Yesterday, the neighbour had the heating fuel company come to top up her tank.  When you live in a high density area, the only place for the truck to stop is right in the road.  This made for an interesting traffic pattern while the hose was connected to the house.  The delivery guys must have all kinds of experience in finding spots to park and to fuel up the homeowners' tanks.  I was also impressed with how fat they were.  02/10/2011

Historically speaking, homes in Ottawa have doubled in value every 7-15 years depending on the type of property, timing and location.  Visit our website www.MyOttawaRealEstate.com   Resource page for the facts.  If you don't already a Homeowner, it is your right, priviledge and obligation to make every effort to persue the Canadian dream at the first opportunity which often means an early age.  No other investment vehicle has been known to build wealth and leverage your tax free resources like owning your own property and a place to call home.  Your retirement and lifestyle plans depend on the action you take today. 02/09/2011

This is a story about House Seller Mark. After a full week of work, Agent Valerie finally had an afternoon to spend at her desk doing paperwork and research for her real estate blog.  She had not heard from Home Seller Mark and had decided not to call him.  Some investigating was necessary.   Could a grow op go undetected?  Did the police really raid the house?  With a few minutes available, she first went to the City's Grow Op registry. Unfortunately, only current convictions were listed and the site did not go back four years.  Valerie called the police, was transferred to the drug enforcement section and identified herself as a real estate person in the throes of possibly listing the house.  The woman who answered the call said that there had been a conviction from the address four y... 02/08/2011

There are some years when staying home and having a cozy dinner and a movie is the perfect answer to wooing your loved one.  Then there are years when you want to get out and enjoy the creative talents of some of the city's leading chefs and restaurants.  This year, we are going out!!!!  On February 14 we will be dining at Absinthe, a wonderful restaurant only a block from the Royal LePage office.  We love this place for its amazing service and the creative menus.  Here is a photo from the Absinthe website and the proposed Valentine's Day menu...... Valentines Menu - Menu de Saint-Valentin     Reservations For Valentines Day are for Two Hour Seatings. There is a set menu on Valentines Day, and the regular menu will not be available. First Course ~ Premier Service Lobster ~ Homard   Lobs... 02/07/2011

When last we talked about Mark, he was unable to sell his home for his high asking price and by trying to do it himself.   He had asked Agent Valerie to come back and talk about what may be limiting the sale.  As we heard, he listed too high, the house was on the market too long and Mark had thought that all the good houses would eventually sell so that his would start looking good.  Agent Valerie left Seller Mark with some things to think about as she headed out for another appointment. After leaving the house, Valerie noted that the next door neighbour was sitting on his stoop and seemed to be waiting to talk to her.  She went over and introduced herself.  It turned out that Mr. P.T. Barney and his dog Bailey had lived next door to Mark's house for several decades.  P.T. told Valerie ... 02/06/2011

This is a story of House Seller Mark. Once upon a time a fellow decided to sell his home.  His name was Seller Mark.  He wanted a maximum price for his home because he had his eye on a newer bigger more expensive home in the best neighbourhood in town.  Seller Mark was torn between getting a real estate agent and listing the home on his own.  He interviewed a number of agents.  They all gave him an idea that his home should be listed for no more than $400,000.  But Mark wanted more.  With each agent, Mark said that he wanted a discount on their commission plus he had decided to sell his home for $480,000.  Most agents debated the price, knowing that it would be difficult to sell Mark's home for that much money.  Some agents agreed to reduce their commission, if Mark agreed to buy his n... 02/05/2011

Freud aside, the right price for your home is not what your emotional investment is in the house.  Yes, you love the house and put a high value on all the very personal time and attention you put into the house and yard, how this reflects on you as a person and what status the house gives you in the community, but.... Your ego investment in the house may far outstrip the market value.  Some examples where ego gets in the way of setting a market price may be: 1.  The rocks that you hauled in from the lake and set up as a rock garden - your rocks from your beloved cottage.  For the buyer - just a rock garden - no emotional attachment.  2.  The baby's roomwith special murals, lettering on the wall, and the baby's name on the door.  The graphic zebra is adorable and great work.  For the bu... 02/04/2011

The is the story of the CLEAN DISHWASHER and DIRTY OVEN  As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to notice repeatedly.  Clean Dishwasher.  On a weekend buying trip, a buyer and I saw nine homes.  In every home we opened the built-in dishwasher.  In almost all cases there were dishes in the dishwasher.  That was not a problem.  You expect to dishes in a dishwasher.  What we did notice was that a number of people had kept the dishwasher door clean all around the inside edges. The inside and outside were well maintained.  To us, this was an indication of people who cared about cleanliness and was seen as an indicator of good housekeeping and maintenance around the rest of the home. Now we get to the Dirty Oven.  In this day o... 02/03/2011

  You will be getting a packet of documents ready when selling your home.  Buyers want to see proof of purchases, maintenance, any warranties, and instruction manuals fo appliances.  You know that you will need to find any information from when you purchased the house, a copy of the home inspection done at that time and a copy of the survey if one is available.  This takes time and, if you are like most people, a some time will be spent looking through all kinds of papers.  While you are doing this, dont't forget to search for all the other paperwork: your water test and cleaning the septic tank, the chimney sweep, the vents cleaned, the annual furnace inspection, the purchase of appliances (with their instructions and warranties) any contracts you have for snow clearning, gardening, re... 02/02/2011

There is no sunshine today as we are living through a snowstorm.  Right now, I see people out with snow shovels and the streets are being plowed.  Well, it is winter and this can be expected.  However, a little bit of sunshine yellow will go a long way to cheer me up.  This is a flower photo I took last September on a beautiful sunny afternoon.  02/02/2011

I recently worked with a client who was torn between buying or renting. We had a long talk and I set out the following Pros And Cons to the question of renting. 1.  Rent is Something for Something:  I wonder when I hear people say that they gave all their money to the landlord for nothing.  What?  Did they live on the street?  No, of course not.  They got shelter for their rent money.  2.  No Equity Build-up:  What Renters are really saying is that, after paying for their shelter, there was no equity built into the payments.  In some ways it is like leasing a car.  You can use it during the lease but are unlikely to own it after the lease expires. Given the current declining market in some areas, renting would have left more money in the renter's pocket than buying.  This is rarely the... 02/01/2011

You are looking at a wonderful home.  There is concert music being sent everywhere in the house.  How wonderful that the owners have wired the home for sound in every room.  Wait a minute.  Is that music disguising something?  Make sure that you do a bit of research before putting in an offer.  Is the home located close to the airport?  How about the commuter train lines?  Can you hear the 417 from the living room?  Guess what will happen in the spring when you want to sleep with the windows open.  Won't be done. Is there a school yard close by when recess will interrupt your afternoon nap time? How about the future development of the acres of farmyard behind the house? The river property may not be so tranquil if every day in the summer people are whizzing by in their motorboats. Is t... 01/30/2011

THE SMELL OF PAINT AND VERATHANE Buyers and I were visiting a number of homes one afternoon last spring.  One home was empty and we were able to get in with very little advanced notice.  Well!!!  After the owner moved out, he or she painted the walls and refinished the floors.  This could have been a good thing but....  We were unable to stay in the home for more than 5 minutes because the fumes were overpowering.  First the smell was really strong and then our eyes starting watering.  We left lickety split.  I called the listing agent to let him know the condition of the house and suggest he ask the owners to leave a window open.  He said that he thought all of the fumes would have dissipated by the time of the visit.  Not so bucko.   I have no idea how long ago the paint and varathan... 01/29/2011

All neighbourhoods can be locations for homes turned into Grow Ops and drug distribution.  To maintain the value of your current home (for now and future sale) and to make your area safe, it is important to know some of the signs and to phone the authorities if you have concerns.  Closing your eyes to these problems will not make them go away - in fact, you are assisting the perpetrators. What should you notice?  For drug distribution: Look for a number of cars arriving at the house, staying for short periods of time, and then leaving. Maybe there is a lot of foot traffic going in and out of the house.  Look for people who park a block away and walk to the house.  Everyone has visitors but is there an unusually high number and people who do not look like they are just dropping in for c... 01/29/2011

Look at current decorating magazines and you will see that the days of a filled cabinet of crystal glasses and serving plates is over.  Decorating has gone a little more minimalist, with displays of a few good things not a whole jammed armoir.  When Buyers are looking at a living and dining room, they often stop to inspect a home owner's collection of china, framed family photos and all those little collections that are housed in the dining room china cabinet. If you can, empty and remove the top piece of furniture on the cabinet, leaving only the serving/side cabinet, tables and chairs in the dining room with only a vase of flowers and two candles for decoration.  Have Buyers appreciate your room(s) and not your collections. Like bunnies, ornaments breed inside a hutch and overpopulat... 01/27/2011

How do REALTORS® and people selling privately determine the price of a property?  The key element is to research the market and find comparable properties.  Making comparisons is a blend of good research and market knowledge.  Some basic guidelines to finding comparable homes (both sold and currently for sale) are: The closer in physical proximity to your home, the more comparable.  Houses in Vancouver are unlikely to make good comparisons to similar homes in Ottawa.  Some out of town Buyers are amazed at the market differences.  There really aren't comparisons that can be legitimately made across the country or across the city.  Remember the adage:  Location, location, location. The closer in date to today for a sale or another listing, the more realistic the market indicator.  The ab... 01/26/2011

Every buyer, looking at homes for sale, opens the closet doors.  Sometimes I wondered if home sellers understand that this will be done.  Not long ago, I was with my Buyer in a newer home.  When we opened the bedroom closet doors, there was the woman of the house's bras hanging on a hook.  Okay, maybe we are all getting used to seeing other people's underwear but....  I mean, if you are going to expose your bras,  leave those really expensive lacy ones out for the men and women buyers to see.  Just kidding.  Do sellers know how curious buyers are?  While we quickly shut the door and had a little laugh, I am not so sure that everyone else would have found it funny.  I know it felt like we were invading the owner's privacy.  While your house is for sale, you might want to put away your u... 01/25/2011

You are looking for a home in Ottawa.  You look on the MLS®.   You visit Open Houses and you check the sites for people who sell their homes on their own.  Among the options are The For Sale By Owner (FSBO) homes.  You are want to know more about these homes: Pros: Maybe the Seller doesn't know current market values and the house is cheap. Maybe the Seller has priced the home low because they will not have to pay real estate commission. Maybe the Seller is not a savvy negotiator and you can use your skills to low-ball an agreement. Maybe the Seller has a lot of home selling experience, knows values, has a good lawyer to do the contracts, has time to show and sell the house and will be fair about negotiations.    Cons:   You think the Seller will be passing the real estate commission sa... 01/24/2011

We are getting toward spring when, historically, the real estate market picks up.  Buyers and Sellers shake of the winter doldrums and decide to make a move.  If the market in Ottawa is going to repeat what happened last year then there will be a rush on sales.  Many houses could be  on the market for as short a time period as a few hours to a few days.  Sellers and their agents will, when possible, set up the sale to include bidding wars.  Buyers, afraid to never find a house, will be entering this market with some anxiety.  In a bidding war there are a few ways in increase your chances of getting the house: Only include those conditions that are absolutely essential.  Try to get a home inspection done before putting in the offer.  You may have to spend $300 just to increase your chan... 01/23/2011

Almost every house that I have taken Buyers to see has had some type of lighting fixture in the diningroom.  Every Buyer has inspected the light fixture to determine how much they love it.  Knowing this, if your client is putting her house on the market,  there are three reasons for upgrading and/or changing the dining room light fixture.  1.  The Seller tells you that she has a sentimental attachment to the current fixture and will be taking it with her to the new house.  Tell her to take it down before the house goes on the market and replace is with something suitable in both price and style for the house.  A really cheap fixture can be a deterent if the house will be listed at $300,000 or higher. 2.  The current fixture is old, dated and unsuitable for current design.  Old isn't ba... 01/22/2011