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

MORTGAGE CHANGES JULY 2012

Alright enough is enough. After receiving emails from several clients and even more from Mortgage specialists all over the city, I have decided that we need a nice easy to read explanation as to what new mortgage changes Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has indicated will come into effect on July 9th, 2012.

1. Mortgage Amortization periods(length of the full mortgage) will be reduced from 30 years to 25 years. What that means for you buyers is a bit more money in terms of a monthly payment. Really this is better though. 30 and 40 year mortgages were a bit much anyways and in the long run we are better off. A family earning approx. 75k a year will be able to afford about 50k less of a mortgage however. Again, better safe than sorry.

2. The max amount that one can borrow when refinancing will be lowered to 80% from 85%. Again, good in the long term to not have more debt than people can handle. They also dropped this last year from 90% to 85%.

3. No more government back mortgage insurance on over 1million dollars.

4. Lines of Credit taken from the equity in your home will now be a maximum of 65% of your home’s value down from 80%. A home equity line of credit is similar to a standard line of credit but is secured against the equity in your home

5. The federal government will set maximum gross debt-service ratio (GDS) at 39% and lower maximum total debt-service ratio (TDS) to 44% from 45%.

Basically they are putting things back to normal. Since 2008 there have been 4 main changes done to tighten up lending policies. We are going back now to how things were before 2004. It's not to say they are making purchasing a home harder, they are more ensuring that those that are getting mortgages will be able to handle the debt more easily. This is a good thing, we do not want to end up like the states and have our market collapse and since the beginning of the changes in 2008 we are moving in the right direction to ensure that doesn't happen.

If you need anymore information please don't hesitate to ask.

PRICED TO SELL - Gorgeous 2Storey Loft Style Home

PRICED TO SELL at $274,900 - This stunning loft style 2 storey home sits nestled on a huge lot only 30 mins from downtown Ottawa, and mins from Kanata.

Neighbourhood features:
- Family Oriented
- Park Across the Street from home
- Natural Gas available at road
- High Speed Internet Available
- 30 mins from Downtown Ottawa.
- 5 mins from shopping
- good mix of homes in the area(no cookie cutters here!)
- Close to Constance Bay

Home Features:
- Forced Air Oil Heat
- Central Air Conditioning
- Fresh Paint Job
- Updated Flooring
- Over 25k spent in the last 2 years in improvements

Main Level:
- 2 storey living space flooded with natural light
- Powder room
- Large bright updated kitchen with lots of counter space
- Inside access to garage
- Exit out to rear deck
- Upgraded laminate throughout

Upper Level:
- Plush carpeting for added comfort
- 2 large bedrooms
- 2 full bathroms(one ensuite)
- Laundry room
- Great loft area perfect for office or family room.

Lower Level:
- Laminate flooring with Dry core underbelly
- 3rd bedroom
- Yet another living space!
- Storage area
- Utility room

With all this home has to offer, it is sure to go quickly. Call now to book your private showing. View More Images Below.

Market Outlook for 2012 is looking good!

I just finished up at a 2012 Mortgage Outlook with CMHC today. There were a lot of great things said. Mainly that Ottawa's housing market is in great shape to be living right now and for the future! I know there was recent press about that and may have you believing otherwise, but here are a few notes that I took in from todays meeting that could change your mind.

- Ottawa is currently in a strong balanced market, and prices expected to RISE with rate of inflation.
A 2.7% increase in home prices over the year is projected.

- Ottawa is definitely more stable as compared to other markets in Canada. So don't believe everything you see on TV

- Average employment by the government in 2002-08 was approx 95k, while average in 2008-12 was just shy of 120k.

- The government cuts that we are hearing of now represent approximately 1.5% job loss. That isn't as large of an
impact as most are thinking or hearing about.

- Other job sectors are still growing.

- Ottawa is at the top of the employment rate at 84.9%(ages 25-45) second only to Kitchener.

- Ottawa has grown approx. 47% in terms of income over the last 11 years and Ottawa has the highest weekly salaries anywhere in canada at just over $1000.

- Mortgage rates are still historically low, there is no better time to be buying! I've heard a recent deal was 3.89% for 10 year fixed!!! That's insane.

- Average of approx. 6000 immigrants per year are coming to Ottawa. 50% are economic immigrants meaning that they have degrees and support job growth. This combined with other factors translate to approx 5800 new houses a year required here in Ottawa.

- New homes are sitting at about 24% higher pricing then resale homes.

I think all this information I gathered says it all. The Ottawa housing market is fantastic. Rates are lower than most of us will see in our lifetimes. Prices aren't going down like some people may be telling you. There's not many times like this to be buying and selling homes.

Gorgeous 2 Storey Loft Style Home

This stunning loft style 2 storey home sits nestled on a huge lot only 30 mins from downtown Ottawa, and mins from Kanata.

Neighbourhood features:
- Family Oriented
- Park Across the Street from home
- Natural Gas available at road
- High Speed Internet Available
- 30 mins from Downtown Ottawa.
- 5 mins from shopping
- good mix of homes in the area(no cookie cutters here!)
- Close to Constance Bay

Home Features:
- Large Single Car Garage
- Forced Air Oil Heat
- Central Air Conditioning
- Fresh Paint Job
- Updated Flooring
- Over 25k spent in the last 2 years in improvements

Main Level:
- 2 storey living space flooded with natural light
- Powder room
- Large bright updated kitchen with lots of counter space
- Inside access to garage
- Exit out to rear deck
- Upgraded laminate throughout

Upper Level:
- Plush carpeting for added comfort
- 2 large bedrooms
- 2 full bathroms(one ensuite)
- Laundry room
- Great loft area perfect for office or family room.

Lower Level:
- Laminate flooring with Dry core underbelly
- 3rd bedroom
- Yet another living space!
- Storage area
- Utility room

With all this home has to offer, it is sure to go quickly. Call now to book your private showing.

Andrew Miller
Sales Representative
Keller Williams Ottawa Realty Ltd.
Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated
610 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 4E6
Office: (613) 236-5959
Direct: (613) 447-7669
Fax: (613) 236-1515
www.dreamhomeottawa.blogspot.ca

Canadian Housing Market Looking Strong!

Canada’s housing market has two good years ahead of it yet, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said Monday, with low interest rates and a “moderately” expanding economy keeping price corrections at bay.

The Crown corporation – which insures Canadian mortgages – has had a consistently rosier view of the market than many private sector forecasters.

Canadian banks have recently issued reports probing the consequences of cheap money, and trying to predict whether there is a bubble in prices that will eventually pop and cause prices to crash. They are particularly concerned about Vancouver and Toronto, where some have predicted price corrections of up to 10 per cent because of overbuilding in the condo market.

But CMHC said Monday Canadian markets would “remain steady in 2012 and 2013.

“With the Canadian economy set to expand at a moderate pace and mortgage rates expected to remain low, activity levels in 2012 in both new home construction and sales of existing homes will stay close to levels seen in 2011,” said Mathieu Laberge, deputy chief economist.

Also in the forecast: “Housing starts will be in the range of 164,000 to 212,700 units in 2012, with a point forecast of 190,000 units. In 2013, housing starts will be in the range of 168,900 to 219,300 units, with a point forecast of 193,800 units.

Existing home sales will be in the range of 406,000 to 504,500 units in 2012, with a point forecast of 457,300 units. In 2013, MLS sales are expected to move up in the range of 417,600 to 517,400 units, with a point forecast of 468,200 units.

The average MLS price is forecast to be between $330,000 and $410,000 in 2012 and between $335,000 and $430,000 in 2013. CMHC’s point forecast for the average MLS price is $368,900 for 2012 and $379,000 for 2013. The moderate increases in the average MLS price are consistent with the balanced market conditions that occurred in 2011, and that are expected to continue in 2012 and 2013.”

*the above information is courtesy of The Globe and Mail Monday, Feb. 13, 2012

MARKET WATCH - FEB 2012

According to statistics released by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), sales activity rose in more than half of all local markets, including some of Canada’s most active cities.

The momentum in sales activity provides clear evidence that low interest rates continue to draw homebuyers to the housing market. While buyers have become increasingly cautious, the hand off for sales activity going into the new year suggests that the Canada’s housing market will continue to benefit from low interest rates in 2012, and continue making a significant contribution to Canadian economic activity. However, prospects among housing markets and neighbourhoods differ, so buyers and sellers of the Ottawa area, feel free to contact me to see just how well we are doing here in Ottawa, or more specifically your neighbourhood.

Successful Staging of Your Home

Be it on Television, Online, or in a magazine, you have probably by now heard of staging. It's clear that staging your home can give you a competitive advantage when selling your home, but most people still aren't too sure exactly what that means or what it involves.

Staging is organizing and decorating your home so that potential buyers can visualize themselves living there. One doesn't need to spend a fortune to stage their home, the key is to figure out your homes best attributes, and highlight them while having few distractions.

Once spring time hits, the market will begin to get flooded with homes hitting the market, staging your home could give it the competitive advantage you need to blow away the competition, here are a few tips to help you get started.

DE-CLUTTER- buy some storage bins and start packing away all those little trinkets passed down from grandma. Store away all your jewelry and other small items. Take special care in the bathrooms and kitchen and put away as much as you can, clearing all items from the counter tops.

TAKE OUT PERSONAL ITEMS- No one cares what your kid got on their last test, nor do they want to see your Christmas cards or pics from your vacation. All of these things will only distract buyers from the great features of your home.

LIGHT AND WARMTH- Make your home welcoming and warm by having it bright. Open those curtains to let the sun flood in. If it is winter, turn up the heat. If it is summer, get that A/C working.

FURNITURE- Make sure your furiture helps show the size of yourrooms. Avoid having excessively large pieces, or too many pieces that take up too much space. Also, that old lazy boy that is formed just perfectly to you, has got to go, sorry.

NEUTRAL COLOURS- Ok so you love the Green Bay Packers, this doesn't mean that everyone is going to love your green and yellow man cave. Stick with neutral colours throughout the home.

QUICK FIXES- Little things add up in a buyers mind. Look for all the small things that could be easily fixed, and deal with the issues.

CLEAN- Should be a no brainer here but you'd be suprised how many homes I see that are not clean. I have lots of great cleaning crews that can do a fantastic job for you so that you can't cut any corners and can focus on more important things.

FINAL TOUCHES- Some flowers for the table, candles on the mantle, throw pillows for the couches and beds. All sorts of little things to splash a bit of colour will do wonders on a lasting impression. I have a great design team that can help you with that as well.

The time of year is coming, homes will be sold for top dollar and in short time periods. Give me a shout to allow me to help your homes be one of them so we can get you into your dream home that much quicker! amiller@kwottawa.ca

How about saving some money this winter?

If you've been reading my blogs at all over the years, you know the one thing that I harp on is the efficency of your home. Right about now most of you are starting to pull out your Canada Goose jackets, the ugly Christmas sweaters, and that old warm quilt your grandma made for you. How about prepping your home for the winter as well. In my last blog I gave you a good overview of winterizing your home. Now its time to take it a little bit further and spend a few dollars to save a bundle more.

Give your furnace some lovin! Many people don't realize that a furnace should be maintained once a year. A furnace is like a car, the better maintained it is, the longer it will last you and the more efficient it will run. Enbridge has some great service plans, look into it. Also, it may be time to change that filter again. I try to change mine 4 times a year at the change of every season. Dirty filters will make your furnace run a little harder. Don't forget to clean your duct work as well. There are a ton of deals these days for duct cleaning through dealfind, groupon, koopon etc.

Programmable Thermostat. $50-$200. and it will save you about 15% a month on your bill. Here's the catch though people, you HAVE to use it! In about 70% of the homes I see, the programmable thermostat is never running on a program. Take the time, read the manual if you have to(guys I know we won't read it) and set the programming features to turn down the heat when you don't need it cranked up.

Heat only the rooms that you use. The guest room that you never use, the extra bathroom, storage areas etc. All of these rooms that aren't really used that often should have the vents closed or if electric heat, turn the baseboards off. If you have a fireplace and spend most your time in there in the evenings, turn the furnace off or down for those hours, and let the fireplace heat for you.

Check for Drafts!!! Windows and doors are the devil. The majority of heat loss in a home will come from the doors and windows. In a previous blog I talked about wrapping your windows properly and I will repost that sometime soon as well. In short, ensure all weather stripping is intact and if older windows, consider upgrading the windows, and/or check for upgrading insulation around windows.

Energy Audit? I'm sure you have heard of them already and probably had someone you know have an energy audit performed. If know some people that do them and if you need a reference please let me know. Have an energy audit done on your home, and upgrade where you can. The government probably has some great rebates that you aren't aware of and you can retreive some of the money spent. Local, provincial, and federal governments frequently offer tax breaks or rebates for energy-saving upgrades, as do many utility companies.

Take the time, make the changes. Not only are you doing your part to help the environment, but you will finish off the winter with more money in your pocket. Win win.

Remodelling Your Bathroom

Many clients of mine have recently been considering doing some renovations in their home. It seems to be a common question as to where their dollars are best spent. Well its no secret that the most important rooms of your home in buyers eyes tends to be the Kitchen and the Bathrooms.

The bathroom is a great place to spend your dollars and actually get the money back when you resale. It usually is the first place to start because of outdated features, different decorating taste from the previous owners or simply normal wear and tear on a very functional room of your home. Well if you have been thinking of remodelling, here are a few things for you to consider:

Resale Value - Resale is something that I ALWAYS discuss with my clients. You may have heard before that bath remodels add value to your home. These days you can recoup about 64% of the costs of a minor bathroom remodel, according to Remodeling magazine’s “2010-11 Cost vs. Value Report.” If your bathroom is especially in need of updates, you may recapture more.

Costs—Good News - Contractors are always eager for work, and prices are lower for their materials and labor, so now may be an ideal time to make your bathroom more livable.

Timely or Timeless Style - This is a huge problem that I see when people are redoing their bathrooms. Before you remodel, think of what it will look like in a couple years when you sell your home. Will you and possible buyers still like the look and style? Hopefully they will, otherwise they’ll factor in the cost of their own remodel when making an offer. Then all your hard work will be for nothing.

Too Much Cost? Think Small - If you’re not ready for a full remodel, then a fresh coat of paint, new towels and a pretty framed print can do wonders to update your bathroom—and give you a new look for 2011. If you have those old fixtures that are a stunning shade of pink, blue, yellow or even green, there are ways around completely replacing them. There are several companies out there that will refinish those fixtures in more neutral colours. Keep in mind though that those old toilets use up a LOT of water and if you choose to replace it, you will eventually get your money back through savings on your water bill.

Remember, it's you and your family that have to live there now, so ensure that whatever you do, you can handle brushing your teeth in there day after day. Balance that with how perspective buyers will like it, and you have yourself a winning recipe.

If you need any contact info for contractors, designers, or for people to refinish those old fixtures please don't hesitate to ask.

Insulation and your home

I know it seems that I have been talking about how cold it is here in Ottawa a lot but, well it is damn cold! Due to our cold winters, and some pretty chilly homes that I have been in, I decided that it's time to talk about insulation. Everybody knows that insulation is a key factor in energy savings for your home, but not everyone knows how to improve it, if it even needs improving, and whether or not you have to tear your home apart to improve it. Let's see if I can help out a bit.

The bad news - With homes built prior to 1970, insulation was not a major concern for builders. Older homes can benefit by adding some more insulation, as well as tending to gaps by windows and doors that have occurred through settling over time.

The good news- improving energy efficiency is pretty easy to do regardless of the age of your home.

First the Windows: I have talked about windows in previous posts so I won't go into great detail here. Basically, if you can't afford to replace those old windows, properly weather strip them, or wrap them. Up to 50% of a home’s heating and cooling needs results from heat gain and loss through windows.

Next the Attic: If you have an older home, you may have vermiculite insulation and it could contain asbestos so you may want to call in a professional. Asbestos is hazardous once airborne so don't disturb it once up there. You can add more insulation by blowing some more into the attic, and then rake it all up so it's evenly distributed. Or by simply adding more batt insulation. Blown is a tad better than batt as there are no seems between sections that allow air escape through. You can do this yourself by renting the machine to blow the insulation. Pretty easy, and kinda fun to do.

The walls: Ok so its a bit of a pain to do, but you will notice the difference and it will be a great selling feature when you sell your home. If you are planning on remodelling, this is a great time to add insulation or more of it since the walls will already be exposed. If not, you can blow in more insulation and then you will just have to do patch ups in the areas you do as opposed to redoing the whole wall.

The extra mile: So, we touched on windows and doors, attic, and walls. Where else can we get some savings for our energy costs? How about electrical outlets, exterior lighting attached to your home, even crawl spaces? Get out that caulking gun and walk around the exterior of your home. Remove any old caulking around light fixtures and replace with new. Don't cheap out either on the caulking as you get what you pay for. Ensure all electrical outlets are properly insulated as well. If you have a crawl space, check to see if insulated, if not, why not?

This all seems common sense i'm sure, but it's something that is often over looked. With the ever increasing costs of heating your home, more people are looking for energy efficient homes, why not have that selling feature in your favour? Like most home maintenance, it is more labour intensive as opposed to costly. So get off the couch and make your home a bit more efficient already! Unless you don't want extra money in your pockets of course.

Mortgage Updates

Well last week the government announced yet again that they are going to be making some changes this coming March 18th. A lot of my clients have been asking what these changes are and how they will be affected. In short here's what we are looking at:

1. the maximum amortization is now 30 years on insured products having less than 20% down. For conventional mortgages 35 year amortization should continue to be available.

2. when refinancing your home, the limit has been lowered to 85% of the appraised value.(where it was 90%)

3. The government will no longer insurance lines of credit secured by homes (this rule will take affect on April 18th)

4. for purchases, people can continue to buy with as little as 5% down (self-employed individuals require 10% down)


Well that's it for today folks. Stay warm out there!

Freezing Pipes in the winter

2011 and guess what? It's still freezing cold! Get used to it people this is Canada, and here in Ottawa we get colder than most. I figured today is a better day than most to talk about this topic since it is minus 21 degrees out right now. Most of us have heard about pipes freezing over in the winter and causing many issues for the home owner. No one really thinks of home maintenance during the winter. I get it. Its cold out, nice and toasty in your home and all you can think of is curling up and watching tv. Well unless you're hoping for an indoor pool, don't forget about your plumbing. Here's some things to consider.

FIRST THINGS FIRST - if you don't already know where your water main shut off is, please figure that out, and while your there, put a big tag on it so that everyone else in your home knows where it is too. Got babysitters? Then let them know too. This way, if something does go wrong and water is pouring out of the bottom of your sink you know how to stop it from doing more damage.

WHEN THE GOING GETS COLD, THEM PIPES MAY BURST - Alright so your not a scientist, here's how it works; you leave to go down to Florida in January to escape this awful cold weather, turn the heat down in your home to save costs, gets to -30, the water in the pipes freeze, frozen water expands and BOOM!!!! the pipes burst. So here's what you do before you go away,

• This one should be obvious but, DON'T TURN OFF YOUR HEAT! Turn it down but not off so that the temperature remains high enough to avoid freezing levels.
• Open the cupboard doors underneath the sinks to allow the warm air in the home to circulate into the cupboard and keep the pipes warm
• Turn on your faucets to a very slow drip to keep the water in the pipes moving.
• If you come home and come across a frozen pipe, you can usually unthaw them with a hair dryer.

DO IT YOURSELF........Perhaps. - If you run into a plumbing issue and you think you know what the problem is, maybe you can tackle that problem yourself. OR maybe not. Most plumbers out there make most of their money fixing botched up plumbing jobs from people that "thought" they knew what they were doing. Save yourself the hassle and just call in the pros. ( I know some great plumbers just ask)

So hopefully this helps and you can go away on your vacay and relax not worrying about how big of an indoor swimming pool may be awaiting you when you walk in the door.

Take care of your home, and it will take care of you.

Give me a shout if you have any real estate questions, or if you or anyone you know happens to need a hand in buying or selling a home. amiller@kwottawa.ca

Canadian Housing Market showing some Groth

Canadian home sales gained for the first time in five months in August, led by Ontario and British Columbia, though economists warned the uptick is likely to prove a blip in a declining trend.
Sales of existing homes through the Multiple Listing System rose 4.1% from July, figures released Wednesday by the Canadian Real Estate Association showed. It was the first increase since March, it said. On a year-over-year basis, sales are down 22.5%.
Canada’s housing market, which helped drag the economy out of recession, has been cooling rapidly over the past few months. Consumers made purchases that would have been made in summer earlier in the year to beat rising interest rates and the introduction of the harmonized sales tax in Ontario and B.C.
“A large part of the August increase comes from Ontario and B.C. because there was a lot of confusion in July as to how the HST would affect home sales,” CREA chief economist Gregory Klump said. “This is a bit of a relief rally and one car does not make a parade.”
Klump still expects housing sales to cool throughout the rest of the year, though he says it’s a healthy slowdown from the feverish levels seen at the end of last year.
TD Bank Financial said in a note the August figures are likely to have been a blip.
The bank said high household debt, the weakening employment outlook and declining personal income would all weigh on the market. It expects sales to drop by 20% next year and prices to decline 7%.
The average price of homes sold in August was $324,928, which is on a par with the same period last year. Excluding Alberta and New Brunswick, where prices eased, gains in every other province exceeded the national increase, CREA said.
Seasonally adjusted sales activity was either flat or increased in half of all markets across the country, it said.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in a report on Canada earlier this week warned prices may still be too high and more intervention may be needed to cool the market.
CREA president Georges Pahud on Wednesday rebuffed those suggestions, saying any further tightening in mortgage regulations risk damaging the market.
“Rising interest rates and a projected slowdown in job growth mean that the Canadian housing market is expected to continue to cool,” Pahud said. “This is overlooked in recent commentary that suggests further changes to mortgage regulations may be needed.”

-Ottawa Sun Sept 15, 2010

10 TIPS TO HOME OWNERSHIP

Owning a home is a fantastic thing, yet sometimes a great responsibility that gets over looked. To assist you, here are 10 things to try to keep in mind during your home ownership.

1. Take good care of your home
-as a rule try to budget 1 to 3% of your home’s value for maintenance and repairs each year.

2. Build your homes equity
- By Making an extra principal payment here and there when possible, one can decrease the interest paid over the life of the loan.

3. Your home should have a good first impression
- By Keeping your front entrance clear and welcoming you will increase the curb appeal of your home which improves your homes value.

4. Be properly insured
- In most cases you only need to insure the replacement value of your home and personal property, not the land.

5. Love your neighborhood--not just your home
- If you’re not happy with your current neighborhood, start thinking of where you would be happier and let's get planning to get you there.

6. Make improvements
- Statistics show that updated kitchens and baths are the number 1 key selling features in most homes, so spend your dollars there first.

7. Safety is a must
- Install not only smoke detectors but with most homes now having natural gas furnaces it is also important to install carbon monoxide detectors to ensure the security of your family.

8. Go green and improve your monthly costs.
- More and more these days, buyers are looking for more energy effecient homes. Improvements in the insulation of windows, doors, and storm doors can save energy costs and increase your home’s resale value.

9. Stick to Neutral Colours
- If you’re thinking of moving in a year or so, choose light, neutral paint colors, what looks great to you does not always look appealing to all.

10. Know when it's time to move
- Over time people often outgrow a house or neighborhood. If you’re thinking of making a change, please call or email to discuss the next steps.

HST Clarifications - What the gov forgot to mention.

After discussing the HST with many of my clients, and other buyers and sellers that I have been encountering, I realized that there are many false views of the HST and its impact on the purchase and sale of homes. So I'd like to take the time to clarify two major things.

1. HST does NOT impact the sale price of a RESALE home. HST only affects the price of new construction homes, or homes that have not had a final occupancy permit.(ie no one has lived in the home yet)

So Buyers don't be scared that the price you see will have an extra 13% tacked on after July 1st.
Do be aware that HST will be charged on other services such as realtor fees and legal fees.

2. The minimum downpayment required was NOT pushed up to 10%. There was talk that that was going to be the case, however the government decided not to impliment that so the downpayment required for home buyers is still only 5%.

They did however change the downpayment required for investment properties to a minimum of %20. Also, don't let that intimidate you too much, as I have some lenders that can look past this new rule and find ways around it.

If you or anyone you know are thinking of buying or selling, please don't hesitate to contact me immediately to get started. I am your one stop shop for real estate needs and I have all of the contacts you will need in your home purchase, lawyers, inspectors, contractors, mortgage specialists, and movers. You name it, I got it. I look forward to helping you find your dream home soon.

HOT NEW LISTING!

WOW! Outstanding home on a Huge lot! Fully renovated, and updated, you will not find a home like this in the area, for this price! Large master with walk/in closet, and a full ensuite(with stand alone shower and jaccuzi tub). Updated kitchen and baths. Very spacious living/dining areas. Roof re-shingled 2009, Insulation 2010, Carpet in basement 2009, the majority of windows replaced 2009. Huge Garage(28'x20') w/high ceilings and 60Amp service that can accomodate just about any mechanic. Finished basement with 4 bedrooms, complete kitchen, and full bath, that makes it perfect for a teen retreat, an inlaw suite, or a live in ivestment with a Bed & Breakfast! Outdoor Pool, a patio, large yard with mature trees, and a screened in porch, allows for the perfect summer entertaining atmosphere! Do not miss out on this opportunity. There isn't enough space on these servers to upload all the amazing images of this home so call or email me now to have a look in person, you won't be dissappointed! OPEN HOUSE SUN JUNE 13th 2-4pm.

Andrew Miller

Sales Representative

Keller Williams Ottawa Realty Ltd.Brokerage,

Independently Owned and Operated

610 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario

K1S 4E6

Office: (613) 236-5959

Direct: (613) 447-7669

Fax: (613) 235-1515

Email: mailto:amiller@kwottawa.ca

HOTTEST APRIL EVER!!!

Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,841 residential properties in April through the Board's Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,591 in April 2009, an increase of 15.7 per cent. Of those sales, 425 were in the condominium property class, while 1,416 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.) which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties. "Last month's sales blew away the record for April, which is always one of the busiest months of the year for our market," said Board President Pierre de Varennes. "The increased sales activity may be partially due to buyers trying to avoid the impending HST and the mortgage changes that came into effect on April 19, but also demonstrates that consumers feel confident about our local economy," he added.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in April in the Ottawa area was $332,979, an increase of 11.6 per cent over April 2009. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $254,220, an increase of 17.4 per cent over April 2009. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $356,617, an increase of 11.7 per cent over April 2009.

The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

"information provided by the Ottawa Real Estate Board."

Picking your Neighbourhood

Choosing your neighborhood

For many people, choosing a neighborhood is the most difficult part of the decision to buy a home. This is true even if already own a home and are trying to decide where to live next.
When you tackle the “location, location, location” question, it’s smart to prioritize various neighborhood features, then start looking for homes in areas that match most of your criteria. Here are some things to consider:

Transportation
Check the length of your commute to work from your neighborhoods of choice. Do streets get clogged at rush hour? Is mass transit within walking distance? In a consumer study, 79 percent of respondents said that a top priority in deciding where to live is having a commute time under 45 minutes. Seventy-five percent also wanted easy access to highways.

What’s close by
Research nearby schools, restaurants, places of worship and parks. Seventy-two percent of survey respondents ranked sidewalks and places to walk as a top priority when considering where to live.

Costs
In addition to the costs of mortgage, insurance and home maintenance, consider local property taxes and homeowner association fees, if applicable. If homes in your preferred neighborhoods are out of your price range, consider condominiums.

Future
Try to imagine what the neighborhood will look like in 10 years. Will you still want to live there, or do you expect to move before then? Will it be desirable to future buyers?
Before committing to the neighborhood, visit it at different times of day and night and talk to as many local residents as possible.

Once you’ve prioritized all your neighborhood amenities and features, you’ll find it’s much easier to focus your home search. Remember, the neighborhood is usually as important to the value of a home as what’s under its roof.

New Listing! In Barrhaven

This trendy urban flat is a perfect spot for any first time buyers, or any young couple looking to take advantage of these low mortgage rates! This 2006 Tartan built Cappuccino model, features 9' Ceilings, 902 sq/ft of relaxed living space, a 20' x 8' Covered terrace with gas hookups for bbq, and better yet, the stainless steel bbq is incld. The kitchen boasts upgraded oak cabinets and has a breakfast bar. There is also gleaming dark hardwood flooring, in unit laundry and storage space, a very spacious bathroom with seperate tub and shower, and to top it all off included in the price is not one but TWO parking spots! This extra parking space is worth over $4000 and can be rented for a min of $40 a month!

Don't waste your time searching for a property any longer, it has finally arrived! Give me a call or shoot me an email, day or night!

Andrew Miller
Sales Representative

Keller Williams Ottawa Realty, Ltd.

Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated

610 Bronson Ave.

Ottawa, Ont.

K1S 4E6

Office:(613)-236-5959

Cell: (613)-447-7669

Fax: (613)236-1515

Email: amiller@kwottawa.ca

web: http://amiller.oreb.mlxchange.com/

Blog: http://www.dreamhomeottawa.blogspot.com/