Buyer Tip: You Like it, Stalk it

When you’re interested in a house, act like a stalker. Drive past it at several different times of day. Park up the street to watch it with binoculars, and see what goes on in the neighbourhood. Research the town. Google the school, the recreation centre, the parks. Look them up on Facebook and Twitter.

Maybe you didn’t notice that the house is on a busy bus route or close to railway tracks. Maybe you thought that kids would be playing in the streets, but it’s all seniors living there. The dog walkers might bother you, or you might want to join them. You didn’t see all the basement apartments until you started looking for them. Would you be happy to have the income potential or are you nervous about the extra traffic?


If you’re looking at something in Newmarket, I can tell you that Newmarket is an excellent place to live! I can tell you about the different neighbourhoods, their advantages and disadvantages. When Harry Naghavi is your Realtor, you will get a thorough understanding of what you’re buying. I’ll even lend you my binoculars.

Signs of Spring: "Open House Today!"

It's finally Spring. And, you know what that means. 

The signs of spring:  

Open House signs!

Now that we can see the houses that were hidden behind the snow banks, people are ready to move. They've been indoors for a few months, cleaning and packing and sprucing up their houses. Now, they've got the signs up.

There's one on your street.

And you're wondering, 

"What does it look like inside?" and 

"What did they do with the basement?" and

"What does a house like ours cost?".

So, you pop over during the open house. 

You avoid making eye contact with the Realtor there. You rush through, and go back home. 

But, now you're thinking:

"Our house is better than that. We could get even more!"

You drive around and pop in to a bunch of other open houses. Problem is, there's always a Real Estate Agent there, and they're trying to sell you the house. No thank you. You're just curious, right?

Wait! 

Stop! 

Call Harry! 

Call me, text me, or email me now. 

If you want to know what your house is worth, I'll give you a free home evaluation, no strings attached.  

If you're looking at other houses, you might be thinking that you could get a better house. 

Call me and I'll sit down with you and together we'll figure out what it is that you don't like about your present house, and what it's worth, and what else you can afford. 

As your Buyer Agent, I'll take you to see homes that are within your budget, that have the number of bathrooms and bedrooms you want and all the features you need. And, we can go any day. And, we don't have to deal with a sales pitch. We can objectively view and discuss homes that we already have information about. And, when you find something you like, I'll negotiate for you. I'll take the pressure off. You'll get the best deal. 

I'll take the pressure off.
You'll get the best deal. 

Family Getaway at Home in Newmarket

I had to work on a Sunday, as I often do, being a Realtor. But, I piled the family into the van and we all went on a beautiful drive in the country and then enjoyed a peaceful walk in the woods. We were only gone for a few hours, but we had an amazing afternoon retreat, reconnecting with each other and with nature.

From Newmarket, you can take a short drive or a longer drive and spend time in one of the many conservation areas and York Regional Forest tracts like this one. 

We extended our drive all the way up to Lake Simcoe, to Willow Beach, where we saw the incredible number of ice fishing huts that dot the lake in the winter. We also drove past our fishing spot on Cook's Bay, a little closer to home and not quite so busy.

Living in Newmarket, you can enjoy a good life in a great detached house in a quiet and safe neighbourhood with every amenity nearby, and you'll also be close to nature. 

Choose Newmarket for your Family and Business

If you’re considering moving to Newmarket, good thinking!

I moved up here from Toronto in 1996 and I love it. It’s been a perfect place to raise a family, to do business, and to enjoy life.

Take a look at the Wikipedia page for Newmarket. There is a ton of good information about our town, and lots of great reasons to make it your home. You can follow this link. 

Here are some simple facts from that page:

“According to the 2011 census, the town's population was 79,978. The York Region Planning Department projects a population of 98,000 by 2026. Newmarket's population density is just over 2000 inhabitants per square kilometer, ranking it third in Ontario and 33rd in Canada. 

English is the mother tongue of 77.4% of Newmarket residents, according to the 2011 Census. Italian is the mother tongue for 1.8% of the population, followed by French at 1.4%, and Russian and Spanish, each at 1.3%.

In 2005, the average household income in Newmarket was $96,680.00, far exceeding the provincial average for the same year of $77,967.00”

Check out that bottom line!

If you’re thinking of starting a business, start it here. Newmarket is not only a perfect place to raise a family, but also a great place to do business. People from all over the region come to Newmarket to shop at the Upper Canada Mall, along Yonge Street, on Historic Main Street and all around town. Highway 404 conveniently brings people up into town at Mulock, Davis Drive and Green Lane. 

Although many Newmarket residents commute to jobs in Toronto, something I did for a number of years as well, there are lots of jobs right here. And, the town is growing and improving constantly.  

Here’s what Wikipedia says about our economy:

“Newmarket features a diverse and growing economy based largely in the business services and knowledge industries, and the administrative, manufacturing and retail sectors.

The following are some of the Town's major public sector employers:

• Southlake Regional Health Centre

• Regional Municipality of York

• Town of Newmarket

• York Regional Police

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police Headquarters

• Ontario Court of Justice

• York Region District School Board

• York Catholic District School Board

• Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority

• The following are some of the town's major private sector employers:

• Allied International Credit

• Flextronics

• TS Tech Canada Inc.

• Effem Foods

• CeDe Candy

• Exco Technologies

• Magna International

• Snap-On Tools

• Cintas

Notwithstanding these major employers, a large percentage of Newmarket's population commutes to Toronto for employment.”

Helping You get What You Want

What kind of house do you want? Sounds like an easy question, but it's not.
You might think you want a brick house, but then you'll see an amazing stucco house with a pool and a great family room, perfect kitchen and a real laundry room, and you'll decide that a brick exterior is not that important after all.
You might think you want a detached house, but there's nothing decent in your budget.
"You can't always get what you want."

Unfortunately, the reality is that your bottom line and the market determine what kind of house you get.

Fortunately, you can get a good idea of what's on the market from the comfort of your home, and you can call me up and we can find something suitable together.

Take a look at my website. There's a great tool right on the home page. You can search for available homes very easily. Type in Newmarket, for example, and click on Homes under Type in the red bar, and then click on Map in black. Houses will appear on the map, all around Newmarket and just outside of Newmarket too. Click on a picture and you'll get more info. You can name a price range too.

Give it a try!  Find out what kind of house you can get, because, if you try, sometimes, "you get what you need."

TGIF! Time to get away from it all -right here in Newmarket

Another Friday, and the 400 is a parking lot. Tons of people are all heading north from Toronto to get away from it all. Heading to a lake, to the woods, to a cottage, a cabin, a trailer, a tent, they just want to have some space and fresh air away from the city.

Another bunch of people are at home in Newmarket, enjoying a big backyard, maybe a pool, maybe a walk in the park. They're going to the lake tomorrow, fishing, or to the beach for a couple of hours after going to the Saturday Farmer's Market in the morning. Lake Simcoe is just up the street. And, maybe tomorrow night, they'll go to a game in Toronto, or meet with some friends. It's not that far.

A weekend at home can be as good as a holiday.

Thinking about getting away from it all in Newmarket?

Give me a call. I'll help you find a home that gives you a weekend getaway every weekend, without the traffic. 

Wish you had a pool? I can help!

It's another beautiful hot summer day.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a pool in your backyard? 

I can help you find a home with a pool, or recommend an excellent pool company.

Give me a call.

Summertime and the beach is easy

It's still summer, and it's a beautiful hot day. If you lived in Newmarket, you could be at a beach in half an hour- how does a picnic supper at the beach on a work night sound? 

Newmarket has all the urban amenities you need and access to all the rural escapes you want. 

And, it's still affordable.

Give me a call and we'll find you the perfect home.

You can afford to buy a house. Do it.

Not to be outdone by my wife, I’m going to quote Mark Twain.

Renate blogged today about singing and dancing. That Mark Twain quote could have been a Shania Twain quote.

Here’s one that has teeth:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

I like this one because it includes fishing. I like the image of taking to the water to explore and dream.

It also appeals to me because I’m getting to the point in my life where I’m starting to look back and evaluate things. I think about these things when I’m on a lake or in the woods. When I get back to “reality” I feel inspired to make a change, to go ahead and shake things up a bit.

Just do it! Nike got to the point.

I like to quote Newton’s first law of motion too: A body at rest tends to stay at rest. This appeals to me because it’s simple physics but it means so much more.

If you’re satisfied with who you are, what you’re doing, where you live, your weight, your hairstyle, then don’t make any changes. If you don’t change anything, chances are things will tend to stay the same- your weight, your income. Ok, your hair might grow.

But, get out of your routine and you’ll see some changes, improvement. Leave the safe harbour behind.

Almost twenty years ago, Renate and I made some big decisions, took some risks and sailed off to Newmarket.  We scraped together a down payment for a house, went over-budget, and bought our first house near Main Street and Davis Drive. That was the best thing we ever did! We could not have done it in Toronto. If we had stayed, we’d still be renting. We didn’t even dare dream of a house like the one we now own!

Take the first step today. Call me or email me and ask me about getting into a house in Newmarket. We could get you into something in Bradford or Keswick too. You can get a lot of house for your money up here.

Do it.