envelope real estate: A True Elevator Speech For Real Estate - 02/06/12 01:38 AM
 “Hi Lucy, I’m stuck in the elevator!” I had a listing appointment to do a CMA for an apartment condo in a high-rise building. She buzzed me in and my next conversation with her was, ’Hi  Lucy; I’m stuck in the elevator”.
“Oh no, are you OK?” she asked. “I’m fine, thanks”.  She asked “Do you want me to call 911 or the building manager?” “The building manager should know what to “, I replied. She called both 911 and the building manager. (She had given the 911 operator my cell number and when called I said that I was fine … (8 comments)

envelope real estate: Hyde Park Real Estate in North London Is Still Moving! - 12/30/11 04:38 AM
    Again, in 2011 homes in the Hyde Park neighbourhood in North West London have been selling quite well.
  In 2011,237 houses and 66 condos sold , houses for 98% of their asking price and condos 99%!  Houses in Whitehills took an average 42 days to sell followed by condos at 44 days.
  Houses in this popular London neighbourhood sold at an average of $321,991and condos at $242,285 which shows that this neighbourhood remains very price competitive.
  Homes in the newer section of Hyde Park are ranging from $285,000 to $375,000 so as you can see, with the great schools and new shopping Big Box … (1 comments)

envelope real estate: Real Estate In Byron Did Real Well in 2011 - 12/29/11 04:16 AM
Houses in Byron  sold quite well in 2011 with 208 houses & 63 condos being sold. On average these homes in this great sought after neighbourhood in west London were on the market for only 43 days!
  As with most averages, some numbers can be deceiving , however, I am aware that some houses took less than a week to sell while others 2-3 months ! Homes that are priced well, in great shape are always sought after and I am a believer that facts leave clues.
  The average asking price of a home in Byron was $335,689 and the average sold price was … (0 comments)

envelope real estate: Need a Condo Townhouse in North London Ontario? - 12/01/11 10:05 AM
If location and convenience is important to you, if you like the idea of just moving in
this townhome may be just for you!

Has this happened to you? You look at many Townhome condos in many neighbourhoods and finally come across one that seems to have all the key features on your checklist. You don’t make an offer, you can’t really put your finger on it, but you know something is missing.
  What is lacking in these situations is the most important ingredient of all-an emotional connection to the home.
 
Homes do have ‘invisible’ qualities – an … (0 comments)

envelope real estate: Commercial Building in London Just Sold - 08/27/11 02:32 AM
London Ontario -  This commercial/multi use building has been sold at 316 Oakland Ave for full price! The transaction was smooth and worked out well for both parties, which is the Envelope Real Estate standard in all transactions.
Property information
… (0 comments)

envelope real estate: The Secret to Being Busy In Real Estate Sales - 08/18/11 11:06 AM
I have been coached by some of the best real estate gurus on the continent, I have studied the top real estate income earners and have tried to duplicate their successes and my library is full of the latest books on self improvenent, sales management, you name it.
None of the above let me in on the best kept real estate secret.
Are you ready?
Plan a holiday! Yup, pretty simple and yet for me anyway, anytime I plan to take a week or two and travel, all my 5 star prospects want to list and buy those particular weeks. Past clients who … (6 comments)

envelope real estate: I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory (And a Referral Fee) - 08/18/11 04:18 AM
This blog was posted by Malcolm Johnston about a referral I had given him last year. The first time around the listing expired with one low offer. Malcolm persevered, the client liked his work ethics and honesty and she re-listed with Malcolm.
Malcolm got results, his follow up with me was superb, and I can highly recommend him for being the go to person in the Trenton area.
Last Year I was contacted by fellow Active Rain member Ty Lacroix from Envelope Real Estate in London, Ontario. Ty had a client who happened to own a beautiful 93 acre parcel of … (3 comments)

envelope real estate: As a Real Estate Agent in Ontario, How to Keep More Money in Your Pocket - 07/08/11 04:10 AM
Hi, over the past few years I have seen huge changes to the real estate industry, not only on the consumer side but on the sales side as well.
As with the travel industry and the insurance industry, consumers are cost concience and have cut out the intermediary, which in real estate is the sales representative. Yet, I still work with a travel agent for all my travel. The main reason is that she is an expert on travel, can get me what and when I want it. If something does go wrong (emergency, airline bankruptcy, overbooked hotel etc) I am … (4 comments)

envelope real estate: One of the ways to Be a great Real estate agent in London Ontario - 05/19/11 04:59 AM
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envelope real estate: Pricing Your London Condo to Sell - 04/24/11 05:28 AM
Contrary to popular belief, when selling your London Ontario condo its value is determined by one thing and one thing only - what a qualified buyer is willing to pay for it. No more and no less. Sure, many sellers will argue that their condo has an insurance replacement value, or an appraised value, or a tax assessed value, but unless your insurance agent, your banker, or your tax assessor is willing to write you a cheque for the condo - guess what? None of that matters. A home without a buyer has no value in the market place. Sure it … (2 comments)

envelope real estate: Open House Hyde Park in London Ontario - 01/18/11 07:38 AM
This Sunday, January 23, 2011 from 2-4PM there will be an opemn house at 1376 Coronation Drive in London Ontario.
This 4 bedroom home is 2 years old and priced at $324,900 and is on a 184' deep lot. Model Homes are being listed in the area from $329,000 and up, with out a finished basement, with out upgrades and other add ons that most do not think about.
Easy to see, easy to finance and ready to move into. See our Virtual Tour of this great home in a great neighbourhood.
… (0 comments)

envelope real estate: List it High Because Someone Will Offer Less - 01/08/11 10:48 AM
Lets List it High Because I Know Someone Will Offer Less
There is a right way and a wrong way to sell a home. Here are some of the wrong ways.
I Want to List it High Because I Know Someone Will Offer LessWhen a home seller interviews a real estate agent it's easy for them to get caught up in the excitement of choosing a sales price. If they can get more money for the home, it means more financial opportunities for the homeowner. Unfortunately, uninformed sellers often choose the listing agent who tells them they will list it at the highest … (8 comments)

envelope real estate: Intentions & Expectations - 01/01/11 10:26 AM
"Your intentions establish your expectations, and your expectations influence outcome." I copied these words from the book "Grow Younger, Live Longer" by Deepak Chopra and read them everyday in 2010.
As I progressed through 2010 I started to see some incredible changes in the growth of my business, it almost doubled! I was able to take almost 5 weeks of vacation, my health has been outstanding, I reached the weight level I intended to get to, made some new friends and have a calmer and more philosophical look concerning real estate.
Every new year in the past I had set goals … (12 comments)

envelope real estate: How Do You Value An Income Property - 11/08/10 10:38 PM
Every day I receive calls from people who would like to invest or buy income properties in London Ontario. It could be from a duplex up to a strip plaza and one of my first questions is: "What dollar amount are you comfortable with and the purpose?"This is where it gets real interesting. From professional investors to the first time "thinking about it" or the "Trumpish investor", it is amazing what and why and how they perceive real estate values.
Is it:
rental income minimum down payment appraised value (and from whom) comparable market values as a tax loss break even a … (13 comments)

envelope real estate: Write Off 100% of New Computers For Your Business - 10/21/10 11:06 PM
Thanks to Canada's Economic Action Plan, you can fully deduct the cost of eligible computers (including systems software) in one year!
By taking advantage of this capital cost allowance (CCA) it will mean freeing up capital more quickly, modernizing, and being more competitive.
Major suppliers of computers have some great offers out there and combined with price cuts and the tax advantage presented, act before January 31, 2011 and you will be a winner!
To learn more about this or other tax cuts go here.
… (22 comments)

envelope real estate: Free MLS Access without a REALTOR® - 10/06/10 10:45 PM
The Competition Bureau feels that the MLS system we have is unfair, holds the public hostage to our income structure (commissions) and is unfair to the public because you must use the services of a REALTOR® to have your property listed on MLS.
Being partial and having a personal interest in this confrontation(my income derives from real estate) I wonder if we can make the playing field level with the following suggestions.
Let the public advertise their used car on the Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, BMW web site. How unfair to let these big guys discriminate against the small guy.
Let … (86 comments)

envelope real estate: CREA'S AGREEMENT WITH THE COMPETITION COMMISSIONER - 10/06/10 05:14 AM
Last Thursday, the Board of Directors of CREA approved a settlement with the Competition Commissioner - subject to member approval at the Special General Meeting that will take place in St. John's later this month.
CREA and its lawyers have already held meetings with the leadership of a few Boards and Associations. More meetings will be held prior to the SGM - including this week and the next one.
Typically, when an agreement is reached between two litigants, the deal is complete once it is signed by both parties and filed with the court. In this case, the agreement with the … (5 comments)

envelope real estate: What Is The Real Issue in London Ontario - 10/05/10 07:13 AM
It's time to take action on the real issue. Poverty. Did you know that 1 in 5 children born in London, Ontario live in poverty? And that 17% of all Londoners live in poverty and struggle to make ends meet?
These people are our neighbours, our employees, our work colleagues, our friends, our families. It's time to take a stand to end poverty. To take action. This is the real issue. Get involved
Poverty is a complex issue that is rooted in a range of underlying issues. Go to http://www.therealissue.ca/ and click on these Londoners to learn how poverty has affected … (12 comments)

envelope real estate: About London's Vital Signs® Report - 10/05/10 06:56 AM
Vital Signs serves as a check-up on the vitality of London and provides a snapshot of the positive and negative trends in areas important to our quality of life.
The report is compiled from recent statistics and studies that look at six different, and yet interconnected, issue areas that are critical to the well being of our city and its residents: Getting Started in our Community, Belonging and Leadership, Learning, Work, Environment and Gap Between Rich and Poor. This study deepens our community knowledge and is a valuable tool for residents, leaders and elected officials who develop the new ideas required … (0 comments)

envelope real estate: Connecting People Who Care In London Ontario - 10/05/10 06:45 AM
We can all make a difference in London Ontario. Vital Signs is a snapshot of the issues that impact our quality of life. You'll find stories and statistics, hear about ideas and initiatives, and learn how you can make our community more vital.
Connecting People Who Care to Causes That Matter
  Although our economy is improving, it's too early to see change. When you're the most marginalized, you're first to need help but the last to recover.
  When the milk is running low, most of us just add it to the grocery list and buy more. But for many Londoners, … (2 comments)