Archives for Real Estate Information

Why summer is a good time to move…

Why summer is a good time to move… School’s officially out for summer! If you’re like us, you’re probably thinking beaches, holidays, cottages… any activity that will get us out to enjoy the warm weather…but it can also be a perfect time to move! While there might not be as much real estate activity in July as there is in May, it may surprise you to find out that June, July and August are busy months in Ottawa real estate, especially in recent years. The weather is fine and there are still a lot of great opportunities to buy
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What Home Buyers Should be Looking for When Viewing a Property

You’ve done your research, found the perfect Realtor, crunched the numbers, created your list of must-haves and now it’s time to start the exciting process of HOUSE HUNTING! When you’re looking at homes for sale it isn’t always easy to look beyond the cosmetics. Not to worry, we’ve created this handy graphic to help home buyers to stay focused.
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March Market Snapshot

Buyers Get a Jump on the Spring Market taken from the Ottawa Real Estate Board April 5, 2018 Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,660 residential properties in March through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® System, compared with 1,478 in March 2017, an increase of 12.3 per cent. The five-year average for March sales is 1,339. March’s sales included 358 in the condominium property class and 1,302 in the residential property class. “Inventory continues to fall below normal average, but we are still seeing more sales than last year because listings are not staying on the market,” states
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Buyers Toolkit – Springtime

Buyers Toolkit – Springtime Spring is in the air, and the real-estate market is ramping up for the beginning of buyers’ season. Things tend to move faster in the spring and houses for sale are often sold shortly after they are listed. As a potential home buyer, it is important to be prepared as possible before you start looking at potential homes – that way, the chance of losing your “dream home” to another buyer is greatly decreased. You may be wondering … “What are some of the important things that can help you stay on-top of, and ahead of
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Wanted: Ottawa Homes for Sale

Wanted: Ottawa Homes For Sale When the calendar rolled over into 2018 many real estate experts across Canada were speculating the housing market to “cool off” with tighter mortgage rules and higher interest rates impacting home buyers. While that may be the case in other real estate markets, in the Ottawa Real Estate market the biggest factor in February’s 2.8% drop in the number of sales (year over year), is that listing inventory is scarce. “There is no doubt our sales number would have been much higher if we had more properties available for sale. Buyer demand is there, but our
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New Mortgage Rules – Renewing and Refinancing

New Mortgage Rules – Renewing and Refinancing January 1st, 2018 Canada’s new mortgage rules came into effect and it was big news. These new rules appear to have the greatest impact on those looking to qualify for a new mortgage but if you are looking to renew or refinance your mortgage, you may be impacted as well. At the centre of the new rules is a stress test requiring applicants to qualify at a rate at least 2% higher than the rate they will be paying, regardless of the down payment they are making on the home. The new rules
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An Era of Change: 2018

An Era of Change: 2018 Canadian real estate is in an era of change. 2017 closed with a bang, as we saw some of the largest increases in real estate prices in nearly a decade. The curiosity now turns to 2018, and what can we expect to see in Ottawa, and across Canada. Ottawa is climbing the list as a hot spot for home buyers this year, joining popular cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Ottawa may hold an even higher interest for buyers, where real estate prices are significantly lower than areas such as Toronto and Vancouver. The pool of potential home
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2017 Recap!

2017 was an amazing year for Real Estate in Ottawa! Records were broken and property values continue to increase. As the year comes to a close, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights with our Top 20 Blog Posts of 2017! #20 – Understanding Multiple Offers This year the Ottawa market became more competitive than ever before and multiple offers have become far more common. Here are some helpful hints to help you navigate multiple offers! #19 – Pets and Real Estate New research emerged this year showing that more and more homeowners are making housing decisions
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Ottawa Real Estate Latest Market Snapshot

It’s hard to believe November is over but here we are! If you’ve been following Ottawa real estate you’ll know it’s been a busy 2017 and December will likely be no exception. With the new mortgage rules coming into play in a few short weeks, many buyers are motivated to have firm deals completed before January 1st, 2017. We’ve included the latest news release from the Ottawa Real Estate Board below. Please note: 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.
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What Canadian home buyers need to know NOW about the upcoming changes to Mortgage rules

What home buyers need to know before 2018 As of January 1, 2018, Canadian homebuyers will have to meet stiffer requirements in order to qualify for a mortgage with a federally regulated mortgage lender. Why are the Mortgage Rules changing? As Canada’s financial “watchdog” OSFI believes these new rules will decrease the risks for Canadian households with significant debt if and when the interest rates rise. Are you a Confused by the upcoming changes to the mortgage rules? Don’t panic. Our very own Kent Browne, Owner and Broker at Royal LePage Team Realty, sat down with Mortgage Broker York Polk
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