WELCOME TO THE ABTEAM MAY BLOG MAY: THE MONTH OF HOPE FOR OUR LOCAL REAL ESTATE MARKET The first quarter of the 2025 housing market here in beautiful Durham Region can easily be summarized in this way: it has been a time of patience and managing expectations. Certainly for sellers and their agent representatives, that has been the lived reality. A trifecta of surprise events – terribly harsh weather, the unexpected trade war and a snap federal... [read more]

5 Reasons Selling Without an Agent is a Bad Idea: Do-it-yourself projects are in vogue these days. You can find advice online for everything from investing in crypto-currency to tearing down the living room wall. When considering the cost of moving, it’s natural to wonder if real estate commissions are one way to save money, but it would be a mistake. A good real estate agent might make it seem easy, but the fact is that selling your own home could actually cost you thousands of... [read more]

Buying and owning your own home is no easy task, and there are moments on everyone's journey when they feel like it's impossible. However, there are plenty of resources available to help make your dream of becoming a homeowner a reality. The first step you should take when you're ready to consider buying a home is to check your credit score and/or start building your credit. Lenders want to see that you’ve been able to pay back borrowed money on time, and without missing... [read more]

There is a lot of attention paid to first-time homebuyers. Most real estate agents and lenders have some kind of guide to help first-time homebuyers navigate their first home purchase, but what about the first-time seller? Selling your home for the first time can be just as confusing as a home purchase, so here are a few things to remember as you navigate your home sale. Before that first showing, it’s important to prepare. This involves not only cleaning, decluttering, and staging... [read more]

HOW DO CREDIT SCORES WORK: A ho-hum credit score might bring you a higher mortgage rate. Canada has two main credit bureaus — Equifax and TransUnion — that collect and share data about how you’ve used credit in the country. These private companies draw up credit reports that summarize your activity and use it to assign you a credit score. Lenders like banks rely on your credit score to tell if you’re a good investment. Credit bureaus assess a lot of information... [read more]