SUCCESS STORIES

Sold Date: 03/22/2023

This detached home had plans to be listed since summer 2022. When this home would be listed was still unknown and only in the talks at the time. The clients intentions to sell was to downsize but wanted to also sell during a good time for the right price in mind. While waiting for the right time, I suggested to take the opportunity with nice outdoor weather in the summer to highlight the luxurious 100k + feature of their home by taking exterior photos first. That way during whichever season the client decided to list we would have great photos to show.

Before listing in March of 2023, there was a lot of prep work to be finished. Since these were the original owners, there were a lot of personal items and clutter in the home. We started with decluttering the home before we got someone to come in to do a deep clean. Once that was done, our team of stagers and photographer came in to do their magic to help market and show the property in the best possible light.

We listed the home and within 9 hours of being on the market we already had fully booked showings right away and multiple offers. We went with the offer that had the most suitable closing date and no conditions for a seamless successful deal. We accepted the offer and sold for $1.45 M.

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong

Posted: 01/08/2023

Markham Village homes like 63 Oak Lea have a high demand. These homes are great for families and also situated in a wonderful location with surrounding schools, parks and restaurants. Homeowners who have big families or are starting their family would be very suitable.  63 Oak Lea Circle is a 4 bedroom and 4 bath detached home in 2000 - 2500 Sq Ft. 

As demanding as these homes are for its size and lot, they are older. Some do require renovations for those who would prefer a more modern home. When this home was initially listed, there was immediate interest from buyers. We had quickly come to accept an offer at sold condition while waiting for the inspection. Unfortunately for an older home, we did find some issues. Due to the fact, even being fixed/removed by the seller, the buyer had stepped away from the purchase. This brought this lovely home back onto the market. 

Since fixing the issue and bringing it back to the market, we continued to have a lot of interest. It was very important this time around that buyers were aware of the situation to build trust and work through the problems to ensure the success of selling the home. We did have another offer come in and this time around the inspection was a success! 63 Oak Lea Cir was SOLD for $1,500,000.  

It is very important to keep a home up to date and checked every few years. If you ever consider selling your home these may be things to keep in mind to ensure the successful outcome.

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong 

Sold Date: 01/03/2023

25 Austin Dr is a condo located on Bullock Dr & Hwy 7 in Markham right next to CF Markville mall. This is an older but very spacious unit on the 7th floor. Before listing the unit they cleaned up their home for showings but decided to remain everything as original. The unit was not renovated nor staged for the showings.

Homes were on the market longer during this time due to the buyers market. There were not many listings, not many sales and prices have come down a lot. This unit was listed for $810,000 but the clients were willing to negotiate. This property was on the market for over a month till we suddenly had multiple buyers. Multiple offer don't happen often in a buyers market so we made the most of this situation. Through the negotiation process we were able to ask for 20k more from the highest offer to come closer to the listing price. After negotiations, we settled and sold for $770,000 for this property.

Given the time and lack of renovations we came quite close to the listing price. Not to mention multiple offers too. What definitely helped us was the lack of listings in this condo at the time which brought more attention to us. The right property at the right time.

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong

Sold Date: 07/27/2022

73 Arnie’s Chance is an original castle pine model home in the neighborhood of the lovely Ballantrae golf course situated along the golf course where you can overlook from the backyard. Since this was an original home, we did stage it before listing.

Provided we were in a buyers market, my sellers were patient and prepared for the right buyer to come when they did. We knew to stay confident and calm throughout, and never discouraged. This prevented us from settling towards marketing strategies that could potentially lower our price.

Due to the lack of renovations this home had, much of our showings feedback was about the amount of work the new home owners would need to put forth before or whilst moving in, which did discourage some buyers. But, we stayed optimistic as this was to be expected. In this desirable neighborhood, we were not worried and continue to wait patiently.

We ended up having 2 offers which came in at the same time. One offer was a firm offer while the other had conditions. There was a slight price difference and at that time, we had encouraged them to see if they would improve their price. They didn’t and so we proceeded with the higher priced offer with no conditions.

Although there were other listings, we marketed right and was one of the first sold in that neighborhood. 73 Arnie’s Chance sold for $1,370,000.

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong

Sold Date: 07/17/2022

This Westfield Estate home is a 4 bedroom and 4 bath located in the neighborhood of Stouffville along 10th Line and Main Street Stouffville.

My client had first purchased their new home before selling this property. This allowed them to take their time to sell this home which gave us an advantage when negotiating with potential buyers with a flexible closing time.

The home was staged and repainted to prepare the home for showings. We hosted 3 weeks of open house along with many showings to help better market this high valued property. Over the course of 3 open houses and just over a month on the market, we had 2 offers that were followed by many interested buyers that followed.

The more appealing buyers’ offer started at $1,550,000. With another offer on the line, we used them to our advantage to bring up the price. Allowing one buyer to compete with each other to potentially improve their price and closer to asking price. At the end, one offer had more conditions so we chose the buyer with less complications to avoid possible issues with closing. We negotiated the offer up to $1,875,000 with minor conditions and no commission on the buyers side. With 0% commission to be paid, more profit was made for the property and my client.

We sold firm 359 Cam Fella Blvd at $1,875,000 during a buyers market.

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong

Sold Date: 07/10/2022

Here we have a 4 + 2 Bedroom and 4 Baths detached home located in Markham Village. Surrounded by neighbors on a well landscaped lot is this 2500 Sq Ft family home.

Selling this home during a buyers market was one of the greatest challenges I had encountered this year. When sellers want a certain price but buyers aren’t willing to offer the sellers asking price. This leaves a big gap between buyers and sellers resulting in a less stable market. Prior months to this listing was the sellers market which left an impression on the potential value of sellers home as we transitioned to a buyers market.

We had received over 4 offers and had multiple showings over a 2 month period before finding our perfect buyer. The offers were not up to par with the sellers ideal price. Through the process, due to the market, we had dropped almost 100k from original price. After that, the sellers were very persistent with their price. We had a few low offers but didn’t become discouraged. We waited patiently for our buyer.

We eventually had a buyer who loved the home and it was perfect for their growing family. After a few negotiations to get right price for both parties, we sold firm the home at $1.45M.

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong

Sold Date: 05/27/2022

Here is a home located in Stouffville on Richard Underhill Ave. This is a detached home with 4 bedrooms and 3 baths in approximately 2500 Sq Ft living space.

With interest rates rising during the time of the market, prices of homes were no longer selling as high. We initially listed this home at $1.39 M. The home was very well kept, required no minor fixes and presented well already without any staging.

When listed, the home had a few showings. At a total of 19 days on the market, with lack of showing activity, I advised that it might help bring more activity by lowering the price. We dropped it slightly to 40k less from listing price to $1.35 M.

During this time, I had another client who was looking for detached homes and townhomes. I had taken them to see other townhomes in Stouffville and mentioned my own listing, 52 Richard Underhill Ave. They showed interest and the moment I showed them the home they instantly fell in love with it. After a bit of negotiating and adjustments with the commission to ensure the happiness of both my buyer and seller, the home was purchased and sold firm at $1.33M.

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong

Sold Date: 05/24/2022

60 Hawkshead Cres is a much older home in an older neighborhood surrounded by schools and parks. The condition of the home was from its original. It is a linked home with 4 bedrooms and 3 baths with a finished basement in a family friendly neighborhood.

During the time this home was listed, the market had slowed down extremely. At the time there were only 11 other listings in the same neighborhood. Many had been sitting or sold under asking price. Due to increase in interest rates, buyers had been eagerly anticipating price drops in all home types. Our home was the only one of its kind which gave us an advantage to appeal to more buyers. Features included double garage, finished basement and an extra living space in the basement. We listed the home for $1.26M and sold for $1.2M.

With the market situation, we had a better outcome and closer to listing price offer than many other homes in the area. Many homes that sold recently in the area sold less than $1.2M. Our efforts definitely paid off and congratulations to our buyers for their now ready to move in home!

Every homeowner will have their own home style which may not always appeal to potential buyers. This is why it is sometimes suggestable to input minor upgrades.

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong

Sold Date: 04/30/22

Calling my farming neighborhoods is a strategy I use to network with people about new updates in their neighborhoods. I met this client by calling them to notify them of a recent listings on their street which sold. This helped me strike up conversations about the housing market and potentially thoughts about selling their home. Turns out they had already been considering selling in the Springtime.

Few months down the road and we were getting ready to list the property. The home was in really good condition for lack of upgrades and from original but before listing we had decided to upgrade the carpet in the main living area to hardwood floors. The carpet was old and we thought our buyers would really appreciate some brand new floors. Upgrading this one feature really made the place feel bigger and brighter, enhancing the open concept space. The choice of flooring was neutral to fit any type of home décor our new home owners desired.

The images shown is the staged presentation for our showings. We mixed some of the clients vintage pieces of furniture with some modern to give it a fresh look. Not always do we need to stage the home top to bottom to show its best.

Just one day on the market and the home was sold to our first offer that came in!

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong

Sold Date: 03/23/22

Here is a 1 bedroom + 1 washroom suite at 125 Blue Jays Way #1107 in Toronto. This listing was passed down from my clients as a referral to sell their son’s property. Very fitting for a couple or someone looking for an investment property in the city who would want a bright and spacious unit with high ceilings.

On the contrary, the only downside to this luxury suite was its balcony view. Having an unobstructed view is a great luxury and bonus to have but sometimes a suite without a view may not be very appealing to buyers. Either buyers aren’t concerned with the obstructed view or they wouldn't even consider it. This was our biggest concern when selling the property.

To take away from the one disadvantage, we decided to stage the unit to showcase its true potential, its living space. We cleaned up the place, fixed up any wear and tears, and put in a new light fixture to brighten up the place. Good lighting always has a great effect to make a space look bigger which you can see demonstrated in the before and after photos. We staged the suite to showcase the advantage the size of the unit has and its layout.

We placed it on the market with an offer date but when we listed there was little to moderate showing activity. When a listing isn’t as busy you may wonder if you’ll need to rethink the selling strategy. We stayed confident and patiently waited to see what would happen before making an abrupt decision. Fortunately for us, we had a pre-emptive offer at $727,000. The respective agent was extremely interested in the property and showed it a total of 3 times. We did not wait and took the opportunity when presented to us. Sometimes the decision to wait may mean you wont get another offer. In the end, I was able to negotiate $3000 more and we sold for $730,000 to a lovely family celebrating their New Years.

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong

Sold Date: 02/12/22

This property is a raised bungalow in an older neighborhood. The interior of the property started out as original before being listed on the market. In order to get the value the home deserved we needed to showcase it in a way that buyers could see its potential. We decided we would upgrade the main floor of the property but leave the basement original for leasing potentials for the new owners of the home. We renovated the kitchen, the floors and repainted the home. Doing this makes the place seem brighter and bigger. Once renovated we would stage the main floor to enhance the renovations. Homes that require less maintenance and work are usually more appealing to buyers. Also, homes that are fully renovated may not always appeal to all buyers because everyone has a different home style.

The home was originally purchased at $605k as an investment property. When we listed the home, there were a few competitors as well on the same street. With competitors around, there is a greater chance our value may go down if the respective seems more appealing to buyers. As soon as we got a good offer we were happy with, we didn’t wait and accepted. We didn’t try to see if we could get more or keep competing. We were happy with the investments we had already made. Sometimes, if you choose to wait, you may not get any offers at all or less. It is best to take advantage of an opportunity when it is first presented to you. We accepted our offer at $1 045 000 and 418 Colborne St was sold!

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong

Sold Date: 02/09/22

This property is a townhome in the Cornell Community of Markham. It has 5 bedrooms, 4 baths all in approximately 2500 Sq Ft with a stunning rooftop terrace. This home was purchased in 2020 for just under $1 M before they decided to list a year later. Just before listing, a townhome in the same neighborhood had sold roughly around $1.4M with the similar layout but one full ensuite less. Based on comparable prices, this townhome should sell for more considering the current sellers market during this time.

Location is a very big factor to consider when buying a home. This factor in particular for some buyers could either make the deal or break it. This could send people away without wanting to even view the home. When we listed 84 Cornell Center Blvd, this was one of the issues some people had to consider.

This property was located at the end of the street and facing the street. When you looked outside the living room window the street extended down the road. Although the home was beautiful, modern and very well kept the location was a challenge when trying to sell this home for market value. Some people of asian ethnicity have religious suspicions that are considered unlucky about homes facing the street called “Feng shui”. They would not consider the home if this was its location. The neighborhood was very asian populated and therefore, majority of the showings were from people of that background.

We had many offers but they were under market value and listing price. Into the second week on the market, we had a buyer interested in the property as an investment and was willing to put in the offer we asked for. My client's plan was then to look for a rental property but she no longer needed to. The offer resulted as the perfect trade off.

My client is now renting out the same property she just sold and our buyer has a new investment property with the tenants she just purchased the property from. This deal made a full circle and was worth patiently waiting for.

“The little things can give you more than you ask” – Dinah Wong