Real Estate News

Why do I need a Home Inspector?
24 Sep - As you have probably heard many times, buying a home is the single most important investment that you will make in your life. With this very valuable statement in mind it is extremely important to have a qualified and experienced home inspector evaluate the home before you purchase it.   A professional home inspector reviews the operating systems and structure of a home of any age.  The home inspector will review the inspection report with you and will give you a written report to keep as a reference guide.  Typically the home inspector will comment on the condition of the roof, plumbing, electrical system, heating and cooling systems, foundation, attic and other significant structural factors and may outline costs of repair or replacement where necessary.   The Home Inspection will cost between $350.00 and $500.00 plus HST  depending on the size and features of the home. It will usually take between 2 to 3 hours to complete the home inspection.  It is very important that you are…

Final Home Inspection Walk-Through
24 Sep - What is a Final Walk-Through? Final walk-throughs as we call them are not a home inspection.  It's not a time to begin negotiations with the seller to do repairs, nor is it a condition to the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.  A final walk-trhough is an inspection performed anywhere from a few hours to five days before closing and it is primary purpose is to make certain that the property is in the same condition when you removed your conditions and agreed to buy.  Also, that agreed upon repairs, if any, were made and nothing has gone wrong with the home since you last looked at it. If after the walk-through there are repairs that were to have been made but were neglected or aspects of the home were different then when you last saw the home, you would contact your lawyer immediately and I would also contact the listing agent to discuss the problems.  We would ask them to remedy the situation by either making the repair or hold back money to accommdodate the problem. It is important…

Over-Priced Houses Sell Slower and For Less
24 Sep - Any real estate agent will tell you that pricing is extremely important in todays real estate market.  A buyer will perceive value in the house that is priced right.  Often times you will see buyers enter into a bidding war with others just to get the house that they see as being priced aggressively.  On the flip-side over-priced houses will languish and will usually sell for less if they sell at all.   Chances are you are always going to hurt yourself by over-pricing.  Why do I think that?   Do you recall the times when a great deal has come on the market.  Everyboday rushed to place an offer because they knew the price was great.  But you soon found out there were a dozen others who had also placed an offer on the property and it was usually above the asking price. The "great sale price" created an auction type affect and it attracted byers and got them very excited.  This is the same startegy that banks are usining to sell quickly and for the most amount of money.…

How Clean Should a Seller leave the house after mo…
24 Sep - While most buyers will clean the home to their own standards before moving in, regardless of a sellers efforts, following is a list of things a seller can do to leave a home reasonably clean and create goodwill:   CLEANING INSIDE THE HOME BEFORE MOVING OUT: remove all personal property vacuum the floors clean kitchen appliances, inside the fridge and oven, wipe down counters wipe down interior cabinets and shelving wash tile and vinyl/linoleum flooring   CLEANING EXTERIOR OF HOME AND GARAGE/SHEDS: remove personal belongins throw away trash properly dispose of toxic chemicals stack items pertaining to the home such as paint cans, roofing materials or extra flooring sweep floor of garage   In essence, my best advice would be to leave the home is the condition that you would like to find your new home.  Remember, the new home owners might receive some of your mail by mistake or packages over the holidays.  It's a good idea to stay on pleasant terms with the new buyers.  But most…

My Pledge
24 Sep - My pledge is to serve your total real estate needs to the fullest with absolute professionalism, in dedication and commitment. My knowledge in residential home sales with New Homes being my forte. My knowledge in new home sales derives from 18 years of building homes in the Windsor and Essex County area and my understanding of the Tarion New Home Warranty Program.

Do you know the basics of Home Security?
2 May - Most people feel confident about the basics of home security. For example: Keep all doors locked. Have a light on in the house while away. Never hide a key outside in an obvious place, like under the mat. • Yet, almost a million and a half properties get burglarized in North America each year. So how can you prevent that from happening to your home? Here are a few less known home security basics: • Actually, never hide a key outside. Thieves know all the hiding places. Instead, make sure all family members have a key. • Two-thirds of home burglaries occur during the day. So be extra vigilant about making sure doors and windows are locked while you're away during the day. • Surprisingly, most thieves are not daring. They are 2.7 times more likely to target a home without an alarm system. • Thieves will attempt to force entry through sliding-style doors and windows first. So make sure these have a locking bar or extra bolt lock. • Surprising, 40% of household burglaries do…