Why Dismantle Something that is Working Perfectly?

Yesterday on many discussion boards and news media outlets the idea of opening the MLS up to let the public list privately was presented. From what I could see the discussion boards were dominated by a small fraction of the Real Estate world which was dissatisfied with their Real Estate agents and of course Realtors. Here is a small insight into my view on it.

The draw of the mls system is that good agent or bad agent the systems integrity keeps everything above board and on the level. Remove the people who are ultimately responsible for the MLS - the agents - and it becomes a free for all. I would hate to have to buy sell/houses on a mass scale in a classified ad type of of system. The amount of misrepresentation and deceit would ground house sales to a halt.

Wonder if a lawyer will waive their fees if after weeks of negotiations they discover there is no equity in the house and it can't be sold! Don't think so.

99.9% of the time suspect sellers and buyers never cross onto the MLS because of the due diligence of realtors and the realtor system. No such checks and balance in the self serve world. Want to check every buyer that walks through and is interested? Think about that process. How much would your lawyer charge you? Do you think they would do it for free?

EVERY buyer agent performs this action before heading out to look for homes, every listing agent does the same. At no charge!
There is integrity and trust in the system on many levels.

Please don't insult us by comparing common classifieds to the services we provide.

Email to CP24 - Sensationalistic Journalism??? Misleads Public

CP24 Posted the following Poll question

Would you sell your home without a real estate agent if you could get the property listed on MLS?

I think the question was meant to mean 'do you feel comfortable selling your home without the assistance of a realtor if you could post it on the MLS'?

To Whom it May Concern

Yes I am a Realtor. The question you asked is sensationalistic and without grounds. It is not the idea behind why CREA and the competition board is meeting today. It is irresponsible to pose a question which misleads the public. The MLS is a creation of the hard work of individual agents. Without agents there would be no MLS in the state it is in today. Your question is on the level with a question that asks, if you could download Musicians Music for free (without ramification) would you? I am certain 75% of the respondents would vote YES! But guess what ... if the musicians do not get paid to create Music there is no Music. Same goes with the MLS. If Realtors are not posting listings based on strict professional, ethical, and moral system, then yes an MLS may survive however the integrity of the system disappears. It is the Integrity and trust of the system which makes the MLS system what it is. Otherwise Craigslist should be the basis for listing homes. David Smeriglio

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What about Milton?

Is a question that I am often asked by anyone considering the west end of the GTA.

There have been several clients who at our initial conversation ruled out Milton, but who eventually bought there nonetheless.

The main reason for this change of heart was because they discovered that their main objection to Milton, the extra commute, was a sacrifice that they were willing to make in order to purchase a newer home at a fair price.

However prices in Milton have been slowly rising. In the last 3 months quality first time buyer homes have been selling at a rapid pace. My most recent clients can tell you that being the first on the scene did not always guarantee the purchase. In the first quarter of 2010 multiple offers became the norm.

Even with prices rising nearly 10% on homes listed less than $330,000, Milton is still a relative bargain compared to what similar size homes are selling for just 4km east in Mississauga; where houses have also been growing in value.

Greater value in Milton can still be found at the $500,000 + price range. Especially for those willing to live in West Milton towards the Escarpment. Generally speaking you can expect to save up 10% over homes of similar age and type in Mississauga or Oakville, and 5% over Burlington.

The reason for much of the rapid rise in the popularity of Milton is due to the growth of the infrastructure within the town itself. People are starting to realize that the turnoffs of years past are no longer relevant: I recall

• Waiting 15 minutes in bumper to bumper traffic on Thompson Road with my clients in 2006 while waiting for the train to pass - and no way to avoid this without backtracking down side roads.
• Fearing running out of gas in east Milton because the nearest open gas station was on the outskirts of town.
• Little or no choices for shopping

Thankfully most of these problems have been solved. For those who stuck it out the reward has been an increase in property value.

So how do you buy when the market is low in Milton?

The EBB and FLOW of prices in Milton are also effected by the Ebb and Flow in Mississauga, Oakville, and Burlington as well as the availability of builder overstock. This means that if monitored carefully Milton could serve up some relative bargains.

Email us at david@soldhabit.com if you would like to be sent FREE automated updates of listings when they come available in Milton.

You will be sent a link to a web-console (see screenshot below) where you can track the market and use tools to separate your favourites, possibilities, and discard the homes you don't like. These houses often show up 48hrs before they are posted on MLS.ca and are official Realtor listings.