Another Great Testimonial

Michelle Makos is an extremely dedicated real estate professional with an incredible work ethic, a very pleasant demeanour, and an incredible sense of humour.

She is a good listener who tunes into her client's needs and tastes very quickly. My wife and I were constantly impressed by the fact that Michelle always returns phone calls promptly - usually within 5 minutes or less -
and is always positive and enthusiastic.

Michelle also has a keen sense of business and excellent marketing and writing skills. She has excellent negotiating skills and secured the second property - a townhouse in Uxbridge that we wanted for our daughter - quickly, and well within our budget. At all times, Michelle maintained the highest level of professionalism and composure during the negotiations.

Back to School !

Well I am sure by now, we are winding down from a long, hot summer and the kids are all excited about going back to school tomorrow.  The real estate market held a steady pace through the summer with homes selling relatively quickly.

September starts the fall market and usually is quite busy until we get the snow flying.  I am looking forward to a busy fall market and all my new marketing.  

I am happy to say my townhouse in Brooklin sold very quickly.  It was a steady stream of showings and great feedback.  Brooklin is really growing quickly and it seems to be a great place to raise a family. 

The move for me to Re/Max has been a positive one and I loved every minute in my new surroundings.  Their branding is second to none and I am already registered for Fall Connect 2011 and also have tickets for the Home Show if anyone is interested, just email me at michelle.makos@rogers.com and I can make arrangements to get you a complimentary set of tickets.

Happy long weekend everyone and I will keep you posted on whats going on in Durham over the Fall/Winter months.

Don't forget, if you know anyone thinking of moving or buying, I'd love to help. 

Have a great day back at school to all the kiddies and to all the parent, enjoy the routine again !

Cheers !
Michelle

Lots of Changes

Hi Everyone,

I hope your summer has been going well !!!  Fantastic weather we have been having, thats for sure !!!  Big changes for me this summer !!  Added another website to my many sites - this one being http://www.durham-homes4sale.com/ so feel free to check it out.

But the biggest news of the day is my recent brokerage change to RE/MAX First Realty Ltd. in Pickering.  Having worked at Sutton and Royal LePage, I decided to go with the big guys !!  And after my first day on the job, I honestly can see why they are "Above the Crowd!!!! "   What a stellar bunch of people and it truly was pleasure settling in there.

Also I have recently hooked up with Real Estate TV so you can have your home shown on the Real Estate Channel with Rogers TV.  Exposure, exposure, exposure !!!

And to add to that, I am now posting all virtual tours on You Tube so you have it all !!! 

Market is good, rates are low and houses ARE SELLING !!!   Call me if you have any real estate questions or needs that I can assist you with and remember, "Let Makos Move You !!"

Have a great August and stay tuned for lots of new real estate information coming this way.

Check out the July Market Watch.

Take care, stay safe and and above all, stay in touch !!!!

Market Watch March 2011: Jason Mercer

Spring Market is Here !

Hi Everyone,

Valentines Day is over, Groundhog saw its shadow and Family Day is fast upon us.... It is nice to have a long weekend in February.

We even had a couple days of really nice weather and the snow was starting to melt and then this morning, the wind outside sounds like we live in the Arctic ... but as far as real estate goes, the market has shifted and the listings are coming out fast and furious .. Spring Market??  Yes, it appears so. 

If you were thinking of selling your home, don't wait until April or May, list now - less competition and more money for your home as many homes are selling in multiples right now due to the lack of homes available.

I must say I have noticed recently a lot of calls/appointments lately have been divorce or separations.   Should you be in a situation where you are selling under those conditions, it is very important that Realtor works with both of you and puts your interests first.   It is hard enough to deal with that sort of stress without worrying about the sale of your home and where you are going to live when it is all said and done.  Find a Realtor you trust and let them help !  Thats what we do best !!!  We help .....with all your real estate needs.

Should you need a home evaluation or simply saw a house and want to know what it is worth, give me a call or email me the address and I would be more than happy to send you the information.

Have a great weekend everyone !
Cheers
Michelle

Happy 2011

Happy New Year everyone !  It is a time for fresh starts and new beginnings.   I am looking forward to a great 2011.   Having just returned home from a holiday in Jamaica, I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

The first thing I have noticed this year is WE need listings.  The ones that are out there have been sitting around since October and November of last year.  Which usually means one of two things, it is either over priced or over priced !!!  LMAO.

Because every home is saleable.  So I guess my first mission of the year to get some listings, because the buyers are out there looking for their dream home and unfortunately the pickings are slim.   Come April and May, we will be inundated with listings and then the Sellers will be kicking themselves for not listing sooner.

If you are thinking of selling your home in the Spring market, note that happens NOW ... pricing, marketing etc and come the first 2 weeks in February, we are off and running with new listings coming out daily.

So why is everyone waiting????  Do they think that no one is looking????  Because I for one, have buyers who just can't find anything in their price range that is decent.

If you are considering listing your home in the Spring, why don't you get started now.  Give me a call and I will come by and we can go over all the neighbourhood sales and expections to sell you house for the most amount of money in the least amount of time.

I have said this before, I will say it again, I don't list houses, I SELL THEM !!!

Let me show you how !  Call Michelle Makos today at 905-831-9500 or direct at 416-300-3004.  I would be thrilled to meet with you and show how my services are second to none !

On that note, Happy New Year everyone and I look forward to meeting you in the coming year !

FIRST TIME BUYERS !! How a Realtor Can Help !

How a Real Estate Agent Can Help You?

 (First Time Home Buyers)

If you're in the market to buy your first home, you may be wondering if you need your own real estate agent, or perhaps you're curious as to how an agent can help you. You are about to embark on a very important decision for your future, a great investment of both time and money.

Buying a home for the first time can be overwhelming. Don't go it alone. Work with a professional Real Estate Agent! Remember, the seller will most likely have an agent. You should have your own agent, i.e., a buyer's agent to protect you and represent your best interest. You'll soon discover that there are so many ways an agent can assist you. For now, I would like to bring your attention to the following:

10 Ways a Real Estate Agent Can Help You!

A real estate professional can...

01 - Help establish a plan for a home that fits your needs
02 - Help you find a good mortgage consultant to have you pre-approved
03 - Guide you through the entire process, serve as a buffer and take care of a lot of the behind-the-scenes  tasks
04 - Help you research neighborhoods and houses
05 - Find the right home for you
06 - Help you gauge market values and best determine a range where your offer should be
07 - Help you write up offer (and counter offers) and negotiate the best terms and price for you
08 - Provide you with a list of key professionals (e.g., real estate attorneys, home inspectors, pest inspectors, etc.) that you'll need in a real estate transaction
09 - Help you feel comfortable with the closing process and go with you to closing
10 - Follow up with you after the sale

Remember, these are just some ways that a qualified real estate agent can help you in your journey towards buying your first home. For more information or assistance with your first home purchase, please contact me. I have a wealth of knowledge, as well as hands-on experience educating and helping first time buyers like you. I'd be happy to answer your questions, as well as assist you with purchasing your first home in my service area, or refer you to qualified professionals from a nationwide network of agents.

Third Consecutive Interest Rate Hike

Predictions Ring True! Third Consecutive Interest Rate Hike.


With the increase to 1 percent for the overnight rate, the Bank Rate is correspondingly 1.25 percent, and the deposit rate is .75 percent.

Financial conditions in Canada have tightened modestly since April, with the changing monetary policy measures, but overall still remains highly stimulative from a global perspective. This increase is consistent with the previously stated objective of achieving a 2 percent inflation target by next year. The global economy and Canadian economic indicators are what drove today’s decision to increase the rate. Canada’s economic recovery is expected to be more gradual that the July Monetary Policy Report had suggested, although the dynamics of inflation have remained fairly consistent.

The Bank of Canada’s second quarter projections were slightly more optimistic than how economic activity panned out, however consumption and investment has evolved in line with targeted expectations. Accomodative credit conditions due primarily to sharp declines in global bond yields in recent weeks support the expectation that consumption growth will remain solid and business investment in Canada will rise strongly.

The global recovery is still uneven, but is moving forward. Economically speaking, the recovery is showing stronger activity in emerging markets compared to some advanced markets. Latest indicators suggest a more subtle recovery in the short term for the U.S. as high unemployment rates hold back the recovery in private demand.

Any further reduction in monetary policy stimulus will need to be weighed carefully after three consecutive rate increases, considering the forward-looking uncertainty which is so rare to our national and global economic forecasting.

Dear Potential Sellers;

Thank you so much for thinking of me. I am looking forward to our meeting so that I can review with you the results of my extensive market analysis, my aggressive buyer-centric marketing plan for your home, and to do what I can to help you prepare your home for a listing in this crazy market.

During the course of our meeting, which will take about an hour I have only one request of you. PLEASE do not say "Well, we don't really HAVE to sell right now" as a way to justify over-pricing your home. If you truly do not HAVE to sell right now, the smartest thing you can do is to NOT SELL RIGHT NOW. Stay in your home, and call me again 90 to 120 days before you NEED to sell.

This is not the market to dip your toe into the water, putting another listing that just won't sell in an already over-crowded market
This is not the time to overprice your home with the idea that you can always drop the price later (you either won't do it at all - or you'll do it too late)
Such a strategy will ruin your negotiating position
Every buyer who WAS in the market for a home like yours will have bought something else.
So, when you finally NEED to sell, your only potential buyers are the new ones coming into the market...and they will see you as DESPERATE to sell, because you've been on the market forever

You called me because of my reputation. Following this strategy will RUIN my reputation.
I work hard to build a good working relationship with my clients at the start of the listing. This strategy will jeopardize that relationship, as you will rightly blame me that no interested buyers are coming to view your home.

And honestly, the blame IS MINE if I let you follow this course of action
As your Agent - I want to be on your side, helping you to achieve your goals. IF your goal is to sell your home for the best price and on the best terms, then we (as a team) need to pay attention to the data and think of PRICE as a marketing position. Your Listing Price represents greater than 80% of the marketing battle! The other 20% is curb appeal, staging, and effectively exposing your home to the buyers and their agents who are looking for homes (online, print, MLS, networks...).

Finding Your Realtor

Most people are familiar with hiring a real estate agent to sell a home, but fewer are aware that as buyers, they are also able to hire an agent to work diligently, protect their interests and find the best possible property for the best possible price. Many people assume that the best person to call when interested in a property is the listing agent, when this is not the case!

Buyers often approach the task of finding a new home by calling the number on “For Sale” signs, searching real estate magazines & newspaper ads and using web sites such as Realtor.ca. What they may not realize is that by contacting the listing agent directly (the name on the “For Sale” sign or the ad), they are actually calling the agent who’s first and foremost responsibility is to protect the interests of the seller!

This is not to say that you cannot buy a home from a listing agent .... they are licensed professionals and are obligated to work with a buyer in a fair, honest and ethical manner as their customer, but they do not necessarily owe buyers the fiduciary duty that they owe their client, the seller. Without a signed Buyer Agency Agreement, anything that you disclose to the listing agent about your budget, motivation or otherwise, can and will be used to benefit the position of the seller during negotiations.

What is a buyer to do? Hire your own Buyer Agent! You can interview potential buyer agents and choose the one who you feel will work the hardest for you, has the best track record, and whom you feel comfortable with. Furthermore, a buyer agent’s services are almost always paid out of the gross commission that the seller has paid to their listing brokerage!

When you have found the sales representative that you want to work with, you will sign a contract called a “Buyer Agency Agreement” which legally obligates your agent to provide you fiduciary duty, confidentiality and to protect your interests and motivations. In return, you agree to work solely with your agent for the time period stated therein, and allow them to collect their commission from the sale of the property that you purchase.

Once you have chosen your Buyer Agent, you will be in a much better position to find the best property for you. Many listings are sold before the “For Sale” sign ever goes up and there is a time lag between realtor’s MLS and the public MLS website, so your Buyer Agent is able to notify you about a hot listing before it hits the public portals. Once your agent understands your preferences, they will also keep their eyes open for you as they inspect properties daily.

Remember that during the day, while you’re at work, your agent will be out inspecting and comparing properties to find you the perfect fit! In addition to helping you find a property, a good agent will also be able to help you with things such as mortgage pre-approvals, lawyers, insurance, and home inspector referrals.

Buying a home can be an intimidating task. Hiring a Buyer Agent to guide you through this process is one of the best ways to ensure that you will be prepared to make a confident and informed decision when the time comes to place your offer.

For more information, please call Michelle Makos at 905-831-9500 or 416-300-3004 or email at michelle.makos@rogers.blackberry.net