Posts Tagged ‘Stittsville’

4 bedroom executive home in desirable Kanata Lakes on golf course!

 Ottawa, Ontario

4 Beds 2.5 Baths 60' X 114' Sq. Ft.

Ready to practice your short game? 4 bedroom executive home in tip top condition with main floor den backing on the 12th hole green of Kanata Lakes Golf Course. Beautiful quiet location. Roof 2007, windows 2013, furnace and A/C 2008. Freshly painted main and second floors. Back deck refurbished in 2018. This southeast facing home al...

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R.E.S.T. Series – Early Birds, Worms and Real Estate

Hey Everyone and welcome to our series where we talk about the career that we love… real estate.

What does R.E.S.T. stand for? real estate straight talk – where we give you the heads up, the real deal, real scenarios, myths and myth busting, the rules, the ethics, the process, the expectations – what you really need to know. Let’s dive in to today’s episode.

WHEN SHOULD YOU FIRST GET IN TOUCH?

We’ve run into more than a few occasions when clients will call us and say “Hey! We’re ready to list our house – can you have it on the market tomorrow/ in a couple of days?”

We could certainly make it happen, and we have, but there are a few KEY points we want to make about when to actually get in touch with a REALTOR® in order to put your home on the market – it’s often the difference between more money in your pocket and a faster sale! – Yep, you heard it right….getting in touch last minute can affect your bottom line.

RENOVATIONS

Before you even THINK about picking up that hammer…or calling a contractor that will…give your REALTOR® a call. Ultimately you are going to do what you want, but there are renovations that will bring you a return on the investment, and some that won’t. The basic rule of thumb for a renovation is that you “should” get a 40-50% return on the initial investment. Things like kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and lighting often get the highest return, followed by landscaping and additions. But the maximum return is often only offered when the renovation is functional appealing, and timeless.

We can’t tell you how many times we have been in trendy kitchens that one year got a 70% return on investment and only 20% the next because it was now out of style. Having been in thousands of homes, and seen thousands of renovations – a good REALTOR® can at least give you suggestions on the resale/investment value of what you are thinking.

Because you did hefty renovations may lead you to believe that you can get all your money back – so getting in touch with your REALTOR® before your reno, and well before you sell will help you understand the roll and price value your renovations will have on the market in your city…you don’t want your REALTOR® surprising you WHEN you are ready to go on the market – and we don’t like giving you that surprise!!

IMPROVEMENTS

Improvements to your home is kind of a sub-category to renovations. It can include flooring, light fixtures, a new roof, new windows, added insulation in the attic. Improvements follow the same rule as renovations, but with a slightly lower ROI. What is critical to know here is that Buyers won’t necessarily pay a higher dollar for a new roof, or improved attic insulation – it is just an improvement that makes them feel more solid in their purchase, knowing you as the owner has taken care of the home. Improvements usually have more weight in the time it will take to sell your home. Confident buyers tend to move more quickly on homes they feel have been well taken care of.

The other side to improvements is this – the nanosecond you are thinking of selling your home – get in touch with your chosen REALTOR® so you can have a discussion on improvements you have already made, or improvements that you SHOULD make in order to get top dollar for your home. Sometimes something as simple as a fresh coat of paint that would cost you your time and a few cans of paint ($500) can get you an extra $5,000!!

A professional REALTOR® will be honest and forthright with their list of items that would be best to tackle before going on the market – and will outline the cost differential of doing it or not doing it when you sell.

STAGING

Calling a professional REALTOR® early has other added bonuses. We know how a house should look for showings. We normally meet with you 3 or 4 times before we even decide on a time for the sale. We help you prepare lists of things to do, what to put away, what to keep out, paint colours, furniture placement etc. All this prep work usually makes for a much faster sale, closer to asking price as we help you keep the Buyers focus on the house and not the items in it.

YOUR PRIORITIES

Another reason to be an early bird with your REALTOR® – you have reasons for moving. Whether it is time to move to a bigger house, a smaller house, out of town, downsizing you will have priorities about your sale – when you want your closing or possession date to be, how long you are hoping to be on the market, what times you prefer your showings – the more you communicate your needs to your REALTOR® the less stressful the process becomes. If you call last minute, you and your REALTOR® may miss something critical to you – it helps your REALTOR® guide you, understand your needs and ultimately helps them negotiate much better on your behalf. The REALTOR® you pick should also be asking these questions no matter WHEN they meet you, if they aren’t concerned about your priorities, that’s a big ole red flag!! That worm is likely rotten 😉

TIMING – SEASONS

Being an early bird in your communication with your REALTOR® will also help in picking the best time to put your home on the market. Every town, city and province is different in their busy/slow seasons, so the more time you have to plan for “BEST” timing, the better!

MARKET CONDITIONS

Our last point is that early communication will allow you and your REALTOR® to examine market conditions, both current and past – likely over the course of the last 6 months to a year. This strategy session gets you up to speed on what the market is doing. Is it a Seller’s market where properties are selling quickly and for more money? Is it a Buyer’s market where prices are lower and properties take longer to sell? Knowledge is power – but it takes some time to absorb it – so the earlier you contact a REALTOR® the faster they can help you read the market and know what to expect.

Personally, we love it when folks call us 6 months early so we can provide them with real time data all the way up to the time they go on the market – that way, they have watched the market with us and know what is likely to happen.

So if you have just started talking to your spouse, partner or friends about moving – IT’S ALREADY TOO LATE…just kidding – add your REALTOR® to the conversation, or start interviewing REALTORS® so you know what to expect from the process.

Real Life Real Estate Minute – Small 3 bedroom condo townhouse. I had sold it to them. They got in touch 6 months before they wanted to sell.  Tenanted – components sound, paint awful, bathroom dated, floors scratched.  Market value with no work – $195,000. Market value with $5,000 of work (paint, refinish wood floors, re-fresh bathroom (new vanity/sink/tub surround) got a sale price of $220,000 – $20,000 profit.

As always – if you liked what you heard, saw or read subscribe to our podcast, YouTube channel or Like our Facebook page to be notified of the next time we have some straight talk. Thanks for listening…and REST easy!

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4 bedroom split level townhouse in the family friendly neighborhood of Blackburn Hamlet

 Ottawa, Ontario

4 Beds 1.5 Baths

Welcome to this 4 BEDROOM split level home in Blackburn Hamlet. Not only are you surrounded by the Greenbelt with just a short commute to downtown but there is lots of functional space n this home. Laminate floors through the main, 2nd & 3rd levels and new carpet in the lower rec room (2019). L-shaped living and dining room. Kit...

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Filed under: Recent Sales by bgmteam
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Beautiful 2 bedroom Glenview Cypress END UNIT!

 Ottawa, Ontario

2 Beds 1.5 Baths

Welcome to this beautiful Glenview Cypress END UNIT home. Located in the sold-out LIV at Monaghan Landing area, this 1326 sq. ft home has 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms with attached garage. Large foyer entry with access to storage and garage, open concept living / dining with tile and water proof single plank flooring. Lovely wide kitch...

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Well cared for 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom end unit with it's own driveway

 Stittsville, Ontario

3 Beds 2.5 Baths 25' x 104' Sq. Ft.

Fantastic End Unit Tamarack Huntington model with it's own driveway AND southern exposure! Well cared for 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home. Hardwood and tile in the open concept main floor. Kitchen with breakfast bar, large L-shaped living and dining rooms, large master suite with ensuite and walk-in closet. 2nd floor loft area is great f...

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985 sq. ft. with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and a balcony

 Ottawa, Ontario

2 Beds 2 Baths

The Claridge built Kintyre model is 985 sq.ft. and features an open concept living space with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. This condo has been very well maintained and features hardwood and tile floors throughout the living spaces. Granite counter tops with a breakfast bar, plenty of cabinetry and stainless steel appliances in th...

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Hey Everyone and welcome to our 3rd in a series we are producing around the career that we love… real estate.

This is going to be your source for some real estate straight talk – the real deal, real scenarios, myths and myth busting, the rules, the ethics, the process, the expectations – what you really need to know. So here we go!

List to Sell Ratios….Production numbers…Oh Gosh….it’s MATH!

We were recently invited to a home as part of the owner’s interview process for the job of selling their home. We were very impressed with how prepared these home owners were for the meeting.

Everyone wants to know how you are planning on marketing their home and most REALTORS® will have a comprehensive plan of attack.

It made us think about the most important questions that a home owner should be asking their potential REALTOR® but rarely do before making their choice.

There are two big questions that come to mind;

1. How many houses have you sold this year?

Not how many the team has sold…

Not how many the brokerage has sold…

Not how many the company has sold…

How many have YOU sold – by yourself!!

The real estate market changes fast and is made up of so many business models that if an agent is selling one house every two months, they may not be up to speed on the current market conditions.

Just because they have been in real estate for 20 years doesn’t mean that they have the greatest experience. Conversely, if they work on a team of 17 people and can say the team sold 100 homes last year, that breaks down to almost 6 homes each – the national average. Not bad at all, but market knowledge and experience only gets better if you are selling 15 – 20 homes or more per year. That seems to be an industry understanding for having your fingers on the pulse of the market.

2. What percentage were Listings, and what percentage were buyers?

This is a follow up to #1 in the sense that the skill set can vary between someone  who deals with Buyers 80-90% of the time, and someone that deals with Sellers. Finding a good fit would be a REALTOR® that deals with both – they have solid experience selling homes, and also have current knowledge about what Buyers expect and are willing to pay / negotiate for/ need.

3. What is your List to Sell Ratio?

This is simply a test of our negotiating skills.  When we list a property how close to the asking price are we getting?? Let’s set out an example…

You are going to meet with REALTOR® A and REALTOR® B

REALTOR® A tells you their List to Sell Ratio is 96%, well…that sounds good. I mean from our school days, we all equate 90+% as a A or A+ right?

REALTOR® B says their list to sell ratio is 99.8%.

Already we want the person that is telling us they have an A++ in selling right?

And keep in mind, a lot of this is going to depend on the type of real estate market we are in. For the sake of argument, let’s say it’s a Seller’s market – where there are lots of Buyers and not enough homes on the market.

On a $400,000 home, 96% is $384,000.

99.8% on that same home is $399,200

That is $15,200 difference!!! That is HUGE!

That’s the difference between selling your home and moving on, and selling your home and getting a 2 WEEK CARRIBEAN CRUISE!

There are several different business models and agents charge different amounts. Do yourself a favour and get a great negotiator rather than the cheapest commission. You’ll R.E.S.T easy in the end!

For more information you can;

Listen to our podcast – https://bgmteam.podbean.com

Watch us on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/myottawateam

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3 bedroom Mattamy townhouse located across from park and near Canadian Tire Center

 Ottawa, Ontario

3 Beds 1.5 Baths 23' x 82 Sq. Ft.

Location, Location, Location! Perfectly situated within walking distance to the Canadian Tire Center and right across from Par-La-Ville park. Interlock steps bring you to the entrance of this three bedroom home which features an open concept layout on the main floor with hardwood/tile floors and large windows for plenty of natural l...

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Ottawa Homes-Sold

 

4 Beds 3 Baths

Immaculate 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home on a family friendly crescent. Back yard faces south west for day long sun and warmth. Cathedral ceilings in living room. Gas fireplace. Open concept main floor. All appliances included (gas stove). Master bedroom with modern 3 piece ensuite. New interlock walkway. Double drive. Turnkey home! ...

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