Shot by: Samantha Hurley @lightleaksin How to buy your first property in 5 years or Less Goals, goals, goals. It sounds daunting… but people do it all the time right? Buying isn’t for everyone or for every budget, but we think a better understanding of your options well in advance can help you prepare for what will be one of the largest purchasing decisions of your lives. For many of you, buying a home is still a distant goal. An item on the checklist down the line. But what if I told you that no matter your level of financial literacy, you could start preparing now. Whatever your goals are ..read more

Author Michael Jacobson / Filed Under Covid-19 3 min read In news that is at both times sobering and expected by many, condo prices have dropped. In some places by as much as $100,000+. While this is likely concerning for owners, it’s important to remember the shift in prices is driven primarily by lack of sales. As I had mentioned before, Pre-Covid market statistics suggested that this year would be like any other. High competition, plenty of new listings and an influx of new buyers were the expected factors in a typical Toronto spring market. Now that we all know how this story plays o ..read more

3 min read The Weekly Drop is available as a newsletter. You can sign up right here to make sure you get the news delivered fresh to your inbox every Monday! Let us know what you think in the comments. ⇣⇣⇣ Foreword by Michael Jacobson, Editor & Managing Partner Another week, another story about the end of the world. It's true, we are witnessing hard times. Covid-19 appears to be spreading unmitigated, the stock market and world commodities are buckling under the chaos, travel restrictions are being imposed on one country after another, toilet paper is disappearing off shelves faster than ..read more

In an emergency reaction to the rapid spread of coronavirus, the Bank of Canada has lowered interest rates again by another 50 basis points. For those who haven’t been following the story... Interest rates had been dropped from 1.75% - 1.25% earlier in the week and have now been dropped to 0.75%. Historically, interest rate cuts have been used as a method to stimulate an economy that is stagnating or going through a crisis. This will no doubt have a significant impact on our already strained housing market. Prices are climbing fast, and this latest drop will only exacerbate the issue. Increa ..read more

3 min read The Weekly Drop is available as a newsletter. You can sign up right here to make sure you get the news delivered fresh to your inbox every Monday! Let us know what you think in the comments. ⇣⇣⇣ Foreword by Michael Jacobson We find ourselves in chaos once again. FOMO, rampant bully offers, and price appreciation shock first-timers while stock market corrections amidst Corona Virus' concerns have many "correcting" their perceptions of personal wealth. The Bank of Canada, in its infinite wisdom, has cut interest rates by 0.5% to stimulate a tightening economy. These are all factors t ..read more

Hello Foodies! This one's for you, especially if you love Italian! That's right! The much talked about Eataly has recently opened here in The Six and has taken our city by storm. I first started seeing the lineups around the block at Bloor and Bay, I live in the hood, and the impatient crowds added a sense of excitement to the Manulife Centre and the surrounding area of Yorkville! Just last weekend, I had the pleasure of stepping foot inside this 50,000 square foot extravaganza of Italian food products, mini restaurants and chaos! One of 35 locations worldwide, Toronto's Eataly is a fine-fo ..read more

AROMA, That Great Coffee Smell!!! Hello, little coffee addicts (I am one) I have a great little spot for you! This one is just south of Rosedale and east of Bloor in the big red heart of Toronto! I don't usually write about bigger chain establishments, as they don't qualify as a small business, and they don't necessarily need the exposure. They are a part of Toronto as well, and some of them are cool and interesting. Indeed, not your run of the mill! One of my favourites is the Aroma at Postmedia! It is a big noisy loft space but has super comfy sofas where you can sit and read, work on you ..read more

2 min read This weekly roundup is available as a newsletter. You can sign up right here to make sure you get the news delivered fresh to your inbox every Friday! 77 @$%#ing bids?! You read that right. 77 bids, on an 1100 sq/ft Brampton home. I'm going to get out ahead of this and add a bit of context that may dim the hype surrounding this story a touch. The home was listed for $400,000, while similar homes in sold for $566,000. If you're not following along, that's $160,000 under "market value". While this is bad for buyers, I'm sure the sellers were ecstatic with the results. Full Story Via ..read more

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