Posts Tagged ‘remax affiliates’

Let’s face it, 2022 has been nothing but rate increases and media panic about the housing market. Between the banks, the real estate industry, the government and the media it is hard to know where the truth lies.

2019 saw real estate markets take on double digit gains over the previous year. 2020 was no different in Ottawa with all the experts calling for a 9-12% gain over 2019. Then the pandemic hit and everything went haywire. Oddly, it didn’t all happen in a vacuum over the one thing. The lack of inventory that sparked the market rise was in process from 2018 forward. It was a perfect storm.

Builders stopped building “spec” homes and would only built as homes were bought. This habit began after 2008, so buying a new home began to take longer between signing papers and getting keys. Canada’s biggest population group since the baby boomers was also coming of age in terms of buying property. Immigration was at an all time high. The stressors on the market were already in place….the pandemic only served to speed up the process. For Ottawa in particular, here is what we witnessed.

1. The normal cycle of Sellers coming to market took a nosedive in 2020 – a deathly virus = “we aren’t moving”
2. Our military relocations also stalled, removing a significant secondary chunk of inventory.
3. As the pandemic forced people to work from home, companies decided their employees could work remotely creating mass exoduses from high priced markets like Toronto and Vancouver. It spread down the 401 and then up to Ottawa. Employees decided to move closer to family, or to affordable cities with good transit and schools. Lifestyle choices became paramount and goodness knows, a million dollars in Toronto’s market goes A LOT farther in Ottawa.

For a good 2 years Seller’s couldn’t believe what people were willing to pay for homes, banks were rocked on their heels by the new prices and had to review everything to make sure appraised values would meet market expectations and Buyers….the poor Buyers….were being hit with 5,10,20 competing offers and very little chance to do the due diligence that real estate requires.

For 730 days everyone we met would ask us about the market and our reply was – “do you have a crystal ball? Because mine is broken!”

There was no logic to anything, no consistency, nothing to rely on. Sales comparables were almost useless week to week, month to month….and then, just when we thought we had a bit of a handle on the style and stresses of that market, the interest rate hikes began.

Buyer’s threw their hands up and said “we need to wait” as their purchasing power changed with each announcement. Sellers that were banking on multiple offers were suddenly wondering where everyone went. It was a complete standoff…..

Everything about the housing market was in the news, from falling prices to general affordability to the horrifying tactics of the “bad apples” in real estate. There seems to be no positive or common sense information anywhere….so allow us our two cents worth;

The market is balancing. Yes, there is inventory, but still not enough. We still see multiple bids for homes of the highest caliber (location, condition, well priced) but that has almost always been so. Prices are falling, but they aren’t diving off a cliff. Buyer’s are waiting until they are SURE of what they can afford. Rest assured, they are still there (so says our list of 15-20 that are in the wings) and getting ready to enter then market again. And it’s HIGH TIME the Buyer’s could perform their due diligence with conditions for financing and inspection….bring on the scales and let’s get this market flowing nice and steady….

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Hey Everyone and welcome to our very first in a series we are producing around the career that we love… real estate.

This is going to be your source for some real straight talk – the real deal, real scenarios, myths and myth busting, the rules, the ethics, the process, the expectations – what should you really expect when you jump into the proverbial real estate waters?

It can feel like you are thrown into the deep end – no water wings – no floaty, no flutter boards, no paddle… just you – up the river and moving fast.

Jeff, Christine and I have been in this business 15, 22 and 19 years respectively – and we’ve decided its high time to get all of you in the loop.

We are always amazed when we hear people have had bad experiences, or come to us with the classic stereotype that we’re pushy used car salesmen, (noooo offense to all you folks that sell cars) and only in it for the money….

So, we thought we would take all our experiences, all our knowledge and start to break it down for you – to give you a baseline – What’s good, what’s bad, and what’s downright ugly.

That way – when you are jumping into this real estate pool – you ARE the lifeguard and the only shock you will get is if the water is freezing!!

Stay tuned – we will be releasing small bite sized pieces in formats of your choice – blog, podcast or video – for you every few weeks and you will be able to find them through any of the links below – our website, our Facebook page, our YouTube channel and our Google business page. To get them right away – head to our YouTube channel and subscribe –  and don’t forget to hit the bell to get notified right away when we post something!

Until then REST easy – we are going to have you covered!

Real Estate Straight Talk

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Another Miracle Home for Sale

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HIGH DEMAND AND LOW SUPPLY CONTINUED TO CHARACTERIZE VANCOUVER’S AND TORONTO’S HOUSING MARKETS THROUGHOUT 2016 AS COMPETITION FROM BUYERS FOR LIMITED INVENTORY OF SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES PUSHED PRICES HIGHER.

The average residential sale price increased 13 per cent in Greater Vancouver to approximately $1,020,300 and rose 17 per cent in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to an estimated $725,857. Although demand remains high in both urban centres, limited inventory in the freehold market, the new 15 per cent foreign-buyer tax in Vancouver and the recent tightening of mortgage rules by the federal government are expected to soften market activity in the short term. In 2017, RE/MAX estimates average residential sale price will increase by two and eight per cent in Greater Vancouver and the GTA respectively.

Regional markets in close proximity to Canada’s highest-price cities continued to experience steady interest from local move-up buyers and buyers from these cities (“move- over” buyers) who are looking to nd a balance between affordability and square footage. This year there were considerable year-over-year average price increases in Barrie (16 per cent), Hamilton-Burlington (20 per cent), the Fraser Valley (20 per cent) and Kelowna (14 per cent).

Click to Read the Full National Summary

The RE/MAX 2017 average residential sale price expectation for Canada is an increase of two per cent as Canadians continue to see home ownership as an important milestone as well as a good investment.

Download Full Report

Victoria

Greater Vancouver Area

Fraser Valley

Kelowna

Calgary

Edmonton

Saskatoon

Regina

Winnipeg

Windsor-Essex

Sudbury

Kitchener/Waterloo

Hamilton/Burlington

Barrie

Greater Toronto Area

Kingston

Ottawa

THE HOUSING MARKET IN CANADA’S CAPITAL REMAINED STABLE IN 2016 WITH MODEST INCREASES IN BOTH THE NUMBER OF SALES AND THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL SALE PRICE.

The average residential sale price grew one per cent year-over-year, from $367,632 to $370,940. The number of sales between January and October rose to 13,834 in 2016 compared to 12,964 during the same period in 2015.  For more information, please call the BGM Real Estate Team at 613-558-8000!

Read Ottawa’s Full Report

Montreal

Quebec City

Saint John

Halifax

Charlottetown

St. John’s and Area

(more…)

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There are many life situations that may lead you to consider selling your current home and downsizing into a smaller one: Kids leaving for university, cashing in on a retirement plan, or the pressure of property upkeep. Whichever reasons you’re facing, make sure you’ve really done your homework before making any decisions. Here’s a list of 10 helpful hints to kick-start that conversation.

1. Facing Finances

Take a long, hard look at your financial input and output—especially if you’re on a fixed retirement income. If your savings aren’t substantial enough to constitute a “nest egg,” then tucking away the profits from the property may be the way to go. Downsizing may come down to finances but you should be able to show the evidence, one way or the other.

2. Community Connections

The costs of moving can go well beyond dollar bills. Consider your emotional wealth before taking any critical steps. Ask yourself, “Will this downsize take me away—intentionally or unintentionally—from the family, community and friendship supports I depend on or do I need new support systems for my physical, spiritual, medical and emotional well being?” Downsizing isn’t always about size and cents, sometimes it’s critical for your well-being.

3. Real Estate Market

Is your area a buyer’s market or a seller’s market? What can you hope to make on the sale? Finding the right real-estate agent to answer these questions is key. Ask friends and family members who’ve gone through similar transitions for referrals, and try to gather evaluations from two or three REALTORS® to ensure you’re getting a clear picture of the market.

4. Independent Thinker

Potentially selling the family home brings up a lot of emotions for everyone involved. Kids don’t want to see their childhood home go and family members are hoping for a chunk of change; it’s imperative that you seek out independent, unbiased advice. A REALTOR® can give you market feedback on your situation without any personal baggage.

5. Home Maintenance

Look at the work it takes to keep your current home clean, your garden weeded and your lawn maintained. It is too much to handle, or will it be in a few years? It’s best to downsize before it becomes imperative, because by then, a move will be even more physically challenging and emotionally draining.

6. Lifestyle Limitations

Maybe you feel a great wave of excitement at the idea of living near the ocean, or maybe the idea of leaving behind your veggie garden is too much. Moving comes with gains and losses, and you have to be prepared to give up certain aspects of your current lifestyle and adapt to new ones.

7. Square Footage

Think through your floor plan and look at different ways that square footage can be used. Can the kids’ old bedroom become a long-awaited art studio? Would the basement work as a private theatre? If you conclude that extra room is more hassle than it’s worth, maybe downsizing to a cozier home is for you.

8. Property Payments

Yearly taxes and property insurance payments can take a chunk out of a modest budget. Would those expenses be less if you downsized and lived in a different neighbourhood, on a smaller plot or in a more compact house?

9. Be a Realist

Think carefully about the realities of aging. Remaining in a family home as you age often means adapting your home and relying on the help of others. These things can come at a cost, both financially and emotionally. It’s important that you discuss your plans with any family members or friends that might be affected by your decision to downsize, and ensure everyone is in agreement with your plans.

10. Don’t Rush

Luckily, you already have a place to live, so take your time and assess all the angles before making such a profound decision. When you are ready to start looking, don’t rush into anything. Sit with your REALTOR® and write down criteria for must haves in your new place. When the time is right, you’ll know.

For more information, or just to chat, contact us anytime at 613-558-8000, or visit our website at www.myottawateam.com

(courtesy of RE/MAX Integra)

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Despite the fact that one of the hottest times of year for real estate appears when the spring flowers start blooming, that doesn’t mean the market is completely cool for the rest of the year for any buyer or seller. In fact, we are heading into a very popular time of year for prospective buyers and sellers across Canada. As some prepare for summer to come to an end, and others are busy with the back to school season, some Canadians are doing their research to find out what to expect as a buyer this fall.

With the shorter days and cooler weather beginning to make an appearance, it is very clear that fall is on the way, and if you are one of the many entering the real estate market, you may be wondering what to expect. Fortunately, we have compiled the top things you need to consider as you begin your search for the perfect place to call home.

Location, Location, Location & Weather: We all know it is all about location when it comes to finding your dream home, but before you find the right location, you need to consider the weather. Planning your search too late into the season may mean you are battling Mother Nature so the earlier you begin your search, the better.

Timing is Key: Although your busy summer is winding down, you certainly aren’t working with a clear schedule. Between back to school and the holiday season, finding the perfect time to begin your search is imperative to your overall success and is something you should expect as a buyer this fall.

Decision Time: Although there isn’t as much inventory as you would typically find in the spring, there are still many home to choose one which is why narrowing down your options can be challenging. Using these tips and our House Hunting Comparison Checklist will help when it comes time to make your decision.

The Price is Right: As we get closer and closer to the holidays, you may begin to worry you are running out of time. With the added pressure, you may be tempted to make a decision by increasing your budget, but that will come back and haunt you in the long run. Make sure you plan your budget early in the buying process with help from our Monthly Home Budget Planner.

Make the Move: If you got a head start on the fall selling season and are ready to make your move, we have just the thing you need as a Buyer. Getting home and organized before the holidays is your main goal, and this moving checklist will help you do just that as quickly and efficiently as possible.

As we begin to see the leaves fall off the trees and the familiar sights and sounds of this beautiful season, these tips will be exactly what you as a Buyer need to find a new house to call home this fall.

For more information about buying and selling homes – be sure to click through our website – www.myottawateam.com. You can also click the social media links to visit our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

(Copyright © 2015 RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc. All rights reserved)

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It’s that F-word season again…FALL!

Fall colours

Air conditioners are turned off, gardens are put to bed, leaves turn into colours that become so vibrant you have to stop and stare. Mornings and evenings are filled with smells that are unique to fall…a mix of earth, water and summer campfires smoldering to their winters end. Sometimes we are more like bears than we think…dreams of warm sweaters and comfortable flannel bring small smiles and feelings of hibernation…and maybe hot chocolate!

BUT WAIT! 

Before Fall becomes winter

If you are anticipating a move, a relocation or a posting this coming 2017 APS, head on out to your front and back yards over the next week before fall officially begins and take some pictures of your green lawn, that pool you used all summer, the trees full of leaves, the flowers and gardens you spent hours tending to on your knees.

You will thank yourself, and we will thank you too, when you list your house in the winter or spring when the pool is still covered, frozen or green, your grass is brown or snow covered, trees are bare… you get the picture!

Grab those fall shots before its too late

Your summer and fall photos of the front and back of your yard will help to effectively market your home no matter how much snow is in the forecast! When we list your home in the “off” season it helps if we can show any prospective buyers how amazing your home looks in the spring and summer. It is particularly helpful in the dead of winter when buyers can’t even see the topography of your lot.

This is your mission, should you choose to accept it. 🙂 Have fun and don’t forget to call us at 613-558-8000, email us at info@myottawateam.com, visit our website www.myottawateam.com if you are considering a move in 2017!

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Here we are – a full 180+ days into the 2016 Ottawa Real Estate market and we here at BGM Real Estate Team have noticed both positive and negative aspects to our local Ottawa Market. As many of you have undoubtedly heard time and time again, markets are cyclical. They rise and fall based on supply and demand, interest rates and the global economic happenings in general, helped AND hindered in spots by government regulation.

So where is our market cycle right now? Are we up? (Sellers market) or down? (Buyers market) If you read the papers it would appear the market has gone completely mad with every home getting an incredible number of offers, driving prices ever higher. While this may certainly be the case for Vancouver and Toronto, it is most certainly not the case here in the Capital.

The Ottawa Real Estate Market is Balanced

We have a very balanced market at the moment, with a few areas of exception. But let’s divide that up into a few sections so we can discuss the various pieces that make up the Ottawa Market. Let’s talk about Mortgage money, geography and expectations. You will find the last item, in fact, to be the most integral to understanding Ottawa’s market.

The cost of borrowing money in order to buy property has never been so low. With slow US economic growth, weak Canadian exports, low oil prices and consumer spending, our interest rates remain attractive. As Stephen S. Poloz, Governor of the Bank of Canada has put it “For the past 18 months, the biggest issue for our forecast has been tracking how the Canadian economy is adjusting to low resource prices. In the first instance, this has meant a big drop in investment spending, especially in the oil patch. It has also meant a lower value for the Canadian dollar and two interest rate cuts during 2015.”

Historically low rates have allowed Buyers into property ownership in record numbers. Even with safeguards in place (every borrower must qualify for a 5% rate, 5 year fixed term amortized over 25 years) the demand for property is quite high. This is a definite positive for the Ottawa market and we have certainly met with an abundance of qualified buyers so far this year.

So we have one in the positive column – lots of Buyers out there looking for their first or next home. Now where are they looking? The good news is there are enough Buyers out there that all neighbourhoods are getting traction in the market. But there is certainly a lean towards the centre and west ends of the city. Given that Ottawa is a very transient town, cycling heavily through government relocations, private industry changes, new immigrant growth, as well as the normal ebbs and flows we see in real estate, the Buyers are very attentive to the fact they will at some point in their 3-5 year plan be a Seller. Therefore, they are attuned to the growth patterns in the city. With calls for sustainable building and reducing the carbon footprint the desire to live downtown in high.

In addition, the Canadian Forces are opening an enormous Campus in the west end, the RCMP already moved into their campus in the south-west of the city, Outlet shopping, sports venues and all that would appeal to folks on a day-to-day basis cropping up at incredible speed in the centre and west – those markets tend to be faster, and more expensive and have been for the last 3-5 years.

Does that mean the rest of the City is in a slump? Not at all. Buyers are shopping for the best fit – proximity to their employment, schools, activities and friends and family – so we have been shopping with them in all areas of the city.

But what is it we mean by faster or slower? Are the prices higher overall? Every area, indeed every neighbourhood, has its own market, its own flavour. We hope that this is one of the reasons you hire us – as expert guides to the investment values and personalities of those neighbourhoods. When breaking down the market into the various neighbourhoods, some are certainly hot, but as a whole the Ottawa market is nicely balanced, allowing Buyers choice in their investment.

Ottawa Market increase over time is very positive but not outrageous

The city has seen growth every single year in the residential class. Condominiums are having a rougher time, especially in the downtown area…but we think perhaps another article should explore this in greater detail.

For Sellers a balanced market can be a bit more of a trial, especially given the years from 2000-2013 were completely in their favour. Everything sold, in any condition for more than a decade! That is a difficult perception to turn around. Geographically, Sellers in many neighbourhoods are waiting longer to sell their homes. The timeframe in 2016 seems to be sitting between 60-90 days. By no means is it a tragically long time. When we became REALTORS® in the late 1990’s the market timeframe was up to a year to sell, with list to sell ratios sitting at about 90% of asking. (Folks were negotiating anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 off the asking price.) So on the geographic point we have both positive and negative. Positive for the buyers as there is more supply, negative for the Sellers for the very same reason.

Now we come to what we think is the most important point of this Ottawa market – Expectations. Perhaps some of what we have learned will help you – whether you are a Buyer, or a Seller.

Housing Expectations vs. Reality

Let’s start with what we have seen in Sellers expectations. They have diligently watched the news, seeing reports of rising housing prices, low interest rates and competition amongst buyers for a decent home. They have also loved their homes and have deep emotional attachments (for the most part) to the place where their memories have been made. It is hard for any Seller (us included) to detach from their home and put it in the framework of a “market” of homes and how they stack up against others on their street, in the their neighbourhood and in their general area. As professional REALTORS® we are the messengers of market reality – good and bad. In a balanced market, we tend to have difficult, yet honest discussions with our Sellers about how their home presents itself to today’s Buyers. It is a testament to our passion for our clients that we bring you not only the good news, but the bad. We navigate the experience together – from pricing, to home improvements, staging, marketing, feedback….good, professional REALTORS® are there for every step. If we have one comment for our Sellers, it is that our expertise stops short of a Crystal Ball. We have no supernatural powers when it comes to the market. The day we say we have seen it all is the day we should walk away. We give you the very best we have and hope the sale doesn’t take too long.

The other part of the expectation equation are the Buyers – what do they expect? We often laugh with our first time buyers that they need to stop watching HGTV immediately upon deciding to find a home. They have been conditioned to expect the last 5 minutes of any real estate related show in every home they see OR they see a problem around every corner. Homes are imperfect things – they are made with wood, bricks, drywall, vinyl. Things that can expand, contract, break, wear down. Homes are exposed to water, wind, and sun. They sit on rocks, and sand, and clay. Each house will have a personality that reflects its owner – we see it in their choices for flooring, paint, counter top and landscaping.

We understand that today’s buyers have even less time to dedicate to a home’s overall maintenance – the very nature of employment has changed. Work commands a staggering amount of time in people’s lives, so their priorities have changed as well – seeking more balance. We try to meet those expectations, as well as educate Buyers on the nuances the TV programmes leave behind. Things like – Not every house has a problem, educating between big problems and small ones, how cosmetics of a home can change for very little, and just because it is a bit dated does not mean it doesn’t work.

It is in the analysis of the expectations of both Sellers and Buyers that we can determine the type of market Ottawa is having. When we have to help manage the expectations of BOTH sides – well, that truly is the sign of a balanced market.

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