The Number of Real Estate Appraisers Is Falling. Here’s Why You Should Care

  According to this realtor.com post, the number of real estate appraisers is dropping to the point where parties on both sides of real estate transactions could suffer. Since most residential mortgages need an appraisal before a sale closes, a shortage of appraisers will affect buyers, who rely on accurate valuations to structure their offer, and […]

Boost Your Curb Appeal with 4 Doable DIY Projects

  Most sellers realize that preparing the interior of their homes for viewing is essential.  In this article, Bob Villa explains it is just as important to stage the exterior of your house as it is to prepare the inside rooms when you are selling.  For example, a clean, well-maintained yard will signal that you […]

6 Sneaky Ways to Make Your Home Look Expensive

  If you want to convert your home’s look from average to exceptional, this Realtor.com post by Jamie Weibe tells you how.  Remove mismatched decor items, store toys/magazines and organize your things to fix a cluttered appearance.  Clean and re-grout tile to make it look new.  Use traditional, neutral tones to freshen paint in areas […]

Not Only Millennials Want Walkable Communities

  A walkable community is well-planned, compact and designed for people to walk to work, school, parks restaurants and activities as a form of everyday transportation.  According to a National Association of Realtors survey, more and more buyers want to live in walkable communities.  The study found that fully 12% more Millennials, the generation born between the […]

How to Stage Your Home for Fall Showings

  This Zillow.com post by Nathalie Wise suggests that the time and cost of staging your home can result in higher sale prices and less time on the market.  Remove clutter, store items that could distract viewers and move furniture away from walls to make your spaces appear larger.  Clear counters and deep clean everywhere […]

How Will Real Estate Markets React To The Liberals' Election Victory?

  The Liberal Party’s successful election campaign included a promise to stimulate the economy by increasing infrastructure spending with deficit budgets. How will these changes effect the country’s real estate market? Until details are released, the exact consequences are difficult to determine, but some possibilities have emerged.   Foreign Investment   We don’t know what […]

6 Misperceptions About Home Staging

  In this insightful Realtor Magazine post, interior decorator and professional stager Patti Stern explodes six myths about home staging.   The Cost of Staging For example, some sellers consider staging too expensive.  In reality, it actually saves you money because 95 percent of staged homes sell in 11 days or less and sell for 17 […]

Home Improvements – Do It Yourself Or Hire A Professional?

Completing a DIY project can be tremendously fulfilling and financially rewarding. But, bite off more than you can chew, and you might be looking at some major expenses to fix the damage or, even worse, a catastrophic incident. Before grabbing your toolbox, accomplish a quick risk-reward analysis. Then, determine if you have the skills and […]

How Will Legalized Pot Affect Canadian Real Estate Markets

No matter what you think about the ethics or morality of legalizing marijuana, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has promised to do just that during their first term.  The fact is, we started down that path when medical marijuana was legalized. So, how will this impact real estate markets in Canada?         The […]

Market Update | Ottawa Real Estate Stats October 2015

  Here are the latest statistics from the Ottawa Real Estate board.  Statistics are useful in establishing trends but should not be used as an indicator of an increase or decrease in value of specific properties.  If you are curious about the value of your home and/or specific neighbourhood statistics  please contact us anytime, we would  love […]