Monthly Archives April 2019

Selling Your Home Yourself May End Up Costing You

It may seem tempting, to try and save money on commission, to sell your home yourself but it’s important to consider all the factors. In a lot of cases, sellers who choose to go this route do not come out ahead so let’s look at why.   What are You Really Saving? Let’s use as an example a 5% commission of the sale price of your home that you may pay to a full service real estate company for their services. When you list your home for sale with a Real Estate Professional, what you may not know is that
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Getting Ready for a Move

As the end of April approaches, many people in Ottawa are preparing to move. Whether you bought or sold in the busy spring market, it’s time to start packing! Packing is often everyone’s least favourite task in the moving process but just remember, there is a light at the end of the tunnel; before you know it you will be in your new home! Here are some helpful hints to guide you as you prepare for closing day. Start Now! Even if your move is not for a few months, and it may seem difficult to start, the more you
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Buying in a Seller's Market

If you are thinking of selling, the current low inventory and rising prices in Ottawa may make right now seem like the perfect time but it may seem like a different story if you are looking to buy. Whether you are looking to buy your first home or looking to up or down size, it may seem like a very challenging time to purchase a home. Not to worry though, with some creativity and careful planning, there are ways to easily navigate this market with your Realtor®. Here are 5 helpful hints for buyers this spring: Work with a Realtor®
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Tidying Up: The Joy of Purging

Earlier this year, Netflix launched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, a wildly popular series based on Marie Kondo’s bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The series outlines, in a step by step guide, the Konmari method of cleaning and organizing and it has had everyone talking (and purging!) Second-hand stores have seen a surge of donations unlike they have ever experienced before and people are saying goodbye to many of their possessions with hopes of finding joy living in a more minimalist lifestyle. Whether you are preparing your home to list or just want to de-clutter, purging can
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OTTAWA REAL ESTATE HIGHLIGHTS: Higher Prices, Fewer Residential Sales

Tightness of listing supply is significantly reducing days on market,  properties are selling very quickly.   The latest statistics are out from the Ottawa Real Estate board!   here are the highlights… 1,511 residential properties were sold in March through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® System, compared with 1,654 in March 2018, a decrease of 8.6 per cent. 1,136 in the residential property class, a drop of 12.4 per cent from a year ago, and 375 in the condominium property class, an increase of 5 per cent from March 2018. The five-year average for March unit sales is 1,402. The average sale
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