NEW WEBSITE

Andrew

Well this BlogSpot was fun, but I will not be uploading anymore information here. Please visit my new website at www.dreamhomeottawa.ca There is a new blog section in there and all of my great advice and ideas will be shared there instead.

Thanks

Get that Spring Cleaning Done Yet?

Well, Spring is well underway now and if you are like myself, the spring cleaning has been sitting on the backburner and its time to get at it! You might have tons of unwanted items lying around and like most you are thinking garage sales! Aaannnggg, wrong answer.

In short, garage sales are a pain in the butt. Advertising, tagging and pricing all of your items at once and then hauling them out side, praying that it doesn't rain that day that you have advertised. Well let me tell ya of a little secret thing called the internet. Online garage sale if you will! Think about it. You only have to sell the items you want, when you are ready, and the buyers come to you and negotiate through email. If you haven't sold anything online ever, trust me it is REALLY easy, and its pretty much hassle free. Here's a few tips to help you out:

PICTURES ARE KEY - if you have ever looked to buy something online, you know as well as I do that no one buys anything without at least seeing some pictures first. Try to take accurate pictures, nice a bright so people can see what they are buying.

DESCRIPTION - The key here is honesty. If that old couch has urine stains and ripped in spots, tell people. Otherwise you are wasting your time and theirs, and you will have people coming in and leaving quickly not purchasing what they thought they were coming to get.

DELIVERY - You can offer free delivery or for a small fee, but here's the beauty of online sales. You can usually hold out and find someone that is willing to pick up the item. Do yourself a favour though and meet them outside, and have someone else with you just in case.

PRICE IT RIGHT - Search online for what items that are similar to yours are selling for and price it correctly. Again it saves you wasting your time and others.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT SITES - Ebay is great obviously, but its much easier to find local sites to get actual local buyers. usedottawa.com, kijiji, and craigslist are some of the biggest ones. Be wary with craigslist though as it does attract a lot of spammers and scammers.

eBay once estimated that the average household has $2,000 worth of unused goods waiting to be sold. You may already be thinking of a few items that should find a new home before you do. Do yourself a favour and be rid of them. Declutter that house, and put a few extra dollars in your pocket for useful renovations, or items that will help you sell your home.

Stunning 4 Bedroom Bungalow in Fantastic Neighborhood.

Here it is! The one that you have been waiting for. This 2008 Monarch built Colorado model is fully finished and ready to go! Perfect potential to add an in-law suite with only a electrical to add for a stove. Don't waste your time and money buying the same model for the same price minus all the upgrades and come and grab this finished home on a corner lot now before its too late.

Home Features:
- Double Garage
- Garage Door Opener
- Large Corner Lot
- Built 2008
- Natural Gas Furnace
- Central Air
- Storage Shed

Main Floor:
- Spacious Entry Way
- Office/Den/4th Bedroom
- Dark Hardwood Flooring
- Ceramic Tiles
- Full Bathroom
- Large Kitchen
- Dining Area
- Living Space with Fireplace
- VERY LARGE Master Quarters with Large Walk-in Closet and Ensuite with Soaker Tub and Separate Shower.



Lower Level:
- Family Room with Plus Carpeting For Added Comfort
- 2 Additional Bedrooms
- Large 3 Piece Bathroom with Luxury Shower with massager Jets
- Large Recroom with Sink and Counter Tops, Perfect to Convert to an In-law Suite.
- Storage Room
- Utility Room



This home is a MUST SEE! This price just cannot be beat. Call now for a private showing.

Market Outlook for 2013, is it as bad as they say!?

Well its no secret that there are some questions to be answered when looking at the Canadian Housing Market. The media sure does a good enough job of letting everyone know that. You've heard it before but I'm going to say it again, DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON TV! Good news just doesn't sell. I tend to trust the predictions of those that have consistently proven themselves in the past, CMHC(Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation). If you read back to my post this time last year, and their predictions you'll see they were pretty bang on(we saw a 2.3% increase). I recently sat in on a conference with CMHC for their Market Update for 2013 and this year is going to be much of the same. A slight increase with the rate of inflation, but overall the market here in Ottawa will remain level. All of you sitting back waiting to purchase hoping for prices to fall, best of luck to ya. Here are some points of interest that I noted during the Conference.

Ottawa Market:
- Ottawa median household income remained the highest amongst large cities in Canada coming in just shy of 100k/year, with average home price at $350k. To put that in perspective, Vancouver with a much higher avg home price came in closer to 60k/year!

- Ottawa saw a market stall due to the uncertainty of employment with government cuts but remember they are only cutting 1% of job force. Not a big deal. Infact, Ottawa saw a 3% employment growth attributed to service sectors and public admin. Unemployment rate for 2013 is looking to stay about the same as 2012.

- The last large decline in our market was in 95-96 where there were MANY more job cuts than we are seeing now. Sale prices only went down 2.4% then, and interest rates were at 9% and not historically low like they are now. Just think about that. More jobs, less interest, sales shouldn't be affected all that much.

- Ottawa is creating jobs! The LRT is expected to create approx. 20,000 jobs, the Landsdowne project will create a bundle and The Rideau Center will be doing a 250million dollar reno!

- We are currently sitting in a balanced market with a sales to listing ratio of 40-60%. If patterns stay the same we should be seeing some good growth come 2014.

- We expect a slight decline in sales for the first and second quarter of this year and they are expected to turn around for the 3rd and 4th.

- in 2012 Stittsville and Southeast Ottawa saw the highest increase in sales volume while Southeast saw the highest increase in price.

- New home construction in Ottawa hit over 6000 units in 2012(6026) and is expected to drop slightly for 2013 at approx. 5200. Breakdown of those units being built will be the same with 25% single homes, 25% rows and semis, and 50% apartments.

- Cheaper to get resale still! Keeps you closer to the downtown core as well. 2012 saw new home prices for singles hitting approx. 23% higher than resale homes!!!

So all in all Ottawa, we will be just fine. The worst thing you can do is just sit on your hands and do nothing.

Canadian Economy:
- GDP growth will be driven by business investment
- Housing Market expected to moderate
- Week demand globally for our exports will restrain growth slightly
- Interest rates to remain at historic lows as the states announced they shouldn't be changing until 2015.

Global Economy:
- European GDP Decline
- Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, still not out of the danger zone yet
- 11.7% unemployment rate
- Germany starting to show some signs of growth
- Good news for Canada is that the majority of our exports go to the states, then some to China, Japan, South Korea, and only approx. 6% go to European Countries.
- US Economy is starting to recover even though they showed a slight decline in the 4th quarter attributed to the scare of the "fiscal Cliff".


Well there you have it. If you have any questions at anytime about our current market conditions, whether you should be buying or selling at this time. Please don't hesitate to ask.

Andrew Miller

- The last large decline in our market was in 95-96 where there were MANY more job cuts than we are seeing now. Sale prices only went down 2.4% then, and interest rates were at 9% and not historically low like they are now. Just think about that. More jobs, less interest, sales shouldn't be affected all that much.

Keep The Cold Out And The Money In!

Everyone knows that home insulation provides warmth for your home, and some know that it can provide huge energey savings, but still most homeowners have questions about it. How do you know if you need more insulation? What can you do to improve it—without tearing your home apart? Is the initial cost worth it for the savings? Does it increase the value of your home on resale?

The first thing to know is that for homes built before the 1970s, insulation was not a high priority in construction. Even in the last few years building codes have changed and minimum R-Values are going up. Older homes can benefit from adding insulation as well as filling the window and door gaps that naturally occur as the house settles over time. The good news is it’s easy to improve your home’s energy efficiency, no matter what its age.

Start at the Top:
One of the first places to insulate is the attic. You can add loose-fill or batt insulation easily and cost-effectively. Just remember that if you think you may have vermiculite insulation, don’t disturb it—it may contain asbestos, so call a professional.

Fill the Spaces in the Walls:
For your walls, you can simply blow loose insulation directly into the wall. It’s fast and you’ll only have to patch the wall afterwards, rather than replace the entire surface. On the other hand, if you’re remodeling, you may have open walls and an opportunity to choose from many insulation options including blankets, rolls, rigid insulation and others.

Go Beyond the Walls:
Many homeowners see savings from insulating electrical outlets, crawlspaces and doors. A rule of thumb is: a 1/8" space between a standard exterior door and the threshold is equivalent to a two square inch hole in the wall. Realigning your doors and replacing the door sweep are easy fixes.

Consider Replacing Windows:
Weather-stripping your windows can reduce energy loss. However, up to 50% of a home’s heating and cooling needs results from heat gain and loss through windows, so actually replacing your old windows may provide the most savings. Replacing and upgrading your windows will also add great value to your home. Keep the receipts and warranty documents.

Insulation Adds Up to Big Savings:
When you insulate, not only do you start saving money on your energy bills. That and added value to your home at resale make it a no brainer if you're contemplating updating. In the past the government has also provided financial benefits to homeowners who make their home more energy efficient. That has currently halted but perhaps they will again.

Improvements like adding insulation can often add large amounts to the resale value of your home. Potential buyers will want to know all about the updates. Try to hold onto some of your receipts. Even if you’re not quite ready to move yet, you can still enjoy a cost savings and a comfortable home. If you're thinking of selling your home, give me a quick email and we can discuss how we can put in a few updates and get you some higher sale prices for your home! amiller@kwottawa.ca

Maximize Your Profits, and Minimize Your Hassles

For many people, selling their home is a stressful experience. When you are ready to sell, my goal is to help you sell your home for top dollar, with the least amount of inconvenience to you. I like to eliminate the worry, so all you have to do is pack!

The way to reach this goal is to price the property accurately for the marketplace and get your property into its best condition. Many buyers nowadays work long hours in their jobs and want a home that is ready to move into without a lot of fix-up.

Please feel free to call or email me if I can provide you with a home price evaluation or even take a moment for a “walk through” of your home to see what you might do to prepare your home for sale.
Proper pricing and a home that is in “show shape” will help you sell your home more quickly, eliminating some of the hassles and maximizing your profits.


Sincerely,

Andrew Miller
Sales Representative
Keller Williams Ottawa Realty, Brokerage
phone: 6134477669
Email: amiller@kwottawa.ca
www.dreamhomeottawa.ca

Steal of a Deal on a Large 4 bedroom Townhome

Steal of a deal here! Large 4 bedroom home, with a 2 car garage and total of 6 parking spots! hardwood throughout main and upper level. Central A/C(2005). Newer Furnace with Warranty on parts n labour(2019), Roof 2005. Huge Master with wall to wall closets and HUGE Balcony. I challenge you to find a home of this size anywhere in the city for this price. Perfect for investors, close to 417, steps to bus stop. Very little TLC required



Home Features:
- Large 2 car garage with parking in drive for 4 more vehicles
- Balcony off Master
- Forced Air Natural Gas Furnace 2009(comes with 10 year warranty)
- Central A/C (2005)
- Roof Shingles (2005)
- Updated Vinyl Windows
- Maintenance free and private back yard with no rear neighbors
- True 4 bedroom home with all bedrooms upstairs
- No Carpeting

Main Level:
- Good size entry way with original vintage tiles
- Spacious living space with hardwood flooring
- Patio doors to the private yard
- Large dining area
- Good sized and well layed out kitchen with ample cupboard and counter space.
- powder room
- inside access to garage.

2nd Level:
- Hardwood throughout
- VERY large master bedroom with wall to wall closets and large balcony
- 3 other large bedrooms
- Full bathroom

Lower Level:
- Laundry Area
- Family room

This is a great sized home for the value. Don't wait too long and call or email me now to view.


Andrew Miller
Sales Representative
Keller Williams Ottawa Realty Ltd.
Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated
610 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 4E6