Lunch And Learn Real Estate

Avoid Making Serious Home Buying Mistakes...

Most resale home buyers move into their new houses or condos about 60 to 90 days after their offer has been accepted.

Before you start actually looking for the home that you want to buy, you should get educated about the process, learn how to "hire" a Buyer Agent, get a full pre-approval for a mortgage... and then start actually viewing potential houses or condominiums to buy!

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If you want to move into your Toronto home within the next six to nine months, by far, the best way to jump start your home search is to come to one of our free, no-obligation Home Buyers Knowledge Workshops!

Walk into the workshop unsure and fearful of where to start, feeling overwhelmed and worried about laying out the largest amount of cash that you've ever invested in one item...

Four hours later, walk out feeling confident, knowing exactly how to begin your home search and having a clear vision of how the entire home buying process comes together. You'll be provided with handy fill-in forms and charts to guide you through a smooth, hassle-free home-buying process.

We know that our workshop will save you time, money and worry, even if you've owned a home before!

Even if you already own a home, chances are that you bought it before Buyer Agency became law in Ontario January 1st, 1995. Many parts of the home-buying process have changed dramatically during the last few years since disclosure and buyer agency became more common.

Here's what you'll discover at these Home Buyer Knowledge Workshops:

• How to best begin your home search to save you time, money and worry
• How to avoid buying a "money pit" and ways to spot the 6 signs that could mean expensive, hidden trouble
• The critical questions to ask a Realtor before you "hire" him or her to be your Buyer Agent and represent you for what will likely be the biggest single purchase of your life. We'll also tell you the correct answers to expect
• The easiest and most accurate way to find out what you will get for your money in today's Toronto housing market
• The formulas that financial institutions use to qualify you for a mortgage so that you can 'crunch your own numbers'
• Why a verbal or written "Quick Qualifier" from a bank is not enough to guarantee that you can actually get a mortgage... and what you should get instead
• What three critical things you should do ahead of time to give you the edge in a multiple offer situation

We're confident that the Home Buyers Knowledge Workshop will be the best 4 hours that you invest during your 'home-searching' phase.

Not only that, it's free, there's no obligation and you'll take home a fantastic Home Buyer Reference Manual to review at your leisure.

Here's what some of our Buyer Workshop graduates had to say about their experience

"I was so impressed with the workshop that there are people in my office that are registering also. You will be seeing them soon.
I found that all of you (the team) work very well together and I can relate to why you have done this.

You were all very professional, sincere, honest, no pressure tactics, had excellent examples of real life scenarios (which hit the mark), have honed your skills, created a very good and informative web site and have become leaders rather than followers in your industry.

If it's one thing I've learned from this workshop (being a former home owner) is that my awareness has been heightened.

What I mean is that all of the information I learned is all nicely tucked away in the back of my mind so that when a topic comes up in the conversation during the house search or at the bank or inspection I can rely on having answers and/or a member of a team to help me out.

Now, whether it's your team or a team that I have brought together myself by using the information from the workshop, I know where to look for a professional to assist in the process.

That knowledge is worth it's weight in gold."
Regards,
George

"The seminar helped get us off on the right foot. Buying a house for the first time is a learning experience that Thomas and Sally greatly simplified for us."
Cindy and Mike

"Just a note of thanks for being able to squeeze me in at the last minute for the Home Buyers Workshop.

I found it very informative and walked away with some myths dispelled, and new-found knowledge that I hope I can put into practice. The speakers were very knowledgeable and it was great to see different people speak in their experienced field.

Sorry I wasn't able to stay to introduce myself to you, but I hope in the future we will be able to work together or I with the excellent team there at the Toronto Real Estate Knowledge Centre!"

Thanks again!!
Scot

"I attended your workshop this early morning and I wanted to thank you for all the information you (and the other speakers) provided. I have been to a number of workshops where they have solely been sales pitches to lure you to their office, and I have learned nothing.

As a relatively young person, this will be the biggest single purchase I will make to date, and although I have been considering becoming a home owner for a year or so now, I haven't really done anything to make it happem only because it is so intimidating and I didn't know where to start.

I've looked through Resale Homes magazine and contacted the listing agents (not knowing any better) and instead of being helpful, they email me constantly and bother me at work with phone calls no matter how many times I have told them that I am not yet ready.

Your seminar has opened my eyes and made me realize that there are people out there to support me and that buying a home doesn't have to be a terrifying experience.
Thank you both and I hope that when I am fully ready to make this huge commitment, that one of you will be there to represent me."
Best regards, Jaime

Like to read more? We've got lots of testimonials for you to peruse...

Our Home Buyer Workshop Curriculum

The Home Buyer Workshop is moderated by Thomas and Sally Cook, Realtors with RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd. As of August 2003, the Thomas & Sally Cook Team was ranked #1 in Toronto, #4 in Ontario and #5 in Canada in the RE/MAX system (out of over 12,500 RE/MAX Realtors and #33 in the World out of over 83,000 RE/MAX agents in 43 countries.

The Home Buyer Workshop is moderated by Thomas and Sally Cook, Realtors with RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd Brokerage. In 2007 Thomas and Sally placed #18 in Canada for RE/MAX. Their ranking internationally in 2007 for RE/MAX, out of over 112,000 agents worldwide, was #45!

They are joined by George Christopoulos, a mortgage specialist with TD Canada Trust, and a home inspector from Carson Dunlop & Associates Ltd., a highly respected Toronto home inspection firm.

This is your chance to learn inside tips from experts in their field, people who are "out in the trenches" every day.

You'll discover all the 'meat & potatoes' details about buying a house or condo such as...

• The important definitions that relate to home purchasing so that you're able to speak the language to all the parties involved (buyer agent, mortgage lender, lawyer, home inspector, etc)
• A complete explanation of Buyer Agency... what a Buyer Agent should be doing for you in the transaction, how they get paid, why some agents are NOT motivated to get you the best price and what one extremely important question you should ask BEFORE signing any buyer agency contract
• Learn the three critical reasons why you should avoid buying a home from the listing agent like the plague
• What happens at a Buyer Consultation and what the pitfalls are if your buyer agent does not take the time to have one with you
• The difference between how much you can afford to pay and how much you want to pay monthly for house or condo expenses. Don't get caught eating Kraft Dinner every night so that you can pay your monthly mortgage!
• The specific benefits of filling out a 'Wish List' before you start looking at houses or condominiums to help you focus on and decide what type of home suits your lifestyle best
• How to choose the proper home when you're out viewing properties with your buyer agent AND ways to determine how much to make your initial offer for
• Learn how to calculate 'Fair Market Value' and avoid overpaying even if you've fallen in love with the property
• What happens at a Mortgage Consultation... learn what your mortgage options are and how you can negotiate the absolute best rate
• Zero down payment options and how to create a down payment even if you haven't saved a penny so far
• Discover how to use free money from the Government to save thousands when you buy your first home. You'll even learn the tips and techniques to use to get actual cash back from the Federal Government and from the lender at the same time
• What does the home inspector do? Why can some of them be a major liability to you? What should you be doing while the home inspection is going on?
• Hear real life examples of how the offer presentation process really works... what conditions in your offer are different between a house and a condominium and what $$ deposit you need when you present your offer
• Find out what lawyers do during the real estate transaction and when you need to get one involved in the process
• Once your offer is accepted, what needs to happen next... when do you assemble your down payment and when and where are all the documents signed?
• You'll receive a detailed rundown of closing costs that you can expect to pay
• We will show you how to pay off your mortgage in just ten years without you making ANY lump sum payments whatsoever... our exclusive and trademarked Mortgage Terminator Program can save you between $80,000 and $140,000 of interest payments during the life of your mortgage and anyone can do it

The Home Buyer Knowledge Workshop is free, but some restrictions to attending DO apply. Plan to arrive about ten (10) minutes early to grab good seat! Bring a packed snack to enjoy during the break.

Please arrive early as latecomers will not be admitted.

Please be prepared to stay for the full 4 hours, as this workshop will prove to be invaluable in your home buying experience.