Posts by curiousprojects

Ottawa Real Estate News | June 2016 sets record for the highest number of sales ever

July 11, 2016 | Comments Off

WOW what a month in Ottawa Real Estate! Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,985 residential properties in June 2016 through the Multiple Listing Service® setting a record for the highest sales in any month ever in the history of the Ottawa Real Estate Board. While average price dropped slightly in both residential (slight decrease of 1.3% over June 2015) and condominiums (slight decrease of 2.4% over June 2015) the market in Ottawa remains sure and steady. While these statistics are useful in establishing market trends they should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or
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What Is a Smart Home?

July 7, 2016 | Comments Off

If you can turn the lights in your home on and off from your cell phone, you have the beginnings of a smart home. Smart home technology is now available that allows you to remotely control a variety of electrical appliances and components in your home, even when you’re not there. The purpose is to let you make your home more comfortable, secure and energy efficient. While smart home technology is still in its infancy, there are already many ways you can make your home smarter. Here are just a few examples: Smart Thermostats Programmable thermostats have been around for
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8 Tips to help Prevent Break-ins Without Breaking the Bank

June 28, 2016 | Comments Off

Home Owners: Tips to Prevent Break-ins A recently published story by CBC June 28th, 2016 warned Ottawa residents that the number of residential break-ins has almost doubled in the first half of 2016 as compared to the first half of 2015. While Ottawa is considered a safe city, it’s always a good idea to be vigilant about home security. Here are a few quick tips that won’t break the bank. • Get to know your neighbours. Areas with a tight knit community tend to have a much lower number of break-ins. Suddenly that nosy neighbour might be good thing!
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What’s In a Name? Is your Street Name Desirable to Home Buyers?

June 16, 2016 | Comments Off

When you’re shopping for a new home, there’s a good chance you’ve got a long list of considerations that you will factor into your decision-making process: size, neighborhood, condition, etc. But have you ever considered a home’s street name to be a factor when you’re deciding whether or not you want to buy? It might surprise you, but for many home buyers the name of a house’s street can determine whether that house is desirable – or not – making addresses not just random labels for a property, but influential factors that could make or break a sale. The Origin of
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What’s In a Name?

June 16, 2016 | Comments Off

4 Important Things to Know About the Difference Between a Realtor and Real Estate Agent

June 10, 2016 | Comments Off

Happy young man and woman consulting plans digital PC real estate apartment So, you want to buy (or sell) a house in Ottawa or beyond. What’s the first thing you do? If you’re like most people, you go find a real estate professional to help. While the whole process sounds pretty simple (hire a representative you like and trust!) there’s actually one extra decision you’ll need to make before you proceed — and that is whether you want to hire a Realtor, or a real estate agent. You might be thinking, “But those two things are the same!” If so,
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Ottawa Real Estate Market Snapshot May 2016

June 7, 2016 | Comments Off

What neighbourhood are you interested in? This is a snapshot of the Ottawa Real Estate market based on statistics provided by the Ottawa Real Estate Board. If you are interested in finding out about neighbourhood trends please contact us . We’d love to help. What happened in Ottawa Real Estate in May 2016? Here’s the Market Snapshot! From the Ottawa Real Estate Board released Monday June 6th, 2016 Sales stay consistently hot through May heat wave. Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,921 residential properties in May through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system, compared with similar sales of 1,926
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Regulating Home Inspectors in Ontario

May 30, 2016 | Comments Off

The Ontario government has announced plans to begin regulating home inspectors, requiring potential inspectors to pass a written exam and field test in order to qualify for a license. In doing this Ontario will be following in the footsteps of British Columbia and Alberta, the only provinces in Canada that have home inspector regulations in place. The hope is that these measures will prevent stories like Alyssa Hanson’s, whose inspector missed water leaking into the basement that led to a $12,000 repair bill according to a recent article in the Globe and Mail The big question about these changes, however,
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Home for Sale: A Guide for Your Next Housing Journey

May 16, 2016 | Comments Off

Once a For Sale sign goes up, it’s official! You’re ready to begin your new journey! Or are you? It’s normal to experience some raw emotions as you embark on selling your beloved home. Follow these simple steps to help you take memories from one home to another. Create a Memory Box There’s no need to wait until your house is sold to start packing, especially when it comes to the sentimental items. Locate a sturdy box or storage container, mark the box as “Memories” and start gathering! Event/Occasion Items: These items may be related to a favorite vacation, a
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Second-best April on record for Ottawa Real Estate!

May 6, 2016 | Comments Off

April was a busy month in Ottawa Real Estate…see the most recent market highlights below -information provided by the Ottawa Real Estate Board Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,714 residential properties in April through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system, compared with 1,567 in April 2015, an increase of 9.4 per cent. The five-year average for April sales is 1,568. “The Ottawa resale market continued its steady pace upwards in April, making it the best April for unit sales on record since 2010,” says Shane Silva, President of the Ottawa Real Estate Board. “Units sold are up
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Eric Ritterrath