Jennifer Zammit, A.C.C.I.

June sales jump nearly five per cent

Last month, 946 homes exchanged hands in the jurisdiction of the London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR), a 4.5-per-cent increase over June 2008. This includes 767 detached homes (up 6.5 per cent from June 2008) and 179 condos (down 3.2 per cent from June 2008). Year to date, 3,296 detached homes and 756 condos have been sold - down 11 per cent and 20 per cent respectively compared to the same period in 2008.

Sales in St. Thomas are stabilizing - 90 homes exchanged hands in June 2009, a 32.4-per-cent increase over June 2008. The average residential price year-to-date in St. Thomas is $180,079, a two-per-cent decrease over last year. Listings in St. Thomas have remained about the same with 115 in June 2008, compared to 116 during the same period last year.

"We are very pleased to see a 4.5 per cent increase in sales," says Joe Hough, LSTAR President. "2008 was a record-breaking year, so it is just outstanding to see a gain for June 2009 over June 2008. Sales may be down year-to-date, but the numbers we are seeing are still very positive."

Hough says the average residential price is also improving. "Year-to-date for June 2009, the total residential average price is up 1.5% to $211,583, compared with a decline of 1.2% in May, 1.8% in April, 2.7% in March, 2.4% in February and 2.8% in January."

Hough says the federal government incentives announced in the last budget, including the increase in the maximum withdrawal allowed under the Home Buyers' Plan to $25,000, and the First Time Buyer Tax Credit, have helped spring sales.

"Sales activity is now closer to the pre-recession peak than it is to the recent low point reached last January," says Dale Ripplinger, President of The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). "Strengthening consumer confidence, low interest rates, and improved affordability are drawing buyers to the housing market across Canada."

The number of sales and average prices year-to-date for June 2009 were: Type	Units Sold	Average Price	$$ Decrease from YTD 2008
Total Detached	3,296	$224,930	-1.5%
Total Condo	756	$153,402	-0.01%
Total Residential	4,052	$211,584	-0.7%

Well. my FSBO took my advice and did about 2/3 of what I asked him to do to ready his place for sale. I was waiting for a stager to come and do her thing later this week. My advertising was in place and I had walked around the neighborhood delivering flyers announcing the upcoming listing and giving invitations to attend the first open house. My sign was in the lawn and I was ready to go. Just needed the stagers and the pictures to do the feature sheets. I get a call that afternoon from another agent asking to show it that evening. I told her it wasn't ready yet or even listed on MLS but she said her clients were anxious to see it because they really wanted that area. OK - no problem, I'll put a lock box on it. That evening I received a very strong Offer on the property. The next day my seller signed it back and was in absolute disbelief tha this had happened. How do you advertise selling a house that had a pending listing on MLS that hadn't even been released yet. Sold In 0 Days? Anyway, the conditions are boiler plate, the closing will be within one month. Buyer is flabergasted. He told me that a friend of his has a house to sell and she is thinking of sticking a sign in the lawn. "How hard can it be" she told me client. My client told her "you have no idea how wearing the whole process is". He asked if he could give her my card.

So if the sale goes through, the house would have been listed by two other agents for 3 months, FSBO for 2 months and me - well- I guess 1 day. I'm thrilled that he is thrilled. Won't count it until it's done but I'm so inspired to make FSBO marketing part of my routine marketing.

Does anyone have any FSBO marketing ideas that have worked for them?

As supplied by London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS®
342 Commissioners Rd. W., London, Ontario N6J 1Y3

http://www.lstreb.com/

News Release

For Comment: Joe Hough, President, 519-670-6011

For Background: Katherine Low, Director of Communications, 519-641-1400

LONDON - May 1, 2009

April home sales improve

Last month, 804 homes exchanged hands in the jurisdiction of the London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR), including 666 detached homes (up 1.8% from April 2008) and 138 condos (down 26.6% from April 2008). Year to date, 1,840 detached homes and 414 condos have been sold - down 15.1% and 26.9% respectively compared to the same period in 2008.

"April sales have increased by 20% over March - that's great news, especially in a tougher economy," says Joe Hough, LSTAR President. "We have now seen detached home sales move from being down 35% in January, down 30% in February, down 7.2% in March, and now they are up by 1.8%. The federal government incentives announced in the last budget, including the increase in the maximum withdrawal allowed under the Home Buyers' Plan to $25,000, and the First Time Buyer Tax Credit, have certainly influenced April's sales."

Hough says the average residential price is also improving. "Year-to-date for April 2009, the total residential average price is down 1.8% to $207,591, compared with a decline of 2.7% in March, 2.4% in February and 2.8% in January."

Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) Chief Economist Gregory Klump says: "Looking back to economic recessions in the early 1980s and 1990s, national resale housing activity bottomed out before the job market or economy did ... It will take time for ample supplies of new and existing homes to be drawn down, but demand appears to be stabilizing across Canada."

The number of sales and average prices year-to-date for April 2009 were:

Type	Units Sold	Average Price	$$ Decrease from YTD 2008
Total Detached	1,840	$220,438	-3%
Total Condo	414	$150,496	-0.1%
Total Residential	2,254	$207,591	-1.8%

The average residential price year-to-date for April 2009 is $207,591. The following table compares year-end average home prices in LSTAR's jurisdiction over the past 10 years:

Year	Prices
2008	$210,888
2007	$202,256
2006	$188,942
2005	$178,058
2004	$166,138
2003	$152,586
2002	$142,106
2001	$136,636
2000	$134,593
1999	$131,899

April residential sales year-to-date over the last 10 years:

Year	Sales
2009	2254
2008	2732
2007	3001
2006	2861
2005	2755
2004	3054
2003	2690
2002	2898
2001	2263
2000	2259

The best-selling house style in LSTAR's jurisdiction for the month of April was the two-storey, followed by the bungalow, the ranch and the townhouse condo:

House Style	Units Sold	Average Price
2 storey	195	$282,491
Bungalow	132	$164,790
Ranches	93	$239,448
Townhouse Condo	73	$131,731

Homes in LSTAR's jurisdiction continue to maintain their affordability compared to other major Ontario and Canadian centres. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association's Residential MLS Report for March 2009 (the most current available), the average price year-to-date for:

• London and St. Thomas was $208,632;
• Calgary was $369,219;
• Durham Region was $262,374;
• Edmonton was $310,849;
• Hamilton-Burlington and District was $264,187;
• Kitchener-Waterloo was $251,030;
• Ottawa was $284,118;
• St. Catharines & District was $202,452;
• Toronto was $358,036; and
• Greater Vancouver was $535,552.

The London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® is a professional organization committed to serving the real estate needs of the community and to providing its Members with the services and education required to promote excellence, knowledge and a high standard of ethics and business practices. The Association's jurisdiction includes Middlesex and Elgin Counties, home to nearly 500,000 residents. The Multiple Listing Service® is a cooperative marketing system used only by Canada's real estate boards and associations to ensure maximum exposure of properties for sale. All of LSTAR's listings may be found on the public website at www.REALTOR.ca.

Ok I admit I have an older Blackberry with the roll thing on the side. I could get a Pearl but I just hate changing phones once I get used to them. My biggest beef is when I'm looking for a call or email that is pages down. I practically have carpal tunnel from rolling that side thing with my thumb. Alas, here are a few tips for what are more than likely the biggest quirps you might have:

Most Popular Tips and Tricks

• Turn on the backlighting

• Press Power button.

• Switch to another program

• Hold the Alt key and press the Escape button. Continue to hold the Alt key and select a program. Release the Alt key to switch to that program.

• Exit a screen or dialog box

• Press the Escape button.

• Insert a period

• Press the Space key twice. The next letter is capitalized.

• Insert the at sign (@) and periods in an Email field

• Press the Space key.

• Type an accent or special character

• Hold the letter key and roll the trackball/trackwheel.

• Capitalize a letter

• Hold the letter key until the capitalized letter appears.

• Move the cursor in a different direction

• The Alt key and roll the trackball/trackwheel.

• Change an option field

• Hold the Alt key. Click a value.

• Move to an item in a list or menu

• Press the first letter of the item.

• Select a check box

• Press the Space key. To clear the check box, press the Space key again.

• Select a line of text

• Press the Shift key and roll the trackball/trackwheel.

• Move down a screen

• Press the Space key.

• Move up a screen

• Press the Shift key + the Space key.

Hope these help. Please add to this list if you know of some neat tricks.

For many people, pets aren't just companions; they're important members of the family. So, it's not surprising that more and more people choose to travel with their pets. To ensure your pet has a safe and happy car ride, here are a few important travel tips to remember and follow:

Before You Hit The Road

Look for services that cater to pet owners.
Pet-friendly hotels make it easier than ever to bring pets with you on the road. Many offer amenities such as pet sitting, dog walking and even pet-pampering spa treatments. Do research ahead of time to find the perfect hotel that fits your needs. Be sure to ask about their policies - for instance, many hotels require your pet to be on a leash at all times and never be left unattended in the room.

Also, check with your car insurance company to see if your pets are covered. With Progressive's Pet Injury coverage, your dog and cats are covered - at no extra charge - if they're hurt in a car accident and your Progressive policy has Collision coverage.

Get your pets used to the car and make them feel comfortable.
Often, the only time pets ride in the car is when they're visiting the vet or groomer - so they may not always associate a car ride with positive feelings and may even be afraid to ride in the car. Teach them instead that car rides can be fun by taking them for short road trips to a dog park, a friend's house for a play date, or just to a new place to take a long walk.

If your pet's anxiety persists, consider over-the-counter products that can help reduce stress and anxiety.

If you plan to keep your pet in a travel crate while riding in the car, it's important that you familiarize your pet with its crate by having it rest inside the crate around the house - the more familiar pets are with their surroundings, the more comfortable and secure they'll be once inside the car.

Some pets tend to get car sick. Try not to feed them for a few of hours before the trip.

Make sure your pet has proper identification.
Just in case he or she gets lost while traveling, you want to be sure your pet is wearing up-to-date ID tags. The most important thing that needs to be listed on the tag is an emergency contact phone number, but it's also a good idea to mention if you'll offer a reward if someone returns your pet to you or if your pet needs any medication.

Prepare a doggie bag.
A pet travel pack is a great way to make sure you're prepared for anything - and is something that can remain stocked, so it's ready to go with you at a moment's notice. Make sure it contains cleanup supplies, a towel or bed to serve as a comfortable resting place, portable feeding/watering bowls, food and water, a pet first aid kit, and lots and lots of toys to keep pets busy and well behaved!

To Keep Tails Wagging in the Passenger Seat

Restrain your pets for safe car travel.
Free to paw their way around the car, unrestrained pets can be a distraction to drivers and can get injured if the car makes a sudden stop or is involved in an accident, even if it's just a fender bender. Secure your pet in a crate or with a harness to keep it safe.

Don't let your pets ride with their heads out of the window.
While most dogs love to hang their heads out of the car window and feel the wind in their fur, it's best not to indulge them. They can easily be injured by debris flying into their eyes.

Never leave your pets unsupervised in the car.
Just like people, dogs and cats are susceptible to heat stroke - even if it isn't that hot outside or the car windows are left open - and can even be stolen. Make sure you know where your pet is at all times.