With the change in temperature and the end of that laid-back mood of summer, fall always feels like a shift in gears. Changing around your wardrobe and getting ready for those cool days and nights are almost upon us. With the fall market in full swing, the unpredictability of Toronto real estate is perplexing at times. Sales have been recovering and stronger than we expected in recent months. It seems that we are in full recovery with 6 straight months of sales increases for existing homes. Mortgage rates are dropping, and the impact of the mortgage stress test seems to have diminished slightly. Sellers are becoming a little bit more realistic in their pricing, but listings still remain low causing fierce competition among buyers.
What a difference a week makes! The real estate market is red hot. Again, this is all neighbourhood specific, but overall activity in the 416 continues to be very strong as demonstrated by some crazy sales last week. It’s not uncommon to see multiple offers on most properties that are listed with an attractive low asking price. We ask this question over and over – do you list low to create that bidding war or list at market value? If you ask around you will get mixed reviews. But the statistics show that last week 60% of all the freehold residential sales were sold at or above the asking price. The highest percentage we have seen since the spring market. It is encouraging to see a continued resurgence in the demand for ownership housing.