The Value of Home Inspections for Buyers AND Sellers

This brief video explains the benefits of having a home inspection, both a pre-listing inspection for a Seller and the home inspection for the Buyer.

Contact me for a Free Home Value Report or for more information at www.kimlouie.net

The Basics of Multiple Offers on a Home Sale

Multiple offers on homes for sale are becoming the norm as inventory levels remain low.

This brief video describes some of the many considerations from both the buyer and seller perspectives.

For more information, please feel free to contact me at www.kimlouie.net

Choosing a Realtor - What you should be looking for!

There are many considerations when choosing a Realtor - and it is an important decision.

Here are some considerations and to see what my past clients think of my level of service, check out this link at: http://realestateagents.servicerating.ca/agent/kim-louie

Considerations When Buying a Condo

There are a number of special considerations when purchasing a condo - specifically the rules and regulations and the status certificate.

This brief video explains them and, if you have any more questions about this or real estate in general, please contact me at www.kimlouie.net

What's open and closed during the Christmas Holiday in Waterloo Region - 2016

With Christmas Eve, Christmas, Boxing Day and a statutory holiday all covering a four-day period, a lot of businesses and services are operating on modified hours or not at all. Here are some of the changes:

• Waterloo Region’s garbage, recycling and organic waste trucks will be running their normal routes on the usual pickup days
• The region’s waste drop-off sites will be closed on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27
• Grand River Transit is operating on a modified schedule from Dec. 19 until Jan. 2
• The Beer Store and LCBO stores close at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and don’t reopen until Dec. 27
• Fairview Park Mall is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Boxing Day
• Conestoga Mall is open from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Boxing Day
• Cambridge Centre is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Boxing Day
• Canada Post will not deliver mail on Dec. 26 or 27
• All branches of the Region of Waterloo Library and Kitchener Public Library will be open until 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and then closed until Dec. 28
• Waterloo Public Library branches will close at 1:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and reopen on Dec. 28
• Branches of Cambridge’s Idea Exchange will be closed Dec. 24 through Dec. 26, reopening on Dec. 27
• On Christmas Eve, the Kitchener Market will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Cambridge Farmers’ Market from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• More information on municipal closures can be found at the websites for the Region of Waterloo, the City of Kitchener, the City of Waterloo and the City of Cambridge
• For information on holiday hours at your favourite supermarket, pharmacy, bank, retailer or restaurant, check with them directly

5 Signs Your Realtor Is a Keeper

What makes a real estate agent good, if not great? Some agents are simply better at their jobs than others, but it can be difficult to spot the difference, at least at first. Here are a few ways to know if the agent you’re working with is a keeper.

                                                      

Real estate agents seem to be a dime a dozen these days. Some people become a real estate agent as a way to earn money on the side, in addition to their other full-time job. Other people are agents because they have a deep-seated interest in helping people find the right home or in helping people get the best offer when they sell their home. How do you know if the real estate agent you’re considering working with is worth his or her commission? There are a few signs your agent is going to be a great asset to have in your corner when you’re looking for buying or selling a home in Waterloo Region.

Your Agent Keeps Appointments

When it comes to buying or selling a home, offers and deals can be made in a matter of hours. A great house can be snapped up pretty quickly. That’s why an agent who makes and keeps appointments, follows up when you’re interested in putting in an offer, and responds to your calls and messages quickly is a great agent to work with. You don’t want to leave a message with your agent when you want to put in an offer on a home only to have him or her finally return your call a day later to tell you the house is off the market.

Your Agent Knows Waterloo Region, or at Least Your Neighbourhood

Waterloo Region is a big place, and the cost of a home in one neighbourhood is going to be vastly different from the cost of a home in another neighbourhood. A great real estate agent is going to know the area you are considering buying in, or the area where you are selling your home, like the back of his or her hand.

It’s important that your agent knows what’s going on in your area so that he or she can give you an idea of what to list your home for, based on what similar houses have gone for recently, and an idea of whether the house you’re considering buying is priced right or too high or too low in comparison to others. You also want to make sure your agent typically works with the type of property you’re buying or selling. It doesn’t make much sense to work with a commercial agent if you’re buying or selling residential property.

Your Agent Has the Right Credentials

Great agents aren’t necessarily born, they are made. Ask your agent about his or her education and credentials and whether he or she is part of a regional or national agents’ association. You can also check out the Real Estate Council of Ontario website.

Your Agent Comes with Glowing Recommendations

The right credentials are just part of making sure an agent is qualified. An agent worth sticking with will also have a number of past clients who are ready and willing to sing his or her praises.


Your Agent Buys and Sells Houses on a Full-Time Basis

A full-time real estate agent has decided to dedicate his or her career to the buying and selling of property. Not only does this suggest that he or she will be more readily available to you. It also suggests that he or she is going to be more likely to know what’s going on in the real estate scene in your particular neighborhood.

It’s worth it to take your time finding the right agent to work with. Like any relationship, you don’t want to rush into things and find yourself wishing you had pursued other options.

Contact me today for a Free Home Value Report by going to www.kimlouie.net!

Home Buyer Programs and Incentives in Kitchener - Waterloo

Probably one of the biggest obstacles to home ownership for most first-time buyers is coming up with the necessary downpayment.

Which is why many of the programs to assist them are geared toward assisting with the downpayment or initial costs.

Here are 4 of the most popular programs available:


Federal First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/bdgt/2009/fqhbtc-eng.html

Ontario Land Transfer Tax Credit for First-Time Home Buyers:
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/refund/newhome/index.html

The Home Buyer's Plan:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/hbp/

Waterloo Region Home Ownership Plan:
http://communityservices.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/housing/affordablehomeownership.asp

Contact me today to find out more about these programs or regarding any Real Estate Questions you might have!  Go to www.kimlouie.net

Home Sales UP 27%, total listings available DOWN 23% = Seller's Market in Waterloo Region!

Home sales through the Multiple Listing System (MLS® System) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR), totalled 535 last month, an increase of 27.1 percent compared to November of 2015, marking another record breaking month for residential properties sold in Kitchener-Waterloo and area.

November’s sales included 352 single detached homes (up 34.4 percent compared to November 2015) and 118 condominium type units (down 22.9%) which include any property regardless of style (i.e. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc.). Sales also included 32 semi-detached homes (up 45.5 percent) and 28 freehold townhouses (down 20 percent).

Record breaking sales are also being tallied on a year-to-date basis with 6,352 residential transactions compared to 5,341 during the same period in 2015, representing an increase of 18.9 percent. "Year-to-Date Sales to the end of November have now exceeded any previous end-of-year totals on record," says James Craig, president of the KWAR. He points out that in 2007, sales to the end of the year exceeded 6,000 units for the first time, and haven’t hit that high-water mark again, until now, an entire month earlier.

Inventory levels on the other hand, remain stubbornly low. In their October release, the Canadian Real Estate Association stated that, "the tight balance between housing supply and demand in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe region is without precedent (including the GTA, Hamilton-Burlington, Oakville-Milton, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Brantford, the Niagara Region, Barrie and nearby cottage country)."

As of the end of November, the KWAR’ MLS® System only had 565 active residential listings on the market, down 23.1 percent compared to the previous month, and 60.8 percent below the same period last year.

The average price of all residential properties sold in November was $411,602 a 15.5 percent increase over 2015. Detached homes sold for an average price of $473,104, an increase of 13.9 percent compared to November 2015. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $209,360, a decrease of 8 percent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $310,151 (up 14.8 percent) and $330,534 (up 27.7 percent) respectively.

"With a notable shortage of inventory, many properties are selling above list price," said Craig. "This is because you have many buyers competing for fewer properties, and this is pushing up the average price."

The median price of all residential properties sold in November increased 18 percent to $377,500, and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 16.4 percent to $425,000.

For more information or to find out what your home is worth, check out www.kimlouie.net!

Get Smart About Move-In Ready Homes - "Smart Homes" in Demand

Latest survey finds buyers are thinking differently about move-in ready properties – they want homes that have smart tech already included.

         

Who says you can’t teach an old home new tricks? Today, Coldwell Banker unveiled the results of a survey it conducted with Parks Associates, which found that 44 percent of people who want a move-in ready home said smart home technology should already be installed. Another 57 percent would consider an older home “updated” if it had smart home technology.

Our agents agree – smart home tech is permeating the market and becoming more mainstream. Angel Piontek, a sales associate with Coldwell Banker Elite in Fredericksburg, VA and smart home guru, has noted that clients are seeking a smarter kind of home. “Most recently I’ve seen that the term move-in ready is evolving still to include the convenience and comfort that smart home technology provides,” she said.

Smart homes are getting popular among just about every age group. If given a choice between two homes where one was smart and the other was not, more than half of survey respondents would opt for the smart home. And it’s not just Millennials who want a smart home (although 61 percent would choose the smart home). 52 percent of Gen Xers and 50 percent of boomers also agreed.

Not in the market for a new home? You can still outfit your house to include some of the hottest smart home gizmos and gadgets. Check out some tips on getting started from our Coldwell Banker agents, and learn more about the tech making waves this summer.

Contact me today for a Free Home Value Report by going to www.kimlouie.net