House Prices stay high as Sellers fight to keep them up !!
In many of my Blog Posts I always maintained in the past prices will remain high. Also buy a house you love and do not just look at is as an investment . One article today was published in the Hamilton Spectator, which prompted me to write this short blog.
A quote from one article in the Spectator was as follows
“Sellers stubbornly hold onto their perception of what their home is worth, whereas buyers turn on a dime.”
In tough economic times Sellers will fight to keep their homes that is for sure. I also have always pointed out in my own view the Canadian Economy is evolving to a “ European type of economy” The HST is similar to the VAT ! Houses are expensive and we have to work longer and harder to keep them.
Burlington Inventory is at 680 homes including Condos . Simply put inventory’s are low and interest rates are still low. The amount of inquiries I have received have doubled in the last two weeks. I am expecting a busy fall market.
I will observe Buyers are not as rushed to make an offer and they are actually thinking.
This is a welcomed relief !!
Carl

Dont ignore curb appeal and outside landscaping. The trick is to keep things simple , Grass cut small gardens and the  improvement should add significantly to the enjoyment of the home.  Here is the Before and After shot of a deck in Dundas .

When your selling its important to get your home ready on the outside not just the inside.  

The Bank of Canada raised their rate by 1/4% this morning. Bank prime is now at 2.75%.

The Government has commented that inflation is at a predictable rate. The Banking sector remains strong. I took an average of the lender rates emailed to me on a daily/weekly basis and the best five year rate I could find was 4.19 and the best 10 year rate was 5.20 . Fixed rates on five and ten year terms remain very competitive.

As of this morning there is a total of 767 active listings in Burlington. Its good to note a few short months ago we were around 400 if I recall. However staged homes and if  priced correctly still result in bidding wars or at least quick sales usually around 98% of asking price.

I have noticed Buyers are more cautious and the inventory is a sign of a more balanced market . Already some areas are starting to reflect a buyers market. The fall market will tell the story.  Some buyers and Sellers have some HST Jitters but the costs are minimal when you look at the size and scope of the transacation. ( But yes the HST is just another tax grab ).  

Carl

I am so excited about Canadians ruling the world. – (Prime Minister) John Diefenbaker.

Happy Canada Day Everyone !    

Canada has a lot to be proud of !! Wishing everyone a Happy  Canada Day

Market Starting to Settle

(June 4, 2010 – Hamilton, Ontario) The Greater Hamilton-Burlington area resale market reported a total of 1451 units sold in May, an increase of 8.8 per cent over May of last year, according to the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) statistics released by the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB).

When compared to April of this year, May’s total unit sales were down 5.5 per cent.

“The market is beginning to settle a bit,” said RAHB President Joe Ferrante. "We saw big highs in both the numbers of listings and sales in March and April, and now we are seeing how things will probably be continuing for the next few months.”

Residential properties sold during May totalled 1406, which included 1114 freehold properties and 292 condominiums.  Commercial sales for May, including industrial, farm, vacant land and business, totalled 45 units.

The average price of freehold residential properties sold in the month of May was $339,484, an increase of 8.5 per cent over the same month last year and an increase of just under one per cent over last month. 

In the condominium market, the average price of condominiums in May was $224,707, a decrease of three per cent compared to May, 2009 and a decrease of slightly more than two per cent from last month.  The average sale price reflects the dollar volume of residential sales divided by the number of total residential units sold.

May’s total average residential sale price increased six per cent over the same month in 2009.

The total number of units listed for sale during May was 2370, which is almost 33 per cent higher than were listed in the same month in 2009. 

“This is still a strong market by any measure,” added Ferrante, “and is performing pretty much as we expected.”

Unit sales reflect “all property types” including residential, condominiums, commercial property, farmland and sales of businesses.

Established in 1921, the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) represents more than 2,400 real estate brokers and sales representatives from Hamilton, Burlington, and outlying areas. Members of the association may use the REALTOR® trademark, which identifies them as real estate professionals who subscribe to a strict code of ethics. The association operates the local Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) and provides ongoing professional education courses for its members. In addition, RAHB is an active participant in the Home Ownership Affordability Partnership (HOAP) and holds an annual auction in support of local charities. Advertisements of local MLS® property listings and information about the services provided by a REALTOR® can be found at www.REALTOR.ca. More information about RAHB is available at www.rahb.ca.                                         

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Here is a very interesting article from the Financial Post:

A headlock would be the wrestling term to describe the hold Canadian banks willhave on some consumers because of new, more strict mortgage rules.We are already seeing the impact of the changes that came into effect on April 19, but were put in place well in advance by Canadian financial institutions. Consumers are increasingly selecting fixed-rate mortgages of five years or more because it's easier to qualify for them.

On mortgages for terms of four years or less, including variable-rate mortgages, consumers must be able to pay based on the five-year fixed posted rate, which is now 6.1%. Go longer and you can use the rate on your contract, as low as 4.6%. No more than 32% of your gross income can cover principal and interest, property taxes and heat.

Peter Vukanovich, president of Genworth Financial Canada, the largest private provider of mortgage-default insurance, says only 5% of new high-ratio mortgages are going variable versus 15% just six months ago.

But there is another wrinkle to the new rules: Anybody shopping around for a better rate has to requalify based on their current credit situation. Stay with the same bank and there's no check.

"It's definitely a headlock and not a loophole because a loophole you can get out of," says Vince Gaetano, a mortgage broker with Monster Mortgage.

There is a large percentage of Canadians who get a renewal notice from their bank and just sign on the dotted line. The Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professional has found only 22% of Canadians switch banks at renewal time. A significant portion of the remaining 78% are sheep being led around by their financial institutions.

Those looking for some choice may find what was good enough to get into the market a month ago may not meet the test today.

Consider that as recently as two years ago, consumers were able to buy a house with no money down and a 40-year amortization schedule. If that consumer was making regular monthly payments, they would have paid down only 4.7% of their principal after five years. Today, that customer would still be high ratio and subject to requalifying if they switched banks.

"It's not all of them, but a majority of first-time buyers with just 5% down or less won't be able to qualify if they go to another bank," Mr. Gaetano says. Many of those buyers were qualifying based on the three-year rate – about 200 basis points lower than the current qualification rate.

If house prices went down, something many in the real estate community have suggested could happen, that would be an even bigger blow for consumers. It would mean an even larger percentage of homeowners would still be considered high ratio upon renewal because they wouldn't meet the test of having 20% equity in their home.

Martin Beaudry, vice-president of lending at ING Direct, says there is no question the new rules will have an impact on consumers looking to switch banks, but noted anyone who had a 40-year amortization and changed institutions also had to requalify and there hasn't been a huge impact.

"There will be a segment of the population tied down by the new rules to their bank," Mr. Beaudry says.

That's a position nobody should be in.

Read more: http://www.financialpost.com/personal-finance/mortgage-centre/story.html?id=3057768#ixzz0oyHn0Q5p
 

Open House Notice  167 east 45th Street, This Sunday 2 pm to 4 pm . 2008 Trillium award winner. The backyard is beautiful with detached garage with double drive for lots of parking.  MlS H 3037099  www.realtor.ca www.carlstars.com

SOLD FOR 100%  OF ASKING PRICE  

 This home was the recipient of the 2008 Trillium Award, Detached Garage. The most beautiful private fenced yard .  Offered at $ 219,900.00 MLS# H3037099