Why You Should Live in Meadowvale

Meadowvale has been experiencing a rebirth and a new energy. Many of the original owners are cashing out and moving away, while hundred of young families are moving in. Over the last 5 years I have watched countless neglected homes receive new love with exterior facelifts and dumpsters placed in driveways while kitchens and baths are being gutted and updated. Prices have risen dramatically but they are still more affordable than the rest of the city, given that it's further north and Meadowvale has only just begun to rise in desirability.

Where NOT to Live in Mississauga

Since the "Great Panic of 2017", every neighbourhood has risen past the once prestigious $1 million mark. But area all villages worthy of equal stature? Let's take a closer look at some villages to learn what's worth the hype and what's not.
Why you should Live in Lisgar

Why You Should Live in Lisgar

Take a tour with me to learn about everything Lisgar has to offer. Very few people start their home search here because it is on the furthest edge of the city, far away from Toronto. But because of this, you get the most house for your money, and if you can get over the suburban feel, there's a lot to see and do, especially for families.
Whya you should live in clarkson mississauga

Why You Should Live in Clarkson

Let's take you on a tour of Clarkson so you can see all the wonderful things about this Village. Though not perfect, it offers a lot of opportunity, especially for those new to Mississauga, who still need quick commuting access to Downtown Toronto.

Moving to Mississauga from Toronto

Moving out to the west GTA might not be your dream move; you may not like the idea of the 'burbs and are worried that you'll loose all the great amenities and charm that you have enjoyed in Toronto. The Village Guru takes a lifestyle approach to get you into a new neighbourhood that will make your transition as successful as possible. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Top 10 Upgrades to Increase the Value of Your Home

Here is THE #1 COMPREHENSIVE list of most effective upgrades to increase the value of your home! It is best if you give yourself the time to get the work done properly. Better yet, you don't have to make these material upgrade decisions alone. Hire us first, and receive weeks and months of advice, planning, sourcing and problem solving at no extra cost to you. This level of service is standard to all clients, no premium fees here.
Article giving advice on what to do to buy a house under $500,000

What to Do if Your Home Buying Budget is Under $500k?

If your home buying budget is less than $500k, i am sure you are feeling frustrated. Many recent articles are advocating for you to start anew out in Hamilton or beyond. But what if you have a job you love right here? Or family support is just 10 minutes away? What if you WANT to stay in the GTA but you don't think you can buy anything here? This article is for you.
tips on preparing your kitchen for sale

Let the Kitchen Sell Your Home

Let the kitchen sell your home! Read more to learn a few simple, economical and universally appealing principles that will get you top dollar.

Expert Series: Advice for Home Buyers

I was recently interviewed by Point2Homes about the current real estate Market and what advice for Home Buyers I had to offer.

5 Upgrades to Avoid When Selling Your Home

Especially in a sellers market, we often see home owners do the WRONG work on their home, in the hopes of maxing the sale price. Find out here the 5 Upgrades to avoid, as well as what work will get better results

The #1 Secret to Finding the Best Real Estate Agent

The hardest part in starting the process of buying or selling a home is trying to figure out who is the best agent for you. Who can you trust? How can you tell their motives? There is one simple and easy way to do this, and it's not through interviewing 10 agents until your head is spinning with information. This 1 step will save you a lot of trouble and make the process of hiring a realtor that much easier.

Choosing The Right Paint Colour For Selling Your Home

Choosing the right paint colour for selling your home isn't about personal preferences or current trends. Used strategically, colour can highlight your best features and downplay any negatives of your home. Find out which tried and true colours we recommend for an elegant and contemporary look.

How to Ensure Buyers Love your Bathrooms

Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. Beautiful bathrooms help sell homes for Top Dollar. Although they are a more expensive room to tackle, we'll show you the most economical tricks to get a huge bang for your buck and make those buyers FALL.IN.LOVE

How To Update a Large Home on a Budget

In this case study, we were working on a large, executive home in Erin Mills. It was full of potential......and a lot of dated 1990's finishes. When you have a lot of surfaces to update, you have to make every dollar work hard, to keep to a proper budget. This is story about how to focus on the most impactful changes to get the best results.

Top Staging Tricks: Refresh your Kitchen & Baths

In this case study, we will review some of the most cost effective ways to refresh your kitchen and bath on a very tight budget.

How to Prepare Your Kitchen When Selling Your Home

If you want to sell for TOP DOLLAR, start in your kitchen. This is by far the most important room to buyers, and the price you end up with will largely depend on how happy the buyers are with the kitchen. Selling Your Home For Top Dollar - Part 5

Essential Tips for Increasing Your Home's Curb Appeal When Selling

Curb Appeal matters when selling your house. Tips to preparing your curb appeal and landscaping for selling.

Industry Article: Know Your Village

This is a quick link to the Interview I did with Point 2 Homes about the Mississauga Real Estate Market and what buyers need to know to get the home they want and need.

How Do I Find The Right Area to Live In?

[VIDEO] Finding the right area to live in can sometimes be a challenge for home buyers. Balancing factors such as budget, proximity to work, family and others can make the situation very complicated.

My Top 5 Villages in Mississauga

Clients always ask me where I would live, Would you buy this house? Would you live in this neighbourhood? what do I look for?...etc. When I'm working for someone I try to see the world through their eyes, it's about finding them what is best for them. So today I decided to write this post to answer the question, partly for fun, and also so that you can get a little better sense of who I am, and how I look at the world as a home buyer.

Younger Home Buyers Should Think Like Home Flippers

[VIDEO] Knowing what I know, if I was a first time home buyer I would be looking for something that needs a little work. By a little I don't mean a gut or the need for permits, but something that might be outdated cosmetically because here's what I do know- The majority of today's home buyers are

Osprey Marsh

This morning I decided to take a stroll around Osprey Marsh in Lisgar and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by how serene and peaceful the area is.
home buyer tip watch what you say

Home Buyer Tip: Watch What You Say

What I'm actually doing is protecting you as my client. You see, you never know who is listening. Recording devices, nanny cams, and other surveillance equipment- I've seen it all

First Time Home Buyer RRSP Plan Explained

Commonly referred to as the "First Time Home Buyer Plan", the Home Buyers Plan (HBP) is a Government of Canada program designed to assist first time home buyers and persons with disabilities to purchase or build a home by allowing them to borrow up to...

4 Things Home Buyers Often Fail to Notice About a Home

Based on my experience, here are 4 things that home buyers often fail to notice about a home during the home buying process.

Mortgage Financing for Newcomers to Canada

Having worked with many newcomers to Canada, I can tell you first hand that buying a home is a complicated process and if you are coming from outside of the country it is even more so. It isn't as simple as seeing a house and buying it and if you are new to Canada, the information you will read about on the internet will most likely not apply to you.

Buying Your First Home the Right Way

Buying Your First Home is a big step in life. Make sure you are armed with the facts before you start the process. Guest Post by Daniel Watson, University of Toronto Journalism Student.
Negotiation in Real Estate

Negotiate The Best Deal In Real Estate

The ability to negotiate is one of the most important skills a realtor can have, and with change in the wind for our real estate market, I think negotiation in real estate will be more important than ever.
Traffic jam in Mississauga

Commute Time Should Be a TOP Priority When Buying a Home

[VIDEO] Commute time in Mississauga, Toronto and the rest of the GTA plays a huge factor in terms of your quality of life and if you have to commute any long distance it's hard on your lifestyle to say the least...

Dear Home Buyer: If The Housing Market Could Talk...

I thought I would have a little fun with today's post and write a pretend letter from the housing market to a would be home buyer. It's a little sarcastic but in some ways I think it reflects the reality of our changing real estate market...

7 Home Features That Rarely Make Financial Sense in Real Estate

From all of my experience, I am going to give you a list of the top 7 home features I believe are oversold and don't make financial sense in today's real estate market...

Single First Time Home Buyers Beware, Watch Your Condominium Parking Situation!

[VIDEO] Condominium projects in Mississauga are marketed the same way as they are in Downtown Toronto and it still baffles me that someone would buy a condo in Mississauga and not give a second thought to the parking situation. Especially if they are a single first time home buyer and are young.

Insider Tip: There Are NO Miracles In Real Estate Investing

From all of my experience I guess I've learned one thing- there will always be someone ready to take your money with the promise of miracles, instant riches and the shortcut to wealth mindset. If you take one thing away from this article, here it is- THERE ARE NO MIRACLES IN REAL ESTATE.

Location In Real Estate: Sometimes It's The Small Details That Count!

The trick with location in Real Estate is that you can’t find many of these location factors by simply searching the MLS. These factors are things that you learn as you view hundreds of homes in a particular area and you develop the knowledge firsthand.

Schools: When It Comes to Real Estate, Schools Count!

Schools are becoming increasingly important in real estate. Especially in a city like Mississauga, where schools can directly relate to how in demand a particular area is. Part of the reason for the increased importance of school ranking among home buyers is...
Rub down businesses are not good for home value

Buyer Tip: Check Out the Neighbourhood Before You Look at Homes

I always tell people to look at the local businesses in an area before looking at homes. Doing this will give you a good indication as to who the predominate people are that live in the area. Businesses almost always do their research as to what location will be best to reach their target customer...

Winning the Bidding Game

If you are a buyer, it may feel like every house for sale is holding offers and selling in multiple offer situations. In reality, this is only true for about 15% of homes on the makert this spring, but these 15% are the homes that ALL buyers…

The Benefits of Bridge Financing

I want to share with you an option that you might not have known was available to you. For most people, the worst part of a move is the actual moving day, and it is commonly assumed that you need to move out of your old home and into your…

The Rules to Home Flipping are Simple....But Often Ignored

I get at least 50 calls each year from people who are thinking of investing in real estate and looking to flip homes. I talk most of them out of it, because they are not really ready to follow the rules, and I refuse to be the realtor who…

Lot Premiums Add More Value

Whether you are buying a new home or resale, if you have the chance to buy on a lot premium, you should. Though it will cost you more up front, the value of a lot premium increases exponentially over your neighbours over time. Not only will…