Home Sweet Karyn

03/13/2023

01/25/2023

If I could only work between the months of April and November and BYPASS selling real estate in the winter, I would. 🤪🤪 Things that make selling in the cold months super glam -

▪️when I discover the lockbox is frozen shut - and have to combine a deicer from Home Hardware thaw with a hairdryer (plugged into a giant extension cord) working at full might to thaw it
▪️mopping and mopping and re-mopping my listing’s floors because of salt stains
▪️jockeying for that limited city street parking spot and then having to dig the car out after
▪️shovelling and salting and scraping ice
▪️unsexy Sorrel boots all day and every day
▪️hooking up the computer to a hot spot to draft deals in the car and needing to turn the engine on and off to equalize keeping warm vs blowing the battery

We work in the winter though because homeowners need to move every day of the year — through rain, sleet and blizzardesque weather like today. Sellers who list their homes for sale in the winter with me can expect two guarantees: you’ll get fewer showings but more serious buyers. Because only someone serious would choose getting out in this muck than cozying up by a fire tonight. 🤪🤪

Reasons why waiting until the spring to sell doesn’t always mean more money…

❄️ Blue skies and snow-covered yards help homes sparkle and interiors can look extra cozy and inviting.
❄️ There is typically less inventory in the winter which means - fewer choices for eager buyers
❄️ Large corporations tend to make their personnel changes and relocations at the beginning of the year. These relocations bring motivated homebuyers who are looking to get settled quickly.
❄️ A sold sign in February often means an inviting spring move date for the buyer
❄️ History —> the last two major market shifts happened in April 2017 and March 2022. Those who sold before those dates had more cash in their pocket.

Have questions about the market this winter 2023? Message me 📲

01/20/2023

Wait until we get our hands on your property… 😜

So you’ve made the decision to work with us to sell your home. 🫶🏼 You anxiously (but excitedly) invite us in to give you our notes on what we recommend you “edit” and move before we take over and transform/market your space to prospective buyers.

Allow me to warn you. The following are REAL responses from past clients: 🤣

👱‍♂️“Are you for real?
👩‍🦰 “We hate you, lol.”
👴 “Seems a bit extreme?”

This is WHY we often leave you with a very detailed list of items to pack up after the initial staging consult:

▪️Too much clutter communicates to a buyer that the space is small
▪️Your personal items make it harder to allow a buyer to imagine a home as their own
▪️Excess furniture allows the positive features of the room to be less obvious
▪️Neutral wall decor removes distractions and gets buyers to draw their attention to the home’s strongest selling features
▪️Plants add warmth and make a space inviting
▪️Streamlined decor is more appealing and gives buyers the confidence that it has been taken care of over the years.

And while it may seem like a lot of work when you get “the list”, rest assured I have professional packing services, movers and storage facilities on speed dial if you need it. Anddddd when it’s complete, just think ~~ half of your final move is already done!! PS: never have I ever had a seller client unhappy with the final look.

Pictured 👆🏻above with the Nestings Home Staging & Design team ❤️

01/20/2023

A hot design trend for 2023? Curves and arches ~~ according to the interior design experts. Say bye-bye to sharp edges and hello to softer shapes in homes this year, like arched doorways and entries, curved furniture, and rounded sculptural forms. Which is wonderful news to us since this curvy statement entry door, crafted by Toronto’s 1925Workbenchh is jaw-droppingly gorgeous 😍

🚪📸: 1925Workbench

01/19/2023

Flashback to when my golden retriever, Wesley, was a wee puppy and I used him in a lifestyle film…to sell a 2+ million dollar stunner of a house…and get lots of media attention and views and love…and a bully offer in just 2 days. If you think shooting with puppies in real-life properties is easy…think again 🤣. Worth it in this case though? Absolutely.

Karyn Filiatrault shared a post on Instagram: "Flashback to when my golden retriever, Wesley, was a wee puppy and I used him in a lifestyle film…to sell a 2+ million dollar stunner of a house…and get lots of media attention and views and love…and a bully offer in just 2 days. If you think shoo...

01/17/2023

My heart overflows with gratitude when I receive client testimonials like these. When you trust me + the results thrill you? That is everything ✨🙏

“Karyn is a real estate Game Changer/Godsend and there is no better way to say it. She is 100% the reason I experienced the incredible success with my condo sale. I had been on the fence about selling for roughly 5 years before making the decision to do so. I had quit my job and had moved back to my hometown, Montreal, which had allowed me to rent my condo out at a pretty decent price. Karyn kept in touch with me during that time the way most agents will do, helping me to understand the market, the opportunities, etc. But during this time, Karyn also got to know me as a human being and fellow sister working for a living. She knew what I wanted, what I needed, what I cared about, where I was at in my life, and she factored in all of this when considering my options. Karyn was able to time things perfectly because she stayed connected. She knew when to move and how to move in an uncertain market to hit every beat of the process and position us to win. She had ideas and solutions for everything and had the relationships with her team and the people around her to move mountains. I quite literally did nothing in this whole process except make the call to Karyn. And I never once had to visit Toronto to make all of this happen. I’m not sure I will ever experience this kind of service or success again in my lifetime. So thank you, Karyn. This was all you and I’m forever grateful. You’re a keeper.” (~ T. Ronci)

01/17/2023

I’ve taken a number of calls this week from past clients and new ones asking how the market is performing so far this (new) year.

Happy to take your property-specific questions any time privately (DM me!), but in the meantime here are my mid-January 2023 real estate observations so far —

1️⃣ Very little new, hot product (listings) out there so we’re starting to see properties list with offer nights again

2️⃣ I’ve seen an uptick in showings + agents calling me re: listings I pulled last year due to lack of activity (suggesting a return of buyers to the marketplace)

3️⃣ The bulk of the correction (and scary news headlines) due to interest rate changes last year really happened between April and August last year. From September to December sales were down but prices remained pretty stable. I think people have started to become more comfortable with the current rate climate because so far January has been the same. I haven’t seen any OMG sale prices.

4️⃣ The bulk of my coming-soon sellers aren’t selling because of changes to the marketplace last year but changes to their own lives - downsizing & retirement, provincial relocation and/or outgrowing their space & wanting more (NOT because they can’t make their mortgage payments). This compliments my long time advice that the best time to sell is usually unique to your situation.

5️⃣ The general outlook feels more optimistic this year than last (which gave us the peak of Omicron, closed schools, the announcement of Ukraine/Russian war, & the Freedom Convoy political unrest)

6️⃣ If I were in the market to buy right now, I’d not be waiting too much longer. The bulk of the price correction is behind us, the market isn’t flooded with competition the way it historically has, and expect inflation to come down and immigration numbers to grow as the weeks tick by.

01/10/2023

Interesting real estate numbers to close out the last month of 2023! Detached prices were actually up by double-digits year over year, and condos barely saw a change at all. Semi-detached on the other hand… 🫤 (perhaps your sign on where to invest in 2023? Especially considering the way the gap b/w condos and semis is tightening… 🤔)

**Keep in mind these stats are for central Toronto; not your neighbourhood specifically. Message or email if you would like to see how yours is doing.