Our Service Will Move You!

Free No Obligation Market Evaluation Of Your Home905-898-6300 www.TheMitchellTeam.com

Real Estate Market Watch

We’ve Helped Over 3100 Families Make Their Move! www.TheMitchellBlog.com

REALTY CENTRES, BROKERAGEIndependently Owned and Operated

Volume 2, Issue 2In This Edition:

Ten Easy Ways to UpdateYour Home for Resale

3 Mortgage Rules ComingInto Effect

Kids Corner

Understanding Your LocalReal Estate Market

Customer Testimonial

Yard Sale Savvy

Market Watch

Meet the Team

Seminar

Homes For Sale

1. Steam clean carpets and consider installinghardwood flooring or ceramic tiles.

2. Paint walls in a neutral but pleasing hue.

3. Replace the faucets in your bathroom;stylish and contemporary fixtures, such asthe Arzo Bath Collection by Delta, exude aluxury feel at an affordable price point.

4. Change a toilet, sink or counter to aneutral tone for an instant update.

5. Paint the tiles in a bathroom or the kitchento inexpensively upgrade a space.

6. Do an all over clean-up and purge of yourhome. Prospective buyers often can’t seebeyond clutter.

7. Increase the curb appeal of your home byplanting flowers or placing planters in thefront and back yards.

8. Use a lightly scented oil to add a fresh scentto your home. Similarly, putting on a potof coffee or baking a cake produces pleasantsmells that evoke the feeling of home.

9. Depersonalize your home by removingfamily photographs to help potentialbuyers envision themselves in the space.

10. Help the homeowner see the possibilities;set the table for dinner with flowers, finedishes and cutlery or run the bath and addfloating candles, leaving out a robe or a setof fresh towels to enhance the feel of aspa-like setting.

March 18, 20111. Reduce the maximum amortization period to

30 years from 35 years for new government-backed insured mortgages with loan-to-value

ratios of more than 80 per cent.2. Lower the maximum amountCanadians can borrow inrefinancing their mortgages to85 per cent from 90 per cent ofthe value of their homes.

April 18, 20113. Withdraw government insurance

backing on lines of credit secured by

homes, such as home equity lines of credit, orHELOCs.

If you have any questions about yourMortgage and/or if you are in the market topurchase, we can put you in contact witha knowledgeable mortgage broker to discussinterest rate trends and the impacton affordability, and which mortgage strategywill fit your needs.

Call 905-898-6300 or emailadmin@themitchellteam.comCourtesy of Bill Nugent, Dominion Lending Centres

Buy or Sell withTom & Diane Mitchell andUse this Truck for FREE*

*Some conditions/restrictions apply.Subject to availability. Available to charities

3 Mortgage Rules Coming Into Effect

What exactly is “Home Staging”? It is preparing the home for the real

estate market so that it is appealing to potential buyers and stands out

amongst the competition. And the reason this is important is to get

the house sold as quickly as possible at optimum price!

Ten Easy Ways to Update Your Home for Resale

MitchellKids Corner

UnderstandingYour Local Real Estate MarketExperts always say that real estate is a greatinvestment because the value of homes isalways going up. To some extent, there’s truthin that. But it’s also a fact that the real estatemarket fluctuates. Many people mistakenlyrely on national trends when evaluating thereal estate market, however, this could attimes be misleading. The key is to focus onand understand your local market.

Focusing on your local real estate market isthe key to evaluating real estate deals. Thishowever could be difficult to evaluate sincethere is often less information on particularareas versus the national situation. Tounderstand your real estate market, here are afew factors to focus on.

Understand the market trend. Sometimesit’s a buyer’s market and sometimes it’s aseller’s market. And there are actually othertimes when the real estate market is intransition. A transitional real estate marketposes certain issues for people who are buyingand selling homes and you should be aware ofthem. This is especially true for anyoneinvolved in real estate right now because thereal estate market in many areas is either intransition or could be in transition shortly.

Supply and demand. Real estate is governedby the law of supply and demand. This ruleis absolute and without exception. Theappreciation of a market, the expectations ofbuyers and sellers, and the velocity of marketsales are all dictated by the supply of, and thedemand for, real estate for sale.

New construction is another area to considerwhen evaluating your market. In this case, weare focusing on supply and demand. The

more homes available to buyers, the harder itwill be for sellers to move properties. Mostcommunities have some new construction,but the key is to determine if it is outpacingthe demand.

Increased job growth and in-migration.Where there is strong growth, there are newworkers. New workers need some place tolive. A vast percentage of these people will bemoving in from other areas and often arebringing money from a previous home. If jobgrowth is strong, your real estate marketshould be stable and showing appreciation.

Real estate doppler effect. Real estate isgoverned by the law of cause and effect.Positive situations cause positive outcomes,and vice versa. For example, a vibranteconomic growth leads to a vibrant real estatemarket and strong appreciation of homes,while loss of jobs and a languishing economyproduce exactly the opposite effect.

The conditions that make a good market canchange literally overnight. All it takes is theentrance of a major employer or a little wordof mouth and buyers looking for a bargainand seeing others take a chance, and beforeyou know it, a neighbourhood has turnedaround. Homes that sat unsold are selling forhigh prices. Young people are moving in,making improvements, and making the areacool to live in.

If you are thinking of buying or selling aproperty, consult with your local real estateagent. He or she is equipped with the righttools and knowledge to insure yourinvestment is a successful one.

Hello,

Boy this winter sure has been cold withlots of snow so far! Not that I amcomplaining because it gives me lots ofskiing options! I’ve been working on myG-1 and hope to be licensed soon.Driver training has been very helpfulbut for now if you see me at the wheel ofmy parents car “beware” Just kidding ofcourse! With regards to my hockey teamwe’ve been put out of the Ontarioplayoffs and now we are back in the YorkSimcoe’s. Hope we win it!

Megan is back at University busy withschool and comes home some weekends.I like to think it’s to visit with me but Ireally think it’s to ride her horse “Ruby”.Jay is back in Switzerland on the homestretch of her MBA program. Shegraduates in May of this year and as youall know by now the big wedding date isfast approaching! July is the Month!

Well for now, stay warm! After all,Spring is just around the corner.

Luke

Here’s What Our Clients Are Saying About Us!Our recent clients Jackie & Carelton were so happy with

The Mitchell Team’s Service they wrote to say:Our most recent sale required a very specific buyer and The Mitchell Team helped usfind that buyer during a tough market...Tom and his team have sold 3 houses for us nowand we have always received professional and pleasant service. Our most recent salerequired a very specific buyer and The Mitchell Team helped us find that buyer duringa tough market. Sandra and Jennifer kept us informed and assisted us with patienceduring the entire sale and purchase process. Thank you Mitchell Team!

We would appreciate the opportunity for your business too, please call 905-898-6300

Yard Sale SavvyIf you’ve got it, flaunt it!

Certain items are always in high demandat yard sales. If you have them, mentiontem in Newspaper Ads, Flyers, Kijiji orCraigs List. Remember to display those

these items prominently;curbside is a great spot!

These are always popular and drawattention:

Appliances, Kids Clothes, BabyEquipment, Never-Used Items, Tools,

Sports Equipment, Furniture; EspeciallyKid’s Furniture.

If you are having a garage sale let usknow, we will post it on our blog andfacebook. Just call 905-898-6300.

� Clean or replacefurnace filter

� Inspect attic,basement andcrawl space

� Check sump pump

� Clean range hoodfilter

� Clean humidifier

� Remove snow andice from roofoverhang andvents

� Check smokealarms andCO detectors

� Check waterheater

MARCH CHECKLIST� Clean oven and

refrigerator� Vacuum walls,

baseboards, furniture� Transplant and move

plants that are stilldormant or juststarting to wake up

� Reseed patchy areasof lawn

� Wash windows inside

� Sort winter clothesfor tossing, donating,sale or storage

� Set aside garage saleitems, drop offdonations and haulgarbage to the dumpor dumpster

� Check sprinklersystems

APRIL CHECKLIST

Mitchell TeamMarket Watch

YTD as of January 31, 2011

Aurora - N06 2010 2011Sales 39 43

Listings 90 85

Average Price $496,793 $515,737

% of Asking 100% 98%

Avg Days on Market 43 36

East Gwillimbury - N15Sales 19 11

Listings 46 26

Average Price $496,421 481,718

% of Asking 97% 96%

Avg Days on Market 58 70

Newmarket - N07Sales 73 56

Listings 132 113

Average Price 377,883 $411,879

% of Asking 98% 99%

Avg Days on Market 25 34

West Gwillimbury - N18

Sales 21 30Listings 63 49Average Price $322,750 $307,963% of Asking 98% 97%Avg Days on Market 87 41

Market Watch CREA Boost AnnualResale Housing Forecast...OTTAWA – February 8, 2011 TheCanadian Real Estate Association (CREA)has revised its 2011 forecast for home salesactivity via the Multiple Listing Service®(MLS®) Systems of Canadian real estateBoards and Associations, and extended it to2012.

Sales in the second half of 2010 reboundedfaster than CREA had previously expected.“The hand-off going into 2011, togetherwith the highs and lows for sales activityposted in 2010, provided guidance forCREA’s revised forecast,” said GregoryKlump, CREA Chief Economist.

“Home buyers recognize that low mortgageinterest rates represent a once in a lifetimeopportunity. At the same time, they expectthat rates will rise, so they’re doing theirhomework in order to understand what itcould mean in terms of higher mortgagepayments down the road before they makean offer,” said Georges Pahud, CREAPresident. “The housing market and buyerpsychology is different now than it was atthe beginning of last year, so buyers andsellers would do well to consult theirREALTOR® to understand local markettrends.”

Good Start to 2011

February 4, 2011 Greater TorontoREALTORS® reported 4,337 transactionsthrough the TorontoMLS® system inJanuary 2011. This result was 13 per cent

lower than the record result reported inJanuary 2010.

“While off the record pace experienced ayear ago, the GTA resale market has startedthe year on a solid footing. Home buyers inToronto and surrounding areas continue tobenefit from a diversity of housing typesfor sale at many different price points,” saidTREB President Bill Johnston.

The average selling price for January 2011sales was $427,037, representing anincrease of over four per cent compared tothe average of $409,058 reported in January2010.

“The average selling price is expected togrow at a moderate pace in 2011. Growthrates in the three to five per cent range willbe sustainable from an affordabilityperspective,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’sSenior Manager of Market Analysis.

Median Price

In January, the median price was $360,000,from the $350,000 recorded during Januaryof 2010.

National Average Ontario Average

Dec-10 $344,551 $343,257

Dec-09 $337,534 $331,410

*Source CREA

Date: Tues., March 8th, 2011

Real Estate Investor Seminar

Seminars held from 7:00 - 9:00pm at theNewmarket Public Library, 438 Park Ave., Newmarket

To Register call 905-898-6300 or email atAdmin@TheMitchellTeam.com

* Sales Representative

DianeMitchell*

Team Manager

SandraBailey*

Client CareAdministrator

StephanieMulvina

BusinessDevelopment

Administrator

RitaNordineMarketing

Coordinator

ChrisBower

Interior Designer

DonMacDonaldTeam Courier

Tom Mitchell* Nicolette Lesperance* Brandon Kosarow* Jennifer Mitchell* Bonnie Butler*

Meet the Award Winning Mitchell TeamOur highly skilled team takes customer service to new levels

SUPPORT

TEAM

SALES

TEAM

St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated since March 17 in 461 AD when St. Patrickdied. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since. The firstyear St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated in North America was 1737 in Boston,Massachusetts. As the saying goes, on this day “everybody is Irish!”

Gardening is good exercise.Rake, hoe, dig or pull weeds

by hand and burn up to300 calories per hour.

Additional Photos Online www.TheMitchellTeam.com

Our Service Will Move You!

REALTY CENTRES, BROKERAGEIndependently Owned and Operated

Buying or Selling? Or Know Someone Who Is?Pick up the phone and call The Mitchell Team 905-898-6300

One of a Kind...$1,200,000 ID#707N

Premium Pie Lot...$529,900 ID#712N

Country Setting...$349,900 ID#714N

Wonderful Frontage...$309,900 ID#709N

A Special Place to Call Home...$819,900 ID#708N

Fab Income Potential...$524,900 ID#711N

Updated Brick Bungalow...$339,900 ID#713N

Loaded with Charm...$307,900 ID#682N

Attention Horse Owners...$699,900 ID#669N

Olde World Charmer...$389,900 ID#687

Amazing Potential...$334,900 ID#684N

Priced to Sell...$229,900 ID#655

Stunning Exec Home...$649,900 ID#710N

Great Family Neighbourhood...$369,000 ID#698

Huge Mature Treed Lot...$329,900 ID#716N

Attn 1st Time Buyers...$219,000 ID#715N