Jason Walker Real Estate in Toronto

December 6, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 7,092 residential transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in November – up 11 per cent in comparison to November 2010. At the same time, the number of new listings was up by 14 per cent in comparison to last year. “We have seen strong annual sales growth through the 2011 fall market. The increase in transactions has been broad-based, with strong growth across low-rise and high-rise home types throughout the Greater Toronto Area,” said Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Richard Silver. “The market has also become better supplied, with annual new listings growth outstripping that of sales. As this trend continues into 2012, we will see more balanced market conditions.” The average price for November transactions was $480,421, representing an increase of almost 10 per cent in comparison to $437,494 in November 2010. "Despite strong price growth this year, the housing market remains affordable in the GTA," said J

November 3, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 7,642 home sales through the TorontoMLS® in October 2011. This represented an increase of 17.5 per cent compared to the 6,504 transactions reported in October 2010.Monthly sales data follow a recurring seasonal trend that should be removed before comparing monthly results within the same year. After adjusting for seasonality, the annualized rate of sales for October was 97,100, which was above the average of 90,700 for the first three quarters of 2011."The pace of October resale home transactions remained brisk in the GTA. This bodes well for a strong finish to 2011," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. "Home buyers who found it difficult to make a deal in the spring and summer due to a shortage of listings have benefitted from increased supply in the fall."The average selling price through the TorontoMLS® in October was $478,137 – up eight per cent compared to October 2010."Sellers

Toronto, October 24, 2011 — Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 5,770 condominium apartment transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in the third quarter of 2011, representing a 24 per cent increase over the same period in 2010. The average selling price increased by almost nine per cent to $333,352. “Condominium apartments have accounted for about one-quarter of total existing home sales in the GTA this year. This share is expected to increase moving forward, as new home sales and construction has become increasingly driven by high-rise construction,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. In line with new home sales and construction trends over the last few years, condominium apartment completions have been high so far in 2011. When condo projects reach the completion stage, investors and end users whose housing needs have changed often list their units for sale or rent. “The average annual rate of price growth remained strong in the third quarter, despite the up

Toronto, October 5, 2011 – Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 7,658 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in September – a 25 per cent increase over September 2010. Sales during the first three quarters of 2011 amounted to 70,588, representing a 2.6 per cent increase compared to the first nine months of 2010. “We have experienced strong growth in sales so far this year, with a much more active summer compared to 2010. However, while sales have been strong, we have continued to experience a shortage of listings, resulting in more competition between home buyers,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. “Over the past few months, the listing situation has started to improve, so we expect home buyers will have more homes to choose from in the months ahead.” With annual growth in sales (+25 per cent) outstripping annual growth in new listings (+15 per cent) in September, market conditions became tighter and the average selling price continued to grow by close to 10

Toronto, September 16, 2011 – Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 3,149 transactions during the first 14 days of September, representing an increase of more than 25 per cent in comparison to the first two weeks of September 2010. New listings over the same period, at 6,890, were up by 14 per cent compared to last year. “Purchasing and paying for a home over the long term represents the single largest financial commitment most households will make over a lifetime. To make this commitment, households must be confident in their economic prospects,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. “The fact that sales continued to grow through the first half of September suggests that GTA households remain confident that the economy will remain buoyant.” The average selling price in the first half of September was $454,194 – an increase of 11 per cent compared to the same period in September 2010. “Strong price growth in the GTA continues to be mitigated by a solid affordability pic

Toronto, September 7, 2011 – Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 7,542 sales through the Toronto MLS® system in August – a 24 per cent increase over 6,083 sales in August 2010. New listings, at 12,509, were up by 20 per cent compared to August 2010. Market conditions remained tight as sales growth outstripped growth in new listings. "Home sales in the GTA have stood up well despite a less certain economic outlook," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. "Home sales will be bolstered by low mortgage rates moving forward. The Bank of Canada is expected to be on the sidelines until the second half of 2012 or even into 2013. However, home ownership affordability in the City of Toronto could be further improved with the removal of the City’s land transfer tax. This tax currently represents a substantial upfront cost for home buyers.” With market conditions remaining tight in the GTA, the average selling price continued to grow strongly in August – up by more

Toronto, August 16, 2011 –There were 3,214 sales through the TorontoMLS® system during the first 14 days of August, representing more than a 22.5 per cent increase compared to the same period in August 2010. Year-to-date sales through the 14th of August were all but caught up to last year’s total – down by half a per cent compared to 2010. “The unsettled situation in financial markets over the past few weeks did not appear to sap the confidence of GTA home buyers during the first half of August,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. “Revised forecasts for future Bank of Canada interest rate decisions coupled with the recent announcement by the US Federal Reserve, suggest that interest rate hikes in Canada are on hold at least until sometime in 2012. This is a positive for affordability and should help sustain buyer confidence moving forward.” The average selling price was up by almost seven percent annually during the first 14 days of August to $440,150. “T

Toronto, August 4, 2011 – Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 7,922 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in July 2011, representing a 23 per cent increase over July 2010. Total sales through the first seven months of this year amounted to 55,863 – down by 1.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2010. After adjusting for seasonal fluctuations, the July figure continued to point to an annual sales result close to 90,000 – in line with results from the previous six months. "Strong home sales continued in July, with a substantial rebound over last summer’s slow-down brought about by higher mortgage rates, new lending guidelines and misconceptions about the HST. The greatest rebound was seen in the condominium apartment segment in the City of Toronto," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. "If the current pace of sales holds up, we could see the second best year on record under the current TREB market area." The average selling price in Ju

Toronto, July 18, 2011 – During the first 14 days of July, Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported an increase in sales and the average selling price compared to the first two weeks of July 2010. The number of sales through the TorontoMLS® system was up 35 per cent to 3,609, compared to 2,672 last year. “Low mortgage rates, rising incomes and good news on the jobs front have kept consumers confident in purchasing a home in the Greater Toronto Area. In fact, home buyers are much more confident than they were this time last year when concerns around the HST, interest rate hikes and new mortgage lending rules had temporarily put a damper on home sales,” said Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Richard Silver. Tight market conditions in the GTA drove a strong rate of price growth through the first two weeks July. The average selling price was $464,277 – up 9.6 per cent compared to the average of $423,773 in July 2010. “Enhanced competition between home buyers continued to drive strong p

July 13, 2011 -- The federal government has renewed the ecoEnergy Retrofit – Homes Program, which provides grants of up to $5,000 to eligible homeowners to make energy efficiency upgrades to their homes. Details The renewed program is effective from June 6, 2011 until March 31, 2012. Homeowners who participated in the previous version of the program before April 1, 2011, and who did not receive the maximum amount of $5,000 can submit another application for improvements purchased and installed after June 6, 2011. There are two important changes to the program. First, there is a requirement for participants to register directly with the program before booking their evaluation. Second, homeowners will now be required to provide receipts to their energy advisor at the time of the post-retrofit evaluation to confirm eligibility for the grant. More Information / How to Apply Detailed information on the federal ecoEnergy Retrofit – Homes Program, including the application process, is availa

NEWS RELEASE***** Toronto, July 8, 2011 – The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) today responded to more legal and publicity manoeuvres by the Commissioner of the Competition Bureau. “The Commissioner is pressuring TREB to make changes to TREB's own property listing system (MLS®) that TREB believes would violate consumer privacy laws, reduce the quality of the system, and diminish protection for consumers who list their homes in the Greater Toronto real estate market,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. TREB believes strongly in open competition within a housing market where consumers can be ensured privacy and quality. TREB has recently taken steps to provide secure password-protected websites designed to allow consumers to search and display MLS® listing data. The Commissioner is pressuring TREB to go further to release private data about individual consumers openly on the internet. TREB believes that would be reckless and, in fact, a violation of the law. “T

Toronto, July 6, 2011 – Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 10,230 home sales through the TorontoMLS® system in June 2011 – up 21 per cent compared to June 2010. This number represented the third best June result on record behind 2007 and 2009. The number of transactions during the first six months of 2011 amounted to 48,189 – down by 4.5 per cent compared to the first half of 2010. “The strong June result capped off an interesting first half of 2011,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. “The pace of sales was a bit sluggish at the beginning of the year, but rebounded in May and June. Because of the positive affordability picture, home buyers remained confident in their ability to purchase and pay for a home over the long term.” The average price for June transactions was $476,371 – a 9.5 per cent increase over June 2010. Through the first six months of the year, the average selling price was $467,169 – almost an eight per cent increase compared to the same period

TORONTO, June 9, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS®, and the public, continue to look forward to the fulfillment of the election commitment, of Mayor Rob Ford and numerous City Councillors, to repeal the Toronto Land Transfer Tax. “It is clear that the public expects the Mayor and City Council to move forward with the commitment to repeal the Toronto Land Transfer Tax, and it is unlikely that they will forget about this. This is a significant tax: it costs the average Toronto home buyer almost $6,500, and when added to the Provincial Land Transfer Tax, average Toronto homebuyers face almost $14,000 in land transfer taxes. REALTORS® look forward to working with the Mayor and City Council on a reasonable approach to deliver on this promise,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Bill Johnston. TREB has consistently opposed the Toronto Land Transfer Tax as an unfair tax that hurts Toronto’s economy. TREB strongly believes that the commitment by Mayor Rob Ford, and numerous City Council

June 3, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 10,046 sales in May 2011 – up six per cent compared to May 2010. This result was the second best on record for May under the current Toronto Real Estate Board service area. The number of new listings in May, at 16,076, was down 15 per cent compared to last year. "Positive economic news and low borrowing costs led to strong sales through the first five months of the year, including the increase in May," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Bill Johnston. "At the same time, the market has become much tighter compared to last year, due to a substantial dip in new listings." Homes were on the market for an average of 23 days and sold for an average price of $485,520– up nine per cent compared to $446,593 in May 2010. The strongest rate of price growth was experienced for single-detached homes sold in the City of Toronto. "We have seen clear-cut seller's market conditions emerge over the past two to three m

TORONTO, May 18, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,774 sales through the TorontoMLS® during the first two weeks of May 2011. This result was two per cent lower than the May 2010 figure of 4,887. “The strong sales reported for the first half of May reflect the positive economic outlook for the GTA. With the number of jobs increasing and earnings growing, it makes sense that households remain confident in their ability to purchase and pay for a home over the long term,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Bill Johnston. The average selling price for the first 14 days of May was $486,223 – an increase of more than eight per cent compared to the same period in 2010. “The average home selling price has been growing at a faster rate over the last two months. This is not surprising given that the number of homes available for sale has been down substantially in comparison to 2010. Increased competition between buyers for available listings has prompted enhanced upward pressur

TORONTO, May 4, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 9,041 existing home sales through the Toronto MLS® system in April 2011. This result was down 17 per cent compared April 2010 when sales spiked to a new record of 10,898. While off last year’s record result, April 2011 sales were in line with the average April sales level reported over the previous five years. “Existing home sales have been strong from a historic perspective through the first four months of 2011. Expect the pace of sales to remain robust through the spring, as the economy expands and home buyers continue to benefit from affordable home ownership opportunities,” said Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Bill Johnston. Market conditions tightened markedly over the last year. April 2011 sales accounted for 62 per cent of new listings during the month – up substantially from 53 per cent in April 2010. Tighter conditions resulted in the average April selling price growing by nine per cent annually to $477,407

TORONTO, APRIL 18, 2011 ‐‐ Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,444 sales during the first two weeks of April 2011 – a three per cent decrease compared to the first two weeks of April 2010. The number of new listings was down by 21 per cent compared to the same period last year. “Sales activity was quite strong during the first two weeks of April. If this level of activity is sustained for the remainder of the month, we could see April transactions close to last year’s record result. Positive economic news has kept households confident in their ability to purchase and pay for a home over the long term,” said TREB President Bill Johnston. The average selling price for firm deals reported through the first two weeks of April was $483,165, representing a 12 per cent increase over the average price of $430,271 reported during the same period last year. “The number of homes listed for sale so far in 2011 has been below expectations. Market conditions have tightened, resulting in increased

Toronto SUN Column March 11, 2011 -- Bill Johnston, President of the Toronto Real Estate Board. The process of buying a home involves many crucial decisions and few are as important as the location you choose. Identifying a great neighbourhood before it becomes well known can make an already solid investment even more lucrative in the long term, but with gentrification well underway throughout the majority of Toronto, spotting such opportunities can be challenging. With the help of a Greater Toronto REALTOR® though, you'll find that there are a number of neighbourhoods throughout the city that offer modest prices and their own unique flare. If for example, you've always wished for a little place near the water, Lakeshore Village, located along Lakeshore Boulevard West between Kipling and Islington, could be the right neighbourhood for you. Featuring property near the waterfront, this area may lack a bustling boardwalk but it does include its share of parkland. Many of the stree

March 3, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 6,266 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in February 2011. This result was 14 per cent lower than the record sales reported in February 2010. While not representing a record, February 2011 sales were 50 per cent higher than the number reported in February 2009 during the recession and slightly higher than the average February sales over the previous ten years. "Continued improvement in the GTA economy, including growth in jobs and incomes and a declining unemployment rate, has kept the demand for ownership housing strong," said Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Bill Johnston. The average selling price for February 2011 transactions was $454,423, which was more than five per cent higher than the average selling price reported in February 2010. "Market conditions remain quite tight in the GTA. There is enough competition between home buyers to promote continued price growth," said Jason Mercer, TRE

January 6, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,395 existing home sales for the month of December, bringing the 2010 total to 86,170 – down by one per cent compared to 2009. "Market conditions were anything but uniform in 2010. We went from super-charged sales activity during the first four months of the year, to a marked drop-off in transactions in the summer and then in the fall saw sales climb back to levels that are sustainable over the longer term," said TREB President Bill Johnston. "New Federal Government-mandated mortgage lending guidelines, higher borrowing costs and misconceptions about the HST caused a pause in home buying in the summer. As it became clear that the HST was not applicable to the sale price of an existing home and buyers realized that home ownership remained affordable, market conditions improved," continued Johnston. The average home selling price in 2010 was $431,463 – up nine per cent in comparison to the 2009 average selling pr