Why I picked Brampton

When I knew I wanted to get into the real estate industry, I looked for the best place to begin my career. While I grew up in beautiful Prince Edward Island and went to university in Nova Scotia, central Ontario was the place for me, but more specifically, Brampton aka the Flower City and the surrounding areas. In 1985, when I was moving to Ontario, I could have moved anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area. I picked Brampton because it had affordable housing. This gave me the chance to bring my passion in real estate by working in a rapidly changing community. Since I started my real estate career in Brampton, I have had tremendous success and I continue to service proudly as a Re/Max Rep. This city has been reshaping itself for many, many years and it`s not showing signs of stopping any time soon.

Now, as a proud, happy family man, another reason why I picked Brampton is because it`s location is very ideal. There are lots of wonderful parks, recreation creates, walking trails, shops, stores and the people in the Flower City are some of the nicest people around. There is also quick access to downtown Toronto and to Pearson International Airport in Brampton`s neighbouring city Mississauga. Plus, as a father of 3 amazing kids, there are lots of great secondary schools, colleges and universities close by.

In the end, I think I picked the perfect city to work in and raise a family in.

33rd Annual Toy Ride Parade

Over this past weekend in Brampton, the 33^rd Annual Toy Ride Parade was held at the Brampton Soccer Centre. The Brampton Salvation Army hosted this fantastic event. All toys collected by the BSM have been given to the Toys for Tots program and all funds raised has gone to a new special room in The Brampton Civic Hospital Pediatric Ward. At the event, there was a pancake breakfast, a BBQ, a silent auction, door prizes and awards. Plus, the pride took an hour to do through Brampton.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The other day my wonderful kids nominated me for the worldwide online growing phenomenon called the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. I was more than happy to do this because it's for a really great cause. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a neurodegenerstive disease. It leads to many problems in the body such as weakness in the muscles, difficulty speaking and breathing. ALS effects nearly 3 thousand Canadians. Since this online challenge started this summer, over $15 million has been raised.

Here is my ALS Ice Bucket Challege video!

 

The CNE

It’s something a lot of us hate to acknowledge but summer is slowly coming to an end. For us Ontarians, that means it’s time to visit the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), also known as the Ex.

The CNE is an annual event in Toronto that happens every 18 days leading up to and during Labour Day weekend in September. The CNE gets more than a million visitors every year. It has a mixture of shows, rides, exhibits and games. Plus, the CNE is over 135 years old! That’s crazy! This awesome event started in 1879. If you are an Ontario resident or visiting the Toronto / Greater Toronto Area, check out the CNE! I promise you that you will have an absolute blast!

MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE REALTOR IN BRAMPTON ONLINE CONTEST

Once someone gets to know me, they realize pretty fast that I’m very passionate and very knowledgeable about real estate and the city of Brampton. Today I was notified that I’ve been nominated for an online contest as the most knowledgeable realtor in Brampton. Please take a moment and click on the link. I’d appreciate your vote. Thanks, everyone!

http://contests.schoolgrades.ca/2014/Realtors-Brampton

TOP 5 IDEA'S FOR BUYER'S

When someone is looking at buying property, where does he or she start? As a successful real estate agent and someone who has a deep understanding of the real estate world, I have worked with many different kinds of clients. Here are some ideas to approach buying real estate. 

Top 5 ideas for buyer’s:

1. Work with a real estate agent who specializes and lives in the area you want to buy in.
The reason I post this as number one is because you don’t want to work with a real estate who doesn’t know the area you want to live in. Most likely, you’ll have questions about the area you are looking at. What’s around this area? Is this area safe? Etc etc. Your real estate agent needs to be able to answer all your questions to show he or she knows the area very well and to ensure you that you are working with a pro. 

2.  Get pre-approved for financing BEFORE you start looking at homes.
To start looking at property without getting pre-approved is like jumping into a body of water without knowing if you will land in the swallow end or not. I highly recommend you get pre-approved before you begin your search for a home!

3. Consider buying in the slow season (November – December).
Why look during the slow season? Well, one reason is that there could be less competition for a house you are looking at. A smaller amount of competition can translate into a larger discount, as well. You can find of realtor.com that another reason is that prices are normally much less in December than any other month in the year. 

4. Be prepared to do some work if you want to get the best deal.

Your real estate is the driver but as the passenger, you need to be prepared too! Do your homework in what you are looking for when hunting for a home and keep your eyes open on the current real estate market.

5. Be patient!
Don’t be in a rush to find your ideal home. Take your time and I assure you that you will find the house you want!

SUMMER IN BRAMPTON

As a Brampton resident and an active community member for many years now, spending time in the Flower City never gets boring. In fact, it gets better and better! Especially in the summer. Summer time in Brampton is always a good time because there is always something to do. Take the Brampton Farmer’s Market as an example. Every Saturday during the summer months, everyone can come out to the downtown core. 

There is so much to see and do at the market. Plus, it brings out so many people every Saturday. The crowds get bigger and bigger!

 

There is so much to see and do at the market. Plus, it brings out so many people every Saturday. The crowds get bigger and bigger!

Another awesome event was the Classic Cars and Legendary Stars. Every car was a thing of pure beauty!

Heck, even a free community BBQ on a hot summer day brings out the friendly local residents.

Always something awesome to see and do around town!