What Might We See From the New Budget Plan?

What should you expect from the new budget from the federal government this April? These are the most plausible rumors at this point.

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There's a new budget coming around in April and today, I wanted to address some of the rumors and how it could affect real estate.

There's so much pressure mounting for the federal government to do something to cool the red-hot market, and we're starting to see signs of that already. We don't know what they'll do, but the first rumor is that the capital gains tax will increase from the current 50% to 70%, 80%, or maybe even 90%. 

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The capital gains tax could go up as high as 90%.

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The second rumor is that the foreign buyer tax is being revisited. They're looking into bringing the tax from Vancouver and B.C. to here again. Hopefully they don't go through with it, though.

The third way the market could be affected is a law they're considering that would impose a tax on vacant properties. If you have a property that's been sitting on the market for six months or more, there will be an additional tax when you sell it.   

All these measures are efforts to cool the market and get flippers out of the market, which they say has caused inflation. We'd like the market to stay strong forever, but in reality, we always have to look out for when things cool down. We haven't seen any huge effects yet, but we're seeing some signs of softening.

If you have any questions about how this could affect you or about the market in general, you can always give me a call or send me an email. I'm happy to help!

Which Agent Attributes Are Important to Sellers?

We just wrapped up a retreat in Miami for the top 1% of top-producing agents in the country and I'm excited to share some things I've learned. Today we're discussing what home sellers really look for in an agent.

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Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (905) 456-3232  for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

I've just finished up at a fantastic retreat so we're filming today's video live from Miami with the Atlantic Ocean behind me. It's a retreat for the top 1% of top-producing agents in the country, and we got to learn quite a bit in four days.

A big topic we addressed is what home sellers want from an agent, and I wanted to share some of this discussion with you. To get a good answer, they actually interviewed more than 10,000 home sellers across the country to ask them what they look for in an agent. As a home seller, these are the things you want to consider when looking for an agent:

1. They want their home sold in a fair amount of time. Basically, time is just as important as the selling price.
2. They want our expertise and for us to tell them honestly what it will take to get their home sold. They want an honest and fair opinion.
3. They want someone who will listen to them and their opinions.
4. They want an agent who will tell them the truth, even when they don't want to hear it. Sometimes, agents have the difficult job of telling the truth, but sellers are definitely looking for the truth in this market.
5. They want a great salesperson, not a friend. Sometimes, we just have to deliver difficult information.
6. They want an agent they feel a strong level of trust with.
7. They want to know that their concerns are being met.

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Sellers want an honest agent they can trust, not a friend.

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These were some of the most common things they found that sellers in North America look for in an agent, based on thousands and thousands of interviews. On our team, we always strive to do the absolute best for our sellers.

I hope you found this information useful. If you have any questions or you're thinking about buying or selling a home, give me a call or send me an email. I'd love to hear from you!

Where to Go for a Total Exterior Home Makeover

Today I wanted to shine a spotlight on one of my favorite service providers, Adam's Home & Lawn. Let me show you the amazing work they did on my own home.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (905) 456-3232  for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Today I'm happy to be joined by Adam of Adam's Home & Lawn to give you a look at the amazing job he's done preparing the property in the video above for sale. The difference in driveway sealing is like night and day.

Adam is a consummate professional who showed up and completed the work on time and provided great service. 

Adam's Home & Lawn doesn't just do driveway sealing, though. They will also do gutter cleaning, lawn aeration, and window cleaning as well. As Adam says, it's a total exterior experience for your home. If you're thinking about listing your home, Adam and his guys can give it a complete makeover from top to bottom. 

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It's a total exterior experience for your home.

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In the video above, you can see the stark difference in how my driveway looked before and after they sealed it. It went from looking old and weathered to nice and clean with a matte black finish. It makes the landscaping and the colors of the house really pop.

If you're interested in having any work done on the outside of your home, you can call Adam at (416) 803-3368.

If you have any questions about Toronto real estate or you're thinking of buying or selling a home, give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to help!