Kitchener to finalize budget today....

Kitchener will finalize its 2014 budget today.

Before the budget process began, staff were directed to bring forward a tax-supported budget that does not exceed a 1.25 per cent increase.

At their last meeting, councillors got that proposed tax increase to 1.17 per cent.

The meeting starts at 9am. CLICK HERE for the live web stream.

You can also follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #KitBudget.

Thing to Consider When Buying Land

Buying land is a great investment, whether you are renovating or building up a property from scratch. When buying land, you need to take special considerations into account.  Firstly, you need to know what to look for and secondly, you need to know real estate factors. Along with this comes careful observation and plenty of research. Here are 5 things to look for when buying land.

1. Road Access

This is a common thing that people overlook when buying land. It cannot be emphasized enough on how important access rights are.

Be absolutely sure that permanent, legal, transferable access is specified in the deed. You cannot assume that access is guaranteed if the property is on a town or provincial road.

This is not the case. If the right was not granted to the previous owner, then you may have to get permission from the town or province.

2. Natural Hazards on the Land

It is important to obtain a natural hazard disclosure and check to see if there are problems with the soil.

A disclosure should tell you if a certain plot land is a protected habitat, which would prohibit any plans for building.

Certain soils risk of causing a landslide or it could be too soft for building any sort of a structure. This should be carefully observed before buying land.

3. Water, Sewer, and Drainage

This is also a major concern to be addressed when purchasing land. For example, that lovely creek of running water on that dream property may appear to be beautiful but it’s important to check if you even have the right to use it.

It’s also important to consider an adequate sewerage system. For example, some properties might not allow an outhouse for they are illegal in some territories whereas others may have a septic tank already installed by the local water scheme.

4. Easements Associated with the Land

An easement is the right to use someone else’s land for a specific predetermined purpose. Before purchasing land, it’s important to research what easements other people might have on the property.

This applies to both country and urban areas. You may also want to make sure that easements are available to you in terms of power and telephone lines because you may never know when it could be important to you one day.

5. Community Attitudes

It is critical to study the area in which you plan to purchase property as it could have long-term effects on your personal contentment and happiness.

Talk to residents in the area and find out what it might be like to live in the area. The answers you receive from locals could very well be the final deciding factors as to whether you purchase or not.

Contact me today for a free Home Value Report or a Home Buyer's Toolkit!

Top 10 Red Flags for Homebuyers

           

Sellers don't always disclose the whole truth to potential homebuyers, especially if they're eager to sell (or "motivated" in real estate lingo). Sometimes they don't know that they need to disclose or that there is even something to disclose.

But you can't afford to get a professional inspection of every house you tour. So before you spring for the pro, narrow down your choices by doing your own pre-inspection to spot potential problems.  This is something that a good Realtor, with up to date training and knowledge, should be able to do for you.

1. Mass Exodus From the Neighborhood
   Don't let a home's curb appeal keep you from glancing down the street. Are there several other homes for sale? Are nearby businesses boarded up or vandalized? Get the scoop from the neighbours. If everyone else wants to leave the street, maybe you should, too. Just do it before you're stuck with a bad investment.
   How to choose a neighbourhood
2. Mediocre Maintenance
   Three layers of roofing and gutters with plants growing in them are signs the owners aren't big on maintaining their home. What else did they neglect?
   Signs of poor home maintenance
3. Foundation Failures
   Check out the yard grading. If the yard slopes toward the house, it could cause water to run down the foundation walls or into the basement, which will be costly to repair. Scour the foundation for damage. Bulges or cracks bigger than one-third inch can mean the house has serious structural issues.
   Get your home inspected
4. Bad Smells (Inside or Outside)
   Take a big whiff of the air inside and outside the house. Do you smell anything funky? If you can't smell anything but the huge baskets of potpourri all over the house, this could be a red flag.
5. Faulty or Old Wiring
   While you're probably not an electrician, make sure all the switches and outlets in the house function properly. Flickering lights, circuits that don't work and warm or hot outlets or faceplates are all symptoms of wiring problems.
   Look out for old home wiring
6. Fresh Paint on One Wall
   New paint can really spruce up drab walls, but it can also hide bigger problems, like water damage, mildew or mold. If the room smells strange or if you see stains or saggy walls or ceilings, have an inspector look for mold and leaks.
   Finding a good home inspector
7. Locked Doors and Blockades
   Ask about any rooms that are "off limits" during your home tour, and arrange to see them later if you're interested in the house.    Be sure to tour the entire house
8. Foggy or Nonfunctioning Windows
   Check for water in between double-paned windows and make sure all the windows are functional.   
9. Structural Walls or Floors Have Been Removed
   Sure you love the open floor plan, but was the house always open or did the homeowners renovate? If they removed a load-bearing wall without adjusting the framing, it can shift weight to other parts of the house. Hire a structural engineer if you think any renovations are questionable.
      
10. Bugs!
    No one wants a house with a pest problem, be it roaches, mice or, worst of all, termites. Be on the lookout for unwelcome creatures as you tour the house. Even if no foes pop out while you're there, consider a separate termite inspection if you're thinking of purchasing the property.

BOTTOM LINE: Always get a professional inspection
Yeah, it's a little expensive, but it's worth every penny. Skipping a home inspection is not a good way to cut home buying costs. You'll end up paying more in the long run when problems inevitably arise.

Contact me today for a free Home Value Report or a Home-Buyer's Toolkit!

2 DIY Repairs Around the House that may Save You a Lot of Money...

Potential problem: Puckered, missing, or shrunken caulk can allow water to seep into a wall cavity, leading to mold or even wall failure. Likewise, a chunk of missing grout in a tub surround can cause serious water damage behind the tiles.

Fix it now: Recaulking a bathtub is one of the simplest DIY projects. All you need is a $6 tube of mildew-resistant silicone. While you're at it, touch up the grout using a premixed compound, which runs about $10 per quart. For bigger jobs, mix your own using a $12 bag of polymer-fortified grout powder. Follow the maker's instructions to mix in just the right amount of water—too little makes grout crumbly, too much will make it cure improperly.

What you'll save: Up to $2,500 to retile a small section, including partial demolition of the wall and new backer board. Long-neglected leaks could necessitate a $200 to $900 mold inspection, plus $2,000 to $6,000 for remediation if toxic mold is found.

DIY: Find foolproof caulk and grout tips





Potential problem: A shaky newel, the vertical post that anchors the rail, is the likely culprit. One weak link like this can put undue stress on the entire balustrade and lead to an accident.

Fix it now: Insert a lag screw through the base of the post and into the staircase framing. One screw will steady most posts, but if it's still a little wobbly, drive in a second screw. Countersink the fasteners and hide the heads with plugs cut from a 1-inch-diameter dowel. To make this repair, all you need are a few basic tools: a drill/driver, 1-inch spade bit, ratchet wrench, and handsaw.

What you'll save: About $65 an hour for a carpenter to steady the newel and repair—or replace—snapped spindles. Then there's what you'd save on hospital bills if anyone took a tumble.

DIY: See a how-to guide for tightening a newel.

Making Yourself at Home After a Move

  

Moving day is over. Now, it's time to settle into your new home. Here's how to unpack and get your house in order without stressing out.

 

Have you heaved a huge sigh of relief yet? If not, go ahead -- you've earned it.

Now that you've successfully cruised through moving day, you can start turning your new digs into a home sweet home. Of course, your idea of "home" may not include ceiling-high stacks of cardboard boxes. Or maybe you're not exactly smitten with whatever misguided decor (gilded wallpaper? shag carpeting?) the previous owners left behind.

TIP: Establish a sanctuary within your home. Choose one room to paint immediately, and decorate it with items that make you feel warm 'n' fuzzy -- a favorite armchair, a few picture frames, or your projection-screen television. It may be a while before all your belongings are put away and renovations complete, but whenever you need a break from your work-in-progress, you can retreat to this room and feel right at home.

Just don't get too comfortable, because you still have some unpacking to do...
Feeling besieged by boxes? Take it one room at a time. The kitchen is a good place to start -- it's the hub of most homes, and besides, too much takeout can be hard on the wallet. Get bathrooms in order next, and then move on to bedrooms, living rooms, and guest rooms. If you can't find a place for something, sell it or toss it. Don't let it languish in unpacking limbo.

Once your house is in order, take some time to explore your new community. Start with the nuts and bolts:

• Find the nearest post office, bank, grocery store, police department, fire department, and hospital.  
• Update your driver's license and car registration with the DMV; if you're not a fan of standing in line, log on to your state's DMV website.
• Register to vote in your new district, and find out where the nearest polling location is.
• Call your town's sanitation department and see if curbside pickup is offered for trash and recycling.
• Get acquainted with the rules and regulations of your apartment complex or homeowners' association.
• Send e-mails or moving announcements to your friends and family with your new address and phone number. For inspiration, read Creative Ways to Announce Your Move.

Welcome home!

Don't Fall for Love at First Sight - at least not when buying a home!

 

Buying the first house you look at it is kind of like marrying the first person you go on a date with -- not necessarily a good idea. The average homebuyer looks at least 10 homes over an eight-week search before making an offer. While you don't need to visit every home in the neighborhood, you should compare at least three homes before making a decision.

Here are the top 4 reasons to shop around:

You might find similar features in another home. When you go on your first showing, you have nothing to compare the home's pros and cons with. You might love the steam shower in the master bathroom, but another listing nearby might have a better -- with a lower asking price.
 
You'll learn more about each home's resale value. Shopping around can help you get a sense of the neighborhood, and can help you gauge which homes have been over-developed for the area. If you buy the nicest home on the block, your property won't appreciate at the same rate that the surrounding homes do, and you might have trouble selling when you choose to move on.

You'll catch red flags before you rush in. Rushing to the closing table can also cause you to miss serious maintenance issues. Finding "the surprise behind door number three" is only exciting on The Price is Right, so make sure you look in every room in the house. If any rooms are "off limits" during the showing, arrange to see them later and have your home inspector examine them carefully.
 
You won't wonder if "the grass is greener" across the street. Surveying your options will also help you avoid buyer's remorse. If you buy without looking at several homes, you could end up feeling as though you've made a mistake. If you still love the first house you saw after visiting a few more listings, you can be confident in your decision to make an offer.

Contact me today for a free Home-Buyer's Toolkit!

3 Kitchen Facelifts for Selling Your Home

Often times when selling your home there are little things that you can do such as cleaning scuffs on the walls, changing light bulbs and giving a good cleaning to your home to get it in sellable condition. However one of the most dramatic changes you can make to effectively increase the value on your home would be to give your kitchen a facelift if it has an older dated kitchen.

1. Give the Cabinets a Facelift

Old oak cabinets that have yellowed over time are not the most appealing to most potential home buyers. There are several ways which you can change this in a time and cost efficient matter without going through the expense of a massive kitchen renovation.

One way is to use the existing cabinets and reface the cabinet doors and drawers. By replacing the doors and drawer fronts only and leaving the existing cabinet boxes, it is only a fraction of the cost of a full renovation.

Doors will likely have to be special ordered to fit, however some home improvement big box stores carry an in-stock line of cabinet doors in a variety of colors which could update the look.

2. Pay Attention to Detail

 

Painting and staining existing cabinets is another way to change the look of older cabinets. I recommend using a paint specifically for melamine if you have the old while melamine cabinets. If you have wooden doors it is best to sand the cabinets with a hand sander first before applying the stain or paint.

Make sure you take all of the proper steps so that you get a fresh look without the old color seeping through. You can even replace handles on doors and drawers to update the look without spending a lot of money.

3. Countertops Help Sell Your House

Perhaps your cabinets are not that old (less than 5 years) but you have post form laminate countertops in a dated forest green or sky blue. It would be worth the money to replace with granite to immediately increase the value of your home.

When your kitchen is fresh and updated it gives a whole new look to your home. If it doesn’t scream 1970s it will be more likely to appeal to the younger generations who like more of a modern style.

Contact me today for a complimentary Home Value Report or Staging advice

Average Price of All Home Sales in Kitchener - Waterloo Increased 4% in 2013 ... Records Set!

More homes were sold in 2013 than in the previous two years, and the 6,366 residential sales processed through the Multiple Listing System (MLS®) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR) this past year were above the 10-year average.

In a year when troubling news concerning one of the region’s largest employers dominated not only headlines, but the hearts and minds of many, the Kitchener-Waterloo housing market fared remarkably well.

“Throughout last year we saw the fate of Waterloo region called into question by those who didn’t fully grasp the depth of our region’s overall economy,” said Lynn Bebenek, President of the KWAR.

“While the strength of our housing market is only one economic indicator, this past year
demonstrated the confidence buyers and sellers have in Kitchener-Waterloo’s real estate market.”

Sales of homes got off to a slow start in 2013 before heating up in May and stayed strong through to the end of the third quarter. In December, following two months of slower activity, a total of 279 residential properties sold, representing an increase of 3 percent over the same month last year.
The dollar volume of sales in 2013 increased 6.5 percent over last year, totalling $2,057,707,041 and surpassing the “2 billion” dollar mark for the first time in the KWAR’s history.

Close to half of all residential properties (47%) sold above $300,000 in 2013 compared to 43% in 2012. The average price of all residential properties sold in 2013 increased 4 percent to $323,335. Single detached homes sold for an average price of $366,907 in 2013, an increase of 3.7 percent. In the condominium market the average sale price in 2013 was $216,866, an increase of 1.5 percent compared to the previous year.

Home sales in 2013 included 4,241 detached homes (up 4.2 percent from 2012), 1,151 condos (down 3.9 percent), 505 semis (up 3.7 percent), and 399 townhouses (down 0.3 percent)

Contact me today for a complimentary Home Value Report!

The Final Walkthrough - Last Step in a Home Purchase

One of the last pieces that a buyer does before going to closing is to “walk though” the house.  What exactly is a walk through and what should happen?

A walk through is the last milestone prior to closing where a buyer visually inspects the property to ensure what they are buying is in substantially the same condition as when they first saw it, and to check on the completion of any negotiated repairs or replacements that were agreed upon to be made.

Everyone has come a long way from contract offer to acceptance, financing, inspections, getting through the appraisal and now one last check before documents are signed and keys are handed over. 
Because it is one of the last things prior to closing, it can often be a rushed process as sellers are often hurriedly trying to vacate, etc.   This part of the transaction is often the least prepared for and least coached about the proper way to leave a property upon move out:

So, let’s talk about seller and buyer do’s and don’ts:

Sellers:

TIME – Plan ahead and give yourself more time than you think.  Plan to be moved out two to three days BEFORE the closing.  This will give you some extra time for any last minute things that need to be taken care of.  The process often takes longer than what you think.

EMPTY – The house should be completely empty when the buyers walk through.  Buyers are expecting to see a totally VACANT house.  Empty means empty –nothing lingering behind or in “a don’t know what to do with” pile.

CLEAN – Leave the home THOROUGHLY CLEAN and not just surface level clean.  Make arrangements to have the home professionally cleaned once you move out.  The buyers will appreciate it and it is one less thing you will have to take care of.  This also means having carpets professionally taken care of as well.  Don’t forget inside the cabinets and the oven – yes – buyers look inside of that during the walkthrough –even if you last used it a year ago!  Things will be that more exposed in a vacant home setting.

UNWANTED ITEMS – Don’t leave unwanted items behind in the garage or attic – those areas seem to be a repository for things like old paint, doors, broken hoses, tires….. if you don’t want them, the buyer likely does not either.  Make plans to dispose of these things well in advance of your moving day – especially anything deemed hazardous.

MANUALS – Put all manuals for appliances, controls, etc. in one drawer and gather all keys and remotes and have those in one package for the buyer.  Label any keys and where they go – the buyer will appreciate knowing what goes to what doors –especially if all are different.  It is also nice to leave a list of any particular instructions, details about the house, garbage collection day(s), etc. for the buyer.  A vendor list also helpful to leave behind – even if buyer got your list in advance of the closing, being in transition will help to have important information easily accessible.

TRASH – This needs to be taken away BEFORE the walk through, not left behind for the new owner to deal with.  Make arrangements to take to a neighbors or arrange for a special pick up if your closing date is between trash pick-up days.

DAMAGE- Move out damage – this can often create stress at the end when a buyer notices a gauge or ding.  If something is damaged during move-out, promptly notify your agent so they can advise the buyer’s agent.  Have a plan in place to get it repaired – this can often happen with movers and walls, floor scratches.  Be sure to take care on surfaces like wood floors.

And one last thing… sometimes floors are faded when area rugs are picked up –be sure to check this BEFORE you put the house on the market :)

BUYERS – Stay flexible… this may not be a perfect process.

A walkthrough can be a rushed situation as it is right before closing and you have a ton of things going through your mind. I always have a checklist I go through with my clients to make sure we check everything.

If incomplete repairs are found, document and submit to the listing agent immediately to issue(s) can be rectified.  Reputable contractors warrant their work and should not have an issue coming back out to address.

Don’t plan to start moving things in prior to closing – you legally don’t own the home and there could be issues with insurance coverage in case something happened between the time you placed your belongings in or on the property until the closing.   While it may not seem a big deal to bring over “a few boxes” – this could create some potential liability issues if something went wrong.  You may need some interim storage arrangements.

Contact me today for a free Home Market Evaluation or a Home Buyer's Toolkit.

Staging Tips - Room by Room

When home owners who are ready to sell think of "staging" they usually think "expensive" and "complicated".

What staging means to me, as an experienced Real Estate Broker, is presenting the home in the best light for as little an investment as possible so that it is cost-effective and simple.

Often, increasing lighting, cleaning and some painting is all that is needed.

But for some simple ideas to enhance your home in a potential buyer's eyes, check out this great link!

http://www.frontdoor.com/photos/room-by-room-staging-strategies

Contact me today for a Free Home Value Report or Staging Advice.

5 Small Signs of Big Problems With a Home

Some problems aren’t this obvious.

 

 

For a Free Home Value Report, CLICK HERE

House hunting is an exciting time. However, you shouldn’t let your excitement cloud your judgment. Some homes have real problems that can change your dream to a nightmare.

 

Here are five small signs of bigger issues to be on the lookout for as you visit homes for sale and open houses:

1. The Home has Patches of Fresh Paint

Sure, many home owners just want to make the place look more attractive with a fresh coat of paint. Others, however, might be trying to hide problems like cracks around windows, which could indicate foundation problems, or discolored spots on the ceiling, which might mean water damage.
Look closely at the painted areas, and if it seems like only a small area has been painted, be sure to ask why.

2. The Roof Looks a Little Off

Not all roof problems lead to a brand new roof, but some do. Be sure to check for missing shingles or broken tiles. If you see areas of concern, be sure to talk to a specialist to determine if the whole roof will need to be replaced, or just a few tiles.

Termite mud tubes

3. You See Mud Tubes on Walls, Joists or Ceilings

Termites can be costly, so you want to make sure your new home is termite-free. One sign of termites is mud tubes, which they build and then travel in.

If you suspect termites – or even less threatening but equally annoying bugs like ants or spiders—you’ll  want to call a pest control expert to make sure that the problem is taken care of properly.

4. Furniture or Rugs are Placed in Awkward Positions

It’s easy to conceal flooring problems by covering them up with rugs and furniture. While it makes sense that these things would be in a home, especially if people are still living there, be wary if something seems out of place.

Don’t be afraid to look under the rugs and furniture. Being vigilant now might save thousands of dollars in new wood flooring later.

5. Water Marks in the Basement

When it comes to the basement, it can be easy to gloss over the details because they all look similar, unless finished. Be sure to check out the walls closely for signs of water damage. While a leaky basement might not seem like a big deal at first, it will be the first time your stuff gets ruined or you realize it’s causing mold.

In the end, finding your perfect home is an achievable goal – just don’t let a pretty façade cost you thousands of dollars in repairs!

Contact me today for a free Home Value Report or a Home Buyer's Toolkit.