Real Dirt

From the September 2015 edition of the PMA newsletter FORMER TORONTO MAYOR and Member of Parliament David Crombie has been appointed to lead a review of the province’s growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The “Tiny Perfect” mayor, with a wealth of experience in dealing with urban issues, is absolutely the right man for […]

From the September 2015 PMA Brethour newsletter WHEN IT COMES to the marketing and selling of GTA real estate projects, broker relationships are key. PMA’s Samuel Wong and his team connect with top agents via PMA’s exclusive Agent Builder Network (ABN), a database that currently boasts over 6,000 registered active agents. Sam’s squad has done very […]

EVER WONDER WHY the PMA team looks so relaxed? It likely has something to do with Sheila Rose, a certified reflexologist and Reiki practitioner, who visits the office once a month to give employees what she calls the ‘Ten Minute Tune-up.’ Designed to calm and revitalize body and mind, the treatment embraces a variety of […]

From the September 2015 PMA Brethour newsletter FOR EVIDENCE OF the growing popularity of stacked townhomes — an attractive and affordable housing option that appeals to a broad range of buyers — PMA’s Kent Wengler says we need look no further than the recent success of Ideal Developments’ Modern Manors in Richmond Hill. The first […]

From the September 2015 PMA Brethour newsletter YORK REGION IS the summer’s low-rise champion, accounting for more than 30% of total GTA sales as of end of July. But PMA’s Alex Bruni tells us the biggest action wasn’t in Richmond Hill, Markham or Vaughan — it was in East Gwillimbury, where sales at communities in […]

From PMA Brethour’s July 2015 newsletter SPRING HAS SEEN a surge in low-rise sales across the GTA, with townhomes and detached homes leading the charge. Low-rise has accounted for 55% of total home sales year-to-date, compared to 47% this time last year (and 43% in 2013). Of the low-rise sales, 46% were townhomes and homes […]

From PMA Brethour’s July 2015 newsletter SO YOUR PROJECT is a big hit, but you still have remaining inventory. Who you gonna call? PMA Brethour’s Samuel Wong, who, along with his ace team of brokers, helps builders to clear out those final few units. Sam’s squad has done this successfully for a host of high-profile […]

From PMA Brethour’s July 2015 newsletter AMID DOOM and gloom in the oil industry, and despite existing home sales in Calgary having dipped last quarter, University City Condos continues to draw investors and end users. The master-planned community, with four condo towers and 20 townhomes, marks an inaugural joint venture for Metropia Urban Landscapes and […]

From PMA Brethour’s July 2015 newsletter ANDRIN HOMES’ Claridge Gate in Thornhill has proven to be one of PMA’s most successful launches of the sales season, with 60 of its 117 freehold townhomes getting snapped up in a matter of days. The project, an enclave on Bathurst Street just south of Teston Road, has proven […]

Ever wondered what that loathsome land transfer tax is being used for? Ontario has generated nearly $1.4 billion in revenue each year for the past four years through the tax, which buyers must pay upfront and in full when they close on a home purchase. The City of Toronto, which introduced its own Municipal Land Transfer Tax under former mayor David Miller, generated about $350 million in 2014 from this transaction fee, which when combined with provincial tax adds about 4% to the price of an average home in the city. That’s an extra $24,000 if you’re buying a $600,000 property, a hefty chunk of change that has to be forked over, in its entirety, at closing. Land transfer taxes cannot be added to a mortgage. It’s worth noting that no other municipality has land-transfer taxation powers like Toronto’s. Homebuyers here have the dubious distinction of being the only ones in Ontario to be double-taxed.

A PMA Perspective… “LEADERSHIP ISN’T FOR COWARDS” I love “LEADERSHIP ISN’T FOR COWARDS” by Mike Staver…speaker, writer, coach and genuine great guy. In his new book he explores the hidden fears that keep us from taking the quick decisive actions courageous leadership requires. Mike says by definition all leaders “mess with people’s lives”. That’s why […]

I recently had the privileged of being invited to a presentation by Dr. Jason Selk…a sports psychologist and “Director of Mental Training” for the St. Louis Cardinals. Dr. Selk’s new book Executive Toughness targets a daily 100 second mental workout to increase your leadership performance. His message is simple and direct… here are some of the key elements I took from this session:

“Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It’s usually because we are not the person involved!” ~ Mark Twain

“when all is said and done, more is often said than done!” There has been a media frenzy lately around The Toronto Markets potential crash and burn… the media loves a car wreck and they are doing their utmost best to create one…