Robyn VanderVennen - Bosley Real Estate

02/06/2023

New Listing
TH3 - 215 Grand Avenue

Stunning 3-storey freehold townhome backing on a quiet ravine! 3-bedrooms, 3-baths, and renovated with modern touches that you're going to love. Trendy open concept living room/dining room; warm hardwood floors; eat-in kitchen with stainless-steel appliances, ample storage, and a walkout to a quiet deck; spacious main bedroom with a 4-piece ensuite and double closets; third-floor family room (or bedroom) with a cozy gas fireplace, cathedral ceilings, and a private treetop deck with city views; ground level rec room includes a 3-piece bath and walks out to a tree-filled fenced terrace. Private drive and garage and also moments from transit, restaurants, parks, schools, trails, and grocery stores.

Open House
Feb 11 + Feb 12
2PM - 4PM
List Price $1,489,000
MLS

https://www.kimkehoe.com/listings/th3-215-grand-avenue/

Stunning 3-storey freehold townhome backing on a quiet ravine! 3-bedrooms, 3-baths, and renovated with modern touches that you're going to love

02/02/2023

New Listing
#502 - 3865 Lake Shore Blvd West

Bright and airy unit in the heart of beautiful Long Branch, with its small neighbourhood feel and close proximity to downtown. This 1-bedroom unit has a spacious and functional floorplan including a private foyer/entranceway; a sun-filled living room with large south-facing windows; a open-concept kitchen with ample storage, granite counters, and a breakfast bar; three closets of storage space plus a separate locker; a 4-piece bath with a deep tub; and an oversized terrace overlooking neighbouring Marie Curtis park. Located in a boutique building that's well maintained, has seasonal social activities, and features a 6th floor terrace with bbq access. Parking for 1 car, but also steps away from the lake/beach, waterfront trails, schools, restaurants, grocery stores, and cafes. Moments from the Long Branch Go Station (on the Lakeshore West line), the Long Branch Loop (access to the Queen streetcar and other TTC/Mississauga transit bus routes), and the QEW/427.

List Price $599,000
MLS

https://www.kimkehoe.com/.../502-3865-lake-shore-blvd-west/

Welcome to #502 - 3865 Lake Shore Blvd West in the heart of beautiful Long Branch. This unit offers a functional space & parking. Contact us for more info.

09/23/2022

From FOMO to FOOP and Why You Should Still Buy a House

Buyers have gone from "fear of missing out" to "fear of overpaying," or so Blog T.O. would have you believe in their article, but I've never met a buyer who wasn't afraid of overpaying. I conceded that consumer confidence in the real estate market is low.

Here's the situation: Buyers have always been afraid of overpaying. But, in the olden days (ahem, February 2022), when we were in a scorching market, the Fear of Missing Out often trumped the Fear of Over Paying.

The only way to buy a house in Toronto was to slightly overpay for it and then wait for the market values to rise to meet your house price, which often only took a few weeks. Overpaying is better than missing out on the market (or the house) in a market trending upwards.

Now, we are in a market trending downwards, which is understandably scary for buyers and sellers. In some neighbourhoods in Toronto, the market has gone down as much as twenty percent and is projected to continue to decline into next year.

However, this should not stop you from buying a house. The price decline correlates directly with rising interest rates. So, even with prices dropping, your monthly payments will be higher than those who bought in February. If you are locked into a pre-approved interest rate right now, you should buy soon to take advantage of that rate. We expect that interest rates will continue to rise.

Also, let's reframe the story of what buying a house means. Buying a house means buying yourself security, both financially but also emotionally. You are purchasing a home. You should get comfortable with the idea that you may buy a house and then watch the house values go down a bit more.

If you have purchased a home that you like and plan on staying there for longer than five years, you are well insulated against market fluctuations.

As we've said before, it is tough to time a market, and if you happen to be clairvoyant and know precisely when the market is at its bottom, the chances that you'll find your dream house in those conditions are negligible. The best time to buy a home is when you need a new house.

As long as you can pay your monthly bills and can stay there for five years or more, you'll be just fine. Real estate was never meant to be a short term investment windfall.

There is one caveat, you should worry about the downward trend in values if you have little cash. If you're buying a house or condo for under 1 million dollars and are paying only the minimum downpayment on that purchase, you may end up in trouble if the market goes down again.

The more cash you have in your home, the better. It is essential to set yourself up so that if the market goes down another five or ten percent, your home is still worth more than what you owe the bank.

Overpaying is better than missing out on the market in a market trending upwards. Real estate was never meant to be a short term investment windfall.

08/08/2022

New Listing
1819 Stonepath Crescent

Timeless 5-bedroom detached home on a quiet tree-lined street in coveted Rockwood Village! Classic floorplan with large principle rooms; hardwood floors and wainscotting; formal living room with french doors and bay windows; extra family room with a cozy fireplace and a walk-out to the backyard patio; bright and open kitchen with a separate breakfast nook and mudroom; lots of storage space throughout; main bedroom with a 4-piece ensuite; finished basement with a retro-style bar and rec room. Large corner lot with an incredible split layout–pool on one side and a private fenced yard on the other. Private drive and 2-car garage but also moments from transit, schools, parks, trails along the Etobicoke creek, and groceries/shops.

List Price $1,689,000
MLS

Timeless 5-bedroom detached home on a quiet tree-lined street in coveted Rockwood Village Large corner lot with an incredible split layout!

08/04/2022

Spacious, Sunfilled Open Concept Studio Located In Upper Forest Hill. Parking Spots Be Available For Rent Base On Availability. Steps To Transit And Shops.

05/25/2022

SOLD
34 Hannaford Street

Charming two bedroom/two bath semi in Upper Beaches! Lots to love--a welcoming front porch overlooking a quiet tree-lined street; trendy open-concept living/dining room with a cozy gas fireplace; wood and hardwood floors throughout; bright east and west-facing windows for gorgeous sunlight all day; fully renovated kitchen with stainless-steel appliances, stylish quartz counters, ample storage space, and a walk-out to a private back deck; main bedroom with leafy tree-top views; and a finished basement with a 3-piece bathroom. Minutes from transit, shops, restaurants, schools, trails, and parks!

MLS
Listing Price: $848,000
http://property.metroviews.ca/1529-34-Hannaford-St
https://www.kimkehoe.com/listings/34-hannaford-street/

Charming two bedroom/two bath semi in Upper Beaches! Lots to love Minutes from transit, shops, restaurants, schools, trails, and parks!

05/12/2022

#146 - 284 St Helens Avenue

Rarely offered 1+1 bedroom / 2 bathroom unit in a boutique low-rise building! This true hard loft is in a century-old mattress factory and is filled with modern style and cool industrial touches--11 ft ceilings; trendy open-concept floorplan; two levels of living space; exposed posts and beams; hardwood floors; stylish kitchen with quartz counters, stainless-steel appliances, and a granite sink; recently fully-renovated bathrooms including a deep-soaking tub; ample storage space with a walk-in closet and crawlspace; large north-facing windows with leafy views; and a private quiet terrace! Parking for 1 car but also minutes from UpExpress, the subway and other TTC routes, MOCA, shops, restaurants, parks, and schools!

List Price $799,000
MLS

http://property.metroviews.ca/1523-Unit-146-284-St-Helens...
https://www.kimkehoe.com/listings/146-284-st-helens-avenue/

This true hard loft is in a century-old mattress factory and is filled with modern style and cool industrial touches

04/28/2022

NEW LISTING
147 Campbell Avenue

Stylish century-old home in coveted Junction Triangle! Numerous updates throughout and finished with modern charm and character; sunny open-concept main floor; exposed brick walls; new luxury flooring; custom arched doorways; renovated kitchen with LG stainless-steel appliances and quartz counters; newly installed radiant floor heating; bright sunroom with a skylight makes an excellent home office space; second-floor ductless A/C; spacious main bedroom with cathedral ceilings, large west-facing windows, and an additional loft space; back sunroom makes a quiet breakfast nook and walks out to the leafy backyard; basement with a separate entrance (excellent potential for an income or family suite). Private parking pad. Minutes from TTC, GO, UP Express, parks, restaurants, shops, and schools!

List Price $899,000
MLS

OPEN HOUSE
APRIL 30TH – MAY 1ST
2PM – 4PM

https://www.kimkehoe.com/listings/147-campbell-avenue/
http://property.metroviews.ca/1517-147-Campbell-Ave-

Stylish century-old home in coveted Junction Triangle! Numerous updates throughout and finished with modern charm and character.

04/22/2022

Open Bidding: Yay! Or Nay?

I squealed with delight when I read the headlines that Ontario will allow open bidding in real estate. Hooray! No more will buyers feel like they are bidding against themselves. No more will buyers feel like the real estate market is rigged against them.

And… then I read the article. It turns out that open bidding will be available only if the seller opts for it. Ah. There’s the rub. This is a toothless announcement that will not change the game at all.

So what’s the story?

Currently, it is against privacy laws for the seller or the listing agent to disclose the contents of a buyer’s offer to competing buyers. When multiple buyers are offering on the same house simultaneously, we call this a bidding war.

Sellers create bidding wars by intentionally underpricing their homes and setting a specific date for when they will review offers. The sellers must disclose how many competing offers there are, but they are not allowed to disclose the terms of those other offers, such as price, conditions, closing, or the deposit amount.

This system means that buyers need to decide how much over the list price they’re going to offer, and they never know if their offer is low or high compared to other offers. Buyers should know the property's value because they will have reviewed the comparable sold properties with their real estate agent before offering (hopefully!) So, they know the value, but they don’t know the other offers.

This leads to heartbreak when the house sells for a price that the buyer would have been willing to pay. It also makes buyers feel crushing panic when they win an offer because they’re convinced they overpaid.

So-called “blind bidding” is not in the buyer's best interest, but it is in the best interest of the seller.

Why is open bidding bad for sellers? There’s a chance that they’ll make less money on offer night. Sometimes buyers will offer significantly over market value for a property because there are many offers on offer night, and they don’t want to miss out. We’ve been involved in enough bidding wars to know that this happens less than people think. Often, the winning offers are very close, and houses sell for pretty close to the market value.

However, the frenzy of a bidding war will be lost in open bidding. Open bidding at the discretion of the seller is a non-starter. Very few sellers will opt for this kind of process because they’ll worry about leaving money on the table.

It’s a great idea in theory. But, sellers should not be the gatekeepers to a policy that benefits buyers.

This announcement sounds excellent. Who doesn’t want more transparency in real estate? But, it doesn’t achieve anything.

Good luck out there! And stay safe.

As always, Stay safe
Robyn VanderVennen

The bidding process for buying real estate in Ontario has changed, but what's the full story? We break it down for you right here.

04/08/2022

Is the Toronto Real Estate Market Cooling Off?

The news is churning out many words about interest rates and not much of the cooling-off period “Homebuyer Protection Period” legislation proposed by the B.C government. Real estate agents in Toronto are watching this news closely because, like a little sibling, Toronto often copies whatever Vancouver does in the land of real estate.

The big question is, will a cooling-off period help to slow our market and ease affordability? Likely not. This legislation will almost definitely miss the mark.

Let’s get into it:

What is the proposed cooling-off period?

The B.C government has produced a broad sketch of the idea with no specifics. But let’s assume that it means that a buyer can purchase a property, and then that buyer will have seven to ten days to get out of their agreement consequence-free. (This is how the cooling-off period works in Ontario if you’re buying new construction. )

This homebuyer protection period is designed to solve a real problem, where buyers are forced to waive their rights to conditions in their offers to win a bid. Offering with a “firm” offer is very common in Toronto.

In highly competitive markets, buyers understandably feel like the odds are stacked against them and don’t have adequate time to safeguard themselves against possible financing or home inspection issues. The cooling-off period, in theory, gives buyers plenty of time to get a firm commitment from their bank and conduct their home inspection.

Chaos. Total chaos. Buyers will be able to offer on multiple properties (assuming they have enough cash for the deposit cheques that accompany their original offers).

They can pull out of any deal within the cooling-off period. We’ll also likely start to see sellers accepting second, third and fourth offers as backup offers. And all those “back-up” buyers can also have many offers on many properties. It could create a situation where we believe that there are far more buyers than there are in this market. It also locks a seller into a limbo situation, where they don’t know if their house is sold or not.

Probably not. It is a myth that buyers are so caught up on offer night that they offer way more than they were expecting or hoping to. Buyers who are well represented by their real estate agents often know what they will do when they enter into negotiations.

They also have likely done all their due diligence in advance of offering on the property. Simply assuming that prices are so high because buyers lose their minds on offer night is unfair. Houses will likely continue to sell for the same amounts of money, subject to the same variability in market conditions like geopolitical issues and mortgage rates.

What’s the better solution?

Buyers do need a break in these seller market conditions. One easy way to quickly change the market is to ban offer dates entirely. So, if you want to sell your house, you have to be ready to review offers at any time. This will force sellers to list their houses at market value, and that will, in turn, start to slow down the price increases a bit.

The more long-term solution is systemic. The only way to solve the affordability crisis is to increase the wages of low and middle earners and create more housing opportunities.

This requires a lot of work and will from the government, but it is the only thing that will work. If the market balances out, there will be no need for a cooling-off period because buyers will again be able to introduce conditions in their offer. A balanced market is the only way to help buyers and sellers. A cooling-off period will not balance the market; It will just shroud it in murkiness.

As always, Stay Safe
Robyn VanderVennen

https://www.kimkehoe.com/toronto-real-estate-cooling-off/

The big question is, will a cooling-off period help to slow our market and ease affordability? Likely not, let's get into it.

04/04/2022

NEW LISTING
319 Shaw Street

Renovated 2.5 storey semi in Trinity Bellwoods! Family room addition with heated floors, 5 spacious bedrooms; custom design kitchen with cabinets by Muti, quartz countertops, Stainless Steel gourmet appliances, and an extra-large center island, main floor powder room, & a walk-out to a private backyard; custom wall-to-wall built-ins in primary bedroom, stylish 5-piece bath with a deep-soaking tub, finished basement with a separate entrance, bedroom, storage room and bathroom, basement laundry easily converted to a basement kitchen, detached 2-car garage approved for laneway house

List Price $2,168,000
MLS

http://property.metroviews.ca/1499-319-Shaw-St
https://www.kimkehoe.com/listings/319-shaw-street/

Get ready to fall in-love with this renovated Edwardian in the heart of Trinity Bellwoods! 2.5 storeys; 5 spacious bedrooms & private backyard

03/21/2022

SOLD
64 Presteign Avenue

Character-filled East York bungalow on a quiet, tree-lined street! Traditional floorplan with large principal rooms; bright and sunny kitchen with stainless-steel appliances; open-concept living room and dining room with a gas fireplace; generously-sized family room with pocket doors; charming archways and trimwork; ample storage/closet space; primary bedroom with wall-to-wall cupboards and built-in bookshelves; finished basement with a separate side entrance, two bedrooms, kitchen, and bath (excellent potential for additional income or a family suite). Private drive, large fenced backyard, and moments from trails along the Don River, transit, parks, schools, and more!

List Price: $999,000
MLS

http://property.metroviews.ca/1506-64-Presteign-Ave
https://www.kimkehoe.com/listings/64-presteign-avenue/

Character-filled East York bungalow on a quiet, tree-lined street! Traditional floorplan with large principal rooms