Posts by teamrealty

Spring Cleaning 101: Tips On Getting Your Home Ready For Sale

Spring Cleaning 101: Tips On Getting Your Home Ready For Sale Contrary to years prior, 2018 has presented us with a rather mild, wet March. As such, we’ve barely approached the standard season for “April showers” and have already received enough rain and wet weather to rid most of the snow! The month, however is still young; and, as unpredictable as Mother Nature can be when it comes to delivering cold weather and long winters, we think it’s safe to assume that Jack frost might just bite a time or two more. This said, if you’re in the market to
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Wanted: Ottawa Homes for Sale

Wanted: Ottawa Homes For Sale When the calendar rolled over into 2018 many real estate experts across Canada were speculating the housing market to “cool off” with  tighter mortgage rules and higher interest rates impacting home buyers.  While that may be the case in other real estate markets,  in the Ottawa Real Estate market the biggest factor in February’s 2.8% drop in the number of sales (year over year), is that listing inventory is scarce. “There is no doubt our sales number would have been much higher if we had more properties available for sale.  Buyer demand is there, but our
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New Mortgage Rules – Renewing and Refinancing

New Mortgage Rules – Renewing and Refinancing January 1st, 2018 Canada’s new mortgage rules came into effect and it was big news. These new rules appear to have the greatest impact on those looking to qualify for a new mortgage but if you are looking to renew or refinance your mortgage, you may be impacted as well. At the centre of the new rules is a stress test requiring applicants to qualify at a rate at least 2% higher than the rate they will be paying, regardless of the down payment they are making on the home. The new rules
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Millennials in the Market

MILLENNIALS: CHANGING MARKET EXPECTATIONS & TREND REALITIES When it comes to the future in real estate, all eyes fall to the millennials, who are just beginning to be seen on today’s markets. With the millennial generation however, we are seeing a shift in the previous real estate trends from purchasing a primary residence, to investing in vacation property. What is it about the millennial generation today that has us seeing such a change in the markets? The millennial generation is the first generation to be in our technology-based society as adults, and to have grown up with both eras. Alongside
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Ottawa Real Estate Market Update : Low Inventory Continues Into 2018

The Ottawa Real Estate board’s recently released statistics show that home buyers are still actively searching for properties.   Sales were up over 7% (year over year) in spite of the low inventory, which is a trend that is continuing from 2017.  January 2018 listings 994 (RES) and 406 (CONDO) compared with the 5 year 1,396 for residential and 500 for condominiums.   If the decrease in supply in both the residential and condo markets continues into the Spring,  it may put an upward pressure on prices.  If you are thinking of selling this is a great time to get your home on the market.
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SPRING into ACTION: Sellers

SELLERS Now’s the time to spring into action if you’re a prospective home seller. Getting your home prepared for the spring market now, will help you move quickly and efficiently  when the time comes to list. Spring is the optimum time to sell a home, as the largest numbers of buyers are actively searching for a new home during the months of April, May, and June. If you’re looking for tips, tricks, and ideas to get your home market ready, then you’ve come to the right place! Purge & Pack: What better way to clear out the winter blues, than
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SPRING into ACTION: Buyers

BUYERS Spring hasn’t begun to crack through the winter thaw, but that doesn’t mean there’s time to wait if you’re planning on purchasing a home this spring. Be prepared for the Spring Market, and ensure your home buying experience is a great one by organizing your paper work, mortgages, ideal houses, and pricing ahead of time. Spring into this home-buying season ready to buy, so that house you’ve been dreaming of, doesn’t land in the hands of another buyer. Credit Check A credit score is a numerical representation of your credit report, and having good credit is like gold when
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Moving to Ottawa? The Real Question is "Why Not?"

There’s no doubt about it, Ottawa has topped the list of real estate markets to watch in 2018. With it’s ever growing communities, and variety of opportunities for all ages, Ottawa ranks among the world’s most desirable cities to call home. With is diverse neighbourhoods, excellent education system, distinct seasons, and constant opportunities for entertainment, Ottawa gives individuals lots of reasons why they should move here. The real question is: Why not move to Ottawa? The National Capital city is very clean and green, offering unparalleled health services, economic securities and affordable housing options. In a study released by Statistics
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An Era of Change: 2018

An Era of Change: 2018  Canadian real estate is in an era of change.  2017 closed with a bang, as we saw some of the largest increases in real estate prices in nearly a decade. The curiosity now turns to 2018, and what can we expect to see in Ottawa, and across Canada. Ottawa is climbing the list as a hot spot for home buyers this year, joining popular cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.  Ottawa may hold an even higher interest for buyers, where real estate prices are significantly lower than areas such as Toronto and Vancouver. The pool of potential home
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A Strong Finish for Ottawa’s Real Estate Market in 2017

2017 was quite a year in the Ottawa Real Estate market; record breaking numbers in units sold (condominium sales up over 22%) and double digit (percentage) increases in average sale price in several neighbourhoods, Canada 150 (or should we say Ottawa 150?!) was anything but average! Below we’ve included the latest news release from the Ottawa Real Estate Board.   Please note: average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of
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