Property Tax Reassessment

Steven Ho Seller

[two] By now you should have received your latest Property Tax assessments notice from MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) for 2016. It is an assessment from which the city will calculate what your property tax amount will be for the year and the next 4 years. The MPAC assess properties according “to the Assessment Act and regulations established by the …

WAYS TO GO GREEN AT HOME

Steven Ho Tips

Going green has many positive side effects. It helps keep water and air clean, it reduces the effects of global warming, and it encourages and supports the global sharing of scarce resources. In addition to these benefits, going green reduces your electric and water bills, and it improves your overall health and productivity! [two]   [/two] [two] Check your insulation: …

Should you sell now and buy later on, when and if the market crashes?

Steven Ho Seller

[two] Since the prices of homes have increased immensely in the last few years, there have been speculations that a market crash will soon likely follow. Homeowners undoubtedly want to benefit from the crash as much as possible, which is why many of them are thinking of selling now while prices are still high, and buying (homes of equal value) …

How many houses should buyers see before buying?

Steven Ho Buyer

[two] It’s like asking someone how many wedding dresses they will have to try on before finding the right one. Or asking someone how many ice cream flavors they will have to taste, before finding their absolute favorite. Same goes with buying houses. There’s no way of knowing how many homes we will need to look at, because everyone’s different. …

Fall Home Maintenance

Steven Ho Tips

There are a few things homeowners should do around the house, before the long and cold winter sets in. Checking the foundation for cracks: Homeowners should inspect the exterior of the house in the fall, “checking the foundation for cracks and caulk in areas where pipes and wires enter the house, and where heat could escape from doors and windows”. …

CHILDREN’S AID FOUNDATION

Steven Ho Events

[two] This year I have decided to donate to the Children’s Aid Foundation on behalf of my clients. The Children’s Aid Foundation is an organization that “funds programs that give Canada’s most neglected and vulnerable kids the support they need to reinvent their lives”. The Children’s Aid Foundation supports the Child Welfare Institute which provides “quality training and consolation” to …

INCREASE OF WATER AND WASTEWATER RATES

Steven Ho Tips

[two] According to “Region of Peel: working for you”, water bills issued from April 1st, 2015 have increased for the Peel region. There was a water rate increase of 7.4 per cent and wastewater increase of 6.7 per cent, which means that the average household will see an annual increase of around $39. In spite of this increase however, the …

Should you move to Mississauga?

Steven Ho Buyer

Education: When families consider moving, they often want to know what kinds of schools are in the area they would move to, and if these schools would be any good. Knowing this is important as it determines the quality of education their children would receive, thus effecting the kids’ future job prospects. Mississauga has many great elementary and secondary schools …

10 Reasons why you should hire a buyer agent

Steven Ho Buyer

Hiring a buyer agent is like having a tour guide at a museum. You are guaranteed to get a lot more out of the experience with a tour guide then without one, because they enhance the experience and make it more valuable. Buyer agents’ make the buying experience more valuable, because they provide “guidance and support” at every step of …

The importance of setting the right listing price

Steven Ho Seller

[two] One of the main reasons why sellers price a listing too high, is because they “want to avoid a short sale”. This means “they price too high when their home equity is low, in order to avoid selling short”. Sellers also price too high when realtors give them an “unrealistic estimate value,” in order to beat out other potential …