school design trends (think toile, chintz, floral wallpaper, heavy woods, vintage prints) with a modern twist.

kitchens

Kitchens are seeing a boost of colour these days with kitchen style trending towards darker and two-tone cabinetry, wood grain accents and statement range hoods.

elledecor.com

mix it up

The old rules no longer apply, you now have permission to mix it up, whether it be metals, patterns, styles or vintages, anything goes. This does take some skill, but when done right, the effect can be stunning.

If you are considering a move or a renovation and don’t know where to begin, feel free to reach out to us, we are always available for your questions!

West End Toronto Real Estate Market Update - February 2021

Record home sales in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) continued in February as buyers remained confident in their employment situations and took advantage of ultra-low borrowing costs. With multiple buyers continuing to compete for many available listings, double-digit annual price growth was the norm throughout the GTA, with stronger rates of growth in the suburbs surrounding the City of Toronto.

GTA REALTORS® reported 10,970 sales through TRREB’s MLS® System in February 2021 – a 52.5 per cent increase compared to 7,193 sales reported in February 2020. Looking at all areas of the GTA combined, the condominium apartment segment led the way with a 64 per cent sales increase compared to last year, with similar rates of increase in the ‘416’ and ‘905’ area codes.

“It’s clear that the historic demand for housing experienced in the second half of last year has carried forward into the first quarter of this year with some similar themes, including the continued popularity of suburban low-rise properties. It’s also evident that the supply of listings is not keeping up with demand, which could present an even larger problem once population growth picks up following widespread vaccinations later this year and into 2022,” said TRREB President Lisa Patel.

The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark was up by 14.8 per cent year-over-year in February 2021. Over the same period, the average selling price was up by 14.9 per cent to $1,045,488. While market conditions were tight throughout the GTA region in February, the detached, semi-detached and townhouse market segments in suburban areas were the drivers of average price growth, with annual rates of increase above 20 per cent in all three cases.

“In the absence of a marked uptick in inventory, the current relationship between demand and supply supports continued double-digit average home price growth this year. In addition, if we continue to see growth in condo sales outstrip growth in new condo listings in Toronto, renewed price growth in this market segment is a distinct possibility in the second half of the year,” said TRREB Chief Market Analyst Jason Mercer.

We have broken down the west end Toronto real estate numbers so that you can see exactly how your neighbourhood is doing!

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Click here if you would like to compare these numbers to last month’s numbers.

If you would like further information about current market conditions, or if you are considering a move and would like to know how much your house is worth, feel free to get in touch, we are always available for your questions!

West End Toronto Real Estate Market Update - January 2021

January 2021 home sales amounted to 6,928 – up by more than 50 per cent compared to January 2020. This strong start to 2021 included sales growth across all major segments including condominium apartments, both in the City of Toronto and surrounding GTA regions.

New listings were also up on a year-over-year basis in January, but not by the same annual rate as sales. This means market conditions tightened compared to January 2020, resulting in the continuation of double-digit growth in the MLS® Home Price Index and the average selling price.

The average selling price for January 2021 was up by 15.5 per cent to $967,885 year-over-year. The MLS® HPI Composite Benchmark was up by 11.9 per cent over the same period.

Price growth was driven by the low-rise market segments, while the average condo apartment price was down in Toronto. However, if we continue to see condo sales growth outstrip condo listings growth, we could start to see renewed growth in condo prices later this year.

Here is a breakdown on how the west end Toronto real estate market did in January.

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Click here if you would like to compare these numbers to last month’s or last year’s numbers.

If you would like further information about current market conditions, or if you are considering a move and would like to know how much your house is worth, feel free to get in touch, we are always available for your questions!

West End Toronto Real Estate Market Update - December 2020

Despite an unprecedented year due to COVID-19, including necessary public health restrictions and uncertainty surrounding the economy, Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported over 95,000 home sales in 2020 – the third-best result on record. The average selling price reached a new record of almost $930,000.

“The Greater Toronto Area housing market followed an unfamiliar path in 2020. Following the steep COVID-induced drop-off in demand during the spring, home sales roared back to record levels throughout the summer and fall. A strong economic rebound in many sectors of the economy, ultra-low borrowing costs and the enhanced use of technology for virtual open houses and showings fuelled and sustained the housing market recovery,” said Lisa Patel, Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) President.

Highlights from 2020 include:

• 95,151 sales were reported through TRREB’s MLS® System – up by 8.4 per cent compared to 2019. This included a record result for the month of December, with 7,180 sales – a year-over-year increase of 64.5 per cent.

• Year-over-year sales growth was strongest in the GTA regions surrounding Toronto, particularly for single-family home types.

• The average selling price reached a new record of $929,699 – up by 13.5 per cent compared to 2019. This included an average price of $932,222 in December – a year-over-year increase of 11.2 per cent. The strongest average price growth was experienced for single-family home types in the suburban regions of the GTA.

• After a pronounced dip in market activity between mid-March and the end of May, market conditions improved dramatically in the second half of the year, with multiple consecutive months of record sales and average selling prices.

  “While the housing market as a whole recovered strongly in 2020, there was a dichotomy between the single-family market segments and the condominium apartment segment. The supply of single-family homes remained constrained resulting in strong competition between buyers and double-digit price increases. In contrast, growth in condo listings far-outstripped growth in sales. Increased choice for condo buyers ultimately led to more bargaining power and a year-over-year dip in average condo selling prices during the last few months of the year,” said Jason Mercer, TRREB Chief Market Analyst.

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Click here if you would like to compare these numbers to last month’s numbers.

If you would like further information about current market conditions, or if you are considering a move and would like to know how much your house is worth, feel free to get in touch, we are always available for your questions!

West End Toronto Real Estate Market Update - November 2020

The record pace of home sales in the fall continued with 8,766 sales reported in November by Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® through the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s (TRREB) MLS® System. This result was up by 24.3 per cent compared to November of last year.

Generally speaking, year-over-year growth in sales was stronger for single-family homes in the GTA regions surrounding the City of Toronto, but annual single-family growth rates remained robust in the ‘416’ area code as well. “Home buyers continued to take advantage of very low borrowing costs in November, especially those looking to buy some form of single-family home. Competition between buyers for ground-oriented homes has been extremely strong in many neighbourhoods throughout the GTA, which has continued to support double-digit annual rates of price growth,” said Lisa Patel, TRREB President.

The MLS® HPI Composite Benchmark was up by 10.6 per cent in November 2020 compared to November 2019. The average selling price for all home types combined was up by 13.3 per cent to $955,615.

Market conditions tightened in many single-family market segments in November, resulting in double-digit year-over-year increases in average selling prices for detached houses, semi-detached houses and townhouses.

In contrast to the single-family market segments, buyers continued to benefit from much more choice in the condominium apartment market compared to last year, particularly in the City of Toronto. The number of new condominium apartment listings in November was almost double that reported in November of last year. More options in the condo apartment market translated into a small year-over-year decline in the average condominium apartment selling price in the ‘416’ area code.

“The condominium apartment market is certainly more balanced than in previous years, with some buyers benefitting from lower selling prices compared to last year. However, this may be somewhat of a short-term phenomenon. Once we move into the post-COVID period, we will start to see a resumption of population growth, both from immigration and a return of non-permanent residents. This will lead to an increase in demand for condominium apartments in the ownership and rental markets,” said Jason Mercer, TRREB Chief Market Analyst.

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Click here if you would like to compare these numbers to last month’s numbers.

If you would like further information about current market conditions, or if you are considering a move and would like to know how much your house is worth, feel free to get in touch, we are always available for your questions!

West End Toronto Real Estate Market Update - October 2020

Home sales in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) were up again year-over-year for the fourth month in a row. There were 10,563 sales as reported through the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s MLS® System in October 2020. This was up by 25.1 per cent compared to 8,445 transactions in October 2019.

Sales and new listings reached record levels for the month of October. However, year-over-year growth rates for sales and new listings diverged in some market segments. In the detached market segment, the pace of annual sales growth far outstripped growth in new listings. Conversely, the condominium apartment market segment experienced more than double the new listings compared to October 2019, whereas sales were only up by 2.2 per cent over the same period.

“Competition between buyers of single-family homes, and particularly detached houses, remained strong last month and continued to support double-digit annual rates of price growth in many GTA neighbourhoods. In contrast, condo buyers have benefitted from much more choice compared to last year. Pre-COVID polling had already pointed to an increase in investor selling in 2020. The pandemic only added to this trend with a stall in economic growth and a halt to tourism impacting cashflows for many investors,” said Lisa Patel, TRREB’s President.

The average selling price for all home types combined was $968,318 – up by 13.7 per cent compared to $851,877 in October 2019.

“Year-to-date home sales through October were above last year’s level. The economic recovery in some sectors coupled with low borrowing costs has kept home purchases top-of-mind for many GTA residents. With this being said, we have not accounted for all of the pent-up demand that resulted from the spring downturn. Expect record or near-record home sales for the remainder of 2020,” said Jason Mercer, TRREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

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Click here if you would like to compare these numbers to last month’s numbers.

If you would like further information about current market conditions, or if you are considering a move and would like to know how much your house is worth, feel free to get in touch, we are always available for your questions!