Justin Loncaric

Justin Loncaric We help Burlington families move up to their next home using our Home Run Method.

The first offer is often the easiest one to reject, and the hardest one to replace.A buyer comes through on day two and ...
08/18/2026

The first offer is often the easiest one to reject, and the hardest one to replace.

A buyer comes through on day two and makes an offer.

It may be lower than you hoped. It may come sooner than expected. And almost immediately, the questions begin.

👉🏻 Are we selling too quickly?
👉🏻 Should we wait for something better?
👉🏻 If this buyer appeared already, won’t another one come along?

Maybe.

But the next buyer may offer less. They may have weaker financing, more conditions or a home they need to sell first.

The buyer who arrives early has often been watching the market for weeks. They know what else is available. They have their financing ready, and when the right home appears, they act.

That does not mean you should accept any early offer.

It means you should compare the offer in front of you with the realities of the market. Not with an imaginary buyer who may never arrive.

Look at the price, deposit, conditions, closing date and likelihood that the deal will actually close. Then make a calm, informed decision.

Your first buyer will not always be your best buyer.

But never dismiss them simply because they arrived before you expected them.

08/18/2026

After 25 years in real estate, I’ve learned that the market rarely gives you a perfect moment to move.

There are better markets and worse ones. Interest rates rise and fall. Inventory changes.

Prices shift. And the headlines often change before most people have finished worrying about the last one.

But the market is only one part of the decision.

The better questions are usually much closer to home:

👉🏻Does your current home still work for your family?
👉🏻Can you comfortably afford the next step, not only the mortgage, but the taxes, maintenance and everything else that comes with it?
👉🏻Would moving make daily life meaningfully better?
👉🏻Are you solving a real problem, or reacting to pressure, fear or a headline?
👉🏻And if the market changed six months after you moved, would you still feel good about the decision?

You cannot control interest rates, buyer demand or what your neighbour’s house sells for.

You can understand your numbers. Y

ou can compare your options. You can build in a financial cushion. And you can decide whether the benefits of moving are worth the cost and disruption for your family.

Sometimes the numbers and your life line up.

Sometimes they don’t.

And after 25 years, I’m just as comfortable telling someone to stay put as I am helping them move.

Good real estate advice should help you make the right decision, not simply make a transaction happen.

If you’re wondering whether moving makes sense for your family, I’m always happy to talk it through.

No pressure and no assumption that moving is the answer

08/18/2026

A buyer asked for $7,500 cash back from the seller after closing.

It may sound harmless, but it could be mortgage fraud.

Here’s why I had to say no.

08/17/2026

Your house isn’t sitting because the Burlington market is slow.

It’s sitting because buyers think you’re asking too much.

This August update may annoy a few sellers.

Everyone wants a complicated explanation for why a house isn’t selling.

Interest rates. The economy. Summer holidays. Bad timing.

Sometimes the answer is much simpler, and much harder to hear.

Watch before you blame the market. đź‘€

08/16/2026

Keeping a home ready for showings is a different kind of tired.

It’s making every bed before school. Clearing the counter after every meal. And asking everyone, again, why there are six pairs of shoes at the front door.

When we sold our own home, we learned a few tricks that made it easier.

👉🏻Use one washroom as a family and keep the others clean and ready for showings.
👉🏻Buy a “bed-in-a-bag” set just for the primary suite. Before you leave, pop it over your everyday bedding, add the matching pillows and you’re done. It is much easier than trying to keep the bedding you sleep in looking clean and crisp every day.
👉🏻Keep a large basket nearby for last-minute clutter. Toys, paperwork and all the other things without a home can go into the basket and then straight into the trunk of your car. My wife occasionally did the same thing with a basket of dirty laundry.
👉🏻We also kept snacks, drinks and a few essentials in the car so we could stay out for a couple of hours without everyone getting hungry and cranky.

Focus most of your effort on the rooms buyers notice first: the kitchen, main living area, primary bedroom and bathrooms.

The goal is not to make your house look as though nobody lives there. It is to make it clean, comfortable and easy for a buyer to picture their own family living there.

You are selling a family home. It is allowed to look like a family lives there.

The trick is having a system that gets everyone out the door without losing your mind.

08/16/2026

You don’t hate your home.

Your family has simply outgrown it.

But before you convince yourself to “make it work” for one more year, watch this.

What would life feel like if your home actually worked for your family again?

More room for the kids. Less chaos in the mornings.

Space to host without playing a game of human Tetris.

It sounds great, until the “what ifs” begin.

In this video, I explain how our Home Run Method helps families replace the fear and guesswork with a clear plan for what comes next.

Take a listen.

Your child hates the new house. And now you’re wondering if moving was a mistake.Before you let the guilt take over, foc...
08/16/2026

Your child hates the new house. And now you’re wondering if moving was a mistake.

Before you let the guilt take over, focus on what they are really missing.

👉🏻Is it their old friends?
👉🏻Their school?
👉🏻Their bedroom?
👉🏻Their routine?
👉🏻Or the feeling that they had no say in what happened?

Once you know what is hurting, you can help with something specific.

Arrange regular plans with old friends. Help them choose something for their new room.

Walk the new route to school together. Find one activity where they can begin meeting people. Keep familiar family routines in place while everything else feels new.

Do not dismiss their feelings or rush them to “look on the bright side.”

But do not assume their unhappiness means the move was wrong either.

You made the best decision you could for your family.

Now the goal is not to prove that decision was perfect. It is to help your child feel heard, rebuild some familiarity and slowly find their place again.

And if the struggle is lasting or affecting their sleep, appetite, schoolwork or overall wellbeing, reach out to their teacher, family doctor or a mental health professional for extra support.

The bank says you can afford it.Your life may say otherwise.A pre-approval tells you what a lender may be willing to len...
08/15/2026

The bank says you can afford it.

Your life may say otherwise.

A pre-approval tells you what a lender may be willing to lend.

It does not however know how much your family spends on hockey, dance, travel, takeout or anything else you enjoy.

That is why your maximum approval and your comfortable budget are NOT the same number.

Before looking at homes, decide what monthly payment lets you keep living the way you want to live.

Include property taxes, utilities, insurance, maintenance and all the other costs that come with owning a home.

The goal is not to buy the most expensive home the bank will approve.

It is to buy a home you can enjoy without worrying about the payment every month.

The tip screen has entered places it was never invited.Buying a coffee? Tip.Grabbing a gelato? Tip.Picking up your own t...
08/15/2026

The tip screen has entered places it was never invited.

Buying a coffee? Tip.
Grabbing a gelato? Tip.
Picking up your own takeout order? Tip.
Paying for a basic service online? There’s now an option to tip.

I’ve even seen tip prompts at bakeries, retail counters and places where someone simply handed me something I had already paid for.

To be clear, I’m not against tipping. I happily tip servers, bartenders, hairstylists, delivery drivers and others who provide personal service.

But somewhere along the way, tipping seems to have shifted from rewarding good service to being presented as part of almost every transaction.

And yes, the tip is optional.

But when the machine is turned toward you with 18%, 20% and 25% staring back, hitting “no tip” can feel like you’ve just announced to the room that you’re a terrible person.

So, here’s a light debate for a Friday afternoon:

👉🏻 When do you believe a tip is appropriate, and when do you feel comfortable pressing “no tip”?

👉🏻 Has tipping culture gone too far, or have our expectations around tipping simply changed?

08/14/2026

Your home has been sitting. Is it time to fire your agent?

Maybe. But changing agents does not automatically fix the reason your home has not sold.

Buyers notice days on market. They may wonder what is wrong, assume there is room to negotiate or simply scroll past a listing they have already seen.

Before blaming the agent, look at the evidence.

👉🏻Is the home priced properly for today’s market?
👉🏻Does it show well?
👉🏻Are the photos and marketing strong?
👉🏻Is it easy to book a showing?
👉🏻Are different buyers repeating the same concern?

A new sign on the lawn will not fix an unrealistic price, a difficult showing schedule or something buyers repeatedly object to.

It may also mean losing the feedback and market knowledge your current agent has already gathered.

That does not mean you should stay with an agent who is not communicating, marketing your home properly or giving you honest advice.

But firing your agent out of frustration is not a strategy.

Days on market is information. It is not a diagnosis.

If your listing has gone quiet, download our free When Your Home Doesn’t Sell Guide.

It will help you review the evidence, understand what may be holding the sale back and decide what needs to change next.

Address

3185 Harvester Road Unit 1
Burlington, ON
L7N3N8

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Justin Loncaric posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Justin Loncaric:

Shortcuts

Share

Category