The Greater Toronto Realtors reported strong results for the first 14 days of May.  Not only did the AVERAGE sale price increase by 6%, to $517,242, but there were 5,142 transactions so far this month – up more than 14.5% when compared to the same time period last year.  Market conditions remain even tighter than last year – with new listing inventory up, but not to the same level as sales.

“A shortage of listings in the low-rise segment of the market has resulted in a lot of competition between buyers and above average annual rates of price growth.  Tight market conditions are expected to remain in place for the balance of 2012,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

To see the full article, check out the PDF below.

Mid-Month Resale Market Figures

For any questions you may have about the Suburban Toronto real estate markets in  Oakville, Milton and Burlington, for mls listings, or for information about buying or selling your home, contact Team Gonin today

The Milton Farmers Market has been treating customers to farm-fresh produce for 40 years and will open for business again this SATURDAY, MAY 19 beginning at 7 a.m. In addition to locally grown produce, there are crafts, artisans and baked goods.

Operated by the Milton Chamber of Commerce, the Farmer’s Market runs each Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon during the months of May through October. The Market takes place on Main Street in Milton between James and Martin Streets.

The Chamber operates the Scholarship Café, a popular market destination. The Scholarship Café is home of the “bacon-on-a-bun”, which the café sells to generate funds for the Chamber’s Scholarship Fund. The fund provides scholarships local high schools students each year.

For more information, call 905-878-0581 or visit www.miltonchamber.ca

Map link http://g.co/maps/svvju.

Team Gonin supports encourages residents and visitors to take in all our local communities have to offer. Check back regularly for community events information in Oakville, Milton and Burlington Ontario.  Be sure to like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamgonin, or follow us on twitter @teamgonin.

Support children with brain disorders at the Hospital for Sick Children by coming to the sixth annual Jack’s Lemonade Stand at Pine Glen Park (1520 Pine Glen Road) in Oakville on May 26. The event runs from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. with proceeds going to Jack’s Lemonade fund.

Jack’s Lemonade fund at SickKids Foundation gives children HOPE by funding innovative research and treatment; provides ENCOURAGEMENT through a patient and family support network and offers LOVE by supporting patient care programs.

Jack is a 9-year-old boy and frequent patient at the Hospital for Sick Children because he suffered from a severe form of epilepsy. Jack’s seizures began when he was a baby and worsened despite medical treatment. In 2010, he underwent a series of brain surgeries, which involved the removal of a significant portion of his brain.  Jack’s seizures stopped and today he is a healthy boy.

Support Jack’s Lemonade fund and inspire children to help other children as Jack has done. For more information, visit www.jackslemonade.com.

Open houses are a common fixture of today’s real estate market. Even though an open house may not result in the sale of your home, it will draw attention to your property. Here are SOME TIPS for making your open house a success PLUS check out the VIDEO BELOW:

• Make sure the house is clean and tidy
• Eliminate clutter and put personal belongings away – buyers want to visualize how the home will look with their items
• Leave room in the driveway and on the street for parking
• Open blinds and turn the lights on – this enables prospective buyer to see each room and experience the view
• A clean, fresh smell or lightly scented candles create an inviting atmosphere but avoid strong air fresheners that may irritate guests
• Some open houses may offer refreshments – talk to your realtor about this option
• Make sure your home is a comfortable temperature
• Work with your realtor to promote your open house – notify neighbours, friends and family, and advertise in print and via social media

To learn more about making your home appealing to buyers, watch the RE/MAX Are You Fit to Sell video called TOP 10 MISTAKES IN PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SALE .

Team Gonin has years of experience helping clients sell their homes. We welcome your questions and are here to help with all your real estate needs. Check back for tips on how to boost your home’s appeal in other ways. For any questions you may have about buying or selling homes in Oakville, Milton or Burlington Ontario, or for mls listings contact Team Gonin today. LIKE Team Gonin on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamgonin

If you are looking for a customized approach to the home buying process, Team Gonin can help. In addition to offering free personalized home buyer  workshops, the Team has partnered with RBC to offer its clients industry-leading market forecasts and easy access to mortgage specialists.

In addition to discussing your real estate needs and property wish list, you can obtain mortgage approval on the spot, with Kristin Zerbisias, Mobile Mortgage Specialist with RBC Royal Bank.   What’s more, the home buyer workshops help prospective buyers:

• determine if they are ready to buy
• establish a purchase price
• select a neighbourhood
• understand what happens at purchase and closing
• learn the importance of a budget.

Buying a home is one of the most important investments you will ever make.   We can help – Team Gonin can help you narrow your search and find the home that is right for you. If you would like immediate access to mls listings in Milton, Oakville and Burlington, or to participate in one of our FREE personalized home buyer workshops, simply click on the links, give us at call at 905-338-9000 or email info@suburbantorontorealestate.ca

Most people feel confident about the basics of home security. For example: Keep all doors locked. Have a light on in the house while away. Never hide a key outside in an obvious place, like under the mat.

Yet, almost a million and a half properties get burglarized in North America each year. So how can you prevent that from happening to your home? Here are a few less known home security basics:

• Actually, never hide a key outside. Thieves know all the hiding places. Instead, make sure all family members have a key.
• Two-thirds of home burglaries occur during the day. So be extra vigilant about making sure doors and windows are locked while you’re away during the day.
• Surprisingly, most thieves are not daring. They are 2.7 times more likely to target a home without an alarm system.
• Thieves will attempt to force entry through sliding-style doors and windows first. So make sure these have a locking bar or extra bolt lock.
• Surprising, 40% of household burglaries do not involve forced entry. The thief is able to slip in through an unlocked window or door.
• Don’t show off possessions! An imported racing bike parked next to the garage, or expensive audio equipment clearly seen through a window, is an invitation to burglars.
• Take a look at the lighting and landscaping around your property. Are there spots where a thief could easily hide? If so, make some changes.
• When planning a trip, have a trusted neighbour pick up newspapers, flyers and anything else that may accumulate at your door.

Your local police department may have more tips and special programs for keeping your home secure. Give them a call.

Here are the April 2012 residential real estate results for Oakville, Milton and Burlington Ontario.

The Oakville, Milton & District Real Estate Board (OMDREB) posted 1,111 sales in April – up 15.7% from April 2011, while the Realtors Association of Hamilton Burlington (RAHB) reported 1442  sales virtually identical to the number sold last year (1446).  As expected, the number of sales was higher in April than in March this year.

New listings were up over the same period on OMDREB with 1,839 new listings hit the board, up 15.9%.  However, the RAHB reported 2,004 new listings, down 2.8% when compared to the 2,062 last April.

Inventory continues to remain tight in certain price ranges and competition between buyers is resulting in upward pressure on the average and median sale prices. Information for residential sales in Oakville, Milton and Burlington was taken from both of the above real estate boards. Let’s see how each area did.

OAKVILLE

There were a total of 395  residential sales in Oakville in April resulting in an AVERAGE sale price of $703,157 which is up 12.3% from last April, while the MEDIAN sale price was $575,000 up 11.7% when compared to last year.  The number of sales, the Average and the Median sale prices were all the highest seen since the beginning of 2008.  66 homes sold for over $1 million  in April versus the 36 that sold last year.

It took 23 days on average for a house to sell in the month of April in Oakville

MILTON

233 sales took place in Milton in April up 33.1% from the number sold in 2011. The April AVERAGE sale price was $443,072 (up 7.7%) while the MEDIAN sale price was $425,000 up 9.0% from last year.  Both the AVERAGE and the MEDIAN sale prices are the third highest seen since 2008.

Homes sold very quickly in Milton in April, taking only 16 days to sell on average.

BURLINGTON

Burlington also posted great results in the month of April.  The number of sales was up 2.6% with 354 sales taking place in April.  The AVERAGE sale price increased by 16.4% to $460,228 and the MEDIAN sale price was up by 17.9% to $437,674. Just so you know, the AVERAGE sale price was the second highest seen since 2008 and the MEDIAN sale price was the highest.

It took 29 days on average for a home to sell in April.

It is critical that both buyers and sellers keep informed of the current local real estate market conditions. Therefore if you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Oakville, Milton or Burlington Ontario, or if you would like to receive mls listings contact Team Gonin today.

The Greater Toronto Realtors reported strong results for the month of April.  Not only did the average sale price increase by more than 8.5%, to $517,556, but there were 10,350 transactions in the month -up 18% when compared to the same time period last year.

“Interest in single-detached homes has been very high, both in the City of Toronto and surrounding regions. Growth in single-detached listings has not kept up with demand, which means competition between buyers in this market segment increased. With this in mind, it was no surprise that the strongest annual price increase was also experienced in the single-detached segment,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President, Richard Silver.

Check out the full article

For any questions you may have about the Suburban Toronto real estate markets in  Oakville, Milton and Burlington, for mls listings, or for information about buying or selling your home, contact Team Gonin today

Selling your property and buying a new home can be a potentially  intimidating experience… so much so that these jitters may even prevent some people from making a move!

It doesn’t have to be that way.  A big part of the stress of selling and buying comes from not understanding the process or having unanswered questions. You might worry about how the state of the market will affect the value of your purchase over the long term or what you would do if you found your dream home before receiving any offers on your current property.

That’s where a good REALTOR® comes in. He or she can explain the  process to you, answer all your questions, and show you how to make your move go smoothly.

For any questions you may have about buying or selling homes in Oakville, Milton or Burlington Ontario, or for mls listings contact Team Gonin today.

Come out and join Team Gonin at the Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre’s Annual Garage Sale

• Saturday, May 5th
• Oak Park Sales Centre, 215 Glenashton Drive
• 7:30 am – 12 noon

Pancake Breakfast Sponsored by TEAM GONIN, plus enjoy wagon rides and bake sale too. All proceeds raised go towards covering program costs at the Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre.

The Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre began many years ago by 6 woman as Oak Park Mom and Tots. The centre recently changed it’s name to better represent the programmes that they provide. The centre is a fantastic place to get to know people in your neighbourhood and offers many programs to suit any ones needs. Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre provides education, support, recreation and social opportunites, as well, it provides basic amenities to families in need.

The Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre is a registered charity and all proceeds from the garage sale will go towards helping cover the program costs. Donations are also welcome.

Check out more information about the Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre and all the programs it offers.

To receive Oak Park mls listing or for more information on buying or selling homes in the Oak Park, Oakville area contact Team Gonin today.