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FSteinhausen@REMAX.net
RE/MAX Rouge River Realty Ltd., Brokerage
Phone 905-428-6533
Fax 905-668-1850
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Archive for the 'Selling real estate' Category
Canadian Real Estate Association says “Canada’s hot resale housing market starting to cool”
May 28th, 2010 Categories: Buying real estate, Real Estate News, Selling real estate
(OTTAWA – May 17, 2010) Home sales activity in Canada came up short of the record for the month of April and new listings continued to climb, according to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).
PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this news release combines both major market and national MLS® sales information from the previous month. The Canadian Real Estate Association has previously released these separately.
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In The News
April 6th, 2010 Categories: Buying real estate, Real Estate News, Selling real estate
In Keeping Matters Current this morning, they highlighted that it matters what you read when it comes to understanding the real estate market.
I can’t present this any better:
Whenever a market is evolving rapidly, the most difficult thing to do is keep up with the changes. A home seller or a home buyer in today’s real estate market must make sure that they understand what is happening and why it is happening. They can then guarantee that they are making an informed decision in regard to what is best for themselves and their families.
The Goal
Keeping abreast of what is happening in today’s real estate market is no easy task. You may feel that you are doing a good job of staying on top of market fluctuations. You may read all the pertinent data and stories from all the best media sources. However, it is not just having the information but also being able to analyze the information that truly matters. And that is not easy.
The Challenge
Let’s look at two headlines from last week and a quote from each article:
Home Price Index Edges Up – Wall Street Journal 3/30/2010
The seasonally adjusted (prices) increased 0.3% in January from a month earlier, the eighth consecutive monthly increase. … The report “indicates that the worst of the declines are behind us and we can at least move forward from here,” said Adam York, an economist with Wells Fargo Securities.
Home Price Dip Extends to 4th Month – CNN Money 3/30/2010
After a five-month run-up in home prices starting last spring, prices have now fallen for four consecutive months … The market seems to have pulled the rug out from under housing industry hopes for a sustained early recovery.
I purposely left out to which report each article was referring in order to make a point. Each article was using as the foundation of their headline and story the SAME REPORT – the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index of 20 cities.
So here we have the Wall Street Journal and CNN Money reporting on the same exact news but coming up with widely opposite conclusions. One used the month-over-month numbers and one used the year-over-year numbers. Will most people understand the nuances and be able to determine what they mean?
The Solution
In today’s market, whether you are buying or selling, you need a dedicated professional to help you analyze the preponderance of information available.
You need someone that is willing to take the time to understand what is happening and why it is happening. They must also be willing to sit down and simply and effectively explain what it means to you and your family.
As Dave Ramsey, the personal finance guru, said:
“When getting help with money, whether it is insurance, real estate or investments you should always look for someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman. About eighty five percent (85%) of the people in the financial world know how to sell and tell you what to do. They don’t know how to teach you what you are doing. Stay away from them.”
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Bedside Manner or Skilled Hands
March 29th, 2010 Categories: Selling real estate
In Canada, we are not experiencing the same pain that the US has been experiencing over the last 3 years. Our growing pains are different. Recent press about opening up the MLS to do-it-yourself realtors has caused a furvor in the real estate industry. Who do you want to handle your most valuable asset?
This article from Keeping Current Matters blog can give you some perspective:
Imagine for a moment that you have been told that you need surgery. You have a choice between two surgeons:
The first has a wonderful disposition. He holds your hand as he explains the procedure, the risks, the rewards, and the likelihood of success. He may even shed a tear as you deal with the shock. His bedside manner is incredible; however, his personal success rate for this surgery is 80%.
The second doctor is a bit of a jerk… cold, with a “just the facts” approach. She seems to look right through you as she delivers her strategy for your recovery. At the same time, her personal success rate is 99%.
Who do you pick to do the surgery?
Well, your choice may be swayed by whether the surgery is life-threatening or not. Are we talking in-grown toenails or brain surgery here? Let’s assume it’s somewhere in between, say eye surgery. Your life is not in danger, but I think we all want to be able to see.
When I pose this scenario to most people, they choose “excellence in execution” over “likeability” virtually every time. We choose PROFESSIONALS based on results, often by referrals from others who can vouch for the results.
Why would it be any different when choosing who to work with on the largest financial decision you are likely to make this year (the buying and/or selling a home)? Of course, we all want real estate agents and loan officers who are both likeable AND competent, but we should be leaning towards knowledge of the market, advice and specific strategies to achieve our objectives.
No longer should we be hiring an agent or mortgage professional because we know them from the soccer field or PTA. Forget the days of listing your home with someone who you think you will enjoy working with because if your home doesn’t get sold, you aren’t going to like them for very long. Don’t be making loan applications with your nephew, just because he is your nephew. You need more than that.
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Pricing A House In Today’s Real Estate Market
March 26th, 2010 Categories: Selling real estate
Considering the press lately regarding do-it-yourself real estate sales, it is worth studying up on how the market value of your home is determined.
Most people have a rough number when asked what their home is worth. It is often determined by neighbourhood heresay or surfing the internet.
Consider: how important is it to know the value of your highest asset? And what are the consequences of you being wrong?
Although there is no set way of determining the value of a home, there are a few things that help narrow the price range down:
- Recent comparable solds: Your home is worth what a buyer will pay for it. Analyzing solds in your area of similar homes can give a good foundation for value.
- Expireds: Expireds are considered homes that have not sold. For one reason or another, the buyers determined that they were not willing to pay for that property. Examining what didn’t sell and why can give insight into the buyer’s mind in your neighbourhood.
- Currently for sale: In the real estate world, what is on the market now is really a fantasy price. It doesn’t necessarily indicate what buyers are willing to pay, but it will show what homes yours would be competing against. Determining market value is partly about making your home more compelling for the buyer. How does it compete?
- Improvements: Not all improvements to a home affect the value. Some will just allow it to sell in a neighbourhood that has a slow turn over. You will need to separate pride of ownership from investment realities. There is a simple charted estimate that can illustrate the possible return on the improvements you have made.
- What Ifs: Understanding what is going on in your neighbourhood is important when considering value. You might be buoyed by the possibility of double digit price increases that the media is highlighting. However, not all neighbourhoods fare the same in a hot market. You will need to add that flavour to the price range you can expect for your home.
As a realtor, I offer free market evaluations to show you the current value of your home. This can help with relocation decisions that you might be making.
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Demand and Supply Coming into Balance in Resale Market
March 16th, 2010 Categories: Real Estate News, Selling real estate
OTTAWA – March 15, 2010 – With rising activity in Toronto offset by lower activity in Vancouver, the number of homes sold through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems of Canadian real estate Boards edged lower in February. In recent months, national sales activity has slowed while new listings continue to rise, resulting in a more balanced national resale housing market.
According to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association, seasonally adjusted national home sales totalled 42,799 units in February 2010, edging down 1.5 per cent from January. Activity declined mostly in Vancouver, but this was offset by an equally large gain in Toronto. Sales were also down in a number of other British Columbia housing markets. Since there were no significant gains in sales activity elsewhere in Canada, the national figure for sales activity was pulled slightly lower.
“The Olympic Winter Games may have impacted February sales activity in British Columbia, so activity for the province in March will be closely watched,” said CREA President Dale Ripplinger. “Activity is expected to remain elevated in Ontario and British Columbia over the first half of the year, with buyers looking to beat the introduction of the HST and expected interest rate hikes.”
Across the country, actual (not seasonally adjusted) residential sales activity numbered 36,275 units in February, up 44 per cent from the same month last year. New records for February activity were set in Ontario and Quebec. The year-over-year gain in national activity was smaller than those of the previous three months. Since a year will soon have elapsed following the recessionary decline and subsequent rebound for the Canadian resale market, year-over-year comparisons are expected to continue shrinking.
The average price of all homes sold through Boards’ MLS® Systems in February 2010 was $335,655, up 18.2 per cent from one year ago. As with sales activity, this gain was smaller than in the past four months, and year-over-year gains are expected to become further subdued going forward.
The price trend is similar but less dramatic for the national weighted average price, which compensates for changes in provincial sales activity by taking into account provincial proportions of privately owned housing stock. It climbed 15.6 per cent on a year-over-year basis in February 2010.
The residential average price in Canada’s major markets was up 18.7 per cent year-over-year in February. As with the national counterpart, the price trend is similar but less dramatic for the major market weighted average price, which rose 14.7 per cent from levels reported in February 2009.
The seasonally adjusted number of new listings on Boards’ MLS® Systems across Canada climbed another 2.4 per cent on a month-over-month basis in February to reach 73,849 units, the highest level since October 2008. Five consecutive monthly increases have lifted new listings 16.3 per cent above where they stood last September, when they had fallen to the lowest level since late 2005. As with sales activity, new listings in February 2010 were up most in Ontario and down most in British Columbia. The actual (not seasonally adjusted) number of new residential listings was 71,197 in February, up 10.8 per cent from one year ago.
Strong resale housing demand continues to draw down inventories, but supply is shrinking at a decreasing rate because of slightly softer sales activity and an increase in new listings in recent months. There were 188,334 homes listed for sale on Boards’ MLS® Systems in Canada at the end of February 2010, a decline of 15.4 per cent compared to levels one year ago. This is the smallest year-over-year decline in active listings since last August.
The actual (not seasonally adjusted) number of months of inventory in February 2010 stood at 5.2 months. This is well below where it stood one year ago (8.8 months), but on par with February 2008 and slightly higher than it was in the month of February in the years 2004 through 2007. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, months of inventory rose nationally for the third consecutive month. There were 4.7 months of inventory in February 2010; up slightly from 4.5 months from the previous month, and 4.3 months in December 2009.
“Housing markets are becoming more balanced,” said CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump. “There are still a number of major markets where sales negotiations favour the seller due to a shortage of inventory, but supply has begun rising. Further expected supply increases will continue to take the steam out of housing markets as the year progresses.”
http://www.crea.ca/public/news_stats/pdfs/media_feb10rpt_e.pdf
PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this news release combines both major market and national MLS® sales information from the previous month. The Canadian Real Estate Association has previously released these separately.
CREA cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate actual prices in centres comprised of widely divergent neighborhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas. Statistical information contained in this report includes all housing types.
MLS® is a co-operative marketing system used only by Canada’s real estate Boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada’s largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 96,000 REALTORS® working through more than 100 real estate Boards and Associations. Further information can be found at www.crea.ca.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Alyson Fair
Publicist / Publicitaire
The Canadian Real Estate Association / L’Association canadienne de l’immeuble
Tel: (613) 237-7111 X 2284 Cell: (613)884-1460
afair@crea.ca
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Sprucing Up Your Home For The Buyers
February 24th, 2010 Categories: Selling real estate
A perfect storm might be on the horizon for the real estate market. The HST is set to come in July, when interest rates might take a hike and mortgage rules are changing. Now, might be the opportunity to catch the rising market. To make sure you can earn as much as possible from the sale of your home, there are some easy interior design secrets that enhance the feel of your home for potential buyers.
As a seller, you can’t control mortgage interest rates, market fluctuations, neighbourhood and city influences. You can control how your home is presented when a realtor shows your home to buyers.
Having a pleasant environment can put buyers at ease and reassure them that the home has been taken care of.
Here are a couple of tips that might help:
- Change the lighting.
Changing the lighting can instantly change the mood in the room. For example, an overhead light in the bedroom tends to create a stark atmosphere. Instead, turn on side table lamps with opaque shades to create a relaxed, ambient feel.
Cramped, dim spaces can be enhanced with mirrors making the a room feel larger and warmer. You can also use window coverings to adjust the light. Blinds that open completely can give a bright, airy feel to a room and soft sheer drapes can add a touch of warmth.
- Add some accessories.
Changing or adding accessories are just about the cheapest way to enhance your room. They make the room more interesting. Adding vases, candlesticks, coffee table books, flowers, and wall hangings can add life to your room. Remember though, another rule in home staging is, less is more.
One very special accessory is often better than five or six knick knacks. The knick knacks tend to just add clutter. Paintings and photos are good ways to add colour and character.
It is wise to get professional advice when decorating or staging your home, fifty dollars invested in paint or accessories could be money in your pocket.
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10 Home Features Buyers Want
February 2nd, 2010 Categories: Area interest, Selling real estate
Considering selling? Consider this:
Home designers and builders speaking at the recent International Builders Show in Las Vegas say that buyers are seeking cost-effective features and rejecting things that don’t have lasting value.
“It’s all about family togetherness – casual living, entertaining and flexible spaces,” says Carol Lavender, president of the Lavender Design Group in San Antonio.
Paul Cardis, CEO of Avid Ratings, which conducts an annual survey of buyer preferences, identified these must-haves in new homes:
1. Large kitchens with islands
2. Energy efficiency, including energy-efficient appliances, super insulation, and high-efficiency windows.
3. Home offices
4. Main-floor master suite
5. Outdoor living space
6. Ceiling fans
7. Soaking tub in the master suite and/or an oversize shower with a seating area
8. Stone and brick exteriors rather than stucco or vinyl
9. Community walking paths and playgrounds
10. Two-car garages, but three-car garages are even more desirable
Source: MarketWatch, Steve Kerch (01/30/2010)
Read More
Blog: Styled, Staged & Sold
Inside REALTOR Magazine’s Special House & Home Issue
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Heated housing activity throughout 2009 lends little air to bubble theory in the GTA, says RE/MAX
January 28th, 2010 Categories: Real Estate News, Selling real estate
Despite limited inventory levels in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in the latter half of the year, double-digit price appreciation failed to materialize in the single-detached housing category in 2009, says RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada.
Single-detached housing values remain slightly off peak 2008 levels in 27 per cent of TREB districts
Mississauga, ON (January 28, 2010) – Despite limited inventory levels in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in the latter half of the year, double-digit price appreciation failed to materialize in the single-detached housing category in 2009, says RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada.In fact, an in-depth analysis by RE/MAX of 63 districts within the Toronto Real Estate Board found that detached housing values in 27 per cent of districts remained slightly off 2008 levels, while 57 per cent reported price appreciation of less than five per cent in 2009. Sixteen per cent of districts recorded an increase in average price in excess of five per cent. No double-digit gains were noted.
“There is simply no evidence of a housing bubble,” says Michael Polzler, Executive Vice President, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada. “While sales were up considerably over one year ago—and supply was tight in many of the city’s hot pocket areas—the expected surge in average price did not occur. Buyers remained cautious in their pursuit of homeownership—with most unwilling to overpay for the privilege. “
While one quarter of all TREB districts saw prices in the detached housing category soften in 2009, just over half declined by less than two per cent. Those that saw prices fall by more than two per cent were primarily upper-end neighbourhoods—the vast majority located in the central core—which were slower to rebound once the market regained momentum. By year-end, however, sales in all of these areas posted double-digit growth—a fact that clearly indicates a greater number of transactions at the lower end of the price spectrum. Inventory may have also played a role as sellers held off listing their luxury properties until market conditions improved.
Leading the GTA in terms of price appreciation was South Pickering (E12) where the average has risen 9.4 per cent to $358,493; Malvern, Hillside, Rouge (E11) takes second place with a 7.3 per cent upswing to $368,095; North Pickering (E13) was ranked third with values climbing 7.2 per cent to $396,973; fourth spot goes to Port Credit (W12) in Mississauga where values have climbed seven per cent to $614,144; and rounding out the top five — the lone downtown Toronto district –was Riverdale, Leslieville (E01) where prices escalated 6.7 per cent to $522,017. Ballantrae, Cedar Valley (N13) ranked sixth with a reported 6.4 per cent increase to $662,268. In seventh place is Richmond Hill – North End (N05) with a 6.3 per cent increase in average price to $574,642. The Applewood, Rathwood neigbhourhoods (W14) in Mississauga ranked eighth in terms of price appreciation, rising 6.1 per cent to $505,994, while Markham (N10) claimed ninth spot with a 5.3 per cent escalation in detached housing values, bringing the average to $510,268. Bathurst Manor, Armour Heights (C06) in the city’s north end secured tenth place with a 5.1 per cent upswing in average price to $597,025.
The East clearly dominated the top five and affordability factored in heavily, with single-detached homes in both Pickering districts and Malvern, Hillside, Rouge, priced under $400,000. Young families – most buying their first home — were attracted to communities like Riverdale and up-and-coming Leslieville, while move-up buyers looked to Port Credit, which has steadily increased in popularity in recent years.
“First-time buyers were a driving force throughout much of the year, but their role was most noticeable in early 2009,” says Polzler. “Almost one in every two homes sold was priced under $400,000 in the first quarter of the year. An entirely different picture emerged in the final quarter when just one-third of homes moved under the $400,000 price point.”
As the move-up segment swelled, so too did demand for more upscale properties across the board. Yet, despite the upswing, average price registered only a small percentage increase. In the central core, for example, where the average price ranges from $572,529 in Don Mills to as high as $1,717,190 in Rosedale, overall values rose one per cent to $919,838, compared to 2008. Unit sales in C-district jumped 31 per cent to close to 4,000 units.
The number of homes sold in the city’s north end saw the greatest percentage increase at 32 per cent to 8,843 units. Average price in North district, which ranges from $398,864 in Newmarket to $700,499 in King City, rose two per cent overall to $555,616. Housing sales climbed in the west, where values range from $298,136 in Brampton to $790,060 in the Kingsway, by close to 19 per cent to 12,453 units. West district’s average price rose a nominal 1.5 per cent to $467,227. The increase in sales was more moderate in the East End (including Scarborough and Pickering, Ajax), where values range from $325,393 in Bendale, Woburn to $691,128 in the Beach. The number of detached homes sold increased 15 per cent year over year to 6,690. Average price in East Toronto rose 2.6 per cent overall to $400,813.
“After a dismal start, the stats confirm that 2009 returned to the healthy, upward trajectory that we have followed for much of the last decade,” says Polzler. “We see detached homes continuing on that course in 2010, with moderate gains expected. The detached housing category continues to be a solid gauge of the market’s overall performance, accounting for approximately half of the activity in GTA.”
RE/MAX is Canada’s leading real estate organization with over 17,000 sales associates situated throughout its more than 677 independently-owned and operated offices across the country. The RE/MAX franchise network, now in its 36th year, is a global real estate system operating in more than 70 countries. Over 6,700 independently-owned offices engage nearly 100,000 member sales associates who lead the industry in professional designations, experience and production while providing real estate services in residential, commercial, referral, and asset management. For more information, visit: www.remax.ca.
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For more information:
Christine Martysiewicz
RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada
905.542.2400
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Dress Up Your Home For A Successful Sale
December 22nd, 2009 Categories: Selling real estate
by Michelle Warren, Bankrate.com
Homeowners have two primary goals when selling a house: Do it quickly and for the highest amount possible. They are obvious objectives, but not always easy to achieve.
House hunters are increasingly savvy and, with the huge popularity of home makeover shows and decorating magazines, expectations are getting higher and higher when it comes to the design and maintenance of a prospective house. Does yours have what it takes to pique interest and spark a bidding war?
Not everyone is born with great taste or the vision to create a model home, but everyone wants to make top dollar when it’s time to sell. That’s where professional house dressing or staging comes in.
The practice — which involves everything from tweaking décor to completely reinventing a house with new furniture, paint and accessories — wasn’t prevalent a decade ago, but today stagers, primpers or fluffers, as they’re also known, are the demigods of real estate, as homeowners seek higher returns on their biggest investment.
Kathy Wardle, a realtor with Bosley Real Estate in Toronto, swears by house dressing. “Sometimes it’s added up to $100,000 (to the closing price). For others, it just makes it sellable.”
When clients haven’t the time or inclination to ready their own houses for the market, she directs them to Jeffrey Trafford, owner of Toronto-based Dressed To Sell.
“People are putting more and more into selling their homes,” says Trafford, who has charged anywhere from $1,000 to $18,000 for his services.
Not only does he advise on what needs to be done, but he also does the work, whether it’s purging a cluttered interior or renovating a tired kitchen. “I’ve never had anyone say to me, ‘I didn’t get a return on my money.’”
Set the stage
“That first 15 seconds upon entering a home, people will form an impression,” explains Brenda Paul, an agent with Irena Bell Real Estate in St. Catharines, Ont. “In a slower market, staging will help sell a home more quickly. In a busy market, it’ll help sell for more money.”
Paul knows of what she speaks. She also owns House Primping, a Niagara-area realtor-to-realtor staging company, and is writing a book, House Primping: The Art of the Real Estate Deal.
“You’re selling more than a house and four walls,” she says. “You’re selling a dream and a perception of a lifestyle.” Using decorating techniques and a variety of tools, from stock furniture to experienced handy people, primpers bring the dream to life and set the stage for potential buyers to envision themselves and their belongings in a house.
However, ambitious sellers can adopt a variety of trade secrets to make their house more marketable on their own.
Prepare to purge
The objective is to neutralize the space in order to widen its appeal. House hunters are not interested in sellers’ bowling trophies, family photos or antique teacup collections. Eliminating clutter is key to readying a house for the market.
“People can get distracted by who the owners are and not see the house,” says Wardle. “It’s not about dulling it down but giving it more of a universal appeal.”
Sometimes preparation is as easy as cleaning up the basement or purging items long destined for the garbage. But often, family heirlooms, over-the-top art and that comfy, but rather shabby, couch are banished to a storage locker.
“You want a house to feel open,” says Trafford, adding that storage is a primary concern for buyers and a cluttered house gives the impression that space is an issue.
10 easy and inexpensive projects
“There are certain things that potential buyers don’t want to see,” he stresses. When Trafford scrutinizes a house, he’s on the lookout for scuffed walls, stained ceilings, chipped sinks — the little things he insists make a big difference.
“It’s a lot of common sense stuff that people often don’t see for themselves.”
Trafford has 10 tips for do-it-yourself primpers:
1. Touch up scuffed or chipped walls and staircases.
2. Ensure windows are spotless.
3. Shampoo all carpets.
4. Make sure every light switch has a matching plate.
5. Cover outdated kitchen and bathroom floors with peel-and-stick tiles.
6. Update kitchen cabinets with new handles.
7. Re-caulk around tubs and sinks.
8. Give old tiles a facelift by scrubbing grout.
9. Invest in a new shower curtain.
10. Paint, paint and then paint some more.
Handy hints
“Paint is the No. 1 thing to improve the look of a property, inside and out,” seconds Paul. Warm, neutral walls have wide appeal, but why stop there? Give a concrete basement floor new life and update kitchen or bathroom cupboards without the expense of new cabinetry.
“Dated for a home buyer spells work and it spells money,” warns Paul.
Trafford also recommends replacing stained countertops and worn broadloom, while Wardle advises returning a converted room to its expected use. The third bedroom may function as an office, but buyers want to see a bedroom — oust the computer in favour of a bed and night table.
Finishing touches — such as new towels in the bathroom, a mirror strategically placed to open up a narrow hallway or fresh flowers in a drab room — all play a role in selling a house.
Consider the curb appeal
Pay equal attention to a home’s exterior. Keep it tidy (i.e., don’t clutter the front porch with garbage and recycling bins) and take on simple projects to set the house apart.
Red cedar chips transform a boring front garden, while flowerpots, a new mailbox and a freshly painted front door send house hunters the right message.
Spend money to make money
Whether following these tips yourself or hiring a stager for a thorough makeover, prepare to spend money to make money.
Investing 1 percent of the asking price into fixing up a house is a general guide, says Paul, who charges anywhere from $150 for a consultation and five-page report to $3,000 to dress a house fully with furniture and accessories. (Painting and repairs done by a third-party contractor cost extra.)
While no one can guarantee a house will fetch a specific price or sell within a certain time frame, experts insist primping has a positive influence. Paul cites a Victorian house in Toronto that sat on the market for six months at $569,000, but sold for $612,000 within a week ofa detailed overhaul that included staging the dining room for an elegant (but imaginary) dinner party.
It goes back to encouraging house hunters to buy into a dream, and in the process, buy the house.
Michelle Warren is a writer in Toronto
Copyright 2009 © Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Inserted from <http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/print/personal-finance/article/bankratecanada/1364/dress-up-your-house-for-a-successful-sale>
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11 Reasons To List Your Home Now
December 16th, 2009 Categories: Area interest, Selling real estate
With all this talk of a housing bubble, maybe now is the time to take advantage. Here are 11 reasons why now to the time:
People who look for a home during the Holidays are more serious buyers! Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the Holidays and less competition means more money for you! Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in January, there will be less demand for your particular home! Less demand means less money for you! Houses show better when decorated for the Holidays! Buyers are more emotional during the Holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price! Buyers have more time to look for a home during the Holidays than they do during a working week! Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax reasons! January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs. Since transferees cannot wait until Spring to buy, you must be on the market now to capture that market! You can still be on the market, but you have the option to restrict showings during the six or seven days during the Holidays! You can sell now for more money and we will provide for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year! By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the Spring, when many more houses are on the market for less money! This will allow you to sell high and buy low!From MikeFerry.com
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Imagine for a moment that you have been told that you need surgery. You have a choice between two surgeons: