It’s bananas out there! The demand in Durham Region is at an all-time high as we begin 2021 and many buyers are finding themselves in bidding wars for a home. Some homes are getting from 5 to 50 offers. Let’s break this down a minute. A property in Whitby recently had 44 offers. Only 1 party bought the home so there are 43 other serious buyers still looking to buy. And that&rsq...Read More

Full-Service Realtors, Discount Realtors, FSBO, IBuyer: What are the Differences?     The Province of Ontario doesn’t regulate real estate commissions and, as such, there is no standard commission but there are some typical models, as well as some newer entries into the marketplace. There is literally something for everybody, so how do they stack up?   For Sale By Owners (FSBO...Read More

The Williams and Follows Team is thrilled to be associated with Clover Properties, to offer an Assisted Purchase Program (rent-to-own) to those prospective homebuyers who want to own a home now, but can’t get the funded through a traditional lender.   What is “Rent To Own?”   Simply stated, rent-to-own is a way to get into homeownership sooner rather than later and to s...Read More

We were waxing nostalgic the other day while looking back over headlines in the pre-COVID era. Here’s a few:   Canadians Can Expect A Vibrant Spring Market (January) The Toronto Real Estate Market is Suddenly on Fire Again (February) Toronto Home Prices Expected to Rocket in 2020 (December 2019)   And post-COVID Toronto Real Estate Sales Plunge as Virus Weighs On Market (Ap...Read More

Just like every other industry, the world of lending has been affected by COVID-19. Here are some things you should be prepared for:   Paperwork: Lenders will want all your documentation upfront and you want it to be super-organized. Proof of income, a dated job letter, paystubs and your T4 or Notice of Assessment. They’ll also want to know that you’ve been working over the last 3...Read More

I’m going to steal. I was listening to a post by Tom Storey, a friend and Realtor in Toronto. It was about a question we Realtors hear just about every day; “How’s the market”?   I’ve written about this in the past but what gives me a chuckle is how we were taught to respond by the trainers in my early days in the industry in the previous Century. We were basical...Read More

Eventually the real estate market will return to normal and hopefully both treatments and vaccines will be developed to help us function with this virus. Selling & Buying activity is greatly reduced and showings occur under much, stricter COVID protocols. If you have to sell, how can you go about it and still maximize your home’s resale value?   The answer to that is a short one; th...Read More

Real Estate is no exception to the ravages of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. The health and safety of our clients and the public is our first and foremost concern at Williams & Follows. If we have to stop trading, that is a price we’re willing to pay if we can help bring this virus under control. Here are some facts about the status of our industry.   1.   Is It Crashing...Read More

The Toronto real estate market has been very active this year however COVID – 19 has now become a fact of life as we move forward in the Spring market. We are still open for business and while it’s too early to fully gauge how events may impact the real estate market one thing is certain; practices surrounding showings and open house will change   We have suggestions on what to ex...Read More

At our annual team retreat two years ago we had a discussion to identify a set of values that was important to us; values that we could identify with both in our personal lives and in our workplace. Following the creation of numerous lists and lively discussion we settled on 6 values that were both important to us and that we could naturally identify with. We decided to write about each one so thi...Read More