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 ?

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

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

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.

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

• Thinking of selling in the next 3 to 6 months? Would you like a Complimentary & Quick Over-The-Net Home Evaluation ?
• On-Line Real Estate Newsletter sign up
• See seasonal housing patterns

Is now the time to buy real estate in Toronto or the GTA?

John asked:

Hi Mark,

I am a follower of your website, my family and I moved to Mississauga end of last year and has slowly looking for a property for us to live since March, we saw the price up and up, so now we are in a dilemma whether we should buy now or we just wait a little bit until later this year, I know this is a very specific question, but please give us some of your advice based on your experience and observations, thanks very much.

John

Hello John,
Thank you for your real estate inquiry. Nice to hear from a long time reader.

Yes, we can certainly help you find a place to live.

Whether this is the right time of year or the market to purchase, nobody knows for sure. The prices have only been escalating at a fairly constant rate since about 2000 and nearly every year since 1995, see here:

http://www.mississauga4sale.com/TREBavg1995date.htm

There are no guarantees, but it appears the market will continue.

HST and increased rates may have something to do with our current rise, but rates are still exceptionally low compared to historical figures, this is why our market has done so well in the past 5 years or so. Even if rates increase 1% in the next 9 months, the mortgage rates are still very low.

You should get into the market as soon as you can in your life, this way you are paying down the mortgage rather than throwing rent money out the window, that's my advice. Buying a home is forced savings, in 25 years at the longest, you will own it outright and then you have a nice property with large equity. If you rent you do not have this at the end of 25 years.

The entire buying process is explained here
http://www.mississauga4sale.com/buying.htm

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

Mark

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

Power of Sales, Foreclosures and Quit Claim Deeds in this section - New Section

I've recently added a New Power of Sale section to my website that will show you the pitfalls to avoid and the clauses to put into your offer when you buy a Power of Sale property in Ontario. This new section will also explain Power of Sale and Foreclosure in detail. Read more here.


You will become educated about Power of Sales, Foreclosures and Quit Claim Deeds in this section.

You will learn the pitfalls to avoid, the clauses you could expect to see in an offer and read about the special clauses you can insert into your offer when you buy a Power of Sale Property. I will also explain the remedies open to sellers of these types of properties and how this affects you.

Power of Sales, Foreclosures and Quit Claim Deeds in this section.



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

Sales and prices summary comparison in the GTA for real estate

The table below shows you the sales and prices summary comparison in the GTA

March Real Estate Resale Market Figures for the GTA, Toronto and Mississauga

The results for March sales are in and there were over 10,000 sales in March. The average price climbed to $434,696 up marginally from the previous month figure of $431,509

All good news for sellers. Buyers are still finding it difficult to find a home because of multiple offers on most listings.

The entire report is below.

All the best,

Mark

Greater Toronto REALTORS(r) report March Resale Market Figures

TORONTO, April 6, 2010 - Greater Toronto REALTORS(r) reported 10,430 sales through the Multiple Listing Service(r) (MLS(r)) in March, pushing total first quarter 2010 sales to

22,418 - the best result on record under the current Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) boundaries. The average price for March transactions was $434,696. The average price for the first quarter was $427,948.

"The strong rebound in the existing home market was one of the initial drivers of economic recovery," said TREB President Tom Lebour. "While we don't expect to see the same rates growth moving forward, GTA households will remain confident in ownership housing as a quality long-term investment, especially as economic recovery expands across all industries."

The annual rate of growth for new listings continued to accelerate in March.

The number of new listings grew by 42 per cent compared to March of 2008.

"The average home price in the GTA will continue to grow this year, but the pace will slow as we move through the spring," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of market Analysis. "As growth in new listings starts to outstrip growth in sales, buyers will experience

Mark

FAQ's on power of sale properties

I had a client email me with question about power of sale properties and I thought I would share my answers with you.
Mark

Hi Mark,
I saw the property below listed on the most recent POS listing.
I read that usually POS properties are sold "As Is".
I am sorry I am not familiar with some of the terminology and would like to
kindly ask for clarification:
- Pls Call The L.A Before Preparing Offer??? - what does this mean?
- Pls Allow 2 Banking Days Irrevoc. On All Offers.???
- No Survey, Property Being Sold As Is, Where Is Condition As Seen From
Outside Property As Per Mls - what is MIs

Thank you,
M.

Hello M.

Good questions! :-))

"As is" means that you are purchasing everything in the current as seen condition, whether or not any systems such as plumbing, electrical or otherwise are function or not. It's up to you to determine the current state of all systems in the house and we do this by performing a home inspection. The home inspection will uncover any deficiencies in the property.

"calling the listing agent before preparing offer" usually means that there are very particular disclosures that must be made prior to submitting an offer, such as the fact that the property was used as a grow house or something similar.

"2 banking days irrevocable" means that the bank needs 2 banking days to review and respond to your offer

"No Survey, Property Being Sold As Is, Where Is Condition As Seen From Outside Property As Per Mls" means that the agent and the seller are not making any disclosures regarding the current state of the property and that you must see the property only from the outside and your offer must be conditional upon seeing the inside of the property and you must make your
decision to proceed based upon the outside of the property and as per the MLS listing agreement.

MLS is Multiple Listing Service and these are all the listings that are available to any member of the mls through TREB or mls.ca

I hope this helps, please let me know if you have other questions.

Thank you,
Mark

Current Mortgage Interest Rates in Toronto and GTA

Current mortgage interest rates obtainable in the GTA
I can put you in contact with a TD mortgage person who can give you these
rates,
Mark


* Our Best Rates
* There's more to a mortgage than just a low rate

Our Best Rates

Terms Posted Rates
Best
obtainable
Rates
6 MONTHS 4.60% 3.85%
1 YEAR 3.65% 2.49%
2 YEARS 3.95% 2.95%
3 YEARS 4.70% 3.45%
4 YEARS 5.34% 3.69%
5 YEARS 5.85% 3.89%
7 YEARS 6.30% 4.65%
10 YEARS 6.50% 4.99%
Rates are subject to change without notice. *OAC E&OE

Variable rate mortgages from as low as Prime minus 0.40%.

Prime Rate is 2.25%.*

*Prime rate may vary according to lender. Be sure to check with your
mortgage professional for full variable-rate mortgage pricing details.

Rates are subject to change without notice. Fixed mortgage rates shown in
table above and quoted variable mortgage rates are available nationally to
qualified individuals. Lower rates may be available in certain regions, or
to those with higher credit scores or higher net worth - check with your
mortgage professional for full details.

What does MLS stand for?

Thank you Mark. I have one question. What does MLS stand for?

Natalie

Hi Natalie,
MLS is Multiple Listing Service
This means that if a property is listed on the MLS it is available to all
members of the MLS service. There are a few listings that are not on the
MLS.
Thank you,
Mark