Monday, April 22, 2013

17 Items you should consider when you are thinking of leasing business commercial space

I am mainly a residential real estate agent.

I had a client looking for commercial space to open up a small bakery store and was considering a commercial location to rent.

These were some of my thoughts and experience and items to watch out for when considering a commercial lease.
  
  1. rent is usually charged as per square foot of total space plus TMI
  2. TMI is taxes, maintenance and insurance (building)
  3. TMI is typically more than the rent, meaning that the rent may be $4/square foot but the TMI is $8 extra, this is not always the case, but I've seen this often, cheap rent, high TMI
  4. typically, you will need to install all interiors, from the electrical panel to the ovens and vent hoods and bathroom and even the walls, many people when they leave an existing commercial rental space, take everything
  5. you will need permits for everything you do in a commercial installation, from the outside bent hoods for your ovens, to the lighting and sinks and whatever, you will require all professional trades to do all the work and approve everything with the municipality and meet all codes, your landlord and municipality don't want you burning down the building when you cook or overnight due to shoddy work, so they want it done right
  6. the landlord must approve all your renovations, inside and outside and will have restrictions on signage etc
  7. the landlord will also have clauses in the lease that will only allow you to sell or make or bake certain items
  8. typical commercial leases will also have a non-competition clause section where you can only bake your cakes and cupcakes etc. but you can't sell cigarettes or maybe coffee or pop or something that someone else in the strip plaza or building could or does sell
  9. all commercial leases allow for the landlord to lock you out and seize all your goods and chattels and everything inside your business if you default on the rent (this is NOT allowed in residential leases in Ontario)
  10. commercial leases are typically 5+5, meaning you sign a 5 year lease with the option of 5 more years - you want this, because if you become successful, you don't want to be thrown out after the first 5 years of hard work AND you don't want your rent tripling in the last 5 years because your business has done so well
  11. you will most likely be required to provide an entire business plan with everything in your business sales, installation, all costs and expenses, advertising, floor plans, the entire enchilada before the landlord will accept you - reason is that that commercial leases are far different than residential, they don't want to lease to you and then have you go belly up in 6 months because the landlord doesn't want to lock the doors and sell your stuff, they want you to survive, flourish and be successful so that they get your rent for 5+5 years AND you make the plaza, building look good
  12. You need to know to lease commercial space like the rent commitment, plus other costs per month
  13. what it would cost to put in what you need like the oven and sometimes the landlord will help with this, but you need to ask if  the landlord help with that
  14. I strongly suggest you go to RBC at 33 City Centre in Mississauga and speak with the business development branch of the RBC, they have tons and tons of information that will help you develop a business plan
  15. to go about finding a reputable commercial agent that will answer your initial questions before actually going to see places will be difficult. 
  16. You need to gather all this information beforehand so you know exactly what you are getting into
  17. There is a very high cost to start up a business like this, just make sure you know everything before you do anything
     
     
I'm a very optimistic person, but I am also a realist and extremely skeptical of everything and anything when it comes to spending money. 
 
You must be extremely careful in this. You could spend a year researching and investigating how to start up a business online and with the help of banks and others.  I'm not negative, but I think I just read in a real estate publication that 19 of 20 restaurants fail in the first year and more than half of all new business ventures failed by the end of the third year - cash flow from your personal savings, the banks loan or from sales are most critical in first year and too many people don't estimate the costs in the first year and end up closing shop because of poor planning - as I tell everyone who will listen to me -  "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail" -  I hope that your business flourishes! :-)

There are many other considerations too, but this is a start.

I would recommend you look for a suitable space that you 'think' you might like, contact the listing agent on the mls and gather as much information about their particular listing, the restrictions etc. to see what they tell you.

You can use the ici search tool, http://www.icx.ca/index.aspx?cul=1


I hope this helps

Please let me know if you have more questions or more specific items you want to know.

Thanks
Mark

Friday, April 19, 2013

BIG DECISIONS when buying a home in Mississauga Real Estate

BIG DECISIONS

In life one of the most important decisions we ever make is about buying or selling your home.

It's a big step that's filled with excitement and anxiety.

You want to be sure that the choices you make are the right ones. That's where we make all the difference - a professional with the insight and experience to help make the most of your options.

When it comes to life's big decisions it's reassuring to have an expert on your side
Please send me an email if you are interested in "teaming up"

Mark







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

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Real Estate Rental Market Update GTA and Mississauga 1st Quarter 2013

This is the latest report regarding rentals for the GTA in the first quarter of 2013

Number of rentals are up and so are average rental prices. see the full report below.



GTA REALTORS(r) RELEASE RENTAL MARKET REPORT

TORONTO, April 16, 2013 - Greater Toronto Area REALTORS(r) reported a substantial increase in the number of condominium apartments rented through the TorontoMLS system in the first quarter of 2013.

There were 4,277 condominium apartments rented - up by almost 13 per cent on a year-over-year basis.

The total number of rental properties listed on TorontoMLS during the first quarter was up by more than 25 per cent year-over-year to 8,816.

"Demand for rental condominium apartments remained strong during the first quarter of the year. People looking for higher end rental accommodation, including those who have temporarily put their decision to purchase on hold, were likely driving rental activity during the first three months of the year," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Ann Hannah.

The average monthly rent for one-bedroom condominium apartments in the first quarter was $1,597 - up by almost four per cent compared to Q1 2012. The average two-bedroom condominium apartment rent was up by slightly more than one per cent over the same period to $2,114.

"The rental market has remained quite tight over the last year. Competition between renters has been strong enough to drive increases in average rents.

However, growth in the number of units listed outstripped growth in the number of rental transactions in the first quarter, suggesting that renters benefitted from more choice. If this trend continues, the pace of rent growth could moderate," commented Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of Market Analysis.














I hope this finds you Happy and Healthy!

All the Best!

Mark

A. Mark Argentino
P. Eng. Broker
Specializing in Residential & Investment Real Estate
RE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc.
Providing Full-Time Professional Real Estate Services since 1987
BUS 905-828-3434
FAX 905-828-2829 CELL 416-520-1577
mark@mississauga4sale.com
Mississauga4Sale.com

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

TRANSITION VERSUS TRANSACTION when buying a home in Mississauga Real Estate

TRANSITION VERSUS TRANSACTION

Buying or selling a home is far more than just a transaction.

It's often at the heart of a major life transition - buying your first home, requiring a larger home because you're starting a family, or downsizing to simplify your life.

That's where we really help - we know the joys and the anxieties that are part of life's big changes and we're experts at handling all of the details so you can focus on what really matters

If you are interested in buying in the near future, please send me an email and we will "team up"!

Mark




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, April 16, 2013

KNOWLEDGE IS PROTECTION when buying a home in Mississauga Real Estate

KNOWLEDGE IS PROTECTION

When it comes to buying or selling a home things may not always be as they appear.

That's where I will be an invaluable guide. Wey have our fingers on the pulse and know the questions to ask, the places to probe and what to look for so you get the whole picture about the property and the community.

With me by your side you can make an informed decision - complementing what you see with what we know.

Please send me an email if you are interested in "teaming up"

Mark



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

Monday, April 08, 2013

Mississauga Condo rental properties - does supply determine market value rent?

Rental properties - Does supply of properties affect their demand
The supply and demand for rental properties determines the market value rent. I've written a little about rental prices in the past at my blog, see one post here.

http://blog.mississauga4sale.com/search/label/rental-market

The supply of condos is quite high at the moment, meaning that this may put downward force on rental rates for condos, not upward. TREB feels that the higher inventory has not had a negative effect on the rental market rents.

The trend for condo rental prices has generally been up for the past 10 years, similar to the sale market. Unfortunately, prices have escalated far more than rental rates and therefore, even with our current low interest rates, you need to put a much larger percentage downpayment now on a condo in order for the rent to carry the carrying costs.

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

Thank you,

Mark

Friday, April 05, 2013

TREB mid month Mississauga and GTA RESALE HOUSING FIGURES

You can see the figures for sales of resale homes in the GTA for Mid March
2013 below



GTA REALTORS(r) RELEASE MID-MONTH RESALE HOUSING FIGURES

TORONTO, March 18, 2013 - Greater Toronto Area REALTORS(r) reported 3,594
transactions through the TorontoMLS system during the first 14 days of March
2013 - down 11.5 per cent compared to the same period last year. The number
of new listings was up by less than two per cent.

"With sales down and listings up slightly, the GTA market was better
supplied in the first half of March compared to last year. This fact
notwithstanding, there has been enough competition between buyers to promote
moderate to strong upward pressure on average selling prices for most home
types on an annual basis," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Ann
Hannah.

"The average price for condominium apartments in the City of Toronto was up
over last year. If this price growth continues, it may indicate that
conditions are tightening slightly in this segment," added Ms. Hannah.

The average selling price for the first two weeks of March was up by almost
six per cent year-over-year to $532,102. Average prices were up for all
major home type categories.

"Due to tight supply, the average annual rate of price growth for singles,
semis and towns continues to far outpace the rate of inflation. The condo
apartment segment has been a mitigating factor, which is why our forecast
for price growth in 2013 remains at approximately 3.5 per cent or $515,000
for all home types combined," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of
Market Analysis.

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

TREB April 2013 residential real estate results average prices up about 3.8% and volume of sales down about 17% for March 2013 compared to March 2012

The figures for March are now out from TREB

Average prices up about 3.8% for March 2013 compared to March 2012

Volume of sales is down about 17% comparing year over year.

See the full report below:

Average Price up in March and First Quarter


TORONTO, April 3, 2013 – Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 7,765 transactions

through the TorontoMLS system in March 2013 – down 17 per cent compared to 9,385 transactions in March 2012. While the year-over-year dip in March sales followed the trend that has unfolded since mid-way through 2012, it is also important to note that the Good Friday holiday was in March this year versus April in 2012.

Generally speaking, there are fewer sales reported on statutory holidays and weekends.

In the first quarter of 2013, sales amounted to 17,678 – down by 14 per cent compared to Q1 2012.

"Home ownership remains affordable for a household earning the average income in the Greater Toronto Area. There are many willing buyers in the marketplace today. While some households have put their decision to purchase on hold as a result of stricter lending guidelines or the additional Land Transfer Tax in the City of Toronto, other households simply haven’t been able to find the right house due to a shortage of listings in some market segments," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Ann Hannah.

The average selling price in March was $519,879 – up by 3.8 per cent compared to March 2012. The average price in Q1 2013 was $508,066 – up by 3.2 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2012.

"The average selling price and the MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark was up on a year-over-year basis across most home types, especially in the low-rise market segments where supply remains an issue. TREB's average price forecast for 2013 remains at $515,000, representing a 3.5 per cent

See graphs of prices and trends at this page
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