George O’Neill films the cargo ship Maccoa unloading its cargo of sugarcane into the Redpath Sugar Factory.

Over the past couple decades, Toronto’s waterfront has become a place for people to work and play. At the formerly industrialized corner of Queen’s Quay and Jarvis, there’s a Loblaws, the newly opened Sugar Beach, and the planned East Bayfront condominium developments in this former industrial area.

However, real work still gets done by the harbour. One such industrial institution is the Redpath Sugar Factory that has been in operation at the foot of Jarvis Street since 1958. The factory also houses a museum and a mural of whales by artist Robert Wyland.

Ships like the Maccoa import sugarcane from the Caribbean through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the factory where it is refined into the white and brown sugar we see on store shelves.

The Redpath Sugar Factory on Toronto’s harbourfront is a post from: O'Neill Real Estate

George O’Neill explains that, yes, there is an optimal time to sell your home -- however it rarely has anything to do with the supposed ups and downs of the housing market.

What we should be really asking is, “How can we maximize the value of your home?” Many significant factors come into play, from the property’s location to the negotiation mettle of your real estate brokerage. Timing when to sell your home is often more about the seller(s) being ready than about the market. Real estate markets are local -- sometimes down to the street level. A seller(s) personal finances or life situation should be considered with significantly more weight.

Trying to time the real estate market is no different than trying to predict the financial markets. One can make broad assessments, however precise predictions would be tantamount to having a crystal ball. If we could all predict the future, we would never have market corrections or crashes.

The truth is, there are people buying real estate every week of the year, and often for personal reasons. The best time to sell is when you are ready.

When is the best time to sell your house? is a post from: O'Neill Real Estate

Have you ever bought something at a store, brought it home and then changed your mind about your purchase?

Perhaps you were unsatisfied with the post-sale service. Maybe it was simply the wrong size, or it was too expensive, or you simply decided to try something else.

Some stores will refund your money, no questions asked. Did they treat you like a valuable customer, if not today, then hopefully one in the future?

Others will give you a hard time, refuse refunds or try to assign penalty fees or other fine print restrictions. Did you feel like patronizing these stores ever again? No -- most likely these are the stores you will share horror stories about with your friends, family and even Internet review sites.

This is my, George O’Neill’s, belief. The true test of a firm is determined not by how easy it is to engage in business with it, but how easy it is to disengage in business with it.

Real estate is the same. It’s true that real estate agents enter into an exclusive contract with their clients for a set period of time. However, if the clients have a change of heart, it behooves the brokerage to comply with their client’s wishes. Clients should come first.

A good brokerage will also sit down with their clients to try to learn the causes for cancelling to hopefully resolve the conflict. However, if no resolution can be found, we at O’Neill Real Estate will immediately release the contract.

Unfortunately, some brokerages will hold their clients hostage for the duration of the contract. Some may even threaten their clients with litigation! It’s irresponsible behaviour and counter-productive to both parties.

At the end of the contract, the only thing the brokerage will most likely gain is a very angry and unhappy ex-customer.

How to protect yourself as a client

As a client, protect yourself from being held hostage by contracts. Before signing any agreement with your agent or broker, always ask what provisions are made for exiting the contract. Make sure you get a satisfactory answer and make sure you get it in writing.

Real estate agents, don’t hold your clients hostage is a post from: O'Neill Real Estate

George O’Neill is in Toronto’s Harbourfront district showing you the sights. It’s incredible to think that thirty years ago, Toronto’s lakeshore consisted of nothing but parking lots, industrial shipping docks and cargo terminals. Today, the downtown harbour has been transformed into a picturesque residential and recreational area that continues to evolve and grow.

To the south is one of the many marinas that dot the Toronto harbour front with the Dutch-style Amsterdam Bridge carrying pedestrians over it and the Pier 4 Storehouse Restaurant to the right. Along the shoreline is the Simcoe WaveDeck, an undulating pedestrian sidewalk made of wooden planks.

To the north are the 252 Queen’s Quay West condominiums, CN Tower, the newer Riviera condos, and WaterClub Condos. To the east is Ann Tindal Park and York Quay Harbourfront Centre, which holds cultural and culinary events all year round.

Sightseeing at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre is a post from: O'Neill Real Estate

We’re in the dog days of summer at end of August and we are seeing normal seasonal trends as can by seen by looking back to 2007 and 2008 with 2009 sales activity clearly a peak year.

We do expect sales to increase in mid-September. Our advice? Patience is the key if you are selling now.

Properties Sold in The Beach, aka TREB district E02

• Freeholds: 1 this week; 4 last week; 11 in same week last year, 4 in same week 2008; 0 in same week 2007
• 0 this week, 0 last week; 2 in same week last year; 0 in same week 2008; 0 in same week 2007

Median Sold Price:

• Freehold: $270,000 this week (only 1 property sold with Avg DOM 23) vs $423,000 last week with Avg DOM 42
• Condo: no sales this week, no sales previous week

Properties For Sale

• Freehold: 92 properties listed down 5% from last week’s 95
• Condos: 19 this week and 19 last week

Median Asking Prices

• Freehold: $599,000 this week vs $599,900 last week
• Condos: $339,900 this week and same last week

Data is obtained from the Toronto Real Estate Board, with analysis performed by O’Neill Real Estate Limited.

Toronto Beaches real estate market update, August 29, 2010 is a post from: O'Neill Real Estate

In the last of a five part series, George O’Neill lists the top ten reasons he loves The Beach neighbourhood in Toronto. The list was:

1. Our Blue Flag beaches
2. Our beautiful parks
3. Great shops and restaurants
4. Proximity to downtown Toronto
5. The tree-lined streets
6. Walking on the boardwalk
7. Responsible development
8. Direct access to lake

Here are his final two reasons:

9. The people

The Toronto Beaches feels like a small town. We know our neighbours and the local shopkeepers. Residents are also active in the community and are passionate about the upkeep of this neighbourhood.

10. View of the lake

Gaze at the gentle waves of Lake Ontario on a spring or summer’s day, and you know what I mean. Because the waterfront is public property, this priceless view is open to all and any time.

We hope you enjoyed our Top 10 list this week. The Beach is where we live and where we work, and we enjoyed showing this unique neighbourhood to you.

Top 10 things I love about The Beach, Toronto: #9 and #10 is a post from: O'Neill Real Estate

George O’Neill continues his countdown of the top 10 things that make The Beach neighbourhood so great to live and work.

7. Responsible Development

With few exceptions, the neighbourhood has retained its heritage and new houses are built in a responsible manner that remains faithful to the existing zoning by-laws in the area.

8. Direct Access to Lake

From virtually anywhere in The Beach, one is only a few minutes walk to the shore of Lake Ontario.

Stay tuned on Saturday for the final two reasons!

Top 10 things I love about The Beach, Toronto: #7 and #8 is a post from: O'Neill Real Estate

Welcome to 4560 Highway 7 East, Unit 500 in Markham, a fantastic retail location in a Unionville shopping plaza on the north side of Highway 7. Between Main Street Unionville and Kennedy Road, this shopping area experiences high traffic flow.

The unit comprises of a street level retail area of 1,839 square feet and a 2,346 square foot finished basement. The monthly base rent for the retail street level is $22 per s.f.; the basement can be leased for an additional $700, translating in a total base rent of $12.22 per square foot for the entire space.

Features

A wide storefront overlooking this major Markham thoroughfare translates to great signage exposure. This is a busy shopping plaza with reserved paved surface parking. Current occupant is established karate school. Excludes all occupant’s fixtures and trade goods.

Property Details

Neighbourhood

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4560 Highway 7 East, Markham is a post from: O'Neill Real Estate

George O’Neill continues his countdown of his ten favourite things about the neighbourhood we work and live in: the Toronto Beaches.

5. The tree-lined streets

The Beach is full of quiet streets with Victorian era cottages, townhouses and detached houses. While there are modern developments in the area, there is something about walking or driving by these century homes with their exquisite architecture, all nicely shaded by a thick canopy of mature trees.

6. Walking on the boardwalk

The boardwalk that runs along a three kilometre stretch of the beaches are a great trail to go walking, jogging, rollerblading or cycling. Rain or shine, it is also a nice walk for your dog while you contemplate the waves of Lake Ontario.

To see what’s in store for #7 and #8, check back tomorrow.

Top 10 things I love about The Beach, Toronto: #5 and #6 is a post from: O'Neill Real Estate

George O’Neill is counting down the top ten reasons The Beach is an incredible neighbourhood to live in. Yesterday, he talked about the clean, safe beaches and the numerous parks that dot The Beaches.

3. Great shops and restaurants

Queen Street East is a cluster of interesting shops and restaurants. Both big chains such as Starbucks Coffee thrive here beside local proprietors such as Remarkable Bean. The neighbourhood has local grocers as well as a quick drive to Loblaws or Price Chopper. Ed’s Real Scoop Ice Cream and The Pie Shack are legendary for their desserts.

4. Proximity to downtown Toronto

The Beach’s tranquility is a mere 10-20 minute drive from the bustle of downtown Toronto. The Beaches are easily accessible to downtown via Queen Street East or Lakeshore Boulevard by car, and the TTC Route 501 streetcar that runs down Queen Street.

Stick around tomorrow for #5 and #6.

The top 10 things I love about The Beach, Toronto: #3 and #4 is a post from: O'Neill Real Estate