JoAnn VISAretis

What is Social Media??

JoAnn VISAretis — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:39:00 GMT

With the savy internet consumer, and the statistic from where people find their home or real estate agent, it is no wonder I had to make big changes in the way I do business.

I have developed a social media plan, which is designed along with your properties marketing plan, taking in all factors that will effect the sale. Once this is set up the next step is to input the information of the property to the internet media. Craig's list, KiJiJi, E-Bay, Facebook, Flickn, Active rain, Linken, just to mention a few.

I have 3 websites and buying more with domain names and URL address for every property I list. TOTAL Exposure along with MLS = Results!

My clients expectations have been more then met. Properties that did not sell, even at lower prices are selling, some over asking price.

Want to know more, call me TODAY to discuss.

PS...Start packing

WHAT A GREAT START TO JANUARY 2010!!

JoAnn VISAretis — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:15:00 GMT

GTA REALTORS® REPORTING JANUARY MID-MONTH HOUSING STATISTICS TORONTO, January 18, 2010 -

Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 1,749 existing home sales on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) during the first two weeks of January. This result was almost double the 888 sales reported for the same period in 2009, when sales had dipped to a recessionary low. “We have had a strong start to 2010,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Tom Lebour. “Widespread sales growth in terms of geography and housing type indicates that many households remain confident in their ability to purchase and pay for a home over the long-term.”

The average price for transactions in the first two weeks of January was $395,307, compared to an average of $332,495 for the same period in 2009. “Double-digit average annual price growth will continue through the first quarter of 2010 as sales remain high relative to listings and we continue to make comparisons to last year’s winter downturn,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis. TREB

Now could be the right time for you to sell or buy...call me today to discuss what is best for you.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

GTA Report - December mid-month Resale Housing Market Figures

JoAnn VISAretis — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:23:00 GMT

TORONTO, December 17, 2009 - Greater Toronto REALTORS reported 3,079 existing home
transactions in the first two weeks of December compared to 1,487 in 2008. The strong
growth represents both increased home ownership demand and the fact that we are
comparing the recovery phase of the sales cycle this December with the contraction
phase experienced last winter
Year-to-date sales, at 84,888, were up 16 per cent compared to the same period last year
and have moved in line with the healthy levels experienced in the 2004 through 2006
period.
"We experienced a very strong and broad based recovery in the second half of 2009,"
said Toronto Real Estate Board President Tom Lebour. "The rebound in the housing
sector speaks to the confidence that households have in overall economic recovery.”
The average resale home price during the first two weeks of December rose 17 per cent to
$423,103. The year-to-date average was $395,411, up four per cent compared to the same
period in 2008.
“The double-digit price growth we have experienced since September will continue
through the first quarter of 2010. Average price growth will move to a sustainable pace in
the spring as listings increase," according to Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of
Market Analysis.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

LOOKING FOR POWER OF SALES?....CALL JOANN VISARETIS 416-464-1200

Record breaking 2009!!

JoAnn VISAretis — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:38:00 GMT

This year began with just 2,670 transactions in January and an average price of $343,632. By the end of November though, the average price soared to $418,460 and year-to-date sales reached 81,929, putting 2009 on track to finish with some of the best years on record.
TREB

Thinking of buying or selling? Call JoAnn VISAretis TODAY!

OWNING A HOME Vs. RENTING.....

JoAnn VISAretis — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:29:00 GMT

If you’ve recently decided to make the transition from renter to homeowner, you are about to make an important investment in your long-term financial wellbeing. Still on the fence? Consider the following benefits. Owning your own home can allow you to:

Build equity
When you purchase your own home and make mortgage payments, you accumulate equity in the property. You may borrow against this equity or convert it into cash when you eventually sell your property.

Stabilize housing costs
While rent typically increases from year to year, with fixed-rate and some variable-rate mortgages your payments remain unchanged throughout the term of the financing. The impact of inflation over the years means you pay the same amount, but in devalued dollars.

The opportunity to profit from appreciation
Housing has historically increased in value over time. At the same time as you build equity by making mortgage payments, what you can get when you sell your home may increase over the long term.

Enjoy tax benefits
Homeowners can enjoy tax benefits not available to renters. Portions of the interest paid on your mortgage may be tax deductible, and capital gains when you sell your home are in most cases tax exempt – your Invis mortgage professional can provide you with more information and guidance.

Ultimately, buying a home isn’t only about money. Home ownership makes it easier to put down roots in your community, and can give you a new sense of pride in your surroundings. You have full freedom to renovate your space to fit neatly with your family’s lifestyle.

CALL JOANN VISARETIS TODAY ...416-464-1200

My Home is my BIGGEST Investment! How do I determine the Value and Condition?

JoAnn VISAretis — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:35:00 GMT

A home is one of life’s most important purchases. Before committing to a purchase it makes sense to learn as much as possible about any property you wish to acquire. Understanding the important differences between an appraisal and a home inspection will help you to obtain detailed information about the home’s value and condition.

An Appraisal
An appraisal allows the lending institution to determine if the property being purchased is suitable as security for a mortgage. For conventional mortgages, a lender will in most cases require that a professional third party assess the property to ascertain its current market value. In the case of a “high-ratio” mortgage (with a down payment of less than 20 per cent), the mortgage insurer will go through its own internal appraisal process. In particular, lenders and insurers are concerned that the property (in terms of its age, condition, and remaining economic life) constitutes a good match with the borrower and their ability to repay the mortgage. An appraisal does not usually include a detailed property inspection.

A Home Inspection
A home inspection is not used to determine property value, but will provide an assessment of the physical condition of a property. A well-trained home inspector will perform a comprehensive visual inspection to determine the condition of the building and all of its major systems (for example the roof, structural, heating, plumbing and electrical systems). While an appraisal is intended to provide the lender with sufficient information to decide on mortgage financing, a home inspection will hopefully reveal to a potential homebuyer whether the building and its systems are in sound working order. If there are outstanding issues, a good inspector will provide the potential purchaser with a schedule outlining the estimated costs and when these repairs will need to be completed.

When you are ready to buy call JoAnn VISAretis, 416-464-1200 and find out why more people choose JoAnn VISAretis.

Remember when you could have picked up a good piece of Real Estate for a Song - And Didn't?

JoAnn VISAretis — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:59:00 GMT

Housing starts in Canada are expected to rebound in the second half of 2009 and will reach 141,900 for the year. Starts will increase to 150,300 for 2010, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

"Economic uncertainty and lower levels of employment tempered new housing construction in the first half of this year", said Bob Dugan, Chief Economist for CMHC. "In the second half of 2009 and in 2010, we expect housing markets across Canada to strengthen."

Improving activity on the resale market and lower inventory levels in both the new and existing home markets are expected to prompt builders to increase residential construction.

Existing home sales, as measured by the Multiple Listing Service (MLS^®), have rebounded strongly since January and will reach 420,700 units in 2009 and remain close to that level at 419,400 units in 2010. The average MLS^® price is expected to moderate to $301,400 in 2009 and to increase to $306,300 in 2010. MLS^® data are for 10 provinces.

The Bank of Canada will leave its key interest rate unchanged and restated its commitment to holding this rate steady until mid-2010, conditional on the outlook for inflation. In its statement the Bank declared that “recent indicators point to the start of recovery in major economies, supported by aggressive policy stimulus and the stabilization of global financial markets.”

Lenders are expected to keep their prime lending rate steady. Variable-rate mortgages, variable-rate credit cards, and home equity lines of credit are typically linked to a lender’s prime rate.

However, in recent weeks the pricing of new variable-rate mortgages in relation to the prime rate has improved, especially in the case of 3-year and 4-year variable products.

While pricing for fixed-rate mortgages is not directly affected, rates on certain fixed products have been declining recently.

WHY WAIT??

MORE PEOPLE ARE BUYING AND SELLING WITH JOANN VISARETIS NOW! 416-464-1200 BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY. LET ME HELP YOU!

Seeds if Greatness.....

JoAnn VISAretis — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:57:00 GMT

Be different, if it means higher personal and professional standards of behavior
Be different, if it means treating animals like people, and people as brothers and sisters
Be different, if it means being cleaner, neater and better groomed than the group
Be different, if it means giving more in service than you expect to receive in payment
Be different, if it means to take the calculated risk
Be different, if it means to observe, listen and understand before passing judgment

-- Denis Waitley

Puppy - December 10th, 2005 to May 4th, 2009

JoAnn VISAretis — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:44:00 GMT

PUPPY…

I recently lost my little dog who I found just over 3 years ago. He was abandoned on Liverpool Road, South Pickering on Saturday, December 10th, 2005. I saw him walking into the street as I was heading home, & stopped because I thought for sure he would get hit. He managed to miss the bus that was turning and crossed the street coming straight for me. I grabbed the little guy & put him safely in my car & proceeded home. When I got him into the house & saw his condition I was appalled. He had no coat on his backside; his skin was covered with fleas. His remaining coat was matted, he smelled terrible & I thought what have I gotten myself into?

I put him into a room, as I did not want my cats to get near him. I rushed to the local pet store & started buying everything I would need to help my new visitor. I rushed home & my girlfriend who is a hair dresser was visiting, & between us, we washed & washed this little guy to make him comfortable. As we washed him, we also discovered he was blind.

When I took him to my vet on the Monday, he said the dog was about 12-14 years of age & if I kept him I would be taking on quite a responsibility. I said I would keep him & take care of him always. The story of my life with "Puppy" has a very sad ending to a great find for both of us.

I lost my little dog on Monday, May 4th, 2009. It started as a regular day; we got up and went for our short walk. Puppy ate his food, and then it was time to take him to be groomed at our local groomers, I live in South Pickering. He never liked it there, but the groomer always reassured me he was fine & once in he settled & they showed that they "cared". They called me after 1:00 to pick him up as he was ready. I went over, paid and a young girl rushed over to get him for me. She was asked by my groomer to pick him up, which she very abruptly did which made me uneasy. When she brought Puppy to me he was wheezing, coughing almost choking...I asked her what was happening. She was too rushed trying to catch another dog she let out, so my regular groomer who heard me said he was OK & had been good during the grooming.

I thought he was stressed being there & said to myself, I will not bring him back again. I walked him then put him in the car to take him home. My little dog died around 4:00 pm.... I was in disbelief. I with a friend took Puppy to the emergency clinic to have him cremated. I had a bad feeling & wanted to know what happened so I called my groomer to try and get answers.

I spoke to Puppy's groomer, and her story kept changing as though she was being coached. The morning receptionist had called to tell me he was having trouble breathing, & when I asked why I was not called to pick him up immediately to take him to my vets, she said the owner or my regular groomer would call me.

I heard from the owner, who stated, ‘she knew Puppy was dying’. When I asked why she did not inform me of this, she stated, ‘their policy is to not tell the owner their pet is dying because they don't want to upset them’!!! The audacity of this statement left me in awe!

Since my dog died, I cannot eat, or sleep through the night. I keep feeling guilty that if I knew he was not doing well and had been told by this grooming establishment, I may have been able to help him. He may still be with me! I don't know! I feel people, who work with animals and are in it just for the money, should not be allowed to take care of our precious companions.

This little dog brought me so much love. He came into my life at a very difficult time & he taught me that I could take care of him & myself as well. He was never any trouble.

I have inquired to reputable dog grooming salons & this is what they feel happened:

“Puppy was a cockapoo. If that's the case, what probably happened to cause him to have breathing difficulties was that he was crate dried. What this means is, instead of the groomer blow drying the dog, they put the dog in a crate and hung a blow drier on the outside, forcing air inside the crate to dry the dog. This is frequently done in salons but not advised for dogs that have flat faces or that suffer from collapsed tracheas. Due to the fact that Puppy is part poodle, toy poodles suffer from collapsed tracheas, and thus require hand drying. So, IF the Salon dried Puppy incorrectly then this could have caused his death!”

Although I do not know for certain what truly happened to Puppy as I am still waiting to receive his records from this Dog Grooming Salon, a few things are for certain… First, whatever occurred, the Dog Grooming Salon was wrong in not calling me much earlier and telling me Puppy was in distress! Second, it was heartless to give me the dog back when he was so ill and charge me for grooming him. Surely if he was in distress they should have called me immediately and not groomed him! Third, I am extremely unhappy with the way the Dog Grooming Salon has dealt with this situation, me and most importantly, Puppy! Finally, since this occurred, other customers of the Dog Grooming Salon have begun to voice their discontent with the attitude and approach of this Dog Grooming Salon! Not surprisingly, I have found out so many terrible stories since I started speaking out about this place because….the truth will always shine threw!

I hope my story will touch your hearts & you will be able to warn other pet lovers about establishments such as this one.

If you want to speak to me, please don't hesitate to call 416-464-1200.

Blessings...

JoAnn

“Because animals seem to dwell in the present moment, because their own presence is so instinctive, their attention so unwavering, they offer us a different kind of compassion than humans do. Anyone is lucky to have both human and animal comfort in their lives.”

—Brenda Peterson

Homeowners renovation TAX credit...Time to Rejoice!!

JoAnn VISAretis — Sun, 03 May 2009 21:45:00 GMT

RENOVATION TAX CREDIT

- 15% off the cost of home renovations via a tax refund.

- This government coupon expires on February 1^st, 2010.

- Taxpayers claim the HRTC when they file their 2009 tax return.

- Residential property owners need to spend between $1,000 and $10,000 with the maximum tax credit available to them being $1,350.

ecoENERGY RETROFIT GRANT

- Residential property owners receive a credit of $5,000 per property to a maximum of $500,000 over the life of the program.

- It is estimated that the average grant will be $1,000 and will yield an average of 25% reduction in energy use and costs.

- In order to qualify for the grant, an Energy Auditor needs to evaluate your home and assess the amount of energy your home is emitting. They will make the recommendations with respects to what upgrades you could make to lower your energy bill.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

- The Ontario government is willing to help you with the cost of the audit; up to 50% or $150.

- If your renovations include some appliances, Enbridge will reimburse you $15 for a programmable thermostat, $100 for and Energy Star qualified natural gas furnace and $300 for an Energy Star qualified natural gas tank less water heater.

- The Ontario Power Authority will pitch in up to $550 towards more efficient heating and/or cooling units.

- By installing something which creates renewable energy for example electricity produced by wind solar or renewable biofuels, just to name a few, you can get paid for energy you produce for the next 20 years; up to 42 cents per kilowatt hour.

- The Ontario Power Authority is willing to refund the sales tax (RST) you paid for any of these systems or for an upgrade or expansion of a system you already have in place.

Call JoAnn VISAretis to discuss your options...

Opportunity knocks

JoAnn VISAretis — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:33:00 GMT

NOW IS THE BEST TIME FOR HOME OWNERSHIP. INTEREST RATES AND THE PRICES FOR THE HOMES AVAILABLE IS UNBEATABLE.

IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH ABOUT OUR REAL ESTATE MARKET, ASK AN ACTIVE REALTOR LIKE MYSELF. THE BEST ADVISE I CAN GIVE YOU IS: TURN OFF THE NEWS..."IF IT BLEEDS IT READS!"

TALK TO US FIRST THEN GET PACKING!

We are experiencing a "Balanced" Market...What does this mean??

JoAnn VISAretis — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:49:00 GMT

A balanced market, aslo referred to as a transitional market, is a market in which supply equals demand. This tends to result in stable pricing (sale prices are more in line with a property's fair market value) and negotiations. Sellers tend to accept reasonalbe offers and properties tend to sell within a reasonable length of time.

Open House in Fairport/Baylawn on Saturday

JoAnn VISAretis — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:38:00 GMT

Fairport/Baylawn, Pickering - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 889 Baylawn Drive on March 7 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

Property information

The BEST Time to BUY is When Know One Else Is!

JoAnn VISAretis — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:38:00 GMT

Many people ask the question of if it still is the best time to buy. My answer is YES!! The interest rates are at a record low, meaning the opportunity for home ownership is fantastic.

The Sellers who are thinking of selling should get their homes SOLD ready as we are seeing multiple offers!

My job is to protect your equity, call me TODAY to find out how! 416-464-1200

Time To Buy Is NOW!

JoAnn VISAretis — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:58:00 GMT

Moderated housing prices combined with low interest rates could present excellent long-term investment and homeownership opportunities in the GTA housing market,(TREB). REALTORS can help potential home buyers and investors identify value in today’s market.

TREB Members reported 2,670 sales in January from the 5,075 sales reported in the first month of 2008. Of these, 1,106 transactions took place in the City of Toronto compared to 2,128 in January 2008. In the surrounding “905” area, 1,564 sales were recorded, from 2,947 last year. The GTA housing market has not been immune to the economic slowdown in Canada. Some potential home buyers were less-certain about their positioning in the economy over the past year. Until the economy rebounds, and along with it consumer confidence, the number of existing home sales will be more moderate in comparison to the average over the last ten years.

Keeping you up to date…

“BUY WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS!”