Brisk real estate markets like Toronto or Vancouver are great for sellers because of the high level of interest among buyers, many of whom are hungry, perhaps desperate some might say to capture their own properties.

Given this seller’s market, it’s understandable that a seller might be inclined to slack off a bit when it comes to keeping their home in tip-top shape. That’s never advisable. When buyers observe signs of neglect and carelessness they begin to question a property and suddenly your highly sought-after house is not so hot to trot any more.

With that in mind, let’s look at the Top 5 No-No’s sellers need to correct or address before putting their house on the market.

1. Filth & Junk – Even though the dirtiest of messes can be eventually cleaned up, this has to be one of the top sins. Hide your dirty laundry from plain view. If you don’t have time to wash dishes, put them in the dishwasher.  If that’s not an option hide them temporarily in a bin in your oven. Take out the trash; make your beds and scrub sinks and toilets. As for clutter, it comes in varying degrees. Ask your realtor for suggestions about what areas you need to tackle first.
2. Doggy Do’s & Don’ts – As cute, lovable, fun and furry as your pets may be, others are apt to approach pets with a high degree of caution. There are a wide range of reasons why strangers won’t like your pets, from matters around cleanliness and safety to everything in between. Some buyers find pets and their messes a huge turn-off so knowing that your house houses one can be cause for concern. It may take some effort, but you’re best to hide any signs of animals, especially when it comes to property damage such as scratch marks on doors or urine stains in carpeting.  Take care of pet-related issues before listing your house and try to take your pets with you during showings.
3. Don’t Be a Stalker – Interested buyers feel the need to keep their distance from the seller so don’t be tempted to shadow them as they tour your home. Nothing could be worse. You are not being helpful by pointing out technical features of your basement sauna or interesting gossip about the celebrities that live on your street. This is the job of the realtor. Use your agent to communicate selling features. Having the seller linger around the house while it is being shown is detrimental as the purchaser will never feel 100 per cent at ease, which will encumber how they feel about your house in general, no matter how beautiful and reasonably priced.
4. Stinkeroo – The thing about bad smells is that the only way to escape them is by leaving the dwelling. This is not a good message to convey to a prospective buyer. And yes, you may love garlic and eat it at every meal, but the smell can be overpowering and, believe it or not, offensive to some people. Other olfactory insults can include such cooking smells as bacon and fish. Try not to cook those strong-smelling foods right before or even the day before a showing.  Even more disgusting is the smell of cigarette smoke. Take your butts outside. Animal smells from litter boxes and dirty pets are also highly off-putting.
5. Reality Bites – Don’t be unrealistic about your house. Yes, it’s a hot real estate market but that doesn’t mean a way-too-high asking price coupled with a property that is rarely available for showings will get you what you want. Try to take the emotion and ego out of selling your home. Price it realistically and make it ready and available for showings.

It`s hot. It`s cold. It`s slumping. It`s smoking.

Each of those descriptors has described the Toronto real estate market at one time or another. And while it`s important to pay the market its due, know also that if you`re thinking of selling your home now is probably one of the best times to do so.

If you are thinking of waiting for warmer temperatures when the blooms on the daffodils and forsythia cast a gorgeous golden glow on your home and invite prospective purchasers far and wide, think again. Springtime is when the bulk of homeowners will also decide it`s best to sell their homes. Yes, your blossoms will look pretty, but your house will have much more in the way of competition if you wait for spring.

While January may not seem like the ideal month to show your home, there is much less inventory on the market right now so your real estate is apt to stand out more. Besides if buyers are house hunting in January, they are likely very serious and motivated purchasers and not your run-of-the-mill tire-kicker types. Would you trudge through cold temperatures, ice and snow just to check out someone`s mudroom reno? Didn`t think so.

Bear in mind, too, that if you list your home in January, it will be viewed as a debutante, of sorts. Much of your house`s competition will be older listings that came on the market in November and December so with your house being the new kid on the block, that`s sure to drive and generate even greater interest.

Because there`s less inventory in January and February, bidding wars can be ferocious. And naturally, as the seller, that`s good news for you.

Since the business of real estate is a big part of our DNA at Freeman Real Estate we are always looking at new ways to showcase our products and services.

And what better way to do so than with videos that capture the essence of a neighbourhood and bring life to buildings, houses, condos and commercial spaces. That’s precisely what you’ll find at www.annexrealestate.com, Freeman’s latest website featuring the videos of ten key neighbourhoods thanks to a high-flying drone camera. The videos, which are set to music, feature both wide aerial shots of neighbourhoods and close-up views of houses, businesses, parks, public spaces, institutions, people and streetscapes.

“The vantage point you get is just spectacular,” says Elden Freeman, president of Freeman Real Estate. “The videos really do tell a story of each neighbourhood. I think people who aren’t particularly familiar with certain areas will definitely want to view these short films. They give you a better feel for an area and might help you decide if you would want to live or do business there. And if you are familiar with these neighbourhoods, I suggest viewing them as a reminder of how amazing, vibrant and beautiful our city really is.”

While nothing surpasses visiting a neighbourhood in person, the aerial views in each of the two-minute videos can’t be beat. Neighbourhoods featured include the Annex, Hillcrest, Casa Loma, Wychwood Park, Humewood-Cedarvale, Oakwood-Vaughan, South Annex, Little Italy, Seaton Village and Christie Village.

The website also includes plenty of information that will help you make an informed decision about your next real estate venture. Each neighbourhood’s average list price and sale price are posted in addition to the number of homes for sale and the number of homes that sold during the previous month. You can also search listings based on price and the number of bedrooms and/or bathrooms you require.

Happy watching.

Like Fred and Ethel Mertz, those madcap but lovable landlords of I Love Lucy fame, you may have dreamt of managing a property with tenants or maybe just renting out the upper or lower floor of your house or perhaps buying a condo and having someone else pay off the mortgage.

So what’s holding you back? Are you afraid you’ll get the tenant from hell? Or maybe you fear you’ll be too soft on tenants who can’t pay their rent on time. Maybe you just don’t like people well enough to want to surround yourself with virtual strangers. With interest rates as low as they are, with Toronto’s red-hot real estate market and given the numbers moving to the city each year, now might be the time to consider diving in.

We designed a very unscientific test to see if you’re cut out to manage a rental property. Give it a try:

1. Handyman is a word that: _________

A) Gets your heart pumping with happy thoughts of many visits to Home Depot.

B) Is properly used for your skills as a grass cutter, eaves-trough cleaner and window washer.

C) Gets overused. I like repairman, as in phone one.

2. You and your partner’s financial goals are: _________

A) Completely simpatico.

B) On the same page 40 per cent of the time.

C) News to me. I had no idea my partner had financial goals.

3. Your idea of a rainy-day fund is: _________

A) Two per cent of the purchase price for maintenance and repairs plus more in reserves for unforeseen occurrences such as tenants failing to pay their rent.

B) Putting aside a few bucks for upkeep when it’s convenient for me.

C) Money you spend to lift your spirits during a downpour.

4. You see tenants as: _________

A) Valued and respected members of society just like me.

B) Good people for the most part.

C) Cash cows.

5. As a landlord, being hassled by tenants would mean: _________

A) Continually having to chase down those who didn’t pay their rent on time or having abusive renters who destroyed my property.

B) Sending out rent receipts on a regular basis.

C) Having to speak to them.

6. In conflict situations, you: _________

A) Always remain cool, calm and collected, handling each quarrel decisively with firm resolve and fairness.

B) Hesitate and change my mind several times when dealing with big issues.

C) Yell

Results:

If most of your answers were a’s, congratulations, you’ve got what it takes, you, landlord, you. Property management is right up your alley.

If you mostly answered b’s, you have some positive landlord qualities, but you might want to take a course to brush up on the rest. Workshops and courses are available. Check online in your area. You also might want to consider joining the Ontario Landlords Association, which offers discounts on credit checks plus other benefits.

If you scored mainly c’s, well, maybe you should leave your money in the bank.

A two-year stint at a prestigious post-secondary business school in combination with a handful of sales positions led Rob Sadeghi to direct his education and interest into a career in real estate.

As one of Freeman Real Estate’s newest realtors, Sadeghi is looking ahead to growing his clients and he’s confident that Freeman is the place to do it.

“One of the things I liked about Freeman right away is that everyone from the top down is willing to help me out,” says the 25-year-old. “That, for me, makes the whole experience both easy and really exciting.”

Sadeghi researched a number of firms, including big-names franchises, but decided he liked the look and feel of Freeman, which stands out for its unique tight-knit family environment.

“I did not want to be another number and I knew Freeman would be the right fit,” he says. “I had a chance to sit down and chat with the owners and I really like their style, very laid back and easy going. For me, it was a great first impression.”

Born in Ottawa, Sadeghi is used to being the new kid on the block thanks to carpetbagger mother who moved Sadeghi to Germany when he was just a baby and who travelled to every country in Europe in the 11 years he lived abroad. While Sadeghi has seen more European towns and cities than most people his age, his favourites were Niece and Cologne thanks to the beautiful beaches in the former and the laid-back lifestyle in the latter.

He’s obviously inherited his mother’s adventurous spirit as he speaks German, Farsi, English and is currently learning Spanish simply because he enjoys the sound of the language.

Sadeghi studied business at York University for two years before deciding books and theories weren’t his cup of tea, at least where the business world is concerned. A former online sales rep for an internet vacation rental company and having previously sold prefab steel structures, he thought he’d make the move to real estate since the prospect of walking people through the biggest purchase they’ll ever make was appealing to him.

An avid athlete, Sadeghi loves boxing, football and hockey. He also likes to socialize and meet new people. An enthusiastic reader, Sadeghi enjoys everything from Time magazine to autobiographies about Michael Jordan and Martin Luther King to self-help books and non-fiction.

As a younger generation realtor, he uses social media platforms whenever he can to network. His next plan of attack is to start a door-to-door campaign to introduce himself to the neighbourhood and to explain to homeowners what he can do for them.

“There’s obviously lot of competition and you have to weed yourself out and show people why they need to work with you.”

Get your party hats on this Saturday as Dundas West rolls out the red carpet for a celebration of arts, community and all that is local.

Whether young or old, into sports or fashion, fitness or music, the Dundas West Fest is a fun family friendly event that takes place on June 6 and spans about 12 city blocks from Landsdowne to Ossington. Sponsored by the Dundas West BIA and the Little Portugal BIA, expect to find good eats and treats, lively music, and a whole host of vendors selling arts and crafts and loads more.

The festival will include more than 40 patios, six areas for buskers, three main stages and shopping to your heart’s content with over 200 different vendors. Foodies will delight as the festival features options for every taste and budget.

To make organization a little simpler, the festival is divvied up into zones, from 1 to 4. Naturally, with an event such as this entertainment of all kinds abounds.

Look for a free African drumming workshop in Zone 1 starting at 10 am at the West Stage. There is plenty of kiddy fun here with full-fledged all-kid bands to acapella groups, singer-songwriters and even some theatre and dance. But by late afternoon the West Stage bursts into adulthood with performances by the legendary local rocker and MP Andrew Cash, traditional Angolan dancers, the Cohen Hammond Trio and the Helder Pereira Band.

Hear readings by Portuguese-Canadian writers featuring the likes of Aida Jordao, Irene Marques, Antonio Marques, Emanuel Melo and Humberto da Silva.

Watch great local art and photography at the Through the Looking Glass exhibit at Rose Will Studio and Gallery.

In Zone 2, from Brock to Dufferin, join in the afternoon laugh party featuring great neighbourhood comedians Helder Brum, Rhiannon Archer, Mike Rita, Brian Ward and host Nick Flanagan.

Feel like getting a workout in? Zone 3 has just the thing. A free outdoor yoga class at 10 am at Studio Blue, 1457 Dundas St West.

Between Dufferin and Dovercourt is where you’ll find some of Toronto’s most popular busker acts. Check out the event’s Busker Zones at Coolmine, Lisgar and at Federal Streets, including Madame Bella Muerte, Lucy Loop, Mighty Mike and more.

In Zone 4, which runs between Dovercourt and Ossington, hear live music all day at the Lakeview Avenue Stage in the Beer Store parking lot. Beginning at 12:30 p.m. with the Tavares Quintet, followed by Good Enough Live Karaoke, synth rock from LIPS,  rockabilly maestros the Royal Crowns, Neon Wave,  then Good Enough Live Karaoke again, Mexican Slang,  Blonde Elvis and finishing with DIY favourites Choir! Choir! Choir! at 8:30 p.m.

If the past is your thing, you’re sure to enjoy the Portuguese Canadian History Project exhibit, The Portuguese in Canada: 1953 – 2013. IC Savings also features community favourites Clay & Paper Theatre and renowned local artist Viktor Mitic.

Between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. the West House will feature a seniors’ dance group, a life-sized scrabble game, musical performances by the West House Music School and more.

Revive Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Whether you’re thinking of selling your house or staying put, creating curb appeal is something every home owner seems to aspire to. Having an admiration worthy home is something many of us yearn for and some of us spend serious time and money trying to achieve.

There’s no better time than now to dust off the cobwebs, pack up winter gear and roll out springtime. Here is our must-do checklist for adding a bit of curb appeal:

The Front Door

As the home’s focal point, your front door should be inviting and attractive. It should say, ‘You’re welcome here.’ Make sure it’s clean for starters. Paint it a pretty, eye-catching colour. Think of changing the hardware or adding an attractive door knocker. Finally, consider adorning it with an attractive spring wreath or door decoration.

What’s Your Number?

Is your house number clear and easy to read? Walk across the street to see yours. You don’t want the numbers blocked by shrubs or trees and it’s best if they’re placed near an outside light so the pizza delivery person can find you in the dark. Also, try to position the numbers horizontally because they are easier to read than if laid out vertically.

Garden in a Pot

Adding to that welcoming feeling is a grouping of spring plants near your front door. Depending on your space place one great big pot or three various sized ones on your porch or the walkway near your front door. Providing your steps are wide enough, you can also use the sides of your front stairs to arrange pots bursting with spring blooms. Hanging pots of plants also lend curb appeal.

Pretty Up Your Porch

Many older city houses have a front porch ideal for watching the world go by or just being a nosy neighbour. Regardless, your porch can be an extension of your summertime living space so throw down an outdoor rug, a table and some patio furniture. Decorate your space with favourite colours and tchotchkes such as lanterns, pillows and candles. You’ll never want to go indoors.

Grass & Flower Beds

Is your lawn looking a little tired after winter’s abuse? You may need to reseed your grass or replace patches of it. Cover your flower beds with natural mulch such as leaves, sawdust or shredded bark so they retain moisture longer and look even and finished.

Wash Windows & Siding

There’s nothing like clean windows and spotless siding to draw the eye. Try using a power washer or simply a regular hose with a washing attachment.

Look Up

Your roof should get a once over. Curling shingles or those that are crumbling should be looked at by a professional.

Come celebrate spring by taking part in an historic walking tour of the West Annex on Sunday, April 26.
Freeman Real Estate is again hosting one of its free neighbourhood tours that will take participants on a trip down memory lane thanks to local history buff and retired school teacher Marilyn Spearin. As a resident of the West Annex, Marilyn will point out significant historic sites and buildings in addition to noting the homes of illustrious historic figures and the origins of the neighbourhood’s street names.

The walk begins at 1 p.m. and participants are asked to meet outside of Freeman Real Estate at 988 Bathurst St. just before that time. It runs about one hour and explores the area between Bloor Street West to the CPR tracks north of Dupont Street and from Bathurst on the west to Kendal/Dalton to the east.

The historic homes in Toronto’s Annex were built largely from the 1880s to early 1900s and they are great examples of a wide assortment of architectural styles including Victorian, Queen Anne, Edwardian, Georgian, English cottage and Romanesque.

Expect to learn about the former Cathedral of St. Alban-the-Martyr on Howland Ave. The construction of this magnificent Neo Gothic structure began in 1884 but certain events such as the death of its architect, the Boer War, WW I and the depression slowed enthusiasm and fundraising efforts. Today the church is home to St. George’s College, a private boys’ school.

Marilyn will share information about the Walmer Road Baptist Church. Built in 1889, the church at one time was the largest Baptist congregation in Canada.

We’ll see the house in which Timothy Eaton, the founder of Canada’s largest privately owned department store, lived. It’s at the corner of Lowther Ave. and Spadina.

And we’ll view the site of a gruesome murder that took place in 1915, when Charles Bert Massey was shot to death by a domestic servant, Carrie Davies. The scandal involving one of Canada’s most powerful families made international news. Davies was found not guilty of the murder.

Jane Jacobs was also a resident of the West Annex. A journalist, author and activist who influenced urban planning, she was a leader in the fight against the planned construction of the Spadina Expressway. Jacobs died in 2006 at the age of 89, but her sway on matters affecting how cities are planned and built still lives on.

The tour ends at Jean Sibelius Square at 50 Kendal Ave., where participants are invited to sit down, rest a bit and ask questions about the neighbourhood.

Those interested in taking the tour should register with Freeman Real Estate at 416-535-3103 or email us at frontdesk@freemanrealty.com.

In real estate the mantra of location, location, location exists because it’s pretty much dead on. The same rule also applies to businesses. Locating in a family-friendly neighbourhood marked by ethnic and religious diversity, amazing arts and culture institutions, brisk commerce, great restaurants and lively coffee shops doesn’t automatically earn your company a formula for success. But let’s face it, given the ballyhoo a neighbourhood like that can generate, it certainly can’t hurt. 

Of course, we’re talking about the Freeman Real Estate neighbourhood, known more broadly as the Annex but more specifically as Seaton Village or the West Annex. Toronto is known as the City of Neighbourhoods with good reason. It has 140 of them. Those are official. The unofficial number of Toronto neighbourhoods is in the neighbourhood of about 240.

Award-winning Canadian novelist, playwright, actor and broadcaster Ann-Marie MacDonald uses the Annex neighbourhood as the backdrop to a number of scenes in her latest book Adult Onset. We’re proud to point out that Freeman Real Estate gets a mention twice in her latest novel as the main characters wend their way in and around Bathurst and Bloor streets.

MacDonald’s book is peppered with references to familiar haunts near our location at 988 Bathurst, which is on the west side between Bloor and Dupont. Honest Ed’s, Fiesta Farms, Secrets From Your Sister, Stephen’s Groceries (cited as Archie’s Variety in the book) and coffee shops all rate a mention.

MacDonald tells Canadian Press recently why she decided to name real-life businesses in her latest work:

“I thought: ‘Gee I’m going for it here. I’m really going to set it here, here’s Bathurst and Bloor and this may or may not fly with people,”‘  she said. “Because everyone likes to kick Toronto around. Like, internationally we’re known for some very important things but we’re not known for our neighbourhoods. And the rest of Canada likes to resent us for some fantasy of what they think Toronto is.”

We like Ann-Marie’s explanation. Thanks for giving our neighbourhood the attention it deserves.

Kimchi is just one of the many flavours of Koreatown, a vibrant commercial strip located in the family-friendly neighbourhood of Seaton Village.

Koreatown – also known as Little Korea or K-town – is located on Bloor, just west of the Annex, between Bathurst and Christie Streets. Characterized by a combination of good Korean restaurants, high-end fashion stores, acupuncture clinics and aesthetic boutiques, Koreatown is a magnet for the city’s Korean immigrants, students and explorers who wish to discover the sights and sounds of Korean culture.

Established in 2004, Koreatown offers visitors a vast arra y of flavours, from pork bone soup and bibimbaps to walnut cake and Korean BBQ. The city’s foodie elite have been making Koreatown their favourite go-to dining destination as Korean food has earned a top spot on trending culinary lists for a number of years now.

The Korean Grill House, Arisu, Sunrise H ouse and Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu are all great options. Don’t forget to sample bulgogi, a marinated beef dish, or bibimbap, an assortment of rice, veggies, raw beef, fried egg and spices. Getting used to kimchi can be something of a test because its strong smell puts people off. But many say once you get over the initial aversion you can become addicted to the stuff. Kimchi is cabbage that has been fermented in salt then spiced up with a strong chili powder mixture so it tastes kind of salty, garlicky, spicy and sweet all at the same time.

If K-town’s kimchi doesn’t grab you, maybe the karaoke will. Nestled away in the basements of many retail shops, Koreatown is known for its lively assortment of karaoke bars, some of which operate into the wee hours. But if your vocal strains aren’t on par with Adele or Sam Smith you can still sing to your heart’s content minus the embarrassment of doing so in front of an audience. That’s right. You can hire your own private karaoke room. BMB Karaoke and Music Studio on Bloor West is one of the largest karaoke bars in the city. Get a private room and sing your heart out. They’ll also serve you noodles if you ask.

Of course, Koreatown is a relatively new Toronto neighbourhood with roots that trace back about 50 years thanks, in part, to more liberal immigration policies the Canadian government helped pave the way for an influx of Korean immigrants to Toronto. According to the 2011 Canada Census, Toronto has the country’s largest concentration of Koreans, numbering nearly 65,000.

The past hundred years have not been kind to Korea, which was annexed by Japan in 1910 and later divided by civil war in the 1950s. Today the country is split by the communist north and a republic democracy in the south, which is where nearly all Korean immigrants come from.

Christie Pits Park is home to the DANO Spring Festival, an annual Koreatown signature event that features martial arts demonstrations, exotic dancing and music and attracts as many as 200,000 visitors. The 22^nd DANO festival will take place on the first weekend of June.

Interested in moving to the Koreatown area? Check out some of the current homes and condos for sale near Koreatown!