Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts

Friday, February 24, 2023

Bank of Canada current interest rate



In January 2023 the Bank of Canada raised it's benchmark interest rate again, this time to 4.50%

Bank of Canada raises borrowing costs for seventh time in a row amid stubbornly high inflation. The Central bank has been raising rates aggressively to rein in sky-high inflation.

Since March of 2022, the central bank has raised its key interest rate six consecutive times, bringing it from 0.25 per cent to 4.50 per cent.

The Bank of Canada hiked its trendsetting interest rate by 1/2 percentage point on Wednesday.

The current rate is 4.50%

The Bank Prime rate for most lenders now stands at 6.70%
Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) Average Prices and Graph

For more information please contact A. Mark Argentino

A. Mark Argentino, Broker, P.Eng.,
Specializing in Residential & Investment Real Estate
RE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc., Brokerage
2691 Credit Valley Road, Suite 101, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 7A1
BUS. 905-828-3434
FAX. 905-828-2829
E-MAIL: mark@mississauga4sale.com
Website: Mississauga4Sale.com

Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Women as explained by Engineers

WOMEN AS EXPLAINED BY ENGINEERS

Part I




























Part II


Part III





















Part IV

























Part V



































Read more about:Homes for Sale




















Thank you for reading my blog and if there is anything else I can help you with please don't hesitate to contact me,










Mark










A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. Broker
Specializing in Residential & Investment Real Estate


Thinking of Selling? Best Mortgage Rates Current Home Prices Search MLS
RE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc.

Providing Full-Time Professional Real Estate Services since 1987

( BUS 905-828-3434
mark@mississauga4sale.com8 Website : Mississauga4Sale.com











Homes for Sale






Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Email and electronic marketing rules for Realtors!

We just received an email from our local Mississauga Real Estate Board regarding email and electronic marketing rules that will be implemented shortly.

These rules will ensure that you are not spammed by realtors and that you always will have the option to be removed from email lists.

The fines for realtors for non-compliance are up to $1million! The details are below.

All the best!

Mark

This is courtesy of the Mississauga Real Estate Board

NEW ELECTRONIC MARKETING RULES:

TEN THINGS REALTORS(r) NEED TO KNOW


The government is close to finalizing new rules for marketing by e-mail, text messaging and other forms of electronic communication, which will impact the way REALTORS(r) communicate with clients. When the proposed rules were before Parliament in an anti-spam bill, CREA won important concessions. There may be additional modifications, and CREA continues to follow this issue closely.


In order to get prepared, here are ten things REALTORS(r) need to know:


1) With a few exceptions, REALTORS(r) will no longer be able to send electronic messages to clients or potential clients without their consent.


2) Consent will be implied for REALTORS(r) to send electronic messages to a client for two years following a real estate transaction and six months after an inquiry from a potential client.


3) A transitional provision allows REALTORS(r) to send electronic messages to clients without their consent for three years, provided the relationship existed before the new rules come into force.

4) The onus is on the REALTOR(r) to prove consent; therefore you must document that consent has been obtained by a recipient.


5) When obtaining consent, REALTORS(r) must set out the purpose for which the consent is being sought, as well as information identifying them. More details about obtaining consent will be included in the regulations issued for the legislation, which have not been drafted yet.

6) REALTORS(r) will need to ensure each electronic message contains their contact information, an unsubscribe mechanism, and any other information set out in the forthcoming regulations.

7) Consent will be implied and REALTORS(r) will be able to follow up by email with new contacts they meet at networking functions, so long as the electronic message is relevant to the recipient's business.

8) Consent will not be implied for REALTORS(r) to follow up on a referral unless the potential client provides their express consent, or has a personal, family or existing business relationship with the REALTOR(r).

9) REALTORS(r) who fail to comply with these new electronic marketing rules could face administrative monetary penalties of up to $1 million for individuals and $10 million for corporations. In addition, individuals who receive unsolicited electronic marketing materials from a REALTOR(r) could launch a private right of action and sue for monetary compensation.

10) Telephone marketing continues to be governed by the Do Not Call List do not call list rules. In the future, the government may include telephone marketing under the same electronic marketing compliance regime.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Can you solve this mystery about which sign is correct?

How cool is this, a friend of mine sent me the image below
The caption read:
"This was taken in Calgary."


check it out, look where he says it's from, it's exactly the same sign as
the one below and the one below states that it's from
"On the Yellowhead Highway #16 in northern British Columbia"


...with all the exact wording below the gasoline prices

So someone in the one of the images has done a cut and paste job!

I'll believe the one from Esso in Canada before I believe the image from
Exxon form the US

I could be wrong, but it would be just like an American to take a Canadian
sign, cut and paste it onto an American Icon (EXXON) and take the credit....
the internet and people are amazing in how they manipulate things

Does anyone know for sure which one is the correct sign?

The other Joke here is that we in Toronto and most of Canada are paying just over $1.20 per litre of gasoline, whereas most of the USA is paying about $3.50 per USGallon, when you do the conversion we are paying about $4.54 per USGallon or converting the other way Americans are paying about 92.6 Cents/Litre - we are getting overcharged for gasoline in Canada!

If the price in the USA were $4.54 per gallon, US citizens would revolt!

The other point that I am trying to make is that we can't forget that what
we are viewing and reading could be dis-information or even worse, complete
fraud!

Be careful out there

All the best
Mark

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Month to Month Leases Advantage or Disadvantage?

Sometimes landlords feel that they are in a disadvantaged situation when a tenant decides to change their lease from an annual term to a month to month term.

The only way that a landlord is 'disadvantaged' is that the tenant could give notice at any time during this year or the next 5 years and you have no recourse but to let them out of the lease.

Tenants do these types of things because they sometimes 'perceive' that this is a better deal for them in the event that they want to move or find something to purchase during the year, they are no longer locked into a 1 year term.

A Month to Month lease can often be a far better situation for the landlord because should you ever wish to move back into the property you do not have to wait until the end of the lease and only have to give 90 days notice and then tenant has to leave, by law. Or, at anytime you can now put the property up for sale and sell with a 90 day closing and again you do not have to wait until the end of the lease and the tenant has to move out, by law.

You are also in the same position as increasing the rent.

The Residential Tenancy Act is more in favour of the tenant and the tenants rights and security of tenancy is one of the key's to the Act. This means that when a tenant has a lease, they are secure in that lease, no matter what (except for major renovations and a few other unusual situations) and can stay in the property at least until the agreed to end of lease.

I have some information on my site:

http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Landlord-Tenant-Residental-Tenancy-Act.htm

and

http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Landlord-Tenant-Board-FAQ-2007.htm

You may browse to the government site to find http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca/

and shows all the forms and information regarding the law for landlords and tenants

Please let me know if you have any other questions or require further information.

Thank you,

Mark

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Happy New Year in 2011!


Happy New Year and I wish you and your family all the best in 2011!

Mark

Thursday, September 09, 2010

TREB MLS Sales monthly time series with trend line

This chart plots monthly MLS sales since January 1995. The blue line shows
the actual sales. The brown line is the trend computed using a 12 month
moving average, which exhibits no season variations or other irregular
fluctuations. A substantial change in actual sales must occur to change the
direction of the trend.

I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. Broker
Specializing in Residential & Investment Real Estate

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

RSP's to help when buying your home

I had another good question about RSP's that I will share my answer with you.

Hi Mark

Hope you are good well i got an email from you concerning RSP. We told me that i can use the RSP to buy a home and pay in 15years. So i wanna know in 15 years how much should i need to pay? Is there any interest on that amount? Please let me know where can i got more informations if you dont have.

Hope to hear from you soon
Thanks
S.


Hi S.,

Yes, this is correct. You pay 1/15 per year starting after the first year you withdraw the money. There is no interest to be paid on the money, you just have to return the principal. You are allowed to pay more, but you must pay the minimum. I am not sure what happens if you miss a payment, maybe then you have to pay interest. Please contact your bank holding your RSP and they will know the full details.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or if there is anything else I can help you with.

Thank you again for contacting me and I will do my best to help you with your real estate needs,

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. Broker
Specializing in Residential & Investment Real Estate

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Short or Long term on your Mortgage what's the best choice?

The choice to go with a long or short term mortgage is dependent upon many factors and only you can make the final decision.

It can also depend upon your risk tolerance, if rates increase, and some people like to know their rate and payments are fixed for a long period of time.

There are great opportunities right now for variable rate mortgages.

This link will show you the opportunity that exists by choosing short term mortgages: http://blog.mississauga4sale.com/2010/05/opportunity-abounds-long-term-versus.html

You can read about my person situation and recommendations at this page: http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Lock-In-Short-Term-Long-Term-Mortgage.htm

How to pay down your mortgage quicker: http://blog.mississauga4sale.com/2010/04/how-to-pay-down-your-mortgage-faster.html

More reading at this page too: http://blog.mississauga4sale.com/2009/12/is-it-time-to-lock-into-long-term.html


As you can see, it's completely up to you.

I still feel that short term rates are the best choice because it may take 2 to 3 years before the prime rate reaches current mortgage variable rates, which means you will be saving money all the while.

You should be able to find variable rates of about prime minus .5% or so.

I hope this helps.

Please let me know if you have more questions.

Thank you,

Mark

Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) Average Prices and GraphFor more information please contact A. Mark Argentino

A. Mark Argentino, Broker, P.Eng.,Specializing in Residential & Investment Real EstateRE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc., Brokerage2691 Credit Valley Road, Suite 101, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 7A1BUS. 905-828-3434FAX. 905-828-2829E-MAIL: mark@mississauga4sale.comWebsite: Mississauga4Sale.com

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Real estate prices in Canada versus other major cities

Real estate in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal is relatively
inexpensive compared to other major cities in the world.

We just returned from Paris and London. I browsed through some real estate
magazines while we were in Paris, average prices for a one bedroom flat of
about 75square meters (about 800 square feet) were about 450 to 600 thousand
Euros! In London, in a nice area of town, about 700 thousand pounds! The
same condo in Mississauga would be about $190,000

The most expensive house on the market in London's exclusive area of
Belgravia is currently for sale at 100 million pounds, but for that you get
6 floors, including basement, about 20,000 square feet and 2 parking spots.
It's an attached home, not detached, almost zero land to speak of and you
have to pay a land lease to the owner of the land, the Duke of
Westminster... think of the cash he rakes in a year! The same 20,000 square
foot house in Mississauga would be about $10 to $20 million and that would
get you huge piece of land and plenty of parking!

So don't worry, our real estate in Canada is cheap compared to other major
cities, just keep buying more and you can't go wrong in the long run.

All the best!
Mark

Sunday, April 18, 2010

How to Pay down your mortgage faster

How to Pay down your mortgage faster


Buying a home is probably the best investment you will ever make. That's because you can pay off your mortgage and build equity in your home over time. Renters on the other hand will continue to pay rent and will likely see their rent payments increase significantly as time goes by.


From the moment you make that first mortgage payment, you will probably be dreaming of the day when you can make your last one and be "mortgage-free." For most people that day is pretty far off in the future, but it is possible to speed up the process.


Your REALTOR® will be able to advise you on ways you can pay down your mortgage as quickly as possible. This information will be helpful when you are arranging financing on your home. Be sure to discuss various options with your financial institution before choosing a mortgage.


Amortization schedule
One of the best ways to pay off your mortgage faster is to shorten the "amortization period." By choosing a shorter amortization, you will not only pay for your home in less time, but you will make substantial savings in interest too.


For example, the most common mortgage amortization is 25 years. By shortening that period to 15 years, you will erode the amount of money you owe much more quickly and make fewer interest payments. Shortening the amortization period is not for everyone as it does mean larger payments, but for many people the benefit of long term savings is worth it.


Usually each mortgage payment is blended and applied to both the principal and interest so at the beginning, the interest portion of the payment is extremely high. However, with each payment, more and more of is applied to the principal. Ask your REALTOR® to give you examples of what your payments would be at the current interest rate amortized over 25 years as compared to 15 years.


Payment options
It used to be that most people made monthly mortgage payments, but weekly, bi-weekly and semi-monthly payments are more popular today. With these types of payment options you will reduce the amount of principal you owe faster because you make payments on a much more frequent basis and less interest is accrued. Many mortgages also offer homeowners the option of making an additional payment each year or increasing your payment each month. Making the equivalent of one extra payment a year can save you a considerable amount over time.


Anniversary date
Many mortgages allow you to make a lump sum payment on the anniversary date of your mortgage. Again this reduces the amount of money you pay interest on resulting in long term savings. It's wise to find out what "pre-payment" privileges are available on the mortgage you choose.


Your REALTOR® along with either your bank, trust company or mortgage broker can help you look at all the possibilities for financing your home and can tailor a mortgage that fits your income and your goals.


Shop around
Look for a mortgage that has as much flexibility as possible. Be sure you can make at least one extra payment a year and can choose the payment plan that works best for you. Your REALTOR® is experienced and knowledgeable about the many mortgage options and the types of payment plans available and can act as your guide to help you become mortgage free sooner.


Read more about how to pay down your mortgage faster


Read more about:Homes for Sale



Thank you for reading my blog and if there is anything else I can help you with please don't hesitate to contact me,


Mark



A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. Broker
Specializing in Residential & Investment Real Estate


Thinking of Selling? Best Mortgage Rates Current Home Prices Search MLS
RE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc.

Providing Full-Time Professional Real Estate Services since 1987

( BUS 905-828-3434
mark@mississauga4sale.com
8 Website : Mississauga4Sale.com



Homes for Sale

Friday, April 16, 2010

Do you receive these types of junk emails?

Do you ever receive emails such as this one below?


Hello My Good Friend,

Season Greeting from Mr. Williams who contacted you long ago, i'm happy to inform you that I have succeeded in moving those funds out with a new helper from South Korea, whom based on agreement received %30 of the entire money for his financial involvement and efforts. I have since embarked on an Electronic Company projects with my share of the money. Meanwhile, I did appreciate your efforts and attempts to help move the funds even though we couldn't realize it together, meanwhile I kept total of $800.000 bank draft for your compensation. Go ahead and write to my Secretary in Benin Repuplic. his name is Mr Edwin on (edy_y2k32007@yahoo.dk) Fone number as follows: + 229 93 48 40 64. Contact him with the following informations:

Your full name:

Your delivery address:

Your phone number:

Please accept it in good faith. Let me know when you get it for us to share the joy.I'm busy here with the investment projects, I had forwarded instruction to him concerning your bank draft, So he will send the amount to you.

I remain your friend,
Mr. Williams

_____________

If you receive emails like this or similar to this, do not respond! Do not email the person to go away or that it's a fraud. This will only indcite the person and they will send you more of these types of emails.



All the best,

Mark



A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. Associate Broker
Specializing in Residential & Investment Real Estate


Thinking of Selling? Best Mortgage Rates Current Home Prices Search MLS Newsletter
RE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc.
Providing Full-Time Professional Real Estate Services since 1987

(
BUS 905-828-3434
2
FAX 905-828-2829 ÈCELL 416-520-1577
E-MAIL : mailto:mark@mississauga4sale.com?subject=Mississauga
Website : Mississauga4Sale.com

Would you like a Complimentary & Quick Over-The-Net Home Evaluation ?



P. S. If you have not already signed up to receive my monthly real estate newsletter, you may do so here:
On-Line Real Estate Newsletter sign up

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Mississauga is a Great Place to Live!

This is from the Mississauga city website, but only in pdf format, so I thought I would add it to my blog, enjoy!

Mark

Mississauga is A Great Place To Live

This profile contains an Overview of Mississauga, information on Tourism, Downtown Mississauga, Education, Health Care, Housing,

Public Safety and, Police and Fire Protection.

Overview

· The City of Mississauga is Canada's 6th largest city and one of its most successful communities.

· What factors go into building a successful community? Business-friendly local government, competitive tax and utility rates, an

extensive telecommunications infrastructure, exceptional City services, quality housing options, natural local settings, great

community amenities, and excellent transportation links including Canada's largest international airport - that's why Mississauga is

the location of choice for families and for growing companies.

· Mississauga is a great place to live with strong communities, a wide selection of excellent housing, shopping and great schools.

· There is an active cultural life with galleries, theatres, art centres, concert halls and museums.

· The beautiful Credit River valley provides scenic recreational parkland and its clean waters are excellent for fishing. Two marinas

along the shores of Lake Ontario provide outdoor leisure opportunities.

· There are more than 480 parks and 23 major trail systems. Mississauga is part of an extensive 280 mile waterfront trail that passes

through lakefront parks and marinas.

· 11 Community Centres are located throughout the city, along with city run facilities such as arenas, swimming pools, fitness

centres, golf courses, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, soccer pitches and much much more. For a complete list of city facilities,

go to www.mississauga.ca >residents>recreation and parks

· The Mississauga Library System is one of the largest public library systems in Canada with over 300,000 users, 16 branch libraries

and a multi-floor central library. For further information, visit www.mississauga.ca/library

· We are also Canada's safest city for the 7

th

year in a row, as documented in a national study based on crime statistics from major

cities across the country.

· The City of Mississauga won the 2006 World Leadership Award for its Healthy City Stewardship Centre initiative aimed at bettering

the health of Mississauga residents. In collaboration with the University of Toronto, 14 key organizations came together to work

toward improvements in local health and developed the Healthy Mississauga 2010 Plan. The plan will help the City of Mississauga

measure health and quality of life improvements over time and act as a model for success. For further information, visit

www.mississauga.ca/stewardshipcentre

Discover Mississauga

· Diversity and innate beauty make Mississauga a preferred destination. Take in a round of golf, or relax with a treatment at one of

its many spas.

· Come to Mississauga as a couple, for a business meeting, or with your family and friends. Mississauga has superb accommodation

options for every taste and budget.

· Explore its quaint historic villages, visit the bustling waterfront, or inspire yourself with Mississauga's world-class art and theatre at

the Living Arts Centre. Visit the Rhododendron Gardens, watch the salmon migration, or shop at Square One - Ontario's largest retail

shopping centre. Whether you choose an activity-packed weekend or a relaxing getaway, your stay will be memorable here.

· From stunning architecture and museums to lakefront parks and vibrant ethnic neighbourhoods, Mississauga offers a range of

experiences that keeps visitors coming back again and again.

· For Mississauga tourism information, visit: www.mississauga.ca/tourism

Published April-07

Page 2 of 4

Downtown Mississauga

· Mississauga's City Centre is located in the heart of Canada's sixth largest city, which has a mix of commercial and high density

residential uses. More than 6,000 building permits have been issued for residential high-rise condominium and/or retirement units

since 2000.

· The area includes attractive Class A office buildings that accommodate close to 450 corporate businesses, among them include

major employers such as Baxter Corporation, Deloitte & Touche, E D S Canada, Edulinx Canada Corp., Pepsi QTG Canada, Personal

Insurance Co. of Canada, Praxair Canada, Quantum Managements Services, Reynolds and Reynolds (Canada) and Symcor Inc..

· City Centre amenities include the Living Arts Centre, an art gallery, a central library, the YMCA, Mississauga's transit terminal and

Square One shopping centre.

· Mississauga's City Centre has over 3.7 million square feet of office space and prime real estate opportunities.

Education

· Educational opportunities and the quality of education are high priorities in Mississauga.

· There are 10 universities and 11 technical colleges within commuting distance of Mississauga.

· Mississauga is served by two school boards - the Peel Board of Education and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

responsible for elementary and secondary schools within the Region.

Peel Board of Education

· The Peel Board of Education, one of Canada's largest school boards serves over 225 schools with 140,000 full time elementary and

secondary students. The Board offers full time French Immersion, English As a Second Language, Technical Education Programs,

Co-operative Education, Enhanced Learning and Special Needs programs to mention a few. In addition, they run an extensive

Adult and Continuing Education Program.

· For more information, visit www.peel.edu.on.ca

Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

· The Dufferin-Peel District School Board is one of the largest and most diverse school districts in Ontario which operates 141

catholic schools with a student enrolment of close to 90,000 full time students at the elementary and secondary levels. In addition

to the religion and family life education, as well as other programs specified by the Ministry of Education, the board offers an Adult

and Continuing Education Program.

· For more information, visit www.dpcdsb.org

Centre for Education & Training

· In support of the Peel Board the centre offers customized education, career planning, skills upgrading, training and language

services, computer training, career & employment assistance, and international programs. It is the largest on-site trainer in

Ontario serving Greater Toronto, Canada and worldwide.

· For more information, visit www.tcet.com

Published April-07

Page 3 of 4

Private Schools & Alternative Education

· Mississauga offers more than 30 private schools ranging from pre-school to Grade 12 and offering programs such as Advanced

Learning, English as a Second Language (ESL), Montessori, technical and vocational skills, and religion.

· For a list of these private schools, call the City of Mississauga, Economic Development Office at 905-896-5016.

University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)

· UTM is part of Canada's largest university, the University of Toronto, which is also one of the most highly respected research

institutions in North America. The university offers one of the few Masters of Biotechnology in Canada and the new Masters of

Management of Innovation this year. It will soon become home of the new Academy of Medicine which is being developed in

partnership with our hospitals.

· For more information, visit: www.utm.utoronto.ca

Health Care

· Canada's Health Care System

Canada has a predominantly publicly financed health care system. The national health insurance program is achieved through

health insurance plans administered by the Province of Ontario and linked through adherence to national principles set at the

federal level.

· For more information, visit:

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english

· As part of the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga residents have quick access to hospitals and health care facilities providing a

broad range of health services. Within the Mississauga community alone, there are two well-renowned hospitals both offering

comprehensive primary services to residents and regional health programs to its residents.

· Credit Valley Hospital

The hospital, a regional centre for cancer treatment, provides a broad spectrum of clinical services involving ten programs: general

medicine, surgery, renal, oncology, emergency, mental health, continuing care/rehabilitation, obstetrics and gynaecology,

paediatrics and cardiac services and a network of support departments. The hospital has recently opened the Carlo Fidani Peel

Regional Cancer Centre.

· For more information, visit: www.cvh.on.ca

· Trillium Health Centre

Trillium Health Centre provides primary, secondary and tertiary services to a community of approximately one million residents.

Operating across two sites - the Mississauga Site and the Queensway Site – Trillium, is a regional centre for Stroke, Neurosurgery

and Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and a provincial centre for Cardiac Services. The hospital is home to the busiest Emergency

department in Canada and the largest free-standing day surgery facility in North America.

· For more information, visit: www.trilliumhealthcentre.org

Housing

· Mississauga has an excellent selection of quality housing including townhouses, high-rise condominiums, semi-detached, detached

and executive homes to satisfy every income level. Mississauga's residential communities are set in a variety of environments from

urban to waterfront to greenbelts.

· For more information, refer to the Population & Demographics Profile available online at www.mississauga.ca > Business > Profiles,

Facts & Maps or, refer to the Housing Matters document available online at www.mississauga.ca > Residents > Planning & Building >

Publications > Brochures & Newsletters.

Published April-07

Page 4 of 4

Public Safety

· City of Mississauga is recognized as the safest city in Canada for the seventh year in a row as documented in a national study based

on crime statistics from major cities across the country.

Police Protection

· Mississauga is protected by the Peel Regional Police. It is the 2nd largest municipal police service in Ontario and the 3rd largest in

Canada. Peel Regional Police, which provides one police officer per 669 residents, is acknowledged as one of Canada's most

progressive police services.

· For more information, visit: www.peelpolice.on.ca

The Mississauga Crime Prevention Association (MCPA)

· The MCPA is a community driven not-for-profit charitable association that works with residents, businesses, schools and the Peel

Regional Police to deliver pro-active crime prevention programs aimed at making Mississauga a crime free city.

· For more information, visit: www.mcpa.on.ca

Fire Protection

· The City of Mississauga has a professional Fire Service with one firefighter per 1,100 residents, staffing 20 fire halls across the city.

· Emergencies are handled through the department's communication centre by dialing the emergency number 911.

· For more information, visit: www.mississauga.ca/fire


Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) Average Prices and Graph Read more about our Toronto and GTA Real Estate Marketplace and Average Price Trends

For more information please contact me.

Thank you,
Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. Associate Broker
Specializing in Residential & Investment Real Estate


Thinking of Selling? Best Mortgage Rates Current Home Prices Search MLS Newsletter
RE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc.
Providing Full-Time Professional Real Estate Services since 1987

(
BUS 905-828-3434
2
FAX 905-828-2829 ÈCELL 416-520-1577
E-MAIL : mark@mississauga4sale.com
Website : Mississauga4Sale.com

Would you like a Complimentary & Quick Over-The-Net Home Evaluation ?

P. S. If you have not already signed up to receive my monthly real estate newsletter, you may do so here:
On-Line Real Estate Newsletter sign up

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Should I buy an extended warranty or service warranty for items in my investment property?

Should you purchase an extended warranty on appliances or items that are
located in your investment property. This is a question I receive from
people who have investment properties.

You may feel more conformable with warranties in place, especially when it's
a tenant using the items and not you. Tenants tend to be harder on
appliances and tend to not maintain systems the way you the owner would, and
appliances may break down more often or quicker than they normally would.
Thus extended warranties may pay off in the long run.

Many of my clients with rental properties purchase extended warranties on
their appliances and get furnace and air conditioner regular maintenance
packages to keep them in good running order.

For my personal items that I use and enjoy, our appliances, furnace and air
conditioners, computers, electronics and my vehicles, I never purchase an
extended warranty. My opinion is to never purchase an extended warranty on
anything, anytime ever. It's really up to you and your comfort level.

A friend of mine told me back in the early 80's that the amount of "money
that you save" by not spending any money on extended warranties over a 10,
20 or 30 year period is far greater than the amount you may end up spending
on the occasional repair of an item once it's past it's warranty period. If
an item does not break during it's warranty period then it's more likely
'not to break' once it's past the period. If it does break or fail after
the warranty has expired the cost of repair is usually far less than you
would have paid for the extended warranty, OR you will replace the item with
a new one since the cost has come down so much OR that it may be time to
purchase a new one and upgrade or update to current technology. This is
especially true with electronics. Of course, this is only my personal
opinion, but many will argue the other way.

We also believe that it's those little costs throughout the week and the
month that add up to huge savings every year for us.

I wish you all the best!
Mark

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Do You need to get your Rental Property Rented? This is the place

Do You need to get your Rental Property Rented? This is the place


Do you have a rental property that you need help in finding a good quality tenant? I can help.

I am a real estate agent who specializes in helping owners like yourself in finding a good quality tenant who will take good care of your rental property and pay the rent!


For more information, please visit my website and read about my services to help you rent out your investment property or Send Mark an email .




A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. Associate Broker
Specializing in Residential & Investment Real Estate


Thinking of Selling? Best Mortgage Rates Current Home Prices Search MLS Newsletter
RE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc.
Providing Full-Time Professional Real Estate Services since 1987

(
BUS 905-828-3434 2 FAX 905-828-2829 ÈCELL 416-520-1577
E-MAIL : mailto:mark@mississauga4sale.com
Website : Mississauga4Sale.com

Would you like a Complimentary & Quick Over-The-Net Home Evaluation ?




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Monday, April 12, 2010

real estate is leveraged investing

Certainly I am one of the people who thought the stock markets, Nortel and other penny stocks, mutual funds that I purchased could NEVER go down.

Boy did I pay dearly for that line of thinking over the past 25 years or so.

I look at all my mutual fund investments and stocks and the return that I have received on ALL of them is dismal and abysmal.

If I could do it all over again, I would not bother with RRSP's and just take all those investment dollars and plough them into the real estate market.

I should have put every dime I ever put into the stock market into real estate. Not only has real estate done well, but it's leveraged investing, so you reap a huge return on your small downpayment, people seem to ignore this fact when they buy stocks versus real estate.

So why do I continue to contribute to RSP's? Because there continues to be a tax benefit. That's the only reason.

I will blog more about this in the future.

Thanks again for your comments, suggestions and input on this issue!
Mark

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Looking foward in Real Estate longer term Outlook: 2007-2012

Outlook for real estate. I think this is an old article that I held in the drafts of my computer for some time and have decided to post here. The information is still interesting and pertinant to today's market as it was a few years ago, go figure!
Enjoy,
Mark

After two full years of depressed home sales, the internal advertising pendulums have begun to swing for real estate. Agents, who initially tried to appease home sellers by advertising more on traditional channels, this year systematically cut their print budgets and pushed more money into the Web.

The result has been a slingshot effect for online advertising. While total ad spending on real estate has declined 3 percent this year, spending on the online segment has grown 25.8 percent, hitting $2.6 billion. We are projecting online real estate advertising to grow at a somewhat slower rate next year - 12.4 percent, while total real estate advertising continues to compress. In three years, agents and brokers will be spending more ad dollars with online media than with the newspaper.

The outlook is bleak for those in the business of making money off classified listings. A combination of economic uncertainty, falling prices and rising mortgage interest rates makes it probable that the volume of listings will decline, but also probable that the pot of money to be spent on advertising will likewise decline.

Two million adjustable-rate mortgages are due to be re-priced over the next 24 months and as many as 25 percent of these might go into default as a result. This is consistent with a report published in October by the Census Bureau showing that homeownership fell for the fourth consecutive quarter. From a peak of 69.3 percent of households in 2004, now only 68.1 percent of households own their own home. Economists believe lower home-ownership rates herald declines in new-home sales, which in turn will continue to drag on future construction.

Our data supports these assumptions. After average annual increases of approximately nine percent in total real estate advertising between 2001 and 2005, the market essentially flat-lined in 2006 and is forecast to fall by 3.3 percent this year. This trend will continue for at least the next two years. For newspapers, the situation is worse. We project that coming off last year's high of almost $5.2 billion in print advertising, there will be a 6.8 percent decline this year, almost the same again in 2008, followed by a stunning 16 percent fall in 2009 and 13 percent in 2010. By then, real estate marketers will be spending more on online media than on newspapers or local homes magazines.

In 2008 the biggest blip on the radar could be a converging triumvirate of Yahoo, Zillow.com and a consortium of 11 newspaper companies. The consortium has created an advertising alliance with Yahoo - whose real estate offering has gone from being the eighth most-trafficked real estate Web site to the second mosttrafficked site) in the past year - and with Zillow.com which holds the No. 5 spot.

Mark's comments March 2010
looking back is always 20/20 but the web has become more important for real estate than anyone could have imagined just a few years back. That's why I spend so much time on my site and blog, it's what you want, information to help you make the most important decision you will ever make!

Search the MLS or read more about Interest Rates, Power of Sale Properties, Price Trends and more at my website. Homes for Sale

Thank you for reading my blog and if there is anything else I can help you with please don't hesitate to contact me,

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. Broker
Specializing in Residential & Investment Real Estate


Thinking of Selling? Best Mortgage Rates Current Home Prices Search MLS
RE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc.

Providing Full-Time Professional Real Estate Services since 1987

( BUS 905-828-3434
2
FAX 905-828-2829 ÈCELL 416-520-1577
E-MAIL : mark@mississauga4sale.com
8 Website : Mississauga4Sale.com

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Has the market peaked? Should you sell your property now or later? What if market drops in 6 months?

Has the market peaked? Is this the time to "cash out" and move to a smaller home?

These are very difficult decisions to make.

I've always said this "you have to make the best decision you can at the time given all the information you have at hand and hope you make the right decision and most important accept it", such as me getting out of the financial mutual fund markets last fall, the stress was too large compared to the potential returns/losses.

You have a similar decision and ultimately, if you sell your current home and buy, for example, 1/2 to 2/3 of whatever your current home sells for, you will benefit more by selling now if the market drops.

But if the market does not drop you've not lost too much, but, if you don't sell now and the market drops you will lose more, but the house you were moving to would also drop, so your difference in prices is not as bad as it sounds.

Let's work with some numbers.

Say your current house is worth $800,000 and you are purchasing a home for $500,000 If you do this today then you will net approximately $300,000 If you wait 6 months, for example, and if the market were to drop on average 10% then the $500,000 home would be worth $450,000 but the larger home would drop more than 10%, due to the larger properties dropping more in a downswing (and rising more in an upswing), but even if we use the absolute number of 10% then the $800,000 home would be worth $720,000. Now the difference is $270,000 This indicates that all things being equal you would lose approximately $30,000 if you are trading down and you wait 6 months and the market drops 10%

If you wait and the market increases 10% in 6 months from now, then you gain an additional $30,000.

Thus, the difference in the buy/sell today versus buy/sell later if the market is up or down in the future is not as great as you think - the key is that the larger priced property will rise more in absolute dollars if the market increases and similarly will drop more in absolute dollars if the market falls, thus the dilemma, but the absolute difference is not as large as you may think.

Ultimately, it's your risk tolerance and whether you are betting the market will be better or worse than it is today.

I wish you the best of luck with everything you do!

Mark

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Housing Market Rally Raises Alarm Bells - Bank of Canada expected to boost its policy rate by 100 basis points to 1.25% by year end

RBC reports that the overheated market is signaling alarm bells and the Bank
of Canada will increase rates by about 1 to 1.25% by year end to slow the
growth of a real estate bubble.

Housing Market Rally Raises Alarm Bells

The sharp recovery in Canada's housing market that began in January 2009 is
raising concerns that a bubble is forming. With sales running more than 60%
faster than a year earlier in the latter part of 2009 and early 2010,
worries about a bubble cannot be dismissed.

Our take is that significant demand was built up during the early days of
the recession because uncertainty saw buyers step back, and the volume of
sales plunged 36% on a year-over-year basis. With the recession in full
swing, the Bank of Canada lowered its policy rate to just 25 basis points
and housing market activity ramped back up.

In early 2010, another catalyst for sales activity was the rush to purchase
new homes prior to the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), which will increase taxes
for Ontario and British Columbia, and becomes effective on July 1, 2010.
These two provinces accounted for about 60% of home sales activity in 2009.

The supply and demand fundamentals supported the strong housing market
performance. On the supply side of the equation, uncertainty saw sellers
hanging back with the supply of new listings falling well short of demand
during the recession.

Housing starts weakened also dampening available housing stock. In the near
term, housing market conditions are likely to remain strong reflecting
support by a brightening labour market and low mortgages rates. RBC's
affordability measure showed that, despite the run-up in prices late last
year, conditions remain better than in early 2008.

The market, however, is likely to start to slow mid-year as the HST boosts
costs and the Bank of Canada begins the process of normalizing interest
rates.

We expect the Bank to boost its policy rate by 100 basis points to 1.25% by
year end, which will translate into higher rates across the spectrum of
interest-rate related products

Friday, March 26, 2010

Some think the Bank of Canada Prime rate will go up soon

There are rumours in the marketplace that the Bank of Canada may increase their prime rate sooner than expected. If this is the case, then you may wish to lock in your mortgage rate now if you are eventually considering this option.

If you are purchasing in the next few months, then definitely you want to lock in your rate today, that way you are safe.

Thank you,
Mark

This is what I just heard Due to inflation pressure, Bank of Canada might raise the prime rate sooner than originally expected. I have seen bond yield rates have gone up sharply.

That means fixed rates might go up very soon. So please do your clients a favor to lock fixed rates for 120 days.

Great rate offered for pre-approval: 3.69% for 5 year fixed. Once the application is sent in, the rate will be guaranteed for 120 days.

For clients who want to take advantage of lower variable rates, P-0.5% (1.75%) is still available.


Best regards,

Warren Z.