1. Springing Into The Busy Season!
Information courtesy of the Toronto Real Estate Board.
TREB
Sales & Average Price By Major Home Type
JAN. 2013 Sales Average Price
416 905 Total 416 905 Total
Detached 502 1,579 2,081 $765,049 $563,675 $612,252
Yr./Yr. % Change -7.6% 3.7% 0.7% 2.7% 6.8% 4.7%
Semi-Detached 147 324 471 $586,080 $391,830 $452,456
Yr./Yr. % Change -5.2% 0.9% -1.1% 12.5% 3.6% 6.5%
Townhouse 166 519 685 $418,262 $359,271 $373,566
Yr./Yr. % Change -11.2% 1.0% -2.3% 1.8% 5.6% 4.0%
Condo Apartment 730 321 1,051 $340,295 $269,073 $318,542
Yr./Yr. % Change -4.5% -6.4% -5.1% -1.3% -1.4% -1.2%
Commenting on the 4,375 transactions
reported through the Toronto Multiple
Listing Service®
(MLS®
) system by
Greater Toronto Area REALTORS®
in
January 2013, Toronto Real Estate
Board (TREB) President Ann Hannah
said, “The January sales figures
represent a good start to 2013. While
the number of transactions was down
slightly compared to last year, the rate
of decline was much less than what
was experienced in the second half of
2012. This suggests that some buyers,
who put their decision to purchase on
hold last year due to stricter mortgage
lending guidelines, are once again
becoming active in the market.”
The average selling price for January
2013 homes was $482,648 – up by 4.3
percent compared to the $462,655
average reported in January 2012. The
MLS®
Home Price Index composite
benchmark price was up by 3.8 percent
over the same period.
“There will be enough competition
between buyers in the marketplace
to prompt continued growth in
home prices in 2013. Expect annual
average price growth in the three
to five percent range this year,” said
Jason Mercer, TREB Senior Manager of
Market Analysis.
Wondering what the value of your
home is in our busy spring market?
Interested in targeted news regarding
real estate activity in your local area?
Please call today for a personal, no-
obligation information update!
If the real estate sales numbers reported so far this year are any
indication, Toronto’s spring market is gearing up to be a busy one!
Recine Team Report
Compliments of Melanie & Fabio RE/MAX Premier Inc., Brokerage
Each office is independently owned and operated.
Melanie Maranda Recine &
Fabio Recine
Sales Representatives
"It's your call
Call Melanie and Fabio"
RE/MAX Premier Inc., Brokerage
9100 Jane Street, Bldg. L, Suite #77
Vaughan, ON L4K 0A4
Office: 416-987-8000
Fax: 416-987-8001
Direct Melanie: 647-836-4062
Direct Fabio: 416-828-5441
mmaranda96@hotmail.com
frecine@trebnet.com
www.RecineTeam.ca
Greetings! You’re receiving this
newsletter with hopes that you find it
informative and entertaining.
If you’re thinking of making a move, or
are just curious as to real estate trends
in your area, please feel free to call at
any time. It’s always good to hear
from you!
Best wishes,
Melanie and Fabio
Volume 9, Issue 3

2. 2
Bedrooms
 Strip beds, laundering skirts, mattress covers, duvet covers,
etc. Wash pillows according to manufacturer directions.
Sprinkle baking soda on box springs, let sit for an hour,
then vacuum; repeat the process with mattresses. Flip
over and rotate mattresses for even wear.
 Empty nightstands, dressers, armoires, etc., throwing out
or donating things you can’t/won’t use. Clean their insides
before putting everything back. To keep clothes smelling
fresh, store them with sachets, fabric-softener sheets,
baking soda boxes, etc.
Bathrooms
 Soak showerheads in white vinegar or suitable
commercial product to loosen mineral deposits and
restore water pressure.
 Gently machine wash shower curtains and liners,
including a couple of towels in the load. If safe to do so,
add bleach to the cycle to remove mold.
 Empty out drawers, cabinets, and linen closets, throwing
out things like expired medication and old makeup. Wipe
down (and re-line) the insides before putting things back.
 Clean grout with a toothbrush and mixture of two parts
water to one part hydrogen peroxide.
Kitchen
 Kitchen walls (especially backsplashes) take a lot of
abuse, thanks to grease and smoke, so give them a
good washing.
 After clearing the food trap/drain of debris, run your
dishwasher empty save for a cup of lemon juice, white
vinegar, baking soda, or, if there’s mold, bleach.
 Empty cupboards and drawers, throwing out or donating
items you can’t/won’t use. Wash and, if needed, re-line
their insides before putting everything back.
 While oven cleaner is working on the inside, remove and
clean (or replace) drip catchers, knobs, burner grates, etc.,
and clean them thoroughly.
 Empty the fridge, throwing out/donating food you won’t
use. Remove and wash shelves and drawers, and wipe
down fridge and freezer insides before putting food back.
 If possible, pull out the fridge and stove, sweep and
mop the areas where they normally sit, and vacuum
fridge coils.
Throughout Your Home
 Working top to bottom, dust ceiling fans, curtain
rods, window and doorframes, light fixtures, artwork,
windowsills, and baseboards, as well as lamps, electronic
equipment, picture frames, knick-knacks, and the surfaces
they sit on.
 Vacuum lampshades, blinds, upholstered furniture,
and HVAC registers and vents, using the appropriate
attachments for delicate surfaces or getting down into
nooks and crannies.
 Take down window coverings and hand wash, machine
wash, or dry-clean them per the manufacturer
instructions. At the very least, vacuum (if safe to do so)
and tumble dry them with a fabric-softener sheet.
 Empty closets, throwing out or donating items you can’t/
won’t use. Clean the insides, including shelves, rods, and
floors, before putting everything back.
 Disinfect light and ceiling fan switches; temperature
controls; door and drawer handles, pulls, and knobs; and
appliance and fixture (e.g. toilet) handles.
A Fresh
New Season!
It’s that time of year when the change of season
inspires us to give our homes a more thorough cleaning
and purging. Below are some chores, broken down by
room, that may get overlooked as part of your daily or
weekly cleaning routines but should be on your spring-
cleaning “to-do” list.

3. Preventative MeasuresFirst Things First
Volume 9, Issue 3 3
The busiest home-buying time of the year is just
around the corner. But as savvy buyers know, there
are a few things you’d be wise to do before you
even begin to pound the pavement this spring.
They are:
 Checking your credit. You’d be surprised how often
people find mistakes on their credit report: closed
charge accounts that appear as available credit or
repaid loans that show up as outstanding, are just two
examples. You’ll want to clear up any mistakes before
they impede your ability to secure the financing you’ll
need to fund your home purchase.
 Getting pre-approved by your lender. In addition to
helping you establish your budget (an important thing
to do before shopping for anything), mortgage pre-
approval means you can act more quickly than non-
approved buyers once you find the right property – and
that’s particularly important during the spring season,
when competition for homes can be stronger.
 Establishing your needs and wants. How can you
expect to find what you’re looking for when you
haven’t yet figured out exactly what that is? If you
don’t establish your must-have criteria before you start
looking at homes, you’re likely to spend precious time
viewing properties that aren’t a good fit for you, and
spend more money than you intended.
 Hiring a real estate sales representative. Sure,
you could wait until you’re ready to buy to hire
representation, but doing so before starting the home-
hunting process means ending your search a lot more
quickly. Plus, your rep can help you with the other
items on this list, such as securing a loan pre-approval
and figuring out what it is you need in your next home.
 Inspection issues. Many buyers make their purchase
offer contingent on a home inspection; when the
results reveal problems, buyers may back out. Getting
your home inspected before you list is a great way to
reduce this risk. A pre-listing inspection allows you
to discover any problems and address them – on your
terms, not the buyer’s – before your home even goes
on the market.
 Financing issues. It can be heartbreaking to find
a buyer only to have the deal fall through because
they couldn’t obtain financing. Lower the chances
of this happening to you by hiring a real estate
representative, who will pre-screen potential buyers
by ensuring they’ve been pre-approved for financing
– in other words, by making sure they’re actually
capable of purchasing your home.
 Failure to satisfy the offer conditions. Buyers often
make their offers contingent upon certain conditions
being met, such as the seller making agreed-upon
repairs. Failure to meet these conditions by the dates
specified means having to arrange for an extension or
even losing the sale altogether, so to ensure a smooth
closing, be sure to address all the buyer’s conditions
in a timely manner.
 A low appraisal. If your home appraisal comes in
low, the buyer’s lender won’t likely approve mortgage
financing. To avoid a low appraisal, prepare a list
of improvements/upgrades for the appraiser; make
sure your home shows well (i.e. is move-in ready);
have your own appraisal done before listing; ask
your real estate rep to provide information on
comparable sales.
Real estate deals sometimes fall through for
reasons entirely out of the seller’s control. Below,
however, are some common deal-killers and the
steps sellers can take to prevent them.

4. Your front entrance is one of the first things buyers notice
about your house. Make a great entrance this spring with
these curb-appealing tips.
 Give your front door a fresh coat of paint, ideally in a
color that contrasts (but coordinates) with the façade of
your house. Touch up surrounding trim too, if needed.
 Polish up your hardware (e.g. door handle and lock,
knocker, kick plate, mailbox, house number, and
light fixtures) to a shine or replace hardware that’s
outdated or looking a little worse for wear with new
coordinating pieces.
 Trim any trees or shrubs that are blocking views of
your front entrance, or that are spilling over onto the
pathway leading up to it. If you don’t already have any,
add a pair of seasonal plantings in containers on your
front steps.
 Make sure your front entrance, walkway, and house
number are well lit at night – savvy sellers will make a
point of visiting your neighborhood during the day and
after dark.
 Small touches such as a new floor mat, a wreath on the
door, and a proportionate table and chair(s) set can go
a long way towards making your house look like a warm
and inviting place to potential buyers.
 Clean the area of dirt and debris. Give your walkway,
steps, and porch a good pressure washing if needed, and
make sure your front windows are clean, inside and out.
Please call for more seller-savvy home selling tips today!
Front and Center
Terminology Tip
EASEMENT — A legal right to use or
cross another person's premises for limited
purposes. An example includes a utility
company's right to run wires or lay pipe
across a property. A private easement
could include the right to cross a neighbor’s
parcel of land to gain access to your home,
or a mutual driveway that both owners
share to access garages in the backyard.
4
The information and opinions contained in this newsletter are obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but their accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The publishers assume no responsibility for errors and omissions or for any damages resulting from the use of the published
information. This newsletter is provided with the understanding that it does not render legal, accounting, or other professional advice. Not intended to solicit properties or businesses listed for sale and agency agreements in place with other real estate brokers. Whole or
partial reproduction of this newsletter is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. © Market Connections Inc.® 2013, Phone: (800) 387-6058.
www.RecineTeam.caMelanie Direct
647-836-4062
Fabio Direct
416-828-5441
Fabio and Melanie Recine
Sales Representatives
Compliments of Fabio Melanie Recine RE/MAX Premier Inc., Brokerage