The unfinished basement is large with lots of potential, and the backyard suits all entertaining needs without needing a lot of maintenance. Walking distance to all the necessities like Home Sense, Loblaw SuperStore, Canadian Tire and one of Oakville’s most popular pubs, 104 Gatwick is one of the best places in Oakville to live!

• Three bedrooms plus computer nook
• 5-piece master ensuite and his/her closets
• Custom kitchen with granite island
• Custom laundry room with plenty of cupboards and folding counters
• built-in television component compartments in two bedrooms and family room
• Stunning quartz wall in foyer and powder room
• Nearly 50 strategically-placed potlights throughout
• Enlarged windows, high ceilings and rough-in for washroom in basement
• 2-storey living room
• Double-car garage with inside entry
• Pool-sized backyard

There are many more features that just can’t be listed. The only way to see this incredible home is by private showing. Call me any time to book yours at your convenience.

Realtors only have a limited number of characters for fields on listings, so when there’s a long list of features that come with a house, we have to get creative in how we list that on MLS. Here’s a quick overview of some of the most common abbreviations Realtors use. If you’ve come across one and it’s not listed here, please comment!

ELFs  – electric light fixtures
B/I   – “built in”
W/D  – washer and dryer
SS  – stainless steel (ususally used before the rest of the kitchen abbreviations:)

• ELFs  – electric light fixtures
• B/I – “built-in” (usually used before the dishwasher or bookshelves)
• W/D – washing machine and dryer
• SS – Stainless steel (usually used before listing the kitchen appliances)
• F, S, D/W, MI – fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave. Range hoods generally aren’t listed and are not guaranteed to be included.
• CAC – central air conditioning
• CVAC (and att) – central vacuum and attachments
• GDO+R – Garage door opener(s) and remote(s)
• HWT – hot water tank – occasionally you’ll find these owned by the homeowner and not rented
• R/I – “roughed in”, meaning the wiring/plumbing is there, but the item needs to be installed, like a basement bathroom
• Owner is RREA or LA is related to RREA – The listing realtor is the home owner, or the listing agent is related to the homeowner. This is important to note as the realtor has an emotional attachment and/or might not be making much – if anything – as a commission on the sale.
• UFFI – Ureaformaldehyde – it was a type of spray insulation used in many homes built in the 70′s that was proven to emit a harmful toxin over time that homeowners were inhaling. Removal is costly and dangerous. Prolonged exposure of formaldehyde leads to a variety of “allergen”-type conditions, but was also proven to cause cancer in some cases. Generally, most UFFI in homes that hasn’t been removed today has likely stopped emitting formaldehyde and is safe, but still a concern – and costly to remove – nonetheless. Talk to your Realtor and home inspector for more information

Recently renovated, this townhouse now boasts a brand new kitchen complete with new appliances and a granite counter top. New laminate floor throughout the main level and upper floor, and new ceramics in the bathroom. The master bedroom is huge and looks out over your spacious fully fenced backyard. This town also has two underground parking spaces, a raw basement with walls up for two rooms (office and theatre, perhaps?), and most new windows to help save money in the winter.

One of the nicest in the complex, by far!

The terrace is 650 square feet and wraps around your suite. Since the suite is on the 5th floor, you have complete privacy from the hustle and bustle of ground level. Two walkouts on two different walls make for a fantastic cross-breeze through your home. Sunrises over the CN Tower from the southeast side of your terrace – and the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows in your master bedroom, over to sunsets on your patio and a wide-open view from left to right. All three exterior walls are windows only, floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall. You will not be disappointed in the wow factor.

With Toronto’s rejuvenation of Keele and St. Clair, the area is quickly becoming a new hotspot with boutique shops, trendy bars and cafes just around the corner. As always, please email me with any questions, or to book time to see it in person!

Desirable, comfortable, safe *and* affordable?

How much do you pay right now to rent your home? $1200/month? Plus utilities? How would you like to pay $700/month, plus utilities, and OWN your home? No more landlords, no more wondering if your rent will increase next year, no more asking for permission to paint your bedroom. Thought the new mortgage rules and increasing property value was going to stop you from ever owning property? Don’t give up yet…

This 3 bedroom townhouse in the well-known 2050 Upper Middle community is one of the few that have been converted to forced air gas heat and central air conditioning. Newer windows, a new kitchen and some bathroom renovating make this home bright, comfortable and maintenance free.

Located in the back corner of the complex, you’ll hear no road noise, and you’re surrounded by the forested ravine and greenspace nearby. No neighbors directly behind your backyard add for privacy on your back deck featuring trellised Wisteria adding ambience to the perfect retreat. In the front yard, a trellised arch in front of your door adds serenity as you come home.

Great care has been taken in maintaining this home. The back deck, and inside – the living room, master bedroom and entertainment room are speakered and wired for surround sound run by a sound switcher in the basement. Volume in all rooms operated via remote controls give you complete control for your entertaining purposes.

Oversized master bedroom with his and hers closets, two large windows and privilege to the upgraded main bath. Basement features extensive built-in shelving for a supersized television and as many entertainment components as you can buy. What’s currently here is negotiable if you’re interested. The utility room allows for the addition of a workbench or considerable extra storage. The computer nook here makes working at your desktop comfortable.

The main floor feels open concept with the coziness of a separate dining area. A new kitchen with stone backsplash and upgraded cabinetry allows lots of light and plenty of counter space to prepare even the toughest meals. The living room features a gas stove for added coziness in the winter, and a double glass door leading to the secluded retreat of the back deck and yard, perfect for entertaining, with lots of grass for pets and children.

Two underground parking spaces (actually, big enough for three cars), visitors parking and a party room, walking distance to grocery, pubs and Shoppers Drug Mart. There really is very little left to want here.

Yes, all for less than $200,000.

Drop me a line if you’d like to see this unit – by far, one of the nicest to ever come up in the complex.

This is a great opportunity to get into one of Oakville’s most desirable areas for a really great price. This gorgeous 4-bed home is ready for you to move in tomorrow, and make it your own. With bright rooms, a mezzanine family room with a gas fireplace and cathedral ceilings, double-car garage with inside entry and an unfinished basement with a roughed-in bathroom enables you to put your personal touches and greatly increase your investment over the coming years.

The inground pool is meticulously maintained. Attachments and pump are hidden in a stylish pool shed which compliments the extensive landscaping throughout the backyard. No grass to cut, but lots of room for your pets and children.

*due to multiple offers arriving within our first day on the market, there were no professional photos of this house taken. We had 4 very good offers and sold for $570,000. Thank you for all your interest! If I can help you find a similar home in the area, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Let me give you a little bit of backstory. The MLS (or Multiple Listing Service) was created, and is owned and operated by the Canadian Real Estate Association. The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is the national body that governs Canada’s Realtors. You cannot be a licensed Realtor in Canada without being a member of CREA. The MLS is the network to which listings held by Realtors are posted, and are then accessible by other Realtors and home-buyers internationally. It’s a nice, easy way to make sure that you’re looking at almost all of the homes for sale in any area you’re looking at.

With the internet and fast progression of the internet, the MLS went online, and local real estate boards (which monitor all Realtor’s listings within a particular district) developed MLS systems, which made access to listings by other local Realtors very easy. When a Realtor logs onto their MLS system, they can search by ANY parameter from lot-size to square footage, and get listings in their search results from the minute they come on the market. We can set notifications to email us as soon as a new listing comes on the market. There are plenty more reasons that give Realtors an advantage to finding a particular property for buyers that are working with us, but that’s a lesson for another time. My intention was to explain that the MLS is a network of Realtor listings made easy for Realtors to access any and all information they might need on any listing today, yesterday and tomorrow. We created it, we maintain it, and we’re proud of it.

Deciding how to sell your home can be a difficult decision and a double-edged sword. Many people believe that it’s not very difficult, and paying a percentage of your final sale price (plus HST!) to a Realtor is a waste of money. In all honesty, how difficult can it be? You let a few people through your house, you negotiate a price with someone who wants to buy it, and the lawyers do the rest. Easy, right? On the other hand, Realtors are schooled, trained and experienced in all aspects of real estate, whether it be residential, commercial, industrial or a mix. Most of the Realtors I know eat, live and breath real estate. We’ve seen (and fixed) problems, crises,  and issues you’d never believe could be a possibility, let alone realize the frequency at which they can happen. Most Realtors I know are passionate about their career, work solely on 100% commission, and rarely even get to take home half of the commission you pay them (which is also a lesson for another time). We, as Realtors, are governed by a LONG list of rules and ethics, must take a considerable number of continuing education courses annually, and have steep penalties if we act unethically or break our rules. This is to help ensure our industry and integrity as Realtors remains neutral, and that we are bound to provide fair service to everyone, while still looking out for the best interests of clients who have signed a contract with us. We know how to tackle EVERY part of your listing, and how to advise you to make the most out of your sale.

Back to the Competition Bureau decision. CREA has agreed to allow Realtors to charge a one-time flat fee to put a home on MLS at the request of the homeowner, but not provide any further services to the homeowner. The Realtor will put a note on the MLS listing that states any interested parties or Realtors with potential buyers should contact the seller directly to book a showing, or to submit an offer. The Realtor who put the listing on MLS will not be involved in this process at all, and will not be providing advice to the seller. Since the introduction of this change, sellers often request the listing brokerage to input on the listing that the seller is willing to pay a commission to a Realtor who brings a buyer. Unfortunately, some Realtors are reluctant to show a listing to their buyers if the seller is offering a less-than-average commission (generally 2.5%).

With all that said, this new rule will have its learning curves. Traditionally, discount brokers have never lasted very long in our industry. Most sellers learn very quickly that the value of hiring a full-service Realtor is worth well beyond what they are paid. Statistics continually prove that homes listed with a full-service Realtor sell faster, and for more money than if a seller tries to sell it on their own – generally offsetting the cost of the Realtor in the first place, and greatly reducing the time and stress spent by the sellers as they barely have to lift a finger from before the listing goes live, to after closing.

Today, I came across a listing on MLS that was of interest to buyers I’m working with. The listing belonged to a “listing only” brokerage based in Ottawa who had never seen the house and I assume never met the owner in person. There was not much information on the listing itself except a photo of the front of the home and the room sizes. There was a note that any interested parties should contact the seller directly, and an email address for the owner was provided. I initiated an email conversation with the seller. He provided me with more photos, answered my questions about his home and was happy to allow us to visit with the hope that we would bring an offer. He also mentioned that he intended to list the home with a local full-service Realtor after the weekend, but that if we were able to arrange a deal with him prior to that, he was open to negotiating before he listed with a Realtor.

While Realtors always strive to ensure that our commission does NOT affect the market value of the home, it’s nevertheless reasonable to think that the seller might accept a lower price for his home this weekend knowing he was only paying a buyer Realtor, not both the buyer and the listing Realtor. I arranged a phone meeting with him for later this afternoon to arrange a showing for Sunday, and to discuss the terms should we decide to prepare an offer for his home.

About two hours later, I received notification through the local real estate board that a full-service brokerage had just listed the home also on MLS. The commission offered to the buyers Realtor was now different, the asking price was now different and by law, I am not allowed to speak to someone who is under contract with another Realtor about their particular transaction. Not to mention the fact that there were now two very different and conflicting MLS listings active and online at the same time, for the same house. After speaking with the new full-service listing Realtor, I was informed that the homeowner had signed the contract last night. The homeowner lied to me.

After explaining this to my buyers, the entire situation has left my buyers skeptical of the honesty of the seller, and also of the listing agent – who listed a house clearly already under contract with another brokerage. I was put in a situation that could have gotten me into trouble for initiating contact with a seller already under contract, both listings on MLS are pretty much invalid as long as they both exist, and many of the rules we follow were broken – intentionally – in connection with this listing. I do not feel confident that I can completely protect my buyers with a dishonest seller and a listing agent who has violated the rules we must follow. I intend to be completely open and honest with my buyers about this home, but will still do my absolute best to protect them should they decide to submit an offer.

The purpose of this essay, dear readers, is to ask you to be careful when looking for a home. Unfortunately, just because it’s on MLS, it doesn’t mean that all the information on the listing is correct. Especially if there’s no Realtor involved in the transaction. Make sure you have hired a good Realtor you trust, who *is* looking out for your best interests, to protect your investment. This new rule makes it a lot easier for transactions to occur with misinformation, with no way to fully protect yourselves since homeowners are not trained, licensed, nor bound to the same rules licensed real estate professionals are.

As always, please comment, email or call with any questions, comments or concerns.

2410 Shadow Court, one of my favorite townhomes at this price point in all of Oakville. These Markay-built towns have beautiful finishes, easy-flowing floor plans and make great use of every square inch from the road to the end of the back yard.

Front

Main floor:

• ceramic tile from large foyer, past the inside garage entry, through the dining area and kitchen.
• 2-piece powder room set aside from eating area.
• upgraded kitchen with stone backsplash, dark cabinets and stainless steel appliances. Dishwasher and sink are in island with breakfast counter.
• Maple hardwood throughout living area.
• Gas fireplace.
• Beautiful custom coffered ceilings.
• Walkout to backyard.

Upper Floor:

• Matching Maple hardwood throughout hall and all three spacious bedrooms.
• Upper floor laundry with upgraded appliances.
• King-sized master bedroom with spa-like 4-piece ensuite and walk-in closet.
• Large main bath with full-sized tub and matching ceramics.
• Second and Third bedrooms are great size with lots of closet space.

Lower Level:

• Fully Finished basement with warm carpet, pillared support beam and lots of room to make it whatever you need it to be.
• Drywall and doors are completed for a powder room – the plumbing is roughed in.
• Separate storage room and extra storage under stairs.

Yard:

• One car garage and one-car driveway. Interlocking brick path to the front door. Lots of street parking.
• Backyard has shed for your lawnmower and garden tools.
• Flagstone patio fits large table and chairs and your BBQ.

Please email me for room measurements, more information and to book a comfortable showing on your terms.