Modern Family Realtor Promo Video Contest

Free 1-week or weekend stay at the beautiful Couture condo near Yorkville! 3 winners will be announced on March 1, 2017.

With our new promo video launching this month, we are thanking our
social media followers with a free stay at the Couture as part of the
Modern Family Realtor Gives Back Campaign!!

To enter the contest, like and share the video pinned to our Facebook page (shown below).

Winners will be announced on March 1, 2017.  See below for full terms and conditions.

_{Modern Family Realtor Contest Terms and Conditions}

_{NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING. THIS COMMUNICATION IS NOT INTENDED TO CAUSE OR INDUCE BREACH OF AN EXISTING AGENCY AGREEMENT.}

_{Eligibility: This Campaign is open only to participants in Ontario. The Campaign is only open to legal residents of Ontario, and is void where prohibited by law. Employees of Modern Family Realtor, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and suppliers, (collectively the “Employees”), and/or those living in the same household of Employees are not eligible to participate in the Campaign. The Campaign is subject to all applicable federal, provincial, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.}

_{Agreement to Rules: By participating, the Contestant (“You”) agree to be fully unconditionally bound by these Rules, and You represent and warrant that You meet the eligibility requirements. In addition, You agree to accept the decisions of Modern Family Realtor as final and binding as it relates to the content of this Campaign.}

_{Campaign Period: Entries will be accepted online starting on February 23, 2017 and ending March 1, 2017. All online entries must be received by March 1, 2017. Winner will be announced on March 1, 2017 and will be communicated by Facebook messenger, email or by phone.}

_{How to Enter:
The Campaign must be entered by a Like and Share on a social media platform such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
If you prefer not to utilize social media, please email modernfamilyrealtor@gmail.com to enter contest. All clients of Modern Family Realtor will be entered into the contest. The entry must fulfill all Campaign requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are incomplete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of Modern Family Realtor. You must provide the information requested. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules. If You use fraudulent methods or otherwise
attempt to circumvent the rules, your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion ofModern Family Realtor.}

_{Prizes: The Winner(s) of the Campaign (the “Winner”) will receive:}

_{3 Prizes – Free 4 night (Monday to Friday) or 2 night (Friday to Sunday) stay at the Couture – 28 Ted Rogers Way 1003.  No holidays
allowed. Subject to availability. 1 week notice must be provided. Must be used before June 1, 2017.}

_{The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by Modern Family Realtor. Prize must be accepted in person within 30 days of notification. No cash or other prize substitution shall be permitted except at Modern Family Realtor’s discretion. The prize is nontransferable. Any and all prize-related expenses, including without limitation any and all federal, provincial, and/or local taxes, shall be the sole responsibility of Winner. No substitution of prize or transfer/assignment of prize to others or request for the cash equivalent by Winner is permitted. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for Modern Family Realtor to use Winner’s name, likeness and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.}

_{Odds: The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Winner Selection and Notification: Winner will be selected by a random drawing under the supervision of Modern Family Realtor. Winner will be notified by email, FB messenger or phone within twenty-four (24) hours following selection of Winner. Modern Family Realtor shall have no liability for Winner’s failure to receive notices due to spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for Winner’s provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If Winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within 30 days from the time award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration and release as required, the prize may be forfeited and shall be saved for next contest hosted by Modern Family Realtor. Receipt by Winner of the prize offered in this Campaign is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal, provincial, and local laws and regulations. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES BY WINNER (AT MODERN FAMILY REALTOR’S SOLE DISCRETION) WILL RESULT IN WINNER’S DISQUALIFICATION AS WINNER OF THE CAMPAIGN, AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.}

_{Rights Granted by You: By entering this content (e.g., photo, video, text, etc.), You understand and agree that Modern Family Realtor, anyone acting on behalf ofModern Family Realtor, andModern Family Realtor’s licensees, successors, and assigns, shall have the right, where permitted by law, to print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use in any media now known or hereafter developed, in perpetuity and throughout the World, without limitation, your entry, name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image, statements about the Campaign, and biographical information for news, publicity, information, trade, advertising, public relations, and promotional purposes. without any further compensation, notice, review, or consent. By entering this content, You represent and warrant that your entry is an original work of authorship, and does not violate any third party’s proprietary or intellectual property rights. You shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Modern Family Realtor from and against any suit, proceeding, claims, liability, loss, damage, costs or expense, which Modern Family Realtor may incur, suffer, or be required to pay arising out of such infringement or suspected infringement of any third party’s right.}

_{Terms & Conditions: Modern Family Realtor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Campaign should virus, bug, non-authorized human intervention, fraud, or other cause beyond Modern Family Realtor’s control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, or proper conduct of the Campaign. In such case,Modern Family Realtor may select the Winner from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Modern Family Realtor. Modern Family Realtor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Campaign or website or violates these Terms & Conditions.}

_{Limitation of Liability: By entering, You agree to release and hold harmless Modern Family Realtor and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers, and directors from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from: (i) such entrant’s participation in the Campaign and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize or any portion thereof; (ii) technical failures of any kind, including but
not limited to the malfunction of any computer, cable, network, hardware, or software, or other mechanical equipment; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions, telephone, or Internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (v) electronic or human error in the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries. Disputes: THIS Campaign IS GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF CANADA AND ONTARIO, WITHOUT RESPECT TO CONFLICT OF LAW DOCTRINES. As a condition of participating in this Campaign, participant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Campaign, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in Ontario having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances shall participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorney’s fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e. costs associated with entering this Campaign). Participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.}

_{Privacy Policy: Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policy stated on the Modern Family Realtor’s website.}

_{Sponsor: The Sponsor of the Campaign isModern Family Realtor, 315 Castlefield Ave, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5N 1L4.}

_{Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn: If you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to communicate or administer a contest or sweepstakes, include the following: The Campaign hosted by Modern Family Realtor is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.}

_{___ By checking here, You, the Contestant, have affirmatively
reviewed, accepted, and agreed to all of the Official Rules.}

_{Skill Testing Question – Winners must complete to claim prize.}

_{315 + 99 – 9 = ________}

MFR Newsletter – February 2017

This month Modern Family Realtor had the privilege to be the keynote speaker at the KPMG Diversity Conference.  We want to thank you for supporting a LGBTQ business and feel lucky to live and work in such a multicultural, diverse and accepting city.

It’s always good to be aware of the latest home and garden trends, especially if you’re looking for ways to make your home more appealing to buyers.  This month’s article highlights a few of the latest trends.

Thanks so much for checking out this month’s newsletter.  Please get in touch if you have any questions or comments regarding the articles, or real estate in general — it’d be great to hear from you!

Keynote Speech at KPMG Diversity Conference 

The Modern Family Realtor team had the opportunity to speak to over 150 people at the KPMG head office.  It was an honour to be selected as a diversity leader and share our message of acceptance and love below.

The world is changing for the good and bad. Even with Trump in power it is even more important to stay united, not divided. We want Jasmine to grow up in a world that is inclusive of everyone no matter your gender, race, sexual orientation, religious belief and political affiliation. Love is love and we believe the world just needs more acceptance and less hate.

If I could leave you with one lesson it is that being who you are and accepting yourself first will make it easier for others to accept you.  Be with who you want to be with, do what you want to do and life will be your oyster.

If Trump has taught us anything it is that anybody, I mean ANYBODY can be president of the United States so what is stopping you from following your dreams and reaching for the sky!

Stay tuned for a video of the entire speech.

The Toronto Real Estate Market Report

Toronto real estate market off to a strong start!

Toronto Real Estate Board President Larry Cerqua announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 5,188 residential transactions through TREB’s MLS® System in January 2017.

This result was up by 11.8 per cent compared to 4,640 sales reported in January 2016.  Annual rates of sales growth were higher for condominium apartments than for low-rise home types.

January 2017 picked up where 2016 left off: sales were up on a year-over-year basis while the number of new listings was down by double-digit annual rates for most major home types.

“Home ownership continues to be a great investment and remains very important to the majority of GTA households.  As we move through 2017, we expect the demand for ownership housing to remain strong, including demand from first-time buyers who, according to a recent Ipsos survey, could account for more than half of transactions this year.  However, many of these would-be buyers will have problems finding a home that meets their needs in a market with very little inventory,” said Cerqua.

The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark price was up by 21.8 per cent on a year-over-year basis in January.  Similarly, over the same period, the average selling price was up by 22.3 per cent to $770,745, with double-digit gains in the average prices for all major home types.

The National Home Show and Canada Blooms

Get inspired at North America’s largest home and garden event!

The annual National Home Show and Canada Blooms must mean that spring is right around the corner!

North America’s largest home and garden event is coming to downtown Toronto this March 10th – 19th at The Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place.

The National Home Show is a great place to visit if you’re looking for home improvement ideas.  Canada Blooms on the other hand offers inspiring and engaging fantasy feature gardens with some of the world’s top designers competing to win coveted awards for their unique creations.

Enjoy the co-location of two world class events — Canada Blooms, North America’s largest flower and garden festival and the National Home Show.  Hope to see you there!

Home Trends for 2017

The new year is a great time to update your living space!

It’s fun to follow the latest home and garden trends, especially if you’re hoping to make your home more attractive to buyers.  Here are a few of the latest trends to look out for:

1. Shedquarters – A “shedquarter” is a private, backyard spot that can be used as an office, artist workspace or party area.
2. Docking Stations – Small, pull down desks can be added almost anywhere as wireless technology enables us to shift away from traditional home offices.
3. Vintage Vanities – Putting your bathroom sink on just about anything is huge this year!  Old dressers, filing cabinets and even tree trunks can be converted into unique vanities.
4. Laundry Love – Homeowners are giving their laundry rooms some serious love with innovative storage solutions, bright lighting and even stylish wallpaper!
5. Foodscaping – Instead of traditional vegetable patches, backyards are now being transformed into edible landscapes that include vegetables, berries, fruits and herbs.
6. Smart Windows – Cutting edge window technology now allows our windows to be programmed according to the weather outside as well as the air quality inside.

Just like fashion, home trends can come and go so it’s important not to overcommit.  Hopefully these ideas have given you some inspiration as to what’s coming next, whether you’re thinking of selling or just simply looking to update your home.

Clean Up Your Digital Clutter

Get a jump on spring cleaning by clearing out your digital clutter.

Paper files are often the first items we purge during a spring clean but many times we neglect our digital files.  Kick off your spring clean this year with a deep, digital cleanse:

1. Get a Pass – Use a password manager to encrypt one master password that can be used on all websites.
2. Address Your Apps – Uninstall apps you no longer use to clear up space and keep your phone running smoothly.
3. Manage Mail – Unsubscribe from emails you no longer read and delete old emails or organize them into folders.
4. Clear Cache – Regularly clear your browser history, cache and cookies in order to create more storage and speed up your browser.
5. Back it Up – Make sure all of your important files and photos are automatically backed up to the cloud to increase storage space.

This digital cleanse applies to your computer, smartphone and all your social media accounts.  While you’re at it, you should also review your privacy settings on apps and social media platforms to make sure you’re sharing information with the right audiences.

 

New Office in Forest Hill

Purchased by Modern Family Realtor our brand new office in Forest Hill! Join us for the exclusive launch party on July 25 and win a FREE 1 week vacation. Details at www.modernfamilyrealtor.ca FB Event. ‪

10 Tips For Buying a Condo in Toronto

Posted by Simone Garcia

More people are buying condos in Toronto than ever before. And while acquiring a condo in the city can prove a valuable investment down the road, there are also pitfalls if you don’t make an informed decision on your building and unit. Keeping the following tips in mind will save you money, time, and the mental trauma of spending half your monthly pay cheque on unused maintenance fees.

Here are 10 tips for buying a condo in Toronto.

1. Know your location, and know it well
You probably already have a good idea of where you’d like to live. Still, before sealing the deal on anything, be sure to check out proximity to grocery stores, transit, schools, or any other relevant amenities. Some resources available to you in this capacity is this very site’s neighbourhood guide, theTDSB’s school finder, and the city of Toronto’s neighbourhood rankings.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask/pay for upgrades
If you’re shelling out mad cash for a pre-owned condo, do not hesitate to ask the former owners for upgrades before your move-in date. If you’re buying pre-constructed, it pays to invest in the right upgrades right off the bat. You’ll reap the rewards later. What should you do? Here are two lists of suggestions for Toronto condo upgrades.

3. Assess the building’s overall physical condition, inside and out
Some faults are easy to spot, while others pose more of a challenge. Hiring a home inspector is less common for condo units, but the investment is typically minimal ($100-200), and could prevent a lot of headaches down the line. Find a home inspector using this directory. Another option? Bring an experienced friend/relative/advisor.

4. Meet the building staff
This one is pretty much a given – if you like the people working there, chances are you’re going to like living there. Plus, if ever anything should go wrong with your unit, it pays to have the staff on your side. The same rule applies should you need to bend the rules: extra parking passes are a sweet, sweet gift.

5. Research the condo developer and corporation
You don’t want to put your faith in a developer with little experience building condos nor you certainly do you want to be buying into a place that’s loaded down by debt. Researching those who are behind the construction and management of your condo is crucial. Review the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s tip sheet for buying a condo, which covers the basic research you should do.

6. Make sure you won’t lose your view
What’s being built next door? If another sky-high condo is in the works and threatening to block your hard-earned view, you may want to steer clear. You might be able to check this just by touring the neighbourhood on foot, but you’ll want to also check the Toronto Development Applications website.

7. Evaluate the building’s current residents
Is your home to be comprised mostly of renters? Do the current residents seem loud, or, on the other hand, intolerable of noise? Your condo’s demographics are likely to have some impact on resale value – not to mention the happiness of your residence there. This can’t be internet research; you have to speak to staff and current residents to sketch the picture.

8. Ask your realtor to provide you with a detailed history of the place if it’s been previously owned, and to provide you with a future projection of the resale price
Condos.ca is a good resource for some of this information, but it’s a good idea to test the mettle of your real estate agent. Find out how much the unit sold for previously and try to determine how much money you can expect to make down the line. Market trends change, but it’s key to go through these exercises before buying.

9. Buy a parking space if you can
It might sound counter intuitive with condo dwellers increasingly giving up on car-focused lifestyles, but even if you don’t drive, if you’re buying a new condo, make sure to fork out for a parking space. When it comes time to sell, you’ll thank yourself for it.

10. Beware of occupancy fees
There’s always a period of time between when you take occupancy of your condo and the building becomes officially registered in Ontario, during which you must pay occupancy fees or what is sometimes called “phantom rent” (because it doesn’t go to your mortgage). This is unavoidable, but the period is generally shorter when dealing with 1) experienced developers and 2) the higher up your unit is (low floors move in sooner).

Why We Started Modern Family Realtor

This video was created by www.rainbowscontayo.com.

What Toronto’s Tallest Penthouse Condo Looks Like

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Posted by Derek Flack

The soaring Aura condo tower at Yonge and Gerrard – Canada’s tallest – is a place of extremes. While the mall at the base of the building is already half abandoned, the penthouse units at the top of the building, sitting some 80 storeys high, are the very definition of prestige and luxury.

There are three penthouse units at the top of Aura, and though none of them will compete for the most expensive in the city – that distinction goes to the Four Seasons in Yorkville – the largest of the condos (#7910) runs at over $3 million for roughly 3,000 square feet of space.

Photos by Matt Forsythe.

Toronto Real Estate Heading for Another Hot Year

(Article via Trevor Dunn for CBC News “http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/toronto/toronto-real-estate-prices-1.3959671”)

The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) forecasts that Toronto real estate will get a lot more expensive in 2017, with the average price of a home hitting $825,000.

TREB is predicting another year of double digit growth in Toronto real estate prices, with the average selling price rising between 10% and 16%.

More than 100,000 home sales are forecast with the third straight year.

To read more, click here.
 

LISTING: 3-Bedroom Condo, 10 Sunny Glenway

 

Beautiful 3-bedroom unit for a large family or investor.

• Gorgeous view of CN Tower with lots of natural light
• Great amenities including security, huge indoor swimming pool, gym, party room, children’s park, and more!
• All utilities and cable included in maintenance
• Steps to TTC, shopping centre, Ontario Science Centre, highway, schools, place of worship, and the new Eglinton LRT crosstown.

Details:

• Price: $279,900
• Address: 10 Sunny Glenway, North York, ON M3C 2Z5, Canada
• Bedrooms: 3
• Bathrooms: 2
• Sq Ft: 1087

 

Contact modernfamilyrealtor@gmail.com for more information!

MFR Newsletter – January 2017

Toronto Real Estate News by Paul Chan

Hi there,

Please welcome Ellen Li to the Modern Family Realtor team as our new Marketing Manager. Feel free to reach out this month to get your free marketing and listing consultations if you are planning to sell or buy a home in 2017.

If you’re planning on a renovation, you’ll want to make sure to prepare in advance at it’ll likely get a bit messy and chaotic. This month’s article offers some advice on how to plan your renovation so that things will go as smoothly as possible.

Thanks so much for checking out this month’s newsletter.  Please get in touch if you have any questions or comments regarding the articles, or real estate in general — it’d be great to hear from you!

The Modern Family Team is Growing!

Modern Family Realtor is proud to announce the addition of Ellen Li as our new Marketing Manager.  Ellen has a strong background in marketing from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto.

She has assisted many organizations grow their marketing and social media platform with strong results.  Feel free to connect with Ellen if you are interested in getting your own customized marketing plan for your property in 2017!

Sharp Rise in American Interest in Canadian Real Estate

Article via CTV News <http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/mobile/royal-lepage-reports-sharp-rise-in-american-interest-in-canadian-real-estate-1.3249450&gt;

New reports from Royal LePage suggest that many Americans who oppose Donald Trump are showing an increasing interest in purchasing property in Canada, as shown by a report on their website showing that Royal LePage’s web traffic surged 329% the day after the U.S. election (Nov. 8) and has grown 210.1% year-over-year the week after Trump’s victory.

To read more, click here.