Finally it feels like Spring has arrived and with it comes an increased desire by consumers to start looking at the potential of buying a new home. If the home buying bug has taken a nip at you this spring, consider enlisting the services of a Trained Real Estate Professional who can ultimately save you time, money and from costly mistakes. Now, the Buying Consumer has the same privileges that has always been afforded to Sellers and can hire a Real Estate Professional to protect their interests when purchasing a home and it doesn’t cost the Buyer any money for
Read More

Our local Ottawa real estate board regularly publishes information about market conditions in and around the city. And while this information is useful, the data is based on statistics compiled from ALL home sales regardless of age, style, neighborhood or price point. As such, it may not necessarily reflect the conditions specific to YOUR home. When marketing your home for sale, it is critical that your sales representative identify market conditions specific to your home. Are you in a seller’s market, a balanced market, or a buyer’s market? Each of these market conditions demands a different marketing strategy to ensure
Read More

Today more than ever, consumers have choices when it comes to what commission rate they will pay when listing their home for sale.  From flat fees to full service fees, and many options in between, it seems that consumers are spoiled for choice.  But if you’re considering listing your home for sale, you simply must make sure that you clearly understand exactly what each level of service provides. What are you getting for the fee you’re paying? What level of service can you expect to receive? How much of the process will you be expected to perform? Will your agent
Read More

An Ideal Lifestyle for Some People Wanting Freedom and Forced Savings for Repairs and Replacement So you want to purchase a home but don’t want to spend your weekends mowing the lawn or shoveling snow.  Then condominium living may be just what you’re looking for! With a condominium, you own your individual unit in a multi-unit property, plus you share ownership of the land and other common elements with the other condominium unit owners.  Common elements typically include the hallways, elevators, parking lot, landscaped areas, swimming pool, games room, and the like. Condominium Fee Just remember that unlike freehold properties,
Read More

  In years past, when Canadians faced an array of higher interest rates, the majority of the home owner’s monthly mortgage payment at the beginning of the mortgage went to paying down the interest, leaving the principal relatively untouched. The following chart shows just how much the interest rate can impact monthly mortgage payments, the interest costs incurred over the term of a mortgage, as well as the outstanding balance at the end of the 5-year term. Example: Based on a $200,000 5-year open variable rate mortgage, amortized over 25 years   Interest Rate Monthly Payment Interest Costs for the
Read More

For parents faced with the prospect of their children attending a post secondary school in another community, city or province, and finding suitable living accommodations for their loved one can be somewhat daunting… and trying to find that perfect home away from home can sometimes be an impossibility. An alternative, when taking into consideration the cost of living in residence or renting a room that offers no return on your investment, is buying a home or condominium that your child can share with other room mates. The cost to carry the mortgage, taxes, maintenance, heat and hydro can mostly be
Read More