Richard Silver’s Downtown Toronto Blog

Everyday someone walks up to me with a hound-dog face and wants to know if I am OK and how I am dealing with the Toronto’s Real Estate market today.

They must think I am crazy or lying because I often say that I am loving it! It’s true however! I’m coming out: I like CHANGE!

I like a downturn because it makes you more creative. It makes you reassess all that you do and try to find the benefit for clients and business.

It makes me look at my technology and systems and drop the ones that don’t work and streamline the ones that do or…look at new technology. (Read on …)

Just as it is important to have a great Mortgage Broker who you can depend on, I have also been very lucky to know one of the best minds in the Toronto Real Estate appraisal business, Barry Lebow. Barry is not shy about giving you his thoughts so I asked him for some suggestions for Sellers and Buyers in Today’s Real Estate Market:

(Read on …)

Back in 2002 I had an international award winning web site that was recognized by the Realtors in a US magazine as one of the top ten sites, however, I was surpassed on the search engine Google by a newcomer who had been in my marketplace for one year (I had been over 22 years). After doing some soul searching and speaking to some great tech minds, I came across Bruce Lamb of Avalanche Networks. (Read on …)

Last year sadly I had to sell my father’s condo out west. I knew a few Realtors from the area but as executor of my Dad’s estate, I felt it was my fiduciary duty to keep arms length from the transaction, so I did what I suggest most sellers do…. (Read on …)

There are some great opportunities in the Toronto Home Market right now. Here is a great thought from my favourite Mortgage Broker, David Smith of Oriana Financial. (Read on …)

Over the years of my buying and selling, and that of my clients, I have established a very strong rapport with my Mortgage Broker. I can count on him to give me good advice, be conservative when I am on a flight of fancy, or feed me the realism that an insecure cockeyed optimist needs when I get down about my personal market exposure.

(Read on …)

Greater Toronto Home Resales at 1,500 in Mid December

TORONTO, December 17, 2008 — Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 1,487 resale transactions during the first half of December, from 2,868 sales recorded in the same period a year ago, Toronto Real Estate Board President Maureen O’Neill announced today.

The average price of a home in the Greater Toronto Area is currently $360,652. This (Read on …)

Sadly, most Toronto Sellers are still pricing above the market as it starts to move down. They are following the market down at too slow a rate rather than jumping the market a bit and ending up being sold first.  They are always above the market and not in the market. Make sure that you price your Toronto property to reflect Today’s Buyer’s market and that you are committed to selling.

For information about Toronto pricing, please contact me at mail@richardsilver.com. I’ll happily give you information and advice.

The following is a list of expenses normally incurred by a Buyer when completing the purchase of a Residential property within Toronto.

 1. Legal Fees: The tariff rate for residential properties is between .25% and .5% of the purchase price, normally not to exceed $1,450.00. Lawyers may negotiate their fees (Read on …)

The following is a list of expenses normally incurred by a Seller when completing the sale of a Residential property within Toronto.

 1. Legal Fees: The tariff rate for residential properties is between .25% and .5% of the purchase price, normally not to exceed $1,450.00. Lawyers may negotiate their fees and will provide individual quotes when requested.However, in general, the costs for Selling a home should be less than those for Buying, as the Seller’s Lawyer mostly responds to the Buyer’s requests. (Read on …)