Saturday, June 27, 2009

The Power of Persistence as learned from Rocky Balboa

I thought that this was pretty good advice so I will share it with you. Although Rocky is a little corny, there were some great scenes and lines from the movie that have to motivate you. Geez, I remember jogging all around the McMaster campus after Rocky was released with grey sweats and a white towel stuffed into the collar, just like Rocky! LOL
Enjoy
Mark

This was passed along to me this morning

After years of extensive study into the key determining success factors of self made millionaires, Brian Tracy concluded that amongst the most important were the twin characteristics of persistence and determination.He quotes, “Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel. The quality of persistence is the absolutely indispensable quality that goes hand in hand with all great success in life. The courage to persist in the face of adversity and disappointment is the one quality that more than anything, will guarantee your success.”

As we all know, the one thing that is inevitable in our lives is the recurring crisis. If you are living a busy life, it is highly likely you will have a crisis of some kind every few months. In between these unavoidable crises will be a continuous succession of problems and difficulties. And the more things that you attempt, the bigger your goals, the more determined you are to become successful in your life the more problems and crises you will experience.

The good news however is that you can control is how you respond to those difficulties and setbacks, and your greatest personal asset can be your willingness to stay at it longer than anyone else.

Now although it is easy to grasp this intellectually, and rationally, it is another thing altogether to live this mantra or creed on an emotional level, when we are in the midst of crisis, or when we feel at our most vulnerable. This is where it can be useful to have an analogy to draw on - something which inspires and motivates us in times of difficulty.

Perhaps one of the best and most stirring analogies I have seen In this context comes from the 2006 movie, Rocky Balboa starring Sylvester Stallone. In one particular scene he is dispensing the above advice to his son, only in his own inimitable style of course! He says,

“Then the time came for you to be your own man and take on the world, and you did. But somewhere along the line, you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you’re no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for someone to blame.”

“Let me tell you something you already know; the world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life.”

“But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward - how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! You gotta be willing to take the hits and not point fingers, saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him or her or anybody! Cowards do that, and that’s not you!”

Click on the link to watch this scene from the film…

click here


I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. 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

Friday, June 26, 2009

CMHC predictions on the New Home Real Estate Market

These are the comments made by CMHC on the New home real estate market.
New Home Market Sales Will Decline

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) new home market will experience a slower pace in activity during 2009. Total new home sales are expected to drop to 15,500 units this year from 28,000 sales reached in 2008.

Pre-construction high-rise sales will reach 7,000 units while low rise sales are expected to hit 8,500 units in 2009, resulting in an increased share of new home sales in the low-rise segment for the first time in six years.

Softening resale market conditions have resulted in an increased supply of lower priced resale homes in many GTA neighbourhoods. Discerning buyers will be able to purchase homes at significantly lower prices in the resale market than in the new home market. Reduced pre-construction sales centre traffic will be the result. This substitution effect will slow price growth in the new home market in 2009 — the average price for a new single detached home will slip by about two per cent to $512,000.

Sales of high rise units will account for about 45 per cent of total sales this year, down from 55 per cent in 2008. While fewer projects are likely to open this year, reducing the total number of condominium units available for sale, project launches and sales are expected to pick up during the latter part of 2009.

Improved financing conditions and lower construction costs passed on by builders will bring more competitively- priced units to the market.

Steady immigration to Toronto and favourable demographic shifts will continue to play a major role in increasing demand for new condominium apartments. Lower prices for condominium apartments are especially attractive to newcomers to Canada looking for an entry point into homeownership.

An aging baby boomer population gearing up for retirement will also look towards this housing sector as they look to downsize and minimize housing maintenance.

A compositional shift in Toronto’s employment landscape will further add to demand for more affordable housing. Job losses in the goods-producing sector will mean GTA housing demand will rely more heavily on employment in the lower paying services industry.

I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. 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

Thursday, June 25, 2009

CMHC reports on Resale Market Resale Home Buying

This CMHC's predictions on the residential Resale Market Resale Home Buying

Activity Will Ease

Strong economic fundamentals have been a driving force for the GTA housing market over the past decade.

Now faced with a rising unemployment rate and declining labour income growth, households are scaling back expenditures on big ticket items, particularly related to housing. As a result, resale home purchase activity will slow down in 2009. This year, GTA home sales will decline by 21.5 per cent to 60,000 units - the lowest level of existing sales since late 90’s. 2010 should bring signs of recovery and is forecast to be a turning point for the area’s resale housing market. Improving housing affordability, combined with more favorable employment and household wealth situations will gradually entice homebuyers back into the market.

First-time buyers will continue to be a key driver of housing demand this year and next. However, this segment will demonstrate a greater degree of caution while making their home-buying decisions. A deepening economic downturn especially impacts first-time buyers, who tend to have less job security and an inadequate savings cushion to deal with temporary periods of unemployment or underemployment.

Sales of existing homes peaked in 2007 — around the same time the cost of home ownership hit a new high in the GTA. Over the 2003- 2008 period, the accelerated rise in average resale prices caused the gap between actual household income and the income required to purchase a home in the GTA to narrow. Buyers responded with a much lower level of sales in 2008.
Over the next two years, the expected home price depreciation, stable household earnings growth


and record low mortgage rates should result in more comfortable homeownership conditions. As economic conditions begin to improve next year, buyers are expected to respond to the much improved affordability conditions.

The number of existing home sales in the area is forecast to increase in 2010.


I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. 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

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

REMAX Ontario Atlantic reports on the New Reality for real estate agents and the real estate market

This article is published by RE/MAX Ontario Atlantic by the regional director of our area. It's an interesting perspective on what our housing market is currently doing and what is predicted for the short term and what us real estate agents need to do to survive in this business. It's somewhat of a refresher, but I've always been positive on the real estate market here in the GTA and blogged in January that January of 2009 was the bottom of the market ... and it turns out that it was!

Real estate - The new market reality

As stability returns to residential real estate markets across the country, realtors and their customers are breathing a sigh of relief. The carnage south of the border has failed to materialize in Canada and all indicators - economic and otherwise -- point to a housing market on the upswing.

These have been trying times for our industry. Realtors that bought into the negativity in the marketplace from September 2008 to March 2009 now find themselves in a precarious position. No listings, no clients, no money. The 'paralysis by analysis' approach of letting fear limit progress has few benefits.

Those that stayed the course over the period-pressing forward despite obvious challenges, adjusting to conditions, employing new strategies, creating solid business plans, farming entire neighbourhoods, and aggressively listing properties--are now ideally positioned. Realtors, who stepped up, instead of standing back, are now reaping the rewards.

The same held true for purchasers. Buyers who moved in the midst of uncertainty, ignoring warnings from doom and gloom forecasters, economists and naysayers, snapped up some of the best real estate deals this market has seen in years. By contrast, those who panicked and chose to sit it out on the sidelines are now facing rising interest rates and-in some markets-limited inventory levels.

With national resale housing market activity returning to pre-recession levels in May, it would seem that we've come through the worst of the financial meltdown, with the real estate correction nearing an end. The number of positive indicators is very encouraging. However, recovery is still underway, and there may still be some bumps along the road.

Nevertheless, the buoyancy in the marketplace took economists by surprise. Just over half of all major markets reported an increase in unit sales in May over year-ago levels.

Consumer confidence continues to strengthen across the board. While the summer months are approaching, it is important to remember that there is still much work to be done. This is not the time to take your eye off the ball.

Ours is a market-a business-that must, by necessity, continually evolve. We know by experience that the real estate climate can change quickly, as evidenced by events such as 9-11 and the current financial crisis.

However, a smart realtor is one that is always prepared-never taking a good market for granted, always employing strong business fundamentals to ensure that, while markets may suffer, his/her career will not. To that end, going forward, we may all have to go a bit further, work a bit harder, and persevere to maintain a competitive edge. While some may view this a time to survive, there's no question that, for those who are savvy, it can very well be a time to thrive.

I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. 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




Monday, June 22, 2009

Mississauga and GTA Mortgage rate update

Good morning,

I hope you are doing well and enjoying our fabulous weather and looking forward to our upcoming summer season.

As you might be aware that in the past two weeks, fixed rates have increased dramatically.

Right now, 3-year fixed rate is 3.65%, 4-year fixed rate is 4.05%, 5-year fixed rate is 4.49%.

If you are thinking of a mortgage move and you did not lock into low fixed rates, don't worry. I know mortgage people who have solutions for you .

1. 5-year variable at P+0.25% (currently 2.5%). with ongoing sagging economy, the Bank of Canada will keep the Prime rate low for at least 1 year.
Although fixed rates have gone up a lot, we can expect they come back down in near future, because recession doesn't support high interest rates.

The benefit of Variable rate is that you can convert it into fixed rate any time with no cost. So you would have another chance to lock into lower fixed rate later while taking advantage of the current low variable rate.

2. If you don't want to commit to long term mortgage, you can opt for 1 year fixed rate at 2.75%.

With big short-term savings, the above two are good alternatives to long term fixed mortgage.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need any assistance and I will put you in touch with mortgage people who will take care of your needs!.

Mark

Friday, June 19, 2009

Latest Mortgage Interest Rates in Mississauga and Toronto

These are the latest mortgage interest rates that are posted and attainable

Have a great weekend!
Mark

TERMPOSTED Attainable RATES*
6 Month 4.60%3.75%
1 Year3.75%2.75%
2 Year4.05%3.05%
3 Year4.65%3.55%
4 Year5.14%4.09%
5 Year5.85%4.32%
7 Year6.80%5.25%
10 Year6.90%5.35%
Variable Rate2.65%
Prime Rate2.25%
















* Rates may vary and are subject to change without notice OAC.
Rates Last Updated: Thursday, June 18, 2009

I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. 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


TREB reports that the May 2009 sales figures were higher than last year

TREB reports that the May 2009 sales figures were higher than last year

Toronto, June 2, 2009 - In May 2009, Greater Toronto ReAlToRs® reported 9,589 sales, up almost two per cent from May 2008 – the first annual increase since December 2007. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales in May was 81,300.

The average price for May transactions was $395,609 – down less than one per cent compared to the same month last year.

The resale housing market in the GTA has remained resilient in the face of challenging times globally,” according to TReB President Maureen o’neill. “Many home buyers have taken advantage of extremely low mortgage rates.

West » Active listings decreased by 7.1 per cent, while new listings fell by 31 per cent in April 2009 over April 2008. Sales were down by 9.41 per cent with 3,078 homes sold in April 2009 compared to 3,398 one year ago. In April 2009, the average price paid in the West Toronto district dipped .9 per cent to $368,945 from $372,575 the previous April. Homes
were on the market for 37 days, an additional nine days or 32 per cent longer than in April 2008.


I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. 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

Thursday, June 18, 2009

GTA and Toronto real estate market shows strength

The Toronto and GTA real estate market is moving along at a very good pace. May 2009 sales outpaced May of 2008, this is a good sign!

Toronto, June 2, 2009 – Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 9,589 sales in May which is almost 2% up from May 2008—the first annual increase since December 2007.

“The
resale housing market in the GTA has remained resilient in the face of challenging times globally,” according to TREB President Maureen O’Neill. “Many home buyers have taken advantage of extremely low mortgage rates.”

We are all hoping for this excellent activity to continue

“The average resale home price has moved in line with last year’s level because of tighter market conditions experienced this Spring,” stated Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis. “Home sales have increased strongly relative to new listings, bolstering home prices.”

The average price for May transactions was $395,609—down less than 1% compared to the same month last year.

I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. 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

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Mississauga Real Estate and GTA mortgage Interest rates on the rise

As many have been predicting in past few weeks, interest rates are now on the rise.

While it is still possible to get a 5 year fixed rate at 3.99, it's days (or even hours) are numbered. The 3.99 rate is for firm purchases only and there are no rate holds or pre-approvals.

The lowest rate I have seen for pre-approval at right now is 4.09%, and as with the 3.99 rate, it's time is very limited and very well may be gone by the end of the day today.

With rates on the rise, this creates a tremendous opportunity for buyers sitting on the fence to make that purchase.
With rates going up, you will want to purchase now before the rates get any higher.
Many lenders have already put their five year rates up to 4.49%, and I expect the rest to follow. Some are hanging on to the lower rates for a little longer to gain the extra business by sacrificing profit margin, but they will be putting their rates up soon.

Today's lowest rates:

1 year fixed 2.80
2 year fixed 2.95
3 year fixed 3.15
4 year fixed 3.79
5 year fixed 3.99 (30 day quick close)
5 year fixed 4.09 (standard)
5 year variable 2.65% (prime + 0.40%)

I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. 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

Friday, June 05, 2009

Motivational quotes for real estate agents and everyone!

http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Motivation-Success-Ten-Scrolls.htm

This article came from some of my internet reading, and I have changed it a little, cannot even recall from where, but I’ve put it into my blackberry and have it remind me once a month that this is the way to succeed in real estate

You have to Create Daily Success in Real Estate and in your personal life to succeed in life

The journey to a successful life should be enjoyed. True success comes from accomplishing the daily activities that will lead you to your ultimate goals in life. Failing or neglecting to accomplish the daily disciplines will lead you down the path of lost opportunities and lost income.

If the penalty for not accomplishing your daily activities or disciplines was implemented or assessed today, we would look at neglecting them differently. The truth is the penalty for neglect is more visible in the future than it is today. The person who eats fried foods does not pay the penalty at 35, he pays at 55. The person who fails to save 10% of his income for retirement is not penalized at 40, but at 60.

If we were zapped today from neglecting the daily disciplines rather than in the future, our daily disciplines would change. We have to make the neglect more painful than the activity. There are three disciplines that must be done daily in real estate for success;

1. working on Growth

2. Administration and

3. working On your business.

1. Growth

Growth is the part of the business that brings in the revenue for your business. The more time you spend of your day in growth, the more income you will make. Most Agents work on growth activities at the last minute, when they are running short on funds. The problem is that is too late. To have a steady business income you need a steady approach to growth.

Growth is the prospecting that you do daily. It is the listing appointments that you have for the day. It is the lead follow-up that you are doing on the people who want to buy or sell. It is the meeting with your lender to work on your competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Growth is the critical part to any business. Without growth a business will fail. I know a lot of Agents who are highly skilled in growth and poorly skilled in administration and working on their business, who earn large amounts of money. I know of very few successful Agents who are not highly skilled at growth. You can have huge deficiencies in administration and working on your business but still win the game. You cannot be deficient in growth and win.

2. Administration

There is a huge amount of daily activities that complete with your income stream, such as processing the listing so Agents can find it in the MLS, completing trade record sheets, communicating with your clients on a regular basis, dripping on your clients with emails or paper campaigns, etc.

These activities, done well, will enable you to turn clients into fans who will look for new business for you. You will need one to two hours daily for administration. If you create a good system or purchase good software or have a highly trained and skilled staff, your time spent in this area will be reduced. In the perfect system, administration gets done well, but the Agents spend little personal time on it.

3. On your business

This is the time that most people neglect. This working on your business really separates long-term success and growth from just running faster on the treadmill of life. Long-term financial success lies in this section of your day. The ability to earn more profit is also located here.

We are all really employees of our own little real estate business. We are the ones who bring in the business and make the system go. The more time we plan, read, strategize, practice, role-play, and implement our ideas, the more ownership we gain. Becoming the owner of your real estate business only happens through diligent work on your business. Instead of being the employee who works to draw a salary and pay the bills, why not become the one who orchestrates the company? Be the one who has something to sell when he wants to try something else and/or retire.

What do you think your business would look like in 90 days or even six months if you were to implement an effective daily routine? ……

A dream written down with a date becomes a goal.
A goal broken down becomes a plan.
A plan backed by action makes your dream come true. It’s as simple as that!

Do you want to read more motivation like this: http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Motivation-Success-Ten-Scrolls.htm

I wish you all the best! Mark Argentino mark@mississauga4sale.com

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Municipal Tax Sale Properties in GTA, Mississauga and Ontario

I received a question from a reader and thought I would share my answer with you.

Subject: Question/Your article on taxes

Hello Mark;

I found your web page
http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Power-Sales-TAX-Sales.htm and found your article fairly interesting. I am wondering if you could let me know how I can get a list of properties in default of taxes in Ontario/Canada before they appear on MLS? Is there a web site/Government web site that maintains such records? Or do I have to visit each municipality web site or directly call the municipality?

Sincerely
A.


Hi A.,
Thanks for your comments. Yes, you have to do the work.
I do not know of such a list, it's mostly hard work to seek out tax sales, each municipality publishes their own lists, so you have to scour local newspapers to find them.
No government site that I know of, again, it's a municipal sale, so it tends to be very local.
Thank you
Mark

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

May 2009 GTA and Mississauga resale housing stats report more sales

GTA May Resale Housing Sales Higher Than Last Year

TORONTO, June 3, 2009 - In May 2009, Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 9,589 sales, up almost two per cent from May 2008 – the first annual increase since December 2007. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales in May was 81,3001.

"The resale housing market in the GTA has remained resilient in the face of challenging times globally," according to TREB President Maureen O’Neill. "Many home buyers have taken advantage of extremely low mortgage rates."

The average price for May transactions was $395,609 – down less than one per cent compared to the same month last year.

"The average resale home price has moved in line with last year’s level because of tighter market conditions experienced this Spring," stated Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis. "Home sales have increased strongly relative to new listings, bolstering home prices."

Read more at Current Home Prices

I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. 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

Monday, June 01, 2009

Current Market Observations and what to do with your investment dollars

These are my personal observations regarding where things may be heading in the next few months.

My observations are this:

Many are saying gasoline will be $1.09 in the summer-this means it will go to at least $1.15 or $1.20

Everyone said 8 months ago we'll be out of recession in 1st QTR 2010 - we will be out of recession in 1st QTR 2010


Many are saying CDN$ will go to parity in a while- this means it will be at or near parity in a few months

We are just leaving the trough of an ugly recession, there is great opportunity for those with vision and big nerve - where to put your spare $$ is a difficult decision

Many are cash rich-they too are looking to invest and double their money

Hindsight is everything- by the time you know where to invest it's too late - so take out the dice and you'll probably be right - or wrong - you have a 50/50 chance

Maybe it's time to buy Magna shares, again you need large nerve and excess cash to possibly lose

No matter what you invest in, pick something where a bank or a broker that does not make most of the money-good luck again

I like real estate for investment, but only on a 5+ year horizon as you are at least guaranteed the tenant will pay it off for you, but that takes plenty of time

In these record low interest times, it's almost idiotic to not do leveraged investing, such as real estate or even in the financial markets

Another thing in my mind is another similar event to 911 as this would give the pundits another reason the pound the financial markets and take out more cash and profits from the marketplace


So, what to do with your spare cash, there sure are many options!
All the best!
Mark