Archive for June, 2010

Hunting for a Home

Posted on: June 28th, 2010 by Kris Sherry No Comments

Looking for a home can be an intimidating task filled with many questions.  What home do I buy and where?  Who do I go to for help? And how do I know if I am making a good purchase? 

There’s no one “right way” to go about finding a home.  But here are a few tips that may make the process a little easier and should remove some of the anxiety associated with making what is, for most people, their largest single purchase in life. 

The first thing to do is determine how much you can afford and what type of home you want or need.  This would include the size, number of bedrooms, location and special features such as a garage, fireplace, fence, dishwasher, hot tub etc. 

You’ll also want to consider such things a proximity to schools, community centres and play and sports facilities, public transportation, hospitals, libraries and shopping areas and your workplace.  These factors are important to you and your family. 

Since your home is probably your single largest investment, you’ll want it to be as attractive as possible to purchasers when you’re ready to sell.  So keep in mind the features you think will make it attractive to potential buyers in the years ahead.

Whether you are  interested in buying, selling – or both – give me a call and let’s get started!!!

Changing Homes for Changing Needs

Posted on: June 21st, 2010 by Kris Sherry No Comments

For most of us, choosing a home and a neighborhood is a matter of assessing our current lifestyle. However, personal needs change and too often we find ourselves having overestimated our current routines. The fact is, when it comes to sizing up the merits of a house, everything from storage space to recreational living areas become a major factor. Talk to any couple with a new baby and they’ll be able to talk at length about the changes that they’ve gone through! By better knowing what a typical growing family’s stages of transition are, you can better predict your future needs. 

Infants (under 2 years of age)

  • Nursery or change area.  “Child-proofed” home and furnishings.

Toddlers (ages 2-5)

  • Outdoor play area and playroom, extra storage for toys, books and games.

Pre-teens (ages 6-12)

  • Space for homework, games and crafts, group play and sleepovers.

Teens (ages 13 – 17)

  • Increased clothing, food requirements, musical and sports equipment storage.

Young Adults (18+)

  • Expanded computer and file space, quiet area, and additional parking.

Aging Parents

  • Extra Bedroom, main floor bathrooms, privacy. 

How can I use this information to help sell your home? By predicting the transition stages of a family who show an interest in your home, I can help you highlight those features, making your home more desirable to more people.

Give me a call today!

Kris

Market Update

Posted on: June 8th, 2010 by Kris Sherry No Comments

The early summer this year (and perhaps a combination of the new mortgage regulations and upcoming HST) did more than bring the leaves out on the trees sooner than usual – it moved forward many housing sales from the normally very busy real estate month of  May into April!! 

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,694 residential properties in May through the Board’s MLS system compared with 1,967 in May 2009, a decrease of 13.9%.  Of these sales, 353 were in the condominium property class, while 1,341 were in the residential property class.
 
The average price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in May in the Ottawa area, was $333,408 an increase of 6.9% over May 2009. The average price for a condominium class property was $246,116 – up 6.4% over May 2009. The average price of a residential class property was $356,387 –  up 8.3% over May, 2009.  Each area, however, shows slightly different trends.  If you would like to see what’s happening in your neighbourhood, contact me and I can send you the recent sales, average prices and any other additional information that you may wish to have.
 
By the way, referrals can win you Aeroplan points – call me to find out more – and don’t forget to check my website for  ”special events”, contests and rewards.
Kris

Assessing The Value of a Home

Posted on: June 8th, 2010 by Kris Sherry No Comments

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, I can help you determine its market value through a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA).  This is an informal assessment of a home’s value based on local market data such as active listings, pending sales, recent sales, withdrawn or cancelled listings, and expired listings. The CMA will compare your property to other properties of similar size, age, condition, and location. 

As a seller, this information is valuable in determining the list price for your home.  It can also help you assess how quickly your home might sell and how much competition is out there.

 As a buyer, a CMA can be used to help make that very important decision of how much to offer for a specific property. 

This service is provided to you at no cost and without obligation.  

Don’t hesitate to give me a call – I’m always happy to provide current or potential clients with information – in fact,  one of my favourite sayings is that knowledgeable clients make good clients.

Kris