BuzzBuzzHome Corp. May 31st, 2010 Last week we posted a story on DNA3 [map] which you can read here. We kept things pretty vague as we have SO much info on this project after meeting with Canderel Stoneridge last week, and now we’ll start sharing it; sharing IS caring after all, and BBH cares about all of you! OK, so where to begin? How about the amenities – 6,000 sq. ft. of them to be exact. A perfect example of … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Corp. May 31st, 2010 A little while ago we ran a story about a contest that One Valhalla [map] was running on the Cityline website where you could win an iPad. Well, the contest is now over and after talking to the guys over at One Valhalla we’re told that there was a HUGE response to the contest, with entries far exceeding their expectations (576 in total to be exact!). Whether this was down to the fact that there … Read More

Kiyoko Fujimura Buzzbuzzhome Corp. May 31, 2010 Canada has been a beacon of hope throughout the global recession. But is our stability based on fundamental economic factors or is there the chance that we have been sweeping our problems under the carpet? The Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC) is a crown corporation which insures mortgages for chartered banks. During the real estate boom over the past year, the CMHC has increased its liabilities substantially. This means that ultimately Canadian taxpayers … Read More

Matthew SlutskyBuzzBuzzHomeMay 31, 2010 Recently the Globe and Mail ran an article, where they asked me about what buyers should know when buying a new condo. Below is a more in-depth review of my comments, and some additional pointers. 1. Ceiling Heights and Doors When in the model-suite of a sales centre, check ceiling heights. Often model-suites have no ceilings, with blacked out space above, making the unit look larger than it actually is. Always ask the sales-agent where the … Read More

Matthew SlutskyBuzzBuzzHome May 30, 2010 At BuzzBuzzHome we are constantly adding new features, and fixing old features, in an attempt to make BuzzBuzzHome the world’s source for new-residential information. Here is a quick tip, did you know that we are not just condos, but all new development from highrise to low rise, from urban cores to the suburbs? Ontario [map], Alberta [map] and BC [map] are our playgrounds, while we perfect the system and ready it for world-wide release. Here … Read More

BuzzBuzzHomeMay 30, 2010 Tough economic times call for tough decisions. Trying to save a buck, or roughly 6% of your home price, by not using an agent may sound like a great decision, however according to Tara Struyk in Forbes, there are five things you should consider. The article is very long, so if you have the time read it here, but for the rest of the world, find the five main points below with some comments by BuzzBuzzHome in … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome May 29, 2010 Poor Americans. As if they needed another reason for home prices to dip they get hit with the worst oil disaster in US history. Louisiana’s beach-front real estate has been devastated by the spill. Louisiana real estate agent Carolyn Angelette says, “We aren’t selling a thing, I haven’t had one closing since this whole thing happened.” Last year this time she was averaging 25 closings each month. Last week she let her receptionist go because she … Read More

Cliff Peskin BuzzBuzzHome May 29, 2010 Why do Americans get services like Zillow’s Zestimate providing on the fly valuations of their homes but here in Ontario we get diddley-squat? Probably, its because the Ontario government has bartered away our public housing data to the private company Teranet. The company now has a monopoly over the Ontario land registration system until 2017. Furthermore, the provincial government is digging a deeper hole by writing laws enabling it and Teranet to continue the … Read More

Kiyoko FujimuraBuzzbuzzhome Corp.May 29, 2010 Conditional offers. They’re a pretty standard practice in the real estate industry. But agents nowadays are suggesting that perhaps an unconditional offer is best– if you’ve found your dream property. With the bidding wars going on in the Toronto real estate market, a condition-less offer could give you that extra edge you need to ensure you get the home you’re vying for. So what does that mean? No financing condition? No HOME INSPECTION? That sounds … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome May 28th There’s a shift happening with U.S. new home construction; things are picking up. New sales of single-family houses soared 14.8 percent to an approximate annual rate of 504,000 units (that’s a lot of units!). The April gain followed a 29.8 percent surge in March, the biggest monthly increase in 47 years. On the flipside, builders are having to cut prices to sell their units and home prices are are week. The Case Shiller Home Price Index for … Read More