Archives for Buyers

The Lowdown on Open House Etiquette for Home Buyers

The Lowdown on Open House Etiquette for Home Buyers

July 27, 2016 | Comments Off on The Lowdown on Open House Etiquette for Home Buyers

Open houses in Ottawa are an excellent opportunity for you to check out potential future homes. You do not need to have a real estate agent, nor is making an appointment necessary. You don’t even have to be an official home buyer. Instead, open houses can be a stress-free way for you to ease into buying a home. They may help you prioritize what you want, for example. That said, if you are new to open houses, you may be unsure how to act, so here are a few etiquette tips. Just Show Up You may feel odd attending open
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Buying Near Parks and Recreational Facilities

Buying Near Parks and Recreational Facilities

July 15, 2016 | Comments Off on Buying Near Parks and Recreational Facilities

Buying Near Parks and Recreation Facilities According to RealtorMag, twenty-three percent of recent buyers indicated that convenience to parks or recreational facilities influenced their choice of neighborhoods.  Proximity to parks and recreational facilities was the most important to recent buyers aged 34 and younger, and to those aged 35 to 49.  Here are some reasons to believe those numbers will rise. Public Health Concerns The alarming increase in obesity, especially among children, has focused attention on how important physical activity is to our overall wellbeing.  Governments at all levels are promoting the benefits of active living and we have become
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What Is a Smart Home?

What Is a Smart Home?

July 7, 2016 | Comments Off on What Is a Smart Home?

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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What’s In a Name?

What’s In a Name?

June 16, 2016 | Comments Off on What’s In a Name?

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? Is your Street Name Desirable to Home Buyers?

What’s In a Name? Is your Street Name Desirable to Home Buyers?

June 16, 2016 | Comments Off on What’s In a Name? Is your Street Name Desirable to Home Buyers?

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

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

June 10, 2016 | Comments Off on 4 Important Things to Know About the Difference Between a Realtor and Real Estate Agent

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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Regulating Home Inspectors in Ontario

Regulating Home Inspectors in Ontario

May 30, 2016 | Comments Off on Regulating Home Inspectors in Ontario

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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What Mortgage Strategy Is Best For Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers?

What Mortgage Strategy Is Best For Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers?

April 17, 2016 | Comments Off on What Mortgage Strategy Is Best For Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers?

When it comes time to purchase a new home, your mortgage strategy will likely depend on the stage of life you are in. Early-career home buyers (Millennials) have just entered the workforce so they usually have little cash and may be in debt. Gen X home buyers are busy trying to advance their careers, raise families and save for retirement. Baby boomers have often left the workforce, so they have less income and may already be spending their retirement savings.   Each of these life stages present unique challenges that call for a different mortgage strategy. Here are some tips to
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How Important Is Home Staging?

How Important Is Home Staging?

April 10, 2016 | Comments Off on How Important Is Home Staging?

Because the Internet has changed the way we buy and sell homes, most real estate professionals believe home staging is critical to selling success. Almost all home buyers begin their search online meaning sellers need to make a good first impression so potential buyers want to see their home in person. Hence, staging has taken the residential real estate industry by storm and many sellers are hiring professionals to help them make that first impression. National Association of Realtors (NAR) President Chris Polychron says “staging is an excellent tool that can be used to give a home a little extra
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Buying Old Versus New Properties – Pros and Cons

Buying Old Versus New Properties – Pros and Cons

April 3, 2016 | Comments Off on Buying Old Versus New Properties – Pros and Cons

When buying any commodity, new is often better than used. In the housing market, though, your best opportunity can come from an old home or, as in Ottawa, where the inventory of new homes is overstocked, you may be able to purchase a new home for the same price buyers paid years ago. Here are some advantages and risks of both options.   Advantages of Buying Old Properties   you can physically walk through and inspect the home similar listings have sold or are currently available to use for comparative market analysis when establishing price antique homes appeal to a
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