Call it Debra Gould’s $90,000 touch. That’s about how much the 47-year-old made getting out of the Toronto real estate market—and what she made when she got back in four years later.

Her first windfall came in 1998 when the then-marketing consultant decided to downsize so that she could pursue a new career as a painter. She’d been in her three-bedroom detached Beach home for almost two years, during which time she’d given the tired space a rejuvenating lift with new lighting, some paint and a “modest kitchen reno.” With her marketing background and her eye for décor, she knew how to style the home to show it at its best, rearranging furniture and hanging art for added effect. Her efforts paid off: the house sold for almost $90,000 more than she had paid two years earlier.

Four years—and three cities—later, Gould was eyeing a return to Toronto. But it was 2002 and the market had changed, with prices higher and bargains tougher to find. So, she returned to her Montreal home with a plan: she knew she wanted to be back in the Beach, so she started tracking homes in her price range and watching what they sold for. As her knowledge-base grew, so did her ability to spot a good deal. It wasn’t long before something caught her eye.

“I saw the house and I saw the street and I thought ‘There’s no way it should be priced at that level. It’s $50,000 below where it should be.’”

The three-bedroom semi was listed at $259 000, when others like it were going on the market for $299,000 and selling, she says, at around $310,000. After Gould determined that that wasn’t a typo, she moved fast.

Within 24 hours, Gould and her daughter were in Toronto at the agent open-house with an inspector in tow. It was the Thursday before the August long weekend, so many agents—and potential buyers—were out of town. Her instincts had been right; the house was a gem, despite the red shag carpets and ugly paint. Later that night, she returned with an offer. Before she went to bed, the house was theirs for $2,000 under the asking price.

Gould was confident she had scored a success, but it felt good to have it confirmed. Two months later, a two-bedroom semi across the street sold for $351,000, almost $100,000 more than she had paid. “When the right thing crosses your path, you have to be ready to jump,” she says.